Total Complaints
14 filings
CHEVROLET CONVENTIONAL · model year
14 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1997CHEVROLETCONVENTIONAL carries 14 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 CONVENTIONAL is power train:axle assembly:axle shaft:seal with 3 filings, followed by seat belts:front:anchorage (1) and service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:drum (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 CONVENTIONAL, 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.
Total Complaints
14 filings
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY:AXLE SHAFT:SEAL | 3 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DRUM | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS | 1 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:FAN/MOTOR | 1 |
| STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER | 1 |
| STEERING | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:CONSTANT VELOCITY JOINT | 1 |
VARIABLE EFFORT STEERING EXPERIENCES INTERMITTENT PROBLEMS. NLM
REAR AXLE SEALS FAILED. YH
REAR WHEEL CYLINDER BOOTS FAILED. YH
WINDSHIELD WIPERS DON'T WORK WHEN ITS RAINING, RESULTING IN POOR VISIBILITY. *YC
VENT FAN OUT OF ORDER. YH
POWER STEERING FAILED. YH
DIFFERENTIAL SEAL OUT OF ORDER. YH
BOTH FRONT AXLE SEALS FAILED/WORN RESULTING IN LEAKAGE. MJS
VALVE BODY FAILED. MJS
REAR DRUMS FAILED.
REAL AXLE SEALS FAILED.
BRAKES LEAKING RESULTING IN NOISE.
CONSUMER GETTING ELECTRICALLY SHOCKED BY FRONT DOOR.
SEAT BELT TOO SHORT TO LATCH IF THE SEAT IS PULLED UP TO ALLOW ROOM FOR PASSENGERS IN THE BACK OF THE TRUCK, MAKING PASSENGER UNABLE TO WEAR SEAT BELT.
Loss of motive power due to engine failure
Loss of Motive Power due to the Battery Energy Control Module
Electric Vehicle Battery Fires
Outboard Front Seat Belt Anchor Cable Failure
Fuel Line Leak
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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.