1997 Chevrolet C/k Pickups
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
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Vehicles › Chevrolet › C/k Pickups › 1997
These records cover every 1997 Chevrolet C/k Pickups. To see whether one car still needs a recall repair, decode its VIN or check it with NHTSA.
Recalls
1 recall names the 1997 Chevrolet C/k Pickups. Newest first.
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 and remedy
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.
Owner complaints
72 complaints1 involved a crash1 injuries15 deaths
What owners report most
Latest complaints
- Service brakes · Steering · Structure › Frame and members › Underbody shields · Suspension
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. *tr
- Visibility
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 nhtsa campaign ID…
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 nhtsa 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.
- Visibility › Windshield wiper/washer
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…
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 nhtsa 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
- Visibility
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 nhtsa campaign ID number: 03v159000 (visibility: windshield wiper/washer). the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and the current mileage was 128,397.
- Visibility › Rear window wiper/washer · Visibility › Windshield wiper/washer
Recently had wipers fail during heavy storm while on freeway. nearly caused crash. condition IS intermittent. checked nhtsa 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…
Recently had wipers fail during heavy storm while on freeway. nearly caused crash. condition IS intermittent. checked nhtsa 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. *Tr
- Service brakes, hydraulic
The rear brake line corroded and began a major leak causing my pregnant wife to nearly rear end a car. *Tr
- Air bags
Vehicle left the road and hit a tree head on and air bags did not deploy. *Tr
- Service brakes, hydraulic · Service brakes, hydraulic › Antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip
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. *Tr
- Visibility
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…
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 nhtsa 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. *tr
- Visibility › Windshield wiper/washer
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 nhtsa campaign ID number 03v159000 (visibility:windshield wiper/washer). the contact filed a complaint with…
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 nhtsa 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 *tr
- Service brakes, hydraulic
Dt*: the contact stated while attempting to apply brake pressure at various speeds the brakes failed. this occurred without warning during normal braking on normal roads. the dealership turned the rotors, packed the wheel bearings, replaced the cylinders, sealed in rear axles, replaced the brakes and pads however the problem still exists. the manufacturer has been alerted. updated 6/19/2006 - *nm
- Visibility › Windshield wiper/washer › Motor
Windshield wipers stopped working during a thunderstorm. *Nm
- Visibility › Windshield wiper/washer
Dt*: the contact stated the windshield wipers work intermittently. there IS a nhtsa recall, # 03v159000, regarding the windshield wipers; however, it IS not included in the recall due to the vin.
- Visibility › Windshield wiper/washer
Dt*: the contact stated while the wipers are engaged in rainy weather, they work intermittently or not at all. the dealer was alerted, but the vehicle was not inspected. there IS a nhtsa recall, # 03v159000, regarding the windshield wiper/washer. the vin was not included in the recall. Updated 05/10/06. *Jb
- Visibility › Windshield wiper/washer › Motor
I went to my local dealership to fix a recall on my chevorlet truck that I saw on your website and they will not fix it for free. They will not fix it because they have no knowledge of any recalls about it. I have an issue with the wipers not working all the time and it IS causing a hazard when I drive in the rain. *Jb
- Visibility › Windshield wiper/washer
Dt*: the contact stated the wipers fail intermittently without warning. there IS a nhtsa recall, # 03v159000, regarding the windshield wiper/washer. the vehicle has the same problems as indicated in the recall; however it IS not included in the recall due to the vin. no repairs have been made.
- Suspension › Rear
Dt*: the contact stated while driving 65 mph there was a loud noise that came from the rear of the vehicle. the vehicle was towed to a local independent repair shop. the mechanic determined the rear suspension needed to be replaced however no repairs were made.
