Your vehicle report
1997 Chevrolet Suburban
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 414
- Received Nov 1996 to Oct 2020
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed65 complaints · 16% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Power steering cuts out while driving31 complaints · 7.5% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Windshield wipers work intermittently or fail25 complaints · 6.0% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #03V159000On certain minivans, pickup trucks, and sport utility vehicles with certain model-engine combinations, the windshield wiper motor may fail due to cracked solder joints on the controller circuit board. The windshield wipers could work intermittently or not at all.
- Recall #03V093000Certain sport utility vehicles, mini vans, and pickup trucks may develop a short circuit in the electric outside rearview mirror switch.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 22 crashes, 13 fires, 16 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 20 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 1996 | 1 |
| 1997 | 33 |
| 1998 | 39 |
| 1999 | 80 |
| 2000 | 93 |
| 2001 | 33 |
| 2002 | 20 |
| 2003 | 39 |
| 2004 | 36 |
| 2005 | 19 |
| 2006 | 7 |
| 2007 | 2 |
| 2008 | 5 |
| 2009 | 1 |
| 2010 | 0 |
| 2011 | 2 |
| 2012 | 1 |
| 2013 | 0 |
| 2014 | 0 |
| 2015 | 0 |
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 414 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed | 65 | 16% | – | |
| Power steering cuts out while driving | 31 | 7.5% | – | |
| Windshield wipers work intermittently or fail | 25 | 6.0% | – | NHTSA recall #03V159000 |
| Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up | 23 | 5.6% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 22 | 5.3% | – | |
| Fuel pump fails and engine stalls | 19 | 4.6% | – | |
| Battery drains and dies when parked | 18 | 4.3% | – | |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 17 | 4.1% | – | |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 13 | 3.1% | – | |
| Brakes fail intermittently or repeatedly | 11 | 2.7% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 10 | 2.4% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 10 | 2.4% | – | |
| Transmission fails or loses power while driving | 10 | 2.4% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 9 | 2.2% | – | |
| Front brake rotors warp and wear early | 8 | 1.9% | – | |
| Brakes make grinding or squealing noise | 8 | 1.9% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 7 | 1.7% | – | |
| Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline | 6 | 1.5% | – | |
| Head gasket leaks coolant into engine | 5 | 1.2% | – | |
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 4 | 1.0% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #03V159000April 28, 20031,755,876 vehicles affected
visibility: windshield wiper/washer
On certain minivans, pickup trucks, and sport utility vehicles with certain model-engine combinations, the windshield wiper motor may fail due to cracked solder joints on the controller circuit board. The windshield wipers could work intermittently or not at all.
If this were to occur during bad weather, driver visibility would be reduced, which could result in a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the wiper motor circuit board and cover. Owner notification began on june 19, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020, Gmc at 1-800-462-8782, or Oldsmobile at 1-800-442-6537.
NHTSA recall #03V093000March 7, 2003507,171 vehicles affected
visibility: rearview mirrors/devices: exterior
Certain sport utility vehicles, mini vans, and pickup trucks may develop a short circuit in the electric outside rearview mirror switch.
If this were to happen, it could result in an inoperative switch, heat damage to the driver's door, and/or ignition of components in the driver's door and a subsequent vehicle fire without prior warning.
Remedy
Dealers will install a fused jumper harness to the electric outside rearview mirror switch. Owner notification began on april 24, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020 or Gmc at 1-800-462-8782.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 1997 Chevrolet Suburban.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN