1997 Chevrolet Chevrolet Truck Transmission and drivetrain Problems
- Complaints
- 7about this part
- Share
- 15%of 48 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 113,760miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 7 complaints about the transmission and drivetrain of the 1997 Chevrolet Chevrolet Truck, 15% of the 48 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 113,760 miles. 1 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“I have a 1997 chevy tahoe that has had all of the required tune-ups and services. I recently lost my transmissions. I have never pulled anything with this truck. I searched the internet and found that almost 95 out of a 100 buyers have had this same problem. Why should the chevy corp. Be able to sell you something and months later that trans go out and all they have to say is it common.”
NHTSA complaint #10207939, filed 2007-11, 177,520 miles“This is to inform you of a known problem with the 4l60e transmissions in the 1997 and up GM truck transmissions, the symptoms include the hard shift from first gear to second gear, and the slipping of the transmission in overdrive. In this truck the tachometer usually is at 1500-1600 rpms 65 MPH, but with the mil light, engine check light, it is running at 2000-2100 rpms, causing massive fuel