PlainCars

Chevrolet Chevrolet · model year

1997 Chevrolet Chevrolet

8 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

Complaints
8
Recalls
0

The verdict

The 1997 Chevrolet Chevrolet posts below-average complaint volume among its own model-year siblings.

Top 44%
fewest complaints, own model years
0
recall campaigns

The 1997ChevroletChevrolet carries 8 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.

The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 1997 Chevrolet is service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip with 1 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:cooling system (1) and power train (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.

NHTSA currently has 49 investigation files overlapping the 1997 Chevrolet, and 1 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.

8
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
F
PlainCars Safety Score
0/100
1997 Chevrolet Chevrolet

PlainCars' own composite of NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings and rollover-risk assessment, each dimension normalized against the federal scale or the full national model-year corpus. Not an official NHTSA figure, and not a substitute for a specific vehicle's VIN-level recall check.

NHTSA Overall Rating N/A
Not rated
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program overall crash-test rating.
Front Crash N/A
Not rated
Frontal barrier crash-test rating.
Side Crash N/A
Not rated
Side barrier and pole crash-test rating.
Rollover Resistance N/A
Not rated
Static stability factor + dynamic rollover test rating.
Rollover Risk N/A
Not reported
NHTSA single-vehicle rollover probability, dynamic test.

Total Complaints

8 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
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM1
POWER TRAIN1
FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY1
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC1
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH1

Recent Complaints

20041207LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH

ONE AFTERNOON WE RETURNED TO THE VEHICLE AFTER DOING SOME SHOPPING TO FIND BOTH DOORS COMPLETELY AJAR. WE KNEW THAT WE HAD CLOSED THEM BEFORE LEAVING SO WE THOUGHT IT WAS VERY STRANGE. WE GOT IN THE CAR AND ATTEMPTED TO CLOSE THE DOORS AND THEY KEPT SWINGING OPEN. NEITHER DOOR WOULD CLOSE. WE HAD TO DRIVE HOME HOLDING THE DOORS CLOSED. ONCE HOME WE WERE ABLE TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE DOORS TO SEE WHAT MIGHT BE CAUSING IT. THE DRIVER DOOR TURNED OUT TO BE FIXABLE, FOR THE TIME BEING, THE THING THAT LATCHES THE DOOR WAS STUCK IN THE CLOSED POSITION SO WE JUST OPENED IT AND IT WAS FINE. THE PASSENGER DOOR, WE COULDN'T FIGURE OUT AT ALL. ABOUT A WEEK LATER THE DRIVER DOOR STOPPED CLOSING ALL TOGETHER AS WELL. WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET THE DOORS FIXED BECAUSE WE ARE NOT SURE WHAT HAS HAPPENED AND WE CAN'T AFFORD TO JUST TAKE IT IN AND HAVE IT DONE BY THE DEALERSHIP.*AK

Mileage: 105,830

20040310POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

LTR FM JAMS M. CLARK (MD) RE THE DEFECTIVE 4L60 ELECTRONICALLY CONTROLLED 4 SPEED TRANSMISSION W/OVERDRIVE IN HIS 1997 CHEVROLET FULL SIZE CONVERSION VAN, REPLY IN DUPLICATE ATTN DENISE NOOE/ANNAPOLIS OFC. *PH THE CONSUMER ALSO HAD A FULL BRAKE REPLACEMENT PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE. *JB (1997 CHEVROLET FULL SIZE CONVERSION VAN)

Mileage: 43,468

20040310SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

LTR FM JAMS M. CLARK (MD) RE THE DEFECTIVE 4L60 ELECTRONICALLY CONTROLLED 4 SPEED TRANSMISSION W/OVERDRIVE IN HIS 1997 CHEVROLET FULL SIZE CONVERSION VAN, REPLY IN DUPLICATE ATTN DENISE NOOE/ANNAPOLIS OFC. *PH THE CONSUMER ALSO HAD A FULL BRAKE REPLACEMENT PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE. *JB (1997 CHEVROLET FULL SIZE CONVERSION VAN)

Mileage: 43,468

20010507ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY

BATTERY WAS LEAKING ACID DOWN ONTO THE WIRING, WHICH POSSIBLIY SHORTED OUT THE AIR CONDITIONING AND BLEW A HEADLIGHT. *JB

19990823POWER TRAIN

ODOMETER & FUEL GAUGE EXPERIENCING FAILURE. *YC

19990823FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER

ODOMETER & FUEL GAUGE EXPERIENCING FAILURE. *YC

19990412ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM

VEHICLE EXPERIENCING WATER PUMP LEAKAGE, DUE TO FAILURE. *YC

19980420SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

ABS BRAKES GRIND, CAUSING FAILURE.

Compare 1997ChevroletChevrolet to Similar Vehicles

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NHTSA Investigations 1 Open

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

PE20009Preliminary EvaluationClosed

Momentary Increased Steering Effort

View all investigations

Vehicle Safety Guides

Understanding NHTSA Complaints → Vehicle Recalls Explained → Safest Car Brands 2026 → Most Reliable Used Cars → Lemon Law Guide →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1997 Chevrolet Chevrolet have?▼
The 1997 Chevrolet Chevrolet has 8 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1997 Chevrolet Chevrolet?▼
The most-complained component for the 1997 Chevrolet Chevrolet is SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM and POWER TRAIN.
Is the 1997 Chevrolet Chevrolet 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.

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 Chevrolet; 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.