FaultScore

1997 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 window and wiper problems

11 of the 74 complaints about the 1997 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 are about the glass, mirrors and wipers — 15% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 55,000 miles.

B

11

Complaints

0

Crashes

0

Fires

0

Injuries

Exactly what failed

Motor 6 54.5%
Windshield Wiper/Washer 3 27.3%
Defroster/Defogger/Hvac System 1 9.1%
Visibility/Wiper 1 9.1%

What owners said

Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.

at 87,000 miles Billings, MT

VISIBILITY/WIPER

WIPERS QUIT WHEN IN USE. WORK INTERMITTENTLY. THEY ARE UNPREDICTABLE. THEY HAVE BEEN THAT WAY FOR YEARS. MY 1999 TAHOE DOES THE SAME THING. MY 1996 SILVERADO DID THE SAME THING AS WELL AND I RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE AND THE DEALER REPAIRED PROBLEM. THESE TWO VEHICLES ARE VIRTUALLY IDENTICAL TO THE 1996 SILVERADO, AND ARE SHOWING THE SAME SYMPTOMS. THE WIPERS WILL WORK ERRATICALLY ESPECIALLY IF IT'S A HEAVY RAIN AND CAN QUIT IN THE MIDDLE OF OPERATION MAKING THE VEHICLE VERY UNSAFE. PLEASE FIND OUT WHY THE 1996 SILVERADO WAS COVERED UNDER A RECALL AND THE 1997 SILVERADO AND THE 1999 TAHOE WERE NOT COVERED UNDER THE SAME RECALL WHEN THEY ARE SHOWING THE SAME DANGEROUS FAULTY WINDSHIELD WIPER PROBLEMS. AGAIN THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR YEARS AND I'M FRUSTRATED THAT THE DEALER WILL NOT FIX THIS PROBLEM THAT WAS COVERED UNDER A RECALL FOR THE 96 SILVERADO. THANK YOU

NHTSA complaint #11101786 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 54,000 miles Charleroi, PA

VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 CHEVROLET K2500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS BECAUSE THEY WOULD FUNCTION PROPERLY ON AN INTERMITTENT BASIS. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN INSPECTED OR REPAIRED. BOTH THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE CONTACT WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR REPAIR COSTS AS THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN A RECALL RELATED TO THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS (COULD NOT FIND THE RECALL IN NHTSA DATABASE). THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 55,000. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 54,000. UPDATED 01/11/2011*LJ UPDATED 03/28/11

NHTSA complaint #10360104 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 10,000 miles Port Huron, MI

VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR FAILED DUE TO CRACKED SOLDER JOINTS ON THE CONTROLLER CIRCUIT BOARD. THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORKED INTERMITTENTLY OR NOT AT ALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN FOR INSPECTION. THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL, # 03V159000, REGARDING THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS. THE VEHICLE HAS THE SAME PROBLEMS AS INDICATED IN THE RECALL; HOWEVER IT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN. UPDATED 05/02/06.

NHTSA complaint #10155049 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 106,000 miles Phillipsburg, NJ

VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR

TURNED THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS ON AND THEY ONLY CAME UP TO THE PARK POSITION FOR INTERMITTENT OPERATION. POSITIONED THE SWITCH TO LOW AND HIGH AND THE WIPERS DID NOT MOVE ANY FURTHER. SHUT OFF AND WIPERS SHUT OFF. WIPERS WOULD NOT RESTART ON REPEATED TRIES. TRIED LATER AND WIPERS WORKED PROPERLY. NOW THEY OPERATE SOMETIMES AND SOMETIMES ONLY ON INTERMITTENT AND LOW, NOT ON HIGH. BUT, SOMETIMES ON HIGH. I HAVE NOT HAD THE PROBLEM REPAIRED YET, BECAUSE EVERYTIME I GO TO THE DEALER, THEY ARE WORKING.

NHTSA complaint #10109850 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Wurtsboro, NY

VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR

WHILE DRIVING IN INCLEMENT WEATHER WINDSHIELD WIPERS CAME ON AND WENT OFF ON THEIR OWN. THIS CAUSED POOR VISIBILITY FOR THE DRIVER. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC INFORMED CONSUMER VEHICLE WAS NOT UNDER A RECALL.

NHTSA complaint #10061454 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Stockton, CA

VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR

CONSUMER IS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM AS MENTIONED IN RECALL ON WINDSHIELD WIPERS. RECALL NUMBER UNKNOWN. DEALER WOULD NOT REPAIR BECAUSE THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED.

NHTSA complaint #10037651 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 55,000 miles Hamburg, PA

VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR

WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR FAILED AT NIGHT, IN HEAVY RAIN CAUSING LOSS OF VISIBILITY. I PULLED OVER AND MANUALLY MOVED WIPER BLADE TO RESTART WIPERS. MOTOR CONTINUED TO FAIL INTERMITTENTLY UNTIL IT WAS REPLACED *NLM.

NHTSA complaint #10010760 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Franklin, TN

VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER

USING WINDSHIELD WIPERS, THEY WILL WORK FOR A COUPLE OF MINUTES, THEN STOP FUNCTIONING COMPLETELY, RESULTING IN A VISUAL PROBLEM. *AK CONSUMER HAD TO REPLACE ALTERNATOR AND BATTERY, REPLACING TIRES EVERY 30000 MILES, AND ALSO ENGINE BELT FAILED.

NHTSA complaint #8008741 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Keller, TX

VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR

THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAIL INTERMITTENTLY. WHEN I WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY IN A BLINDING RAIN STORM, THEY STOPPED WORKING WITH THE WIPERS STRAIGHT UP AND DOWN. I HAD A HORRIBLE TIME GETTING TO THE SHOULDER TO STOP. THEN THEY STARTED WORKING AGAIN A FEW MINUTES LATER. THEY'VE DONE THIS FOUR TIMES IN DIFFERENT STATES ON DIFFERENT ROADS AT DIFFERENT SPEEDS. FROM READING YOUR SITE, CHEVROLET APPARENTLY HAD THE SAME PROBLEM ON 1.5 MILLION TRUCKS IN THE PREVIOUS MODEL YEAR (1996), WHICH WAS FIXED WITH A RECALL. I ALSO NOTED THAT YOU HAVE LOGGED OTHER COMPLAINTS FOR THE SAME MODEL YEAR (1997). THANK YOU. SINCERELY, [XXX]. *AK INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

NHTSA complaint #722959 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Ackworth, GA

VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR

WINDSHIELD WIPERS BECAME INOPERABLE, OBSTRUCTING THE VIEW OF THE DRIVER. A RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED ON VEHICLE'S MAKE/MODELS. HOWEVER THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED.

NHTSA complaint #859678 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Chaparral, NM

VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM

DURING DUST STORMS VENTS ALLOW SAND AND DEBRIS TO ENTER VEHICLE, EVEN WHEN THEY ARE CLOSED.

NHTSA complaint #535965 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Other 1997 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 problems

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