Every record we hold for this vehicle, as plain tables, with nothing added. The consumer page shows the same records with the maintenance schedule, price ranges and nearby shops around them.
vehicle
1997 / chevrolet / suburban
known issues
6 clusters (reviewed 2026-09-20)
complaints
438 on file (1996-11-19 → 2020-10-06)
recalls
0
investigations
0
fars
74 occupant deaths, crash years 2010-2024 (legacy-code)
Erratic power steering assist (EVO sensor)STEERING49 complaints2000-09 → 2009-11suburban-1997-power-steering-assist-failure
10291674 ERRATIC POWER STEERING ASSIST WHILE DRIVING RESULTING IN ERRATIC CONTROL AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. STARTED IN 2006 AND ENDED IN 2009. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER NUMEROUS TIMES TO NO AVAIL
739044 POWER STEERING IS UNRELIABLE, SURGE/INCREASE IN STEERING POWER IS VERY UNPREDICTABLE. THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO DEALER 5 TIMES FOR THIS PROBLEM. FIRST TIME THE DEALER SAID ALIGNMENT WAS PROBLEM, NOT SO
10054648 EXPERIENCING UNINTENDED POWER STEERING ASSISTANCE WHEN MAKING TURNS (TUPICALLY TO THE RIGHT), LOSING COTROL OF STEERING FOR A BRIEF MOMENT BEFORE IT RECOVERS
10151159 THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WAS HAVING ABS PROBLEMS. WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKE PEDAL TO STOP AT SLOWER SPEEDS THE ABS ACTIVATED CAUSING GREATER STOPPING DISTANCES. THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL, # 05V379000, REGARDING THE ABS
10120831 WHEN I APPLY THE BRAKES TO MY 1997 CHEVY SUBURBAN, THE ABS KICKS ON AND PULSATES EXTENDING THE STOPPING DISTANCE TREMENDOUSLY. THERE HAS BEEN A RECALL ON THIS FOR RECENT YEAR SUBURBANS, BUT NOT AS FAR BACK AS THE 1997 MODEL
10148929 IN JULY/AUGUST 2005 I BEGAN EXPERIENCING ACTIVATION OF THE ABS AT VERY LOW SPEEDS OF 5-10 MPH IN 1997 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN. I TOOK THE CAR TO REPAIR SHOP AND FOUND OUT THAT THE FRONT BRAKE UNITS, CALIPERS, ETC., WERE CORRODED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED
Automatic transmission hard shift, P1870 codePOWER TRAIN30 complaints2000-09 → 2004-11suburban-1997-transmission-hard-shift
10070386 "CHECK ENGINE SOON" LIGHT COMES ON AFTER SHORT HIGHWAY DRIVE (ABOUT 30 MINUTES). THEN TRANSMISSIONS SHIFTS HARD FROM 1ST TO SECOND GEAR, ASSOCIATED WITH A HARD CLUNK WHEN FINALLY IT SHIFTS. DEALER HAS REPLACED A "SPRING" WITH A HEAVIER DUTY ONE, BUT FIX IS
10029172 TRANSMISSION SHIFTS HARD - NEED TO BE REPLACED FOR THE THIRD TIME. P1870 ERROR CODE. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM ACCORDING TO THIS SITE ANDMANY OTHER INTERNET SITES. GM TECHNICIANS ARE ALL FAMILIAR AND THE ONLY FIX IS TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION
10021253 TRANSMISSION BINDED IN FIRST GEAR AND SLIPPED IN MIDDLE GEARS. IT WAS DETERMINED THERE WAS COOLANT AND/OR WATER IN THE TRANSMISSION AND THE COLOR WAS A DARK GREEN/YELLOW COLOR
Windshield wiper motor failureVISIBILITY30 complaints2002-07 → 2011-09suburban-1997-wiper-motor-failure
10156869 1997 CHEVEROLET C1500 SUBURBAN INTERMITTENT WIPER MOTOR FAILURE TO WORK PROPERLY. CAUSES LACK OF VISIBILITY DURING INCLEMENT WEATHER CONDITIONS OR DURING WINDSHIELD CLEANING OPERATIONS. WIPERS WILL CEASE TO WORK CONTINUOUS AND PROBLEM IS SPORADIC
10216196 WINDSHIELD WIPER FAILURE ON RAINY INTERSTATE HIGHWAY. 1997 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN
10208506 THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED IN THE RAIN, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WOULD NOT ACTIVATE
752220 FUEL PUMP ASSEMBLY RAN SO HOT THAT IT MELTED THE INSULATION ON ONE OF THE LEADS AND THE CONNECTOR GOING TO IT, THAT LEAD IN TURN HAD STARTED TO WELD ITSELF TO THE OTHER WIRES, CREATING A POTENTIAL DIRECT SHORT BETWEEN THESE WIRES INSIDE THE FUEL TANK
899854 WHEN CONSUMER DROPPED FUEL TANK OUT FROM UNDER VEHICLE AND STARTED CHANGING FUEL PUMP NOTICED THAT CONTACT WIRES FOR FUEL PUMP WERE CHARRED AND MELTED. DEALERSHIP HAS YET TO EXAMINE VEHICLE
557197 THE CONNECTION AND WIRES THAT RUN THE FUEL PUMP HAD BURNED AND MELTED, DUE TO THIS FAILURE THE FUEL PUMP WAS REPLACED
10200141 THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD NOISE AND LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. HE CRASHED THE VEHICLE INTO A WALL. THE DRIVER SIDE REAR B.F. GOODRICH TIRE TREAD SEPARATED AND CAUSED THE FAILURE
10127650 THE CONSUMER STATED THE RIGHT REAR TIRE CAME APART ON THE INTERSTATE. THE CONSUMER HAS WRITTEN TO BRIDGESTONE
872786 WHILE DRVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED FELT VIBRATION IN STEERING WHEEL AND STOPPED TO DETERMINE WHAT WAS WRONG. DISCOVERED THAT A SECTION OF TREAD (4X4) HAD COME OFF RIGHT FRONT TIRE. REPLACED WITH SPARE, AND CONTINUED TO NEXT TOWN
FARS counts every occupant death in a fatal crash, whatever the cause — it does not mean the vehicle was at fault or defective. Counts are not adjusted for how many of each vehicle are on the road.
Cite this
Derived data is CC BY 4.0. Link back to the page you used. Text and BibTeX below.
Wrench.Pro (2026). 1997 Chevrolet Suburban vehicle data [dataset]. https://www.wrench.pro/data/vehicles/1997/chevrolet/suburban
@misc{wrenchpro_1997_chevrolet_suburban_2026,
author = {Wrench.Pro},
title = {Wrench.Pro vehicle data: 1997 Chevrolet Suburban},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {\url{https://www.wrench.pro/data/vehicles/1997/chevrolet/suburban}},
note = {Derived from NHTSA public records. CC BY 4.0.}
}
