1997 GMC SIERRA 1500 Complaints

POWER STEERING ASSIST TENDS TO PULL THE WHEEL TO THE RIGHT OR LEFT WITH TOO MUCH ASSIST AFTER BARELY TURNING THE WHEEL ONE WAY OR THE OTHER (HAS ALWAYS DONE THIS SINCE NEW). WINDSHIELD WIPERS HAVE RECENTLY BEEN ACTING UP WHEN ACTIVATING THE WASHER MECHANISM. SOMETIMES THEY WON'T WORK, SOMETIMES THEY STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WIPE CYCLE. THE DATE BELOW IS A REQUIRED FIELD, BUT THE INCIDENTS HAVE HAPPENED NUMEROUS TIMES SINCE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE NEW.

I HAVE OWNED MY 1997 GMC K1500 SIERRA SINCE 1999 AND HAVE EXPERIENCED CONTINUOUS MOMENTARY LOSS OF POWER STEERING CONTROL DUE TO A FAILING VSS SENSOR LOCATED ON THE STEERING COLUMN. THIS LOSS OF POWER STEERING CONTROL OCCURS AT ANY SPEED AND DIRECTION. I HAVE HAD THIS COMPONENT REPLACED TWICE OVER THE YEARS AND THE SENSOR STARTS TO INTERMITTENTLY FAIL WITHIN 6 MONTHS. EVERY INDIVIDUAL I HAVE TALKED TO OVER THE YEARS WHO HAS OWNED A GM 1997-1999 C/K FULL-SIZE VEHICLE HAS EXPERIENCED THIS SUDDEN LOSS OF CONTROL IN THE STEERING WHEEL AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER. IT IS UNFORTUNATE THAT MULTIPLE LIVES WILL HAVE TO BE EVENTUALLY LOST BEFORE GM WILL RECALL THESE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF VEHICLES DUE TO LAWSUITS. THE VSS STEERING AS WELL AS THE CSFI FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM ARE AN EXTREMELY POOR DESIGN AND GM KNOWS IT. *LA

I RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR MY 1997 GMC SUBURBAN. THE CAMPAIGN NUMBER IS 03023. THE DEFECT WAS RELATED TO THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR STOPPING WHICH HAS RECENTLY HAPPENED TO US DURING HEAVY RAINS. WHEN I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP (TUCKS TRUCKS IN HUDSON MA), THEY REFUSED WORKING ON THE VEHICLE AS THE GM SYSTEM SHOWED A CAMPAIGN STATUS AS "CLOSED". I CONTACTED GM AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD LOOK INTO IT. IN THE MEAN TIME I HAVE WIPERS THAT STOP WORKING INTERMITTENTLY DURING RAINSTORMS. I AM CURIOUS TO KNOW HOW MANY OF THESE CAMPAIGNS ARE CLOSED WITH NO REASON LISTED AS MINE IS.*AK

THE STEERING HAD PLAY IN AND WANDERED FROM LEFT TO RIGHT. THE STEERING SENSOR WAS REPLACED. *NLM *CB

WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD MY REAR DIFFERENTIAL BROKE RESULTING IN LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. LOST POWER STEERING CONTROL AS WELL AS BRAKING ABILITY. THE LEFT WHEEL ENDED UP DETACHING THREE FEET AWAY FROM WERE THE WHEEL IS TO BE MOUNTED TO THE TRUCK. *NLM

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SLAMS INTO GEAR RECENTLY, CHANGED FLUID HELPED FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS - WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR WORKS WHEN IT FEELS LIKE IT - FUEL GAUGE HAS NOT WORKED SINCE 1999 AND OTHER PEOPLE I KNOW HAVE THE SAME PROBLEMS WITH THEIR GENERAL MOTOR TRUCKS. *JB

