1997 Chevrolet Suburban problems
NHTSA has received 556 complaints about the 1997 Chevrolet Suburban, and 21% of them involve brakes. Next are steering (21%) and electrical system (10%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 556 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Brakes 21% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 27 and 15
- Injuries and deaths
- 20 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 90,000 miles 91 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 11 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 2 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 7 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 15 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 15 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 10 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 16 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 6 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 5 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 1 |
| 200k+ miles | 3 |
What the data shows
Of the 91 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 90,000 miles. For brakes specifically, the median reported mileage is about 79,000 miles (15 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 27 complaints mention a crash; 15 complaints mention a fire; 20 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 1997 ranks 6th most-complained-about out of 35 model years of the Chevrolet Suburban with enough data (347 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 2 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
Rear tire tread separated from tire belts causing entire tread to peel from casing resulting in serious roll over accident.( DOT number: 0500 tire size: lt24575r16 )
Consumer's wife was in a front end collision and air bags did not deploy. Was told by manufacturer that the injuries that consumer's wife sustained were not enough to warrant an investigation.
Driving along and stopped at a traffic light, light changed and vehicle proceeded approximately 5MPH. Vehicle ahead stopped, tried to stop, applied brakes, almost to the point of standing and the vehicle would not stop.
I bought a used 1997 chevrolet suburban. It was in excellent-looking shape and low miles. I have had it now for 3 years. I have repeatedly had to have it worked on. I have replaced the alternator, battery, battery cables, and starter; and have had the transmission rebuilt twice. I also had to have the heater core replaced and the radiator worked on. I do not drive that much, and I have my vehicle serviced regularly. It's always needing work. I've had it for sale for a while, but can't sell it for even a small sum.
1997 cheverolet c1500 suburban intermittent wiper motor failure to work properly. Causes lack of visibility during inclement weather conditions or during windshield cleaning operations. Wipers will cease to work continuous and problem is sporadic.