CHEVROLET CONVENTIONAL · model year

1997 CHEVROLET CONVENTIONAL

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.

14
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

14 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
POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY:AXLE SHAFT:SEAL3
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DRUM1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS1
STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE1
VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:FAN/MOTOR1
STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM1
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE1
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER1
STEERING1
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:CONSTANT VELOCITY JOINT1

Recent Complaints

20000322STEERING

VARIABLE EFFORT STEERING EXPERIENCES INTERMITTENT PROBLEMS. NLM

20000322POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY:AXLE SHAFT:SEAL

REAR AXLE SEALS FAILED. YH

20000322POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:CONSTANT VELOCITY JOINT

REAR WHEEL CYLINDER BOOTS FAILED. YH

19990930VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER

WINDSHIELD WIPERS DON'T WORK WHEN ITS RAINING, RESULTING IN POOR VISIBILITY. *YC

19990823VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:FAN/MOTOR

VENT FAN OUT OF ORDER. YH

19990823STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM

POWER STEERING FAILED. YH

19990823POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE

DIFFERENTIAL SEAL OUT OF ORDER. YH

19990730POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY:AXLE SHAFT:SEAL

BOTH FRONT AXLE SEALS FAILED/WORN RESULTING IN LEAKAGE. MJS

19990730ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

VALVE BODY FAILED. MJS

19990416SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DRUM

REAR DRUMS FAILED.

19990416POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY:AXLE SHAFT:SEAL

REAL AXLE SEALS FAILED.

19990416SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS

BRAKES LEAKING RESULTING IN NOISE.

19990416STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR

CONSUMER GETTING ELECTRICALLY SHOCKED BY FRONT DOOR.

19990202SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE

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.

Compare 1997CHEVROLETCONVENTIONAL to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 2 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1997 CHEVROLET CONVENTIONAL have?
The 1997 CHEVROLET CONVENTIONAL has 14 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1997 CHEVROLET CONVENTIONAL?
The most-complained component for the 1997 CHEVROLET CONVENTIONAL is POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY:AXLE SHAFT:SEAL with 3 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE and SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DRUM.
Is the 1997 CHEVROLET CONVENTIONAL 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.