Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 1997 record →
WHEN MAKING A LEFT OR RIGHT TURN STEERING WHEEL JERKS LOOSE INTO THE DIRECTION THAT THE WHEEL IS TURNED, BUT THE VEHICLE ITSELF DOES NOT RESPOND TO THE JERK. IF HELD IN THE TURNING POSITION, WHEEL PULSATES. THE DEALER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED.*AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
THE CONSUMER STATE'S THERE IS A LEAKAGE WITHIN THE HYDRO- BOOSTER AND THE MASTER CYLINDER WHICH CAUSES WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND APPLYING THE BRAKES, THE VEHICLE IS PULLING TO THE RIGHT. AK
LOOSE BODY BOLTS;REPAIRED BY DEALER. HAD EVO SENSOR REPLACED AT A CHEVY DEALER SINCE THEY KNEW ABOUT THE PROBLEM THAT AFFECTED THIS NEW FEATURE, ELECTRONIC VARIABLE ORIFICE WAS NEW IN 1997. THE TRUCK WAS DANGAROUS TO DRIVE, FELT LIKE A GO-CART, ALL OVER THE PLACE. THEY CHEVY DEALER ALSO BURNED IN A NEW PROGRAM FOR MIXTURES AND TIMING WENT THEY REPLACED BOTH O2 SENSORS AND CLEANED THE EGR VALVE. DID I PAY TO REPLACE THESE ITEMS DUE TO A BAD PROGRAM?? I THINK I DID. WHAT IS WARRENTY ON EMISSION SYSTEM FROM THE MANUFACTURER.??? *AK
I HAVE 5# OF PAPER WORK ON THIS ONE,HAD TROUBLE WITH THIE STEERING GEAR BOX AT 1150 MILES, HAD ROCKER AND LIFTERS DONE AT 4407 MILES, AGAIN AT 6344 MILES, BRAKES AGAIN AT 15986 MILES,24116 DRIVE SHAFT OUT OF BALANCE, I'M STILL HAVEING TROUBLE WITH THE BRAKES SOME TIMES IT IS LIKE ON BRAKE AND SOME TIMES IT'S LIKE THEY LOCK UP THE BACK WHEELS AT THE SPEED OF 5MPH ON DRY PAVEMENT OR WHAT EVER SURFES, OR AT THE STOP SIGN WHILE HOLDING THE BRAKE,YOU CAN HERE THE ABS. I HAVE TRYED DEALING WITH BBB, AND GMC PUT GOT NO WHERE, I WROTE TO THE ATT GEN'S OF BOTH MN AND TX, BUT GOT NO WHERE.I HAVE ALL THE PAPER WORK FROM DAY ONE, I"M PAYING OVER 40.000.00 FOR THIS. *AK
CONSUMER STATES WHEN TRAVELING UPON MAKING A LEFT OR A RIGHT HAND TURN CONSUMER NOTICE THE STEERING WHEEL IS LOOSE CAUSING POOR STEERING CONTROL, CONSUMER ALSO HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.
VEHICLE STALLED WHILE DRIVING. HAD COASTED TO SIDE OF ROAD. RESTARTED & VEHICLE SHUT OFF. THE DIFFERENTIAL SEAL WAS LEAKING OIL. THE VEHICLE WAS MAKING NOISES IN THE UNIVERSAL JOINT. TAKING VEHICLE TO MECHANIC. ALSO, LEAF SPRING ON PASSENGER'S SID EFAILED/REPLACED/SMELLED OIL DUE TO PCV VALVE FAILURE, AN DTRANSMISSION WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO DRIVE OR REVERSE. *AK
POWER STEERING SUDDENLY JERKS WHILE CHANGING LANES OR MAKING TURNS. YH
STEERING BECOMES IRRATIC WHEN TURNING. VEHICLE SUDDENLY OVERSTEERS THEN RETURNS BACK TO NORMAL ,CAUSING MOMENTARY LOSS OF CONTROL. DEALER REPLACED (SVS)SENSOR TO CORRECT PROBLEM. *AK
ON-GOING / INTERMITTENT PROBLEM WITH BRAKE SYSTEM; BRAKE PEDAL WOULD BE HARD TO PRESS, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPING DISTANCE. VEHICLE BEEN IN / OUT OF DEALER SHOP ON THREE OCCASIONS AND NOTHING COULD BE FOUND. CAN NHTSA HELP IN THIS MATTER. ALSO REPLACED MASTER CYLINDER AND BRAKE BOOSTER. *AK
THE STEERING SYSTEM WORKS INTERMITTENTLY CAUSING THE WHEEL TO FEEL"LOOSE" WHICH MAY RESULT IN LOSS OF CONTROL. *YC
STEEL CABLE ON TAILATE BROKE FROM BOTH SIDES AT THE SAME TIME, CAUSING IT TO FALL ON TOP OF CONSUMER. *AK
WHEN TURNING CORNERS EITHER LEFT OR RIGHT, STEERING WHEEL WILL JERK, POSSIBLY CAUSING A LOSS OF CONTROL. *AK
WHEN GEARS ARE SHIFTED FROM FIRST TO SECOND VEHICLE JERKS, AS IF BEING REAR ENDED. DEALER SAYS THERE IS A BAD VALVE BODY IN TRANSMISSION. DEALER HAS SEEN VEHICLE 3 TIMES. NO SOLUTION FOUND. *AK
WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES AT APPOXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE ABS SYSTEM WOULD LOCK UP FOR NO REASON WHEN HITTING A BUMP, CAUSING VEHICLE TO SLID WHICH RESULTS IN LOSS OF CONTROL. MECHANICS CANNOT IDENTIFY PROBLEM. *YC
I PURCHASED THIS TRUCK IN JANUARY 1998. 2 WEEKS LATER IT WAS IN THE SHOP. THIS PATTERN CONTINUED EACH TIME. THE COMPLAINT WAS CONCERNING TRANSMISSION. BUT EACH TIME THEY WOULD REPLACE SOMETHING ELSE INSTEAD. THE TRUCK WAS IN THE SHOP FOR OVER 50 DAYS IN A YEARS TIME. ON OCTOBER 4, 1999 I WAS ON MY WAY TO WORK WHEN THE TRUCK GOING DOWN THE HIGHWAY, JAMMED IN 1ST GEAR. THE TRUCK WAS TOWED. IT TOOK THE DEALER 10 DAYS TO MAKE A DECISION ON REPAIRING THE TRUCK. THEY WERE WELL AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM, AND IT IS STILL A MAJOR HASSLE TO GET IT REPAIRED. CONTACTED GM AND HAD TO HAVE THEM INTERVENE. HAD THEY OF FIXED THE TRUCK THE PRIOR 5 TIMES IT WAS IN FOR REPAIR THIS WOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED. THEY CONTINUALLY DENIED PROBLEMS EXISTED WITH THE TRANSMISSION. THIS IS A VORTEX TRUCK I DON'T KNOW IF THERE ARE OTHER EXISTING PROBLEMS WITH THIS YEAR OF TRUCK AND TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. BUT I HAD PROBLEMS WITHIN THE FIRST WEEK AFTER PURCHASE AND EACH AND EVERY TIME THEY WOULD REPAIR SOMETHING ELSE INSTEAD OF FIXING THE TRANSMISSION. THE TRANNY WAS IN PIECES WHEN IT ARRIVED TO THE DEALER FROM THE TOW TRUCK. THEY STILL DID NOT WANT TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. THEY WERE TRYING TO FORCE ME TO PAY A PART OF THIS REPAIR. THEY WERE VERY RUID AND INCOOPERATIVE ABOUT THE WHOLE DEAL. A TOTAL OF 16 DAYS THEY HAD THE TRUCK THIS TIME. IN OCTOBER OF 98 THEY HAD THE TRUCK FOR 19 DAYS AND STILL COULD NOT FIND OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. EACH TIME I WOULD GET THE TRUCK BACK THEY WOULD SHOW SOME REPAIR FOR ANYTHING OTHE
WHEN DRIVING AT HIGH SPEED, FRON WHEEL STEERING FRONT SENSOR MALFUNCTIONED, ALLOWING WRONG SIGNALS INTO STEERING. WHEN GOING AROUND A CURB OR CORNER THE STEERING LOOSENS UP. *AK
BACK BRAKES ARE NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY, CAUSING THE FRONT BRAKES TO WEAR OUT EXCESSIVELY. THE FRONT BRAKES HAVE BEEN REPLACED TWICE. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
BRAKE SYSTEM DOES NOT RESPOND VERY QUICKLY/FADING. MJS
WHILE DRIVING AND MAKING A LEFT OR RIGHT TURN VEHICLE SEVERELY PULLS TO THE RIGHT. CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
INTERMITTENT STRONG UNEXPECTED STEERING WHEEL MOVEMENT AT APPROX. 35 MILES PER HOUR AN ABOVE THIS WILL HAPPEN WHEN DRIVING STRAIGHT BUT IS MOST SEVERE WHEN TAKING A RIGHT HAND TURN IT FEELS LIKE THE STEERING WHEEL SLIPS APPROX 3 TO 4 INCHES INCREASING THE RATE OF TURN THE VEHICLE ALSO VIOLENTLY MOVES IN THAT DIRECTION.
BOOSTER FAILED WHILE TRAVELING INTERSTATE. THIS WAS A CLASS 9 SYSTEMS FAILURE (LOSS OF POWER) WITHOUT WARNING. FAILURE WAS A RESULT OF A SPLIT DIAPHRAM.
WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS WHEN CONSUMER IS TURNING STEERING WHEEL JERKS AND TWITCHES. VEHICLE IS DIFFICULT TO CONTROL WHEN THIS OCCURS. *AK
POWER WINDOWS WOULD NOT WORK.
DRIVER SEAT, SEAT ADJUSTMENT.
BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS WEARING TOO FAST; ONLY HAD TRUCK FOR ONE YEAR AND ALREADY HAVING TO REPLACE A SECOND TIME; IT IS ONLY DRIVEN 5 MILES TO AND FROM WORK EVERY DAY, AND REGULAR EVERYDAY USE; ALSO, TWO TIRES FAILED AT SAME TIME AND HAD TO BE REPLACED.( DOT NUMBER: )
TRANS STARTED SHIFTING VERY HARD. ONCE IN HIGH GEAR OPERATED WELL. DEALER WOULD NOT LOOK AT IT UNDER WARRANTY EVEN THOUGH 1YR 10 MOS. OLD DUE TO OVER 36000 MILES BY LESS THAN 2000.
STOPPED WHILE OUT OF THE CITY ON THE ROAD AND IT WOULD NOT START. HAD IT TOWED TO DEALERSHIP AND THEY REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP.
WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED STEERING IS JUMPING AND JERKING. WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES, IT FEELS LIKE PRESSURE IS WITHIN THE BRAKES UNTIL CONSUMER HITS A BUMP AND THE PRESSURE WILL GO AWAY. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AT 60 MPH DRIVER'S SEAT BOLT BROKE OFF. CAUSING THE CONSUMER TO FALL BACKWARDS. CONSUMER LOST TEMPORARY CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, BUT WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE BACK UNDER CONTROL. *AK
WHEN BRAKING A LITTLE HARDER THAN NORMAL BRAKE PEDAL WENT COMPLETELY TO THE FLOORBOARD, AND THERE WAS NO STOPPING ABILITY, CAUSING A REAR CRASH. THE VEHICLE IS BEING REPAIRED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
NO SUMMARY MODEL (1500)
WHEN MAKING TURNS, PRIMARILY RIGHT TURNS, STEERING WILL BECOME VERY LOOSE WHICH COULD RESULT IN LOSS OF CONTROL. *AK
WHENEVER DRIVING AT A SLOW SPEED APPROX. 20 MPH OR LESS, HAD TO APPLY BRAKES IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION, BUT BRAKES WOULD NOT STOP VEHICLE PROPERLY, AND EXTENDED I STOPPING DISTANCE OCCURRED. ALSO, COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE. SEEKING HELP FROM NHTSA IN THIS MATTER OR PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *AK
THE STEERING WHEEL COLUMN WAS LOOSE AND WAS ABLE TO MOVE FROM SIDE TO SIDE. MECHANIC TIGHTENED THE BOLTS. *AK
PASSENGER'S SIDE SEATBELT WILL NOT RETRACT, STUCK IN THE CLOSED POSITION, CAUSING LOSS OF PROTECTION. *AK
WE HAVE HAD VEHICLE BACK TO DEALER NUMEROUS TIMES WITH NO RESULTS THEY TELL US THEY CAN NOT FIND ANY THING WRONG WITH THE BRAKES. WE TOLD THEM THAT NUMEROUS TIMES WHEN YOU APPLY BRAKES OVER RUFF SURFACE VEHICLE BRAKES FAIL AND DO NOT STOP. I HAVE SKIDDED THROUGH INTERSECTIONS HOPING NOT TO HIT ANYONE AND HUSBAND HAS HAD NUMEROUS CLOSE CALLS APPLYING BRAKES AND NOT BEING ABLE TO STOP. SINCE WE HAVE OWNED VEHICLE IN THE LAST 2 1/2 YEARS WE HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE BRAKE PADS TWICE. ONCE AT 22,000 MILES AND AT 70,000 MILES. BOTH TIMES WERE FACTORY PADS. WE HAVE ALSO CONTACTED GM THEY TOLD US THAT THEY HAD NOT HAD ANY COMPLAINTS AGAINST THE BRAKES AND IN TODAYS PAPER 7/22/99 THERE HAS BEEN A RECALL ON 91 TO 96 VEHICLES