Total Complaints
5 filings
GMC S15 · model year
1997 GMC S15
5 NHTSA complaints, 4 crash reports. 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
- 5
- Recalls
- 0
The verdict
The 1997 GMC S15 posts above-average complaint volume among its own model-year siblings.
- 29th pctile
- complaint volume, own model years
- 0
- recall campaigns
The 1997GMCS15 carries 5 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 4 crashes, 4 fires, 12 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 S15 is vehicle speed control with 2 filings, followed by seat belts:front (1) and service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.
NHTSA currently has 2 investigation files overlapping the 1997 S15. 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.
5
Complaints
4
Crashes
4
Fires
12
Injuries
0
Deaths
F
PlainCars Safety Score
0/100
1997 GMC S15
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.
Crashes Reported
4 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 |
|---|---|
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 2 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP | 1 |
| AIR BAGS | 1 |
Recent Complaints
19990823CrashFireVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
ACCELERATOR SURGED TO HIGHER SPEED. YH
19990823CrashFireSEAT BELTS:FRONT
SEAT BELT LOOSE. YH
19990823CrashFireSERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
ANTI LOCK BRAKES FAILED. YH
19990823CrashFireAIR BAGS
AIR BAG NOT DEPLOYED DURING COLLISION. YH
19990217VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
CONSUMER COMPLAINING THAT THE VEHICLE DOES NOT DEACCELERATE. WHEN LIFTING FOOT FROM GAS PEDAL TO STOP OR SLOW DOWN, THE VEHICLE CONTINUES TO MAINTAIN SPEED FOR 5 SECONDS UP TO 30 SECONDS BEFORE IT COMES TO A STOP. RPMS GO FROM 2300 UP TO 2400. VEHICLE BEEN IN/OUT OF DEALER SHOP MORE THEN THREE TIMES. CONDITION CANNOT BE FOUND OR CORRECTED. MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED. *AK
Compare 1997GMCS15 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Vehicle Safety Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1997 GMC S15 have?▼
The 1997 GMC S15 has 5 NHTSA complaints, 4 crashes, 4 fires, 12 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1997 GMC S15?▼
The most-complained component for the 1997 GMC S15 is VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SEAT BELTS:FRONT and SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP.
Is the 1997 GMC S15 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 GMC S15; 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.