Total Complaints
3 filings
CHEVROLET CAPRICE · model year
1997 CHEVROLET CAPRICE
3 NHTSA complaints. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1997CHEVROLETCAPRICE carries 3 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 1 fire, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 1997 CAPRICE is service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components with 1 filings, followed by electrical system (1) and engine and engine cooling:engine (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.
NHTSA currently has 57 investigation files overlapping the 1997 CAPRICE, and 2 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.
3
Complaints
0
Crashes
1
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
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
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20041020ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AND DROVE IT TO A GAS STATION. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. PLEASE FILL IN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *JB
20040923FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM
WHILE DRIVING,THE CONSUMER SMELLED A BURNT ODOR COMING FROM THE FRONT. THE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER AND LIFTED UP THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE AND DISCOVERED SMOKE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE. THE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE ELECTRICAL WIRES HAD SHORTENED OUT FROM THE ALTERNATOR. ELECTRICAL WIRES AND ALTERNATOR NEEDED REPLACEMENT. PLEASE FILL IN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *JB *TC *TR
19981014SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
BRAKE VALVE FAILED PRIOR TO RECALL NOTICE.
Compare 1997CHEVROLETCAPRICE to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 2 Open
EA25007Engineering AnalysisOpen
Loss of motive power due to engine failure
PE23022Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Loss of Motive Power due to the Battery Energy Control Module
PE20016Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Electric Vehicle Battery Fires
EA20002Engineering AnalysisClosed
Outboard Front Seat Belt Anchor Cable Failure
PE20011Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Fuel Line Leak
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1997 CHEVROLET CAPRICE have?▼
The 1997 CHEVROLET CAPRICE has 3 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 1 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1997 CHEVROLET CAPRICE?▼
The most-complained component for the 1997 CHEVROLET CAPRICE is SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM and ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE.
Is the 1997 CHEVROLET CAPRICE 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 vintage: August 2026. 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.
Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 1997 CHEVROLET CAPRICE; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.