I EXPERIENCED CIRCUMSTANCES WHERE AS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD, SOMETIMES GOING AROUND CURVES, MY STEERING WOULD GIVE THE FEEL OF JUST GOING LOOSE. ON A COUPLE OF OCCASIONS WHEN THE STEERING WOULD "GRAB" HOLD AGAIN I ALMOST LOST CONTROL OF MY TRUCK. I FIRST EXPERIENCE THIS PROBLEM ABOUT A MONTH AFTER I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. WHEN I INQUIRED WITH DEALERS IN MAINE AND FLORIDA THEY COULDN'T IDENTIFY A FIX WITHOUT EXPERIENCING THE PROBLEM. RECENTLY A DEALER IN COLORADO DISCLOSED TO ME THAT GM HAD IDENTIFIED THE CULPRIT OF THIS ANOMALY TO BE THE EGR VALVE IN THE POWER STEERING. I SENT A LETTER TO GM STATING MY CONERN FOR CUSTOMER SAFETY AND RECEIVED A POLITE BUT POOR ANSWER BASICALLY CITING COMPLIANCE WITH SAFETY STANDARDS OR GM'S DETERMINATION THAT A PRODUCT DIDN'T MEET SAFETY STANDARDS. I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THERE IS A SET STANDARD THAT APPLIES TO SUDDEN CHANGES TO STEERABILITY OF A VEHICLE DUE TO SUCH A DEFECT. I'VE DISCUSSED THIS WITH AN OWNER OF A 97 CHEVROLET THAT HAS THE SAME PROBLEM AND HE ALSO EXPRESSED DISBELIEF THAT THIS WASN'T A SAFETY CONCERN. WHEN I POINTED OUT TO MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP THAT IN MY OPINION THIS SHOULD BE A SAFETY CONCERN FOR GMC HE COULD ONLY SYMPATHETCALLY AGREE AND POINT OUT THAT A VOLUNTARY RECALL ON WOULD HAVE TO BE A COMPANY DECISION. THEY DID POINT OUT THOUGH, THIS PROBLEM IS NOT UNCOMMON IN THE 1997 SERIES TRUCKS AND THAT WHEN THE DEALERSHIP BROUGHT IT TO GMS ATTENTION, WHICH WAS APPARENTLY ONLY ABOUT A YEAR AGO, THEY WERE JUST DISCOVERING THE CAUSE THEMSELVES. I AM GRAVELY CONCERNED AT HOW MANY PEOPLE MAY HAVE BEEN TURNED AWAY FROM REPAIR SHOPS PRIOR TO THIS DEFECT BEING IDENTIFIED AND THUS STILL DRIVING AROUND WITH THIS DANGEROUS POTENTIAL FOR TRAGEDY STILL LINGERING. THANK YOU. DT

STEERING WHEEL JERKS SHARPLY AT TIMES AS IF IS RESTRICTED. MY SISTER HAD A SURBURBAN THIS YEAR MODEL THAT DID THE SAME THING. THEY TOOK THEIR AUTO IN SEVERAL TIMES BUT NEVER WOULD DO THIS. IT IS SO RANDOM THAT IT WOULD BE HARD TO FIND FOR THE SERVICE DEPT. THEY JUST SOLD THEIR VEHICLE. ANY INFO FROM GMC ON THIS PROBLEM? OUR TRUCK DID NOT DO THIS UNTIL AFTER THE WARRANTY EXPIRED.*AK

ENGINE WONT START, FOUND FUEL PUMP NO GOOD, REMOVE AND REPLACE NEW DEALER FUEL PUMP

MY PROBLEMS REALLY BEGAN SOON AFTER THE WARRANTY WAS OVER @ 36,000 MILES. AT 42,240 I HAD A FUEL INJECTOR GO OUT, AT 55,590 MILES I HAD A WATER PUMP, SEAL, AND CORE NIPPLES GO BAD, ALONG WITH THE IDLE ARM ASSEMBLY, AND THE MAIN ENGINE BELT REPLACED. AGAIN ONLY 2 WEEKS LATER @ 58,275 MILES I STILL HAD A COOLANT LEAK, AND IT WAS THEN DETERMINED THE INTAKE MANIFOLD HAD DEVELOPED A LEAK, AND THE THERMOSTAT AND SEAL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE AGAIN ONLY 2 DAYS LATER I AGAIN EXPERIENCED YET ANOTHER PROBLEM, THIS TIME THE ALTENATOR WENT OUT! I COMPLAINED TO THE DEALER, AND TO GENERAL MOTORS, WHO CURRENTLY LOOKING INTO THE MATTER. THE DEALER DID AGGREE IT IS FAIRLY RARE TO HAVE THESE PROBLEMS SO SOON, AND GENERAL MOTORS AGGREES. HOWEVER THAT DOES'NT EASE MY MIND, THAT THEIR MAY BE A DESIGN, OR PARTS PROBLEM WITH THESE VEHICLES. I DID TALK WITH ANOTHER OWNER OF THE SAME TYPE TRUCK A 1992, SAME STYLE AND ENGINE, AND INFORMED ME THAT HE HAD EXACTLY THE SAME TYPE OF PROBLEMS OCCUR AT APROX: THE SAME MILAGE TIME FRAME, AND HAD SEVERAL MORE POP UP WITH THE TRANSMISSION AS WELL.*AK