1997 GMC Savana problems
NHTSA has received 63 complaints about the 1997 GMC Savana, and 21% of them involve brakes. After that come body & structure (11%) and transmission (11%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 63 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Brakes 21% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 2 and 4
- Injuries and deaths
- 3 and 0
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%.
What the data shows
Safety-related details: 2 complaints mention a crash; 4 complaints mention a fire; 3 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 1997 ranks 3rd most-complained-about out of 5 model years of the GMC Savana with enough data (33 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 1 safety recall campaign.
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.
Towing a rented trailer and small hydra-hoe. Weather conditions had been raining. The trailer contains a hyrdraulic master cylinder that is activated from the force of the trailer pushing the vehicle when stopping. In this cause the anti-locks would provide sufficient stopping power as they would not lock up. The more the trailer pushed the less they would brake. Rig was virtually brakeless into an intersection. This was not a panic stop, the light had changed with appx 80 yards to stop speed appx. 35MPH .
Design of narrow running boards along with the vinyl strips and the lack of a rigid platform caused occupant of the van to slip and fall.
While driving at 30 MPH and without warning driver side air bag deployed. Then, passenger side air bag deployed. Dealer examined the vehicle, an determined that sensor control module had a short due to moisture in the carpet.
Plastic pressure fuel line on my GMC 1997 savannah g150 developed a puncture spraying gasoline near exhaust pipe had to replace send defective line to GM they said they had no way to test it.