- Service brakes, hydraulic › Antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip
The antilock brakes on 1997 chevrolet w/t 4WD pickup kept activating on dry pavement. I understand gm has had similar problems with other trucks but won't recognize the problem with this truck. This IS my second complaint and I just emailed gm again about the problem. They told me to take it to a…
The antilock brakes on 1997 chevrolet w/t 4WD pickup kept activating on dry pavement. I understand gm has had similar problems with other trucks but won't recognize the problem with this truck. This IS my second complaint and I just emailed gm again about the problem. They told me to take it to a dealer to have it diagnosed. I would have to pay for the service and gm would contact the dealer to see if they (gm) would pay to repair it. I don't want to do this because I'm afraid I might get stuck with the whole bill. I had the truck to a dealer once and they told me it was the speed sensors and I would have to pay to fix it. Against my better judgment I disconnected the ABS system because it wasn't safe to drive the way it was. It has been a couple years since I complained about this matter but it has been on my mind for a long time. I paid for ABS brakes, they don't work like they should, they are unsafe, and gm won't stand behind it. That's the bottom line. If thousands of other year trucks have this problem, why won't they take care of mine. My son had a 1997 S-10 chevrolet pickup with the same problem only he hit a parked vehicle when the brakes didn't work and demolished this truck. No one was hurt but his insurer blamed him and raised his premium. It was general motors fault! I told them I was driving the truck with the ABS system deactivated but it's like they're telling me it's not their problem. I guess it's only a safety issue if they say it's a safety issue. I am not sure of the exact dates of the occurrences anymore so I just estimated. could you please let me know if I have any recourse? *ak
- Visibility › Windshield wiper/washer › Motor
Windshield washer works intermittently or quits working as this IS a safety issue in poor weather. *nm
- Power train › Automatic transmission
Driving down the road went to stop to back up and I placed the truck in reverse to back up I heard a loud noise as if I had backed into someone.(like metal to metal) so I immediately applied the brake and put the truck in drive to pull up to see if I had. Nothing in sight. So I eased the truck up…
Driving down the road went to stop to back up and I placed the truck in reverse to back up I heard a loud noise as if I had backed into someone.(like metal to metal) so I immediately applied the brake and put the truck in drive to pull up to see if I had. Nothing in sight. So I eased the truck up a little, applied the brake and put the truck in reverse again. This time it would not move, in fact all you could hear was a chattering noise coming from the transmission. So I put it back in drive and went to pull off and you could hear the transmission whinning and would no shift gears. The only way I could get the truck to move was to put it all the way in low range and manually shift back up to drive. The transmission still did not operate correctly and had to be parked. *nm
- Visibility › Windshield wiper/washer › Switch/wiring
Windshield wipers only work intermittently, a humming sound can be heard, but wipers won't move, then they will start working again. This has been happening for approx. 1 and a half years. I researched the problem and found that chevy was having a problem with the wiper motor solder joints at the…
Windshield wipers only work intermittently, a humming sound can be heard, but wipers won't move, then they will start working again. This has been happening for approx. 1 and a half years. I researched the problem and found that chevy was having a problem with the wiper motor solder joints at the circuit board, but the local dealership insists my truck isn't in that recall, however...i am having the same problem as the recall. *nm
- Visibility › Windshield wiper/washer
1997 k3500 chevy truck. Have had issues with the wipers not working intermittentialy for the last 2 years. Came across a chevy bulletin ( 03023 ) and nhtsa 03v159000 that reflects the problem accuratly along with the internal dealer/gm notices that I obtained from alldata.com. I contacted both my…
1997 k3500 chevy truck. Have had issues with the wipers not working intermittentialy for the last 2 years. Came across a chevy bulletin ( 03023 ) and nhtsa 03v159000 that reflects the problem accuratly along with the internal dealer/gm notices that I obtained from alldata.com. I contacted both my local dealer and chevy corporate customer service about the issue. (Ed mwango case 1-379680418 case number from chevy corporate ). They said that my vin did not come up in the recall and it was too old for them to consider. According to the internal gm doc this IS a safety issue and should be addressed regardless of age or mileage. I would like gm/chevy to honor this recall. *jb
- Structure › Body › Door › Hinge and attachments
Dt: the contact had to replace the driver's side door handle. it started as being difficult to open the door, but progressively got worse over a period of a couple weeks. eventually the door handle would no longer open the door. the dealer replaced the door handle. this corrected the problem.*ak
- Visibility › Windshield wiper/washer › Motor
Dt: when the consumer would use the windshield wipers they would work off and on. the problem first started on august 13, 2005. the nhtsa recall 03v159000/gm recall 03023 was issued. the consumer took the vehicle to a dealership for recall repairs. the consumer was concerned because he…
Dt: when the consumer would use the windshield wipers they would work off and on. the problem first started on august 13, 2005. the nhtsa recall 03v159000/gm recall 03023 was issued. the consumer took the vehicle to a dealership for recall repairs. the consumer was concerned because he was being charged for the repair work that others were not charged. When the consumer contacted the manufacturer, they told him that this vehicle was not included in the recall due to vin. *ak
- Visibility › Windshield wiper/washer
Dt: the windshield wipers intermittently stop or fail to come on. in some circumstances, may hit a bump in the road and may come on or go off. most often this occurs in rainy weather. the windshield wipers have to be manually manipulated to work. this has been a problem for 3-4 years but became worse. took to a dealer and this vehicle was not included in the recall due to vin. *ak
Defect investigations
NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened these reviews into vehicles including this one.
- 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.
- Vacuum brake booster
Alleged that the vacuum brake booster can fail resulting in loss of brake effectiveness and extended stopping distances.
Service bulletins
Technical service bulletins and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about this vehicle. Ask a dealer for the full document by its number.
- 10001125Special policy adjustment - windshield wiper motor failures.
Every Chevrolet C/k Pickups model year
Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.