FaultScore

1997 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 airbag problems

16 of the 693 complaints about the 1997 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 are about the airbag system — 2% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 95,725 miles.

F

16

Complaints

9

Crashes

0

Fires

8

Injuries

Exactly what failed

Frontal 10 62.5%
AIR Bags 5 31.3%
Side/Window 1 6.3%

Airbags across every Chevrolet Silverado 1500 year

1997 16 0.7%
1999 19 0.8%
2000 30 1.3%
2001 12 0.5%
2002 14 0.6%
2003 21 0.9%
2004 34 1.4%
2005 51 2.1%
2006 24 1.0%
2007 479 20.1%
2008 594 24.9%
2009 230 9.6%
2010 197 8.3%
2011 307 12.9%
2012 58 2.4%
2013 83 3.5%
2014 47 2.0%
2015 66 2.8%
2016 17 0.7%
2017 29 1.2%
2018 15 0.6%
2019 11 0.5%
2020 11 0.5%
2021 20 0.8%

What owners said

Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.

at 258,669 miles Forest City, NC

AIR BAGS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED WITHOUT WARNING OR IMPACT. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAGS WERE DEACTIVATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 258,669.

NHTSA complaint #10913624 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 78,000 miles RED Bank, NJ

AIR BAGS

PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG KEY SWITCHED IN OFF POSITION. THE PASSENGER SIDE BAG DEPLOYED, THE STEERING WHEEL ONE DID NOT. THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT, NO ROAD CONDITIONS, AND THE WEATHER WAS FAIR. WE WERE NOT INJURED BUT SHOCKED US. I QUICKLY STOPPED THE TRUCK TO AIR OUT THE CONTENTS OF THE AIR BAG IN THE CAB.

NHTSA complaint #10576020 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 113,450 miles Great Bend, KS 2 injured

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 CHEVROLET K-1500. WHILE DRIVING 30MPH THE AIR BAG DEPLOYED WITHOUT NOTICE. THE PASSENGER SIDE DEPLOYED FIRST AND THE DRIVER SIDE DEPLOYED AFTERWARDS. THERE WERE TWO INJURIES. BOTH PASSENGERS SUSTAINED BRUISES ON THEIR INNER FOREARM. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED OR REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE 113,450.

NHTSA complaint #10200179 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 24,380 miles Dennard, AR Crash 2 injured

AIR BAGS

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 CHEVROLET K1500. WHILE DRIVING 52 MPH, THE DRIVER CRASHED INTO A PARKED VEHICLE. THE PASSENGER AND DRIVER WERE INJURED. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY AND THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE CONTACT HAS A POLICE REPORT AND PHOTOS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 24,380.

NHTSA complaint #10191120 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Waterford, MI

AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW

PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED UNEXPECTEDLY WHEN THE CONSUMER CLOSED THE DOOR. MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED BY OWNER, AND EXPLAINED THAT THIS OCCURRED WITH THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE, BUT CONSUMER WAS CONCERNED THAT THIS COULD BE DANGEROUS IF THE VEHICLE WAS TO BE INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT.

NHTSA complaint #10117574 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 150,000 miles Reedley, CA Crash 1 injured

AIR BAGS

DURING AN ACCIDENT THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED, IN WHICH CONSUMER SUFFERED BURNS TO HIS FACE AND ARMS. DEALER HAD BEEN NOTIFIED. [XXX] LO QUE DICE ES QUE LA BOLSA DE AIRE ESPLOTO SIN NINGUNA RAZON. QUEMANDOLE SU ROSTRO Y LOS BRAZOS. MR *JG *JB INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

NHTSA complaint #8022601 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 72,000 miles Ville Platte, LA Crash 1 injured

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION AND AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. DEALER OR MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN CONTACTED. MR *TT.

NHTSA complaint #8022264 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Santee, CA Crash

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

WHILE TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY AND WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING VEHICLE VEERED OFF THE ROAD AND HIT A TREE. UPON IMPACT, AIRBAGS DIDN'T GO OFF. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM.

NHTSA complaint #8006084 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Independence, KS

AIR BAGS

TRANSMISSION WENT OUT ON CONSUMER WHILE THEY WERE DRIVING.*AK BEARING SPLINTERED, CAUSING METAL PIECES INTO TRANSMISSION OIL, THE REACTION CARRIER, OVERRUNNING CLUTCH, CLUTCH SUPPORT, OVER CLUTCH RACE, AND TORQUE CONVERTER ALL FAILED. LEFT REAR DOOR PANEL BAD, RATTLE IN SIDE DOOR, REAR SIDE DOOR REPAIRED, RIGHT SIDE DOORS TRIM PANELS BECOME LOOSE, DOOR PANLES REPLACED, SIDE DOOR PANEL RATTLES. VEHICLE HAVING ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS, REAR TAIL LIGHTS NOT AT SAME HEIGHT, LEFT WINDOW SWITCH REPLACED, DOORS LOCKED WITH KEYS IN VEHICLE, INTERIOR LIGHTS COME ON WHILE DRIVING, BATTERY FAILED FIVE TIMES, ANTITHEFT LIGHT ON RADIO CAUSING IT NOT TO WORK. AIR CONDITIONER WAS BLOWING HOT AIR AND VENT WOULD NOT ADJUST FROM SIDE TO SIDE. WINDOWS KEPT GETTING STUCK. AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED. POWER STEERING WAS NOISY, DEALER REPAIRED POWER STEERING, POWER STEERING BECAME NOISY AGAIN. REAR SHOES WERE REPLACED. SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT ILLUMINATED. *SLC

NHTSA complaint #885890 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Reno, NV Crash 2 injured

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

THE VEHICLE LOST CONTROL FOR UNKNOWN REASON RESULTING IN VEHICLE ACCIDENT, POSSIBLY DRIVER ERROR, NO DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIR BAGS DURING VEHICLE COLLISION RESULTING IN INJURIES. (STATE OF NEVADA TRAFFIC ACCIDENT REPORT PROVIDED) *MJS

NHTSA complaint #558261 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Keota, OK

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

FALSE DEPLOYMENT OF PASSENGER AIR BAG WHEN VEHICLE WAS STARTED. NLM

NHTSA complaint #547390 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Granada HI, CA Crash 1 injured

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

NO DEPLOYMENT OF AIR BAGS DURING FRONTAL IMPACT COLLISION, INJURIES TO RIBS OF CONSUMER. MJS

NHTSA complaint #606415 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Versailles, KY Crash 1 injured

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

WHILE DRIVING ON WET ROADS CONSUMER RAN OFF THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, HITTING A TREE HEAD-ON, THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK

NHTSA complaint #829384 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Oklahoma C, OK Crash 3 injured 1 killed

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

UNSPECIFIED: AFTER BEING REAR ENDED, AIR BAGS DEPLOYED, CAUSED VEHICLE TO SWERVE INTO OTHER LANE, HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE, RESULTING IN FATALITY. (ATTORNEY FOR CLIENT)

NHTSA complaint #517123 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Luther, OK

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

INADVERTENT DEPLOYMENT OF AIR BAGS WHEN VEHICLE REAR ENDED.

NHTSA complaint #517764 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Milpitas, CA Crash

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

WHEN INVOLVED IN A SIDE IMPACT CRASH TRAVELING ABOUT (55) MPH VEHICLE HIT OTHER VEHICLE AT 9:00 AND THERE WAS NO DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIR BAGS. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. *AK CONSUMER SAID IT IS NOT HIS VEHICLE AND NEVER INVOLVED IN ANY ACCIDENT.

NHTSA complaint #813017 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Other 1997 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 problems

← Full 1997 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 report