Brakes failed, inspection revealed completely rusted out brake lines, frame, suspension components, steering components, and crossmembers. Vehicle is not repairable and is no longer usable.
The worst 1997 Chevrolet C/K Pickups problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Visibility30
- Steering19
- Brakes8
- Engine4
- Fuel system4
- Transmission4
- Body3
- Locks3
- Suspension2
- Airbags1
- Electrical1
- Lights1
- Tires1
Specific symptoms reported on the 1997 Chevrolet C/K Pickups
Trouble codes owners of the 1997 Chevrolet C/K Pickups mention
C1500 2
Recalls 1
Visibility: windshield wiper/washer
- What is wrong
- On certain minivans, pickup trucks, and sport utility vehicles with certain model-engine combinations, the windshield wiper motor may fail due to cracked solder joints on the controller circuit board. The windshield wipers could work intermittently or not at all.
- Risk
- If this were to occur during bad weather, driver visibility would be reduced, which could result in a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the wiper motor circuit board and cover. Owner notification began on june 19, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact chevrolet at 1‑800‑222‑1020, gmc at 1‑800‑462‑8782, or oldsmobile at 1‑800‑442‑6537.
Recall number 03V159000 · Recall details
See all 1 recalls for the 1997 Chevrolet C/K Pickups
Defect investigations
Windshield wiper failure
As a result of this, and the precedinginvestigation, rq99-003, gm has expanded the population of safety recall 98v‑150 (replacement of the windshield wiper control module) to include an additional 1.77 million vehicles.included are various 1994-1997 my m/l vans, s/t trucks and suvs, & c/k trucks and suvs.see attached technical report for details.
EA02006
Vacuum brake booster
Alleged that the vacuum brake booster can fail resulting in loss of brake effectiveness and extended stopping distances.
PE01001
Technical service bulletins for the 1997 Chevrolet C/K Pickups 1
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
What 1997 Chevrolet C/K Pickups owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 chevrolet c/k. The contact stated that the windshield wipers would fail intermittently. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and did not offer any assistance since the vehicle was not included in the federal safety agency campaign id number: 03v159000 (visibility:windshield wiper/washer). The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown and the current mileage was 69,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 chevrolet c/k pickup. The contact stated when driving approximately 5 MPH in rainy weather conditions the windshied wipers would not operate normally. He would had to drive onto the emergency lane and wait until the rain stopped. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who advised him that the circuit board to the wiper motor failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and advised him that he was not included in the federal safety agency campaign id number 03v159000 (visibility:windshield wiper/washer). The failure mileage was approximately 130,000. The VIN was unavailable. Updated 02/09/12*lj updated 02/13/12
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 chevrolet pickup quad cab. The contact stated that the window wiper motor would fail intermittently. The dealer and the manufacturer advised that the vehicle was not included in the federal safety agency campaign id number: 03v159000 (visibility: windshield wiper/washer). The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and the current mileage was 128,397.
Recently had wipers fail during heavy storm while on freeway. Nearly caused crash. Condition is intermittent. Checked the federal safety agency website and found recall (03v159000) and documents showed entire production from my model was included. Took truck to penske chev. Of cerritos, ca. Asked them to check for recall applicability. They told me "the truck was too old" and my VIN number was "not a good VIN". They called gm and got the same info, no record of VIN. I am the original owner (never received owner notifications) and showed them monroney label, original bill of sale and title with this VIN. Service writer told me that without VIN, there would be no repair, despite the paperwork provided and gm recall document with affected range. Dealer acted like I was trying to steal from them.
The rear brake line corroded and began a major leak causing my pregnant wife to nearly rear end a car.
Vehicle left the road and hit a tree head on and air bags did not deploy.
Anti lock brakes engage at slow speeds (less than 5 MPH) on dry pavement. Vehicle stopping distance was increased causing low speed collision. No injuries but minor property damage. This problem still exists. Co-worker has a 98 with same problem.
I was returning home when it started raining. I tried to turn on my windshield wipers and they did not come on. The rain became very heavy and I was unable to see. I had no was to turn off or stop so I slowed down to about 10 MPH in a 45 MPH zone, so I could even stay on the road. When I finally had a chance to pull off the road I did. The wipers did not work at any speed, nor did the wiper wash mode work. After I made it home I checked the fuse for the wipers and it was okay. I turned the ignition switch on and the wipers worked. As we have had a lot of rain in our area, this occurred 3 seperate times where the wipers failed to work when I needed them. After I had gotten home, and checked again, they worked. I researched on the web at a chevy site and found that this was a common problem with the vehicle, mine is a 1997 chevrolet k pickup truck. I also found a odi recall which matched my type of failure. The dealer service manager said that my vehicle number was not part of the recall. The federal safety agency action number is ea02006. Even though this was a used truck and the symptoms matched, they would not provide the repairs for free based on the recall. I believe that this should be repaired as part of the recall.
Tl*the contact owns a 1997 chevrolet k 1500. While driving with the windshield wipers activated, the wipers worked intermittently. The dealer stated that the vehicle was not included in the federal safety agency campaign id number 03v159000 (visibility:windshield wiper/washer). The contact filed a complaint with the manufacturer. The wipers have yet to be repaired. The speed was unknown. The failure mileage was 79,000 and current mileage was 80,000. Updated 01-11-08. *kb updated 12/12/07
Compare the 1997 Chevrolet C/K Pickups
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Questions about the 1997 Chevrolet C/K Pickups
Is the 1997 Chevrolet C/K Pickups reliable?
Owners have filed 72 complaints about the 1997 Chevrolet C/K Pickups, 3.0 times a typical C/K Pickups model year.
What is the most common problem with the 1997 Chevrolet C/K Pickups?
Windows, wipers and visibility, with 30 complaints, typically around 92,250 miles. Next is steering (19).
How many recalls does the 1997 Chevrolet C/K Pickups have?
1 recall, covering visibility.
Was there a recall on the 1997 Chevrolet C/K Pickups visibility?
Yes, 1 recall: 03V159000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Chevrolet C/K Pickups have the most visibility problems?
The Chevrolet C/K Pickups model years with the most visibility complaints are 1994 (34 complaints), 1998 (34 complaints) and 1997 (30 complaints).
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