1997 GMC Vandura Series Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 1997 GMC Vandura Series, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Electrical133.3%
- Fuel system133.3%
- Steering133.3%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
VAN CAUGHT ON FIRE AND COMPLETELY TOTALED. ON 12-3-02. ALLSTATE INS. CO ESTIMATED THE TOTAL DAMAGE TO BE $16,700. REPORTED THIS INCIDENT TO CHEVROLET, WHICH STATED THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE VAN, HOWEVER, WE HAVE NEVER BEEN NOTIFIED, AND THE VAN HAS BEEN TO SEVERAL DIFFERENT DEALERS FOR MAINTENANCE, YET WE WERE NEVER NOTIFIED OF THIS PROBLEM. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT STATED THAT MY HUSBAND IS LUCKY TO BE ALIVE, AND IT'S A WONDER HE WAS NOT HURT. IF HAD NOT BEEN NOTIFIED BY A PASSING DRIVER, AND HAD NOT PULLED OVER, THE FIRE WOULD HAVE BEEN FUELED BY O2 AND CAUSED A MAJOR EXPLOSION. I WAS TO HAVE DRIVEN THIS VEHICLE ON THIS VERY DAY, WITH BOTH MY CHILDREN, ONE HAS SPECIAL NEEDS. IT MAY HAVE TAKEN ME LONGER TO HAVE GOTTEN OUT OF THE VEHICLE WITH MY CHILDREN. CHEVROLET SAYS IT WILL DO NOTHING BECAUSE THERE WAS NO INJURY OR DEATH. *****DIMS 11 IVOQ ENTRY POSTED AFTER 12/12/02 CUT-OVER TO ARTEMIS*****770811. *AK *JB
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHILE RIDING AT 75 MPH AND VEHICLE WOULD STALL AND NOT TAKE GAS. TOOK TO DEALER AND THEY REPLACED FUEL FILTER AND FUEL PUMP. 11000 MILES LATER, THE SAME PROBLEM REOCCURRED. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Steering
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1991 GMC VANDURA 2500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING IN REVERSE APPROXIMATELY 2 MPH, A LOUD NOISE EMITTED FROM THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE. SUDDENLY THERE WAS A COMPLETE LOSS IN THE STEERING POWER. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO STATED THAT THE PITMAN ARM FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. IN MARCH OF 2010, THE COMPLETE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE WAS REBUILT INCLUDING THE REPLACEMENT OF THE PITMAN ARM. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 202,206. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .