CHEVROLET G20 · model year

1997 CHEVROLET G20

7 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1997CHEVROLETG20 carries 7 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 G20 is structure:body with 1 filings, followed by structure:body:door (1) and 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 G20, 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.

7
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

7 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
STRUCTURE:BODY1
STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC1
TIRES:TREAD/BELT1
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION1
FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP1

Recent Complaints

20030204FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP

BAD FUEL PUMP ON 1997 CHEVY G20 CONVERSION VAN. BARE WIRES (INSULATION HAD BURN OFF) THE FUEL PUMP WHICH IS LOCATED INSIDE THE FUEL TANK. I CONTACTED GM ABOUT THE PROBLEM, CUSTOMER SERVICE SAID THERE IS NO RECORD OF THIS PROBLEM. THE MECHANIC SAID I WAS LUCKY ME AND MY FAMILY WEREN'T BLOWN UP. I HAVE THE FUEL PUMP AT HOME FOR EXAMINATION OR INSPECTION.

Mileage: 120,000

20010320POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

BESIDES STRANDING ME WHEN THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT TWICE, LOSING POWER ON THE INTERSTATE IN BUMPER TO BUMPER TRAFFIC IS HAZARDOUS. BUT TWICE I NEARLY CRASHED WHEN THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT, IN A CURVE ON THE INTERSTATE. THE VAN IS A HORSE TO MUSCLE AND THE SUDDEN LOSS OF STEERING NEARLY COST ME CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. I'M SURE IF MY WIFE OR DAUGHTER WERE DRIVING THEY WOULD HAVE CRASHED. I CANNOT BE THE ONLY PERSON HAVING CHRONIC PROBLEMS WITH THE STEERING AND TRANSMISSIONS OF 97 CHEVY VANS. GET THESE VEHICLES OFF THE ROAD (AT LEAST MINE) BEFORE THEY KILL A BUNCH OF INNOCENT PEOPLE.*AK

20010305SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC

WHILE DRIVING, VEHICLE WOULD WANDER SIDE TO SIDE AND PULL TO SIDE. SOMETIMES COULD FLIP OVER. THEN, TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER , AND THEY FOUND TREAD SEPARATION. FIRESTONE, FIREHAWK TIRES. *AK CONSUMER STATES WHEN VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IN FOR REGULAR MAINTENANCE IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT ALL FOUR TIRES WERE FOUND TO HAVE BROKEN BELTS AND TIRES WERE UNABLE TO BE ROTATED, BALANCED OR ALIGNED, CONSUMER WAS ADVISED BY MECHANIC TO GO TO FIRESTONE ABOUT THE TIRES, WHEN CONSUMER ARRIVED SHE WAS TOLD THEY HAD TOO MANY VEHICLES TO SERVICE. CONSUMER ALSO WAS ADVISED THAT BRAKES WERE NEEDED.*JB

20010305TIRES:TREAD/BELT

WHILE DRIVING, VEHICLE WOULD WANDER SIDE TO SIDE AND PULL TO SIDE. SOMETIMES COULD FLIP OVER. THEN, TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER , AND THEY FOUND TREAD SEPARATION. FIRESTONE, FIREHAWK TIRES. *AK CONSUMER STATES WHEN VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IN FOR REGULAR MAINTENANCE IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT ALL FOUR TIRES WERE FOUND TO HAVE BROKEN BELTS AND TIRES WERE UNABLE TO BE ROTATED, BALANCED OR ALIGNED, CONSUMER WAS ADVISED BY MECHANIC TO GO TO FIRESTONE ABOUT THE TIRES, WHEN CONSUMER ARRIVED SHE WAS TOLD THEY HAD TOO MANY VEHICLES TO SERVICE. CONSUMER ALSO WAS ADVISED THAT BRAKES WERE NEEDED.*JB

19980518SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

BRAKES FAILED.

19970702STRUCTURE:BODY

SUNVISOR ON DRIVER'S SIDE AND INSIDE DOOR HANDLE BROKE. *AK

19970702STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR

SUNVISOR ON DRIVER'S SIDE AND INSIDE DOOR HANDLE BROKE. *AK

Compare 1997CHEVROLETG20 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 2 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1997 CHEVROLET G20 have?
The 1997 CHEVROLET G20 has 7 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1997 CHEVROLET G20?
The most-complained component for the 1997 CHEVROLET G20 is STRUCTURE:BODY with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR and SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP.
Is the 1997 CHEVROLET G20 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.