Problems · NHTSA complaints
1997 Chevrolet Suburban 1500 problems
Owners filed 16 complaints about the 1997 Chevrolet Suburban 1500 with NHTSA between Aug 2006 and Feb 2018. The most-cited component is visibility (5).
Complaints
16
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
0
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
Complaints by component
One complaint can cite several components
- Visibility5
- Service brakes, hydraulic3
- Service brakes2
- Electrical system2
- Exterior lighting2
- Steering2
- Fuel system, gasoline1
- Equipment1
- Seats1
- Engine and engine cooling1
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 8, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
When complaints were filed
Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
2
2
4
3
1
2
1
0
0
0
0
0
1
View as table
| Model year | Complaints filed per calendar year |
|---|---|
| 2006 | 2 |
| 2007 | 2 |
| 2008 | 4 |
| 2009 | 3 |
| 2010 | 1 |
| 2011 | 2 |
| 2012 | 1 |
| 2013 | 0 |
| 2014 | 0 |
| 2015 | 0 |
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 1 |
Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.
Top problems in owners’ words
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
Visibility
5 reports
“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR WOULD INTERMITTENTLY FUNCTION WHEN IN ACTIVATION; AND OVER A PERIOD OF TIME THE FAILURE BECAME PROGRESSIVELY WORSE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 03V159000 (VISIBILITY: WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER) WAS ASSOCIATED WITH THE FAILURE. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED AND STATED THAT THE RECALL WAS CLOSED. THEY ALSO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT HAVE QUALIFIED DUE TO THE MODEL YEAR, EXCESSIVE MILEAGE; AND BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED USED. THE CONTACT DISAGREED WITH THE MANUFACTURER AND THE DEALER AND STATED THAT THE RECALL SUMMARY DID NOT MENTION THOSE FACTORS AS A REQUIREMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 80,000.”
Service brakes, hydraulic
3 reports
“ARBITRARY ACTIVATION OF THE ABS BRAKES AT SLOW SPEEDS OR WHEN PARKING. THIS CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO NOT STOP AND CONTINUE MOVING FOR A FEW INCHES TO A FEW FEET. VARY HAZARDOUS WHEN PARKING IN TIGHT AREAS OR AROUND CHILDREN IN A PARKING LOT. HAD SIMILAR PROBLEM ON CHEVY 1999 SILVERADO K1500 PICKUP THAT RESULTED IN A RECALL. WOULD SUGGEST THE SAME ON THIS VEHICLE TO AVOID SAME HAZARDOUS SITUATION. *TR”
Service brakes
2 reports
“ANTI-LOCK SYSTEMS OVERRIDES AT LOW SPEED ON DRY PAVEMENT INCREASING STOPPING DISTANCES.”
Electrical system
2 reports1 fire
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE, HE HEARD A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO VIBRATE. THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED BURNED WIRES NEAR THE FUEL PUMP. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 197,000.”
Exterior lighting
2 reports
“WHEN IT BEGAN TO RAIN, I TURNED ON THE WIPER SWITCH TO HAVE NOTHING HAPPEN BUT A SOFT BUZZING NOISE. THIS HAS BEEN ONGOING AND INTERMITTENT, SINCE IT BEGAN SHORTLY AFTER I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE IN MAY OF 2003. I NOW FIND THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THIS, BUT I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED AND NOW WILL HAVE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR OUT OF POCKET. GM RECALL NO. 03023. GM REFUSES TO HELP AS THE RECALL HAS BEEN "CLOSED", AND THEIR RECORDS INDICATE THE REPAIR WAS MADE. I OWNED THE VEHICLE DURING THAT ENTIRE TIME. IT WAS NOT REPAIRED! *TR”
Steering
2 reports
“POWER STEERING SURGES, UNCONTROLLABLE. *TR”
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 8, 2026
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.