The federal safety agency recall#03v117 regarding possible seatbelt failure and we notified our local gmc dealer but they have not responded.we are concerned of a possible catastrophe in the event of an accident.
The worst 1997 GMC Jimmy 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.
- Brakes54
- Suspension54
- Visibility44
- Engine38
- Transmission33
- Electrical28
- Fuel system18
- Steering18
- Airbags16
- Lights16
- Body11
- Acceleration8
- Seat belts6
- Tires5
- Wheels4
- Locks2
- Seats2
Specific symptoms reported on the 1997 GMC Jimmy
Ball joint 50Wipers 40ABS 20No deployment 12Brake failure 12Fuel gauge 10Stalling 9Fire or smoke 7Fuel pump 6Overheating 6Grinding brakes 5Power steering loss 5Pulling 5
Recalls 4
Seat belts: front: buckle assembly
- What is wrong
- Certain sport utility vehicles were built with a driver's seat belt buckle assembly that contains an energy-absorbing loop. Sustained loads of sufficient magnitude and duration on the belt in severe crashes could fully deploy the buckle energy-absorbing loop, introducing a total of 10 additional inches of webbing into the seat belt system. The free falling latch plate used in this system may allow webbing to dynamically distribute between the lap and shoulder belt as the driver's position changes during a multiple rollover event.
- Risk
- If the energy-absorbing loop fully deploys in a severe multiple rollover crash, it is possible that a belted driver may experience partial or even complete ejection from the vehicle.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the energy-absorbing seat belt assemblies with one that does not have the energy-absorbing loop. Owner notification began on august 8, 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 03V117000 · Recall details
Visibility: rearview mirrors/devices: exterior
- What is wrong
- Certain sport utility vehicles, mini vans, and pickup trucks may develop a short circuit in the electric outside rearview mirror switch.
- Risk
- If this were to happen, it could result in an inoperative switch, heat damage to the driver's door, and/or ignition of components in the driver's door and a subsequent vehicle fire without prior warning.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install a fused jumper harness to the electric outside rearview mirror switch. Owner notification began on april 24, 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 or gmc at 1‑800‑462‑8782.
Recall number 03V093000 · Recall details
Suspension: front: control arm: upper ball joint
- What is wrong
- On certain sport utility vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the states of connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, and wisconsin, and in the district of columbia. Failure of an upper control arm ball joint assembly could occur due to corrosion.
- Risk
- This can result in impaired steering or steering loss, or a partial or complete collapse of the front suspension, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace both upper ball joints. Owner notification began september 4, 2001. 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 01V200000 · Recall details
Seat belts
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: extended cab pickup trucks equipped with 60/40 front bench seats and extended cab pickup trucks and 2-door utility vehicles equipped with manual locking recliner bucket seats. The outboard safety belt webbing on the driver's and/or passenger's seat can separate during a frontal impact.
- Risk
- If a separation occurred and there were secondary crash events or vehicle rollover, there would be no belt restraint of the occupant and increased injuries could occur.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install a protective cover over the recliner mechanism.
Recall number 97V096001 · Recall details
See all 4 recalls for the 1997 GMC Jimmy
Defect investigations
Seat belt webbing separation
The federal safety agency's new car assessment program (ncap) tested a 1997 chevrolet s-10 extended cab pickup equipped with a driver-side air bag.the front passenger seat belt was completely cut during the test.
EA97004
Abs braking system
This investigation resulted in a safety recall, 99v‑193, and a service campaign, 99i-006.
EA94038
Technical service bulletins for the 1997 GMC Jimmy 61
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- This warranty administration bulletin provides information regarding the field action courtesy...
- Fuel system, gasoline
- Equipment: electrical: anti-theft devices
- Equipment
- This warranty administration bulletin provides policy information with the field action courtesy...
- This technical bulletin provides a procedure to reprogram the media disc player with the latest...
- Equipment: electrical: anti-theft devices
- Vehicle Recalls
- This informational bulletin provides the technician with information on what E85 fuel may due to a non E85...
- Expanded Availability for Remanufacture and Return (R&R) Electronic Control Modules
1997 GMC Jimmy fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.3L 6‑cyl | RWD | 15-16 | 21-23 | 17-19 |
| 4.3L 6‑cyl | 4WD | 15 | 20 | 16-17 |
What 1997 GMC Jimmy owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 gmc jimmy. While driving approximately 10 MPH, the contact heard an abnormal noise coming from the front suspension. The steering was difficult to maneuver when turning the vehicle. The failure occurred on multiple occasions. An independent mechanic stated that the front end needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired and the manufacturer was notified. The approximate failure mileage was 210,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 gmc jimmy. While driving approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle stalled and restarted after numerous attempts. An independent mechanic stated that the ignition switch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired and the manufacturer was notified. The VIN was unavailable. The approximate failure mileage was 180,000.
