CHEVROLET C20 · model year

1997 CHEVROLET C20

2 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1997CHEVROLETC20 carries 2 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1997 C20 is fuel system, gasoline:delivery:fuel pump with 1 filings, followed by service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 57 investigation files overlapping the 1997 C20, and 2 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

2
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

2 filings

Crashes Reported

0 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP1

Recent Complaints

20010130SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

ONGOING / INTERMITTENT PROBLEM WITH RIGHT FRONT WHEEL LOCKING UP. VEHICLE BEEN IN DEALER SHOP ON TWO OCCASIONS, AND UNABLE TO LOCATE PROBLEM . PLEASE FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS ON THIS MATTER. *AK

19990813FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP

THE FUEL PUMP WAS REPLACED COMPLETELY BECAUSE THE CONECTORS INSIDE THE FUEL TANK HAD OVERHEATED, CAUSING THE PUMP AND TRUCK TO FALL. MY CONCERN IS THE MELTED CONNECTORS IN THE FUEL TANK COULD BE A PROBLEM AND COULD CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY. *AK

Compare 1997CHEVROLETC20 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 2 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1997 CHEVROLET C20 have?
The 1997 CHEVROLET C20 has 2 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1997 CHEVROLET C20?
The most-complained component for the 1997 CHEVROLET C20 is FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP.
Is the 1997 CHEVROLET C20 safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.