WILL THE 97 GMC PU'S ALSO BE INCLUDED IN THIS RECALL? WHILE I AM COMPLAINING WE ALSO HAD TO REPLACE THE REAR END WHICH BLEW UP AFTER OWNING IT ONLY 2 WEEKS THE DEALER REPLACED CARRIER BEARINGS ONLY AND NOW IT IS MAKING NOISES AGAIN. ALSO THE TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REPLACED AT 6000 BECAUSE IT WENT OUT, ALSO LAST YEAR WE HAD TO HAVE THE POWER STEERING PUMP REPLACED BECAUSE IT WENT OUT AND THE BATTERY AT THE SAME TIME BECAUSE WHEN IT LEFT THE MANUFACTURE SOME ONE BOLTED THE BATTERY DOWN AND PUT THE SCREW RIGHT THROUGH THE BATTERY. COULD YOU PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF THE RECALL WILL INCLUDE THE 97'S ALSO. THANK YOU. GLENDORA WRIGHT. *AK
DRIVER LOSES CONTROL OF THE STEERING. THE FRONT LEFT TIRE FEELS LIKE IT'S SLIDING ON ICE. HAPPENS SPORADICALLY. DEALER CAN'T DUPLICATE PROBLEM. *AK
WHILE DRIVING 25-35-MPH OVER SOME BUMPS IN THE ROAD, THE DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S AIRBAGS DEPLOYED, CAUSING INJURIES TO DRIVER. PREVIOUSLY, THE AIRBAG LIGHT WAS COMING ON / OFF. DEALER SAID IT WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE AIRBAG CHIP, AND THEY WOULD NOT DEPLOY. BUT IN THIS CASE, THEY DID. *AK *YC
FUEL PUMP CAUGHT ON FIRE. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION/ OVERDRIVE MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING AN ABRUPT FORWARD JUMP FROM 1ST TO 2ND GEAR WHICH MAY CAUSE A CRASH. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
BOTH REAR WHEEL BRAKE CYLINDERS LEAKING. NLM
WHILE SITTING AT A STOP SIGN, THE SIDE WINDOW SHATTERED CAUSING TEMPORARY HEARING AND SIGHT IMPAIRMENT. *AK
STEERIG ERRATIC FEELS LIKE I'M DRIVING ON ICE\MOSTLY ON CORNERS. *AK
SERPENTINE BELT TENSIONER BROKE, CAUSING ENGINE PROBLEMS, AND MAY CAUSE A VEHICLE CRASH. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
IF VEHICLE IS PARKED OVERNIGHT IN A RAIN STORM THE BRAKES DO NOT RESPOND IN THE MORNING, AND VEHICLE WILL KEEP ROLLING WHEN BRAKE PEDAL IS APPLIED. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
ABS BRAKES WOULD LOCK UP WHEN APPLIED DURING RAINY WEATHER OR HEAVY DEW ON THE GROUND. BRAKES GOT WORSE. TOOK TO DEALER 5-6 TIMES. PROBLEM NOT DUPLICATED. *AK
CONSUMER EXPERIENCED PROBLEM WITH VEHICLE LEFT REAR WHEEL LOCK UP ONLY IN WET CONDITION; DEALER NOTIFIED AND SOME REPAIR WAS MADE, BUT CONSUMER BELIEVED THIS CONDITION SHOULD BE LOOK INTO BEFORE SOMEONE GET HURT. SEEKING NHSTA FOR HELP IN THIS MATTER.
THIS TRUCK HAS WORN THROUGH 4 SETS OF FRONT BRAKE PADS, INCLUDING THE SET ON THE TRUCK WHEN WE PURCHASED IT. THE ORIGINAL PADS WERE REPLACED AT 8,000 MILES. THE SECOND SET REPLACED AT 15,000 MILES. THE THIRD SET AT 23,000 MILES. THIS UNACCEPTABLE FOR A VEHICLE THAT YOU'VE PAID NEARLY $30,000 FOR! WE WANT GMC FORCED TO REPURCHASE THIS VEHICLE. THEY OBVIOUSLY ARE UNABLE TO FIX THE PROBLEM, AND I DO NOT WANT A VEHICLE THAT I AM REQUIRED TO REPLACE THE BRAKE PADS ON EVERY 6000 TO 8000 MILES. GMC HAS CONTINOUSLY TOLD US "TO WORK WITH THE DEALER". THAT HAS DONE US NO GOOD AT ALL. WE WANT SATISFACTION FROM GM!!!
WHILE DRIVING STEERING INTERMITTENTLY GETS DIFFICULT AND THEN GETS EASY AGAIN. *AK
NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Full record for the 1997 GMC Sierra → · Every Sierra year → · How the figures are calculated →