Bad 3 vehickle auto accident on I-96 in michigan. A white car stopped or stalled in center lane of highway and was then hit by a green car and we hit the green car "head on" in the rear.. Air bags did not deploy with a direct head on hit at 65 to 70 miles per hour. My truck was a 1997 gmc jimmy.
I was attempting to back out of my parking space at my work place parking lot and backed on to my spare tire. The spare tire cable broke due to corrosion. Luckily I was not on the highway going 70 MPH and someone behind me run into it. I have owned blazers and jimmy's for the last 23 years and have never had this problem. Checking out this website I now know this is a recurring problem. I will tell everyone that I know who own these vehicles about this defect.
I own a 1997 gmc jimmy. The windshield wipers have always only worked when they wanted to. Now, they do not work at all. I have been doing some internet research and found that this is happening to alot of the same models. I see there is a recall for 1996 models. Why not the 1997 models? The exact same thing is happening to my 1997. I never knew or was notified of this. I want this repair fixed at no cost to me. What can I do?
1997 gmc jimmy battery drain. After vehicle sits for a couple hours it will not start. Has new (not rebuilt) alternator, starter, battery. Still won't start most of the time. Battery drains completely if vehicle sits overnight. As soon as I jump the vehicle, it starts immediately. Nothing I do will help.vehicle has done this for8years and I can't fix it so I don't even put license it anymore. I can't sell it because nobody wants a broke down car. It still looks and drives great. I would like gm to fix it. There are also other things that appear to be factory defaults like front suspension and more I won't go into now.
The head lights keep shutting off as you are driving at night time then it will switch over to the day time running lights, this occurs every time you drive at nighttime with the lights on, we do not know what to do to fix this problem so we have not brought it in.
Tl*the contact owns a 1997 gmc jimmy. While driving approximately 5 MPH, the vehicle flipped over on its passenger side. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and they stated that the upper and lower ball joints failed, which caused other damage to the vehicle. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer stated that the VIN was not included in the federal safety agency campaign id number 01v200000 (suspension:front:control arm:upper ball joint), although the failures were similar. The manufacturer further stated that they were not liable for the repairs. The failure mileage was 51,402.
Windshield wipers are now dependably non-functional, especially when they're needed the most (like when it's raining). They are inoperable about 90% of the time, nothing seems able to coax the wiper system back into operation under these conditions, and the vehicle's operator is simple left soaking wet and wholly irritated for his efforts. If the vehicle is in operation when these failures occur, the driver must negotiate traffic like some jedi knight using "the force" before he can even get safely pulled over. And on an interstate highway, that's no small trick! This is a dangerous problem, and general motors' seemingly cavalier attitude about addressing it is unacceptable! They have already acknowledged this exact problem with previous model year vehicles and corrected the problem, and there are numerous complaints against the 1997 models; why won't they issue the same badly-needed recall on these vehicles? Are they waiting for the inevitable traffic fatalities and subsequent class-action lawsuit...? What will get these people to own up to faulty safety equipment on their vehicles and correct it...? If gm thinks examples of this sort of customer service and vehicle reliability is going to make people flock to their dealerships to buy their products, they're in for a very rude awakening...! Big mystery why they're losing money...!
Compare the 1997 GMC Jimmy
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Questions about the 1997 GMC Jimmy
Is the 1997 GMC Jimmy reliable?
Owners have filed 273 complaints about the 1997 GMC Jimmy, 136.5 times a typical Jimmy model year.
What is the most common problem with the 1997 GMC Jimmy?
Brakes, with 54 complaints. Next is suspension (54).
How many recalls does the 1997 GMC Jimmy have?
4 recalls, covering seat belts, visibility and suspension.
What year does the GMC Jimmy have bad brakes?
The GMC Jimmy model years with the most brakes complaints are 1994 (263 complaints), 1995 (243 complaints) and 1996 (183 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 1997 GMC Jimmy get?
Official estimates for the 1997 GMC Jimmy range from 16 to 19 mpg combined. The most efficient version (4.3L 6-cyl, RWD) gets 15-16 city and 21-23 highway.
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