Problems · NHTSA complaints

1997 GMC Jimmy problems

Owners filed 288 complaints about the 1997 GMC Jimmy with NHTSA between Apr 1997 and Aug 2017. The most-cited component is suspension (51).

Complaints
288
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
23
Reported by owners
Fires
6
Reported by owners
Injuries
27
People reported injured
Deaths
1
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Suspension51
  2. Service brakes, hydraulic50
  3. Visibility44
  4. Engine and engine cooling36
  5. Power train32
  6. Electrical system28
  7. Steering22
  8. Air bags16
  9. Exterior lighting16
  10. Fuel system, gasoline12
  11. Structure11
  12. Fuel system, other9
  13. Vehicle speed control8
  14. Seat belts7

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 Oct 28, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
199714
199825
199931
200040
200135
200238
200348
200424
200515
20065
20071
20084
20093
20101
20111
20120
20130
20142
20150
20160
20171

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.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Suspension

51 reports6 crashes2 related recalls
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 GMC JIMMY. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD AN ABNORMAL NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT SUSPENSION. THE STEERING WAS DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER WHEN TURNING THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC STATED THAT THE FRONT END NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 210,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 12, 2014Steering, Suspension, StructureODI 10621744

Service brakes, hydraulic

50 reports6 crashes
“DT:THE CONTACT STATED THE UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS ON BOTH SIDES BROKE WHILE DRIVING IN A PARKING LOT. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP, WHERE THE BALL JOINTS AND THE ANTI LOCK BRAKE SENSORS WERE REPLACED. CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER, THERE WERE NHTSA RECALLS 01I018000 AND 01V200000, BUT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALLS DUE TO VIN. IN ADDITION, THIS VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SEVERAL OTHER PROBLEMS AS WELL. THE LEFT DOOR BROKE OFF WHILE IN THE DRIVEWAY, THE MALE JOINT OF THE DOOR BROKE WHEN SHUTTING THE DOOR. ALSO, THE TRANSMISSION AND ANTI LOCK BRAKES WERE REPLACED. THE ANTI LOCK BRAKE SENSOR WAS REPLACED TWICE. *AK”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 3, 2005Suspension, Service brakes, hydraulic, Power train, StructureODI 10141716

Visibility

44 reports1 crash1 related recall
“I OWN A 1997 GMC JIMMY. THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS HAVE ALWAYS ONLY WORKED WHEN THEY WANTED TO. NOW, THEY DO NOT WORK AT ALL. I HAVE BEEN DOING SOME INTERNET RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT THIS IS HAPPENING TO ALOT OF THE SAME MODELS. I SEE THERE IS A RECALL FOR 1996 MODELS. WHY NOT THE 1997 MODELS? THE EXACT SAME THING IS HAPPENING TO MY 1997. I NEVER KNEW OR WAS NOTIFIED OF THIS. I WANT THIS REPAIR FIXED AT NO COST TO ME. WHAT CAN I DO? *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 1, 2009VisibilityODI 10285939

Engine and engine cooling

36 reports1 crash1 fire
“TRANSMISSION FAILURE / REPLACED TRANSMISSION - UPPER & LOWER BALL JOINT FAILURE / REPLACED UPPER & LOWER BALL JOINTS - REAR WINDOW WIPER FAILURE / INOPERABLE AT THIS POINT - EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE REPLACEMENTS WITH NO OLD PARTS AVAILABLE AT THIS POINT. EVENTS LEADING UP TO FAILURE I CAN ONLY ATTRIBUTE TO SEVERELY POOR MANUFACTURING OF PRODUCTS, THERE WAS NO OPERATING MISUSE OR ABUSE. ALSO OTHER PARTS THAT HAVE FAILED AND HAVE SINCE BEEN REPLACED ARE THE: ALTERNATOR, FUEL PUMP, FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR AND COOLING SYSTEM FAILURES. *JB”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 8, 2005Steering, Suspension, Engine and engine cooling, Fuel system, gasoline, Power train, Electrical system, Equipment adaptive/mobilityODI 10135766

Power train

32 reports1 fire
“WHILE DRIVING ALONG THE PENNSYLVANIA TURNPIKE I HAD MY 1997 GMC JIMMY IN CRUISE CONTROL. I TAPED TO BRAKE TO TURN OFF THE CRUISE CONTROL. AFTER RESUMING THE CRUISE CONTROL THE VEHICLE BEGAN PICKING UP SPEED MUCH TO FAST. I AGAIN TAPPED THE BRAKE AND SHUT OFF THE CRUISE CONTROL. I THEN HEARD WHAT SEEMED LIKE A FLAT TIRE, I BEGAN PULLING OFF OF THE ROAD. AS I LOOKED IN THE PASSENGER SIDE MIRROR I COULD SEE FLAMES COMING FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. AFTER STOPPING THE VEHICLE I SAID TO MY MOTHER THE PASSENGER "THE VEHICLE IS ON FIRE GET OUT" AFTER SHE OPENED THE DOOR THE FLAMES TORNADOED AND CAME INSIDE THE VEHICLE AND STARTED EVERYTHING ON FIRE. I THEN PULLED MY MOTHER OVER THE CONSOLE AND DRAGGED HER AWAY TO SAFETY, THE VEHICLE IN LESS THAN 20 SECONDS WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES. *NM”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 4, 2006Power trainFire reportedODI 10161405

Electrical system

28 reports1 crash3 fires
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 GMC JIMMY. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND RESTARTED AFTER NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC STATED THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 180,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 23, 2014Electrical systemODI 10615619
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 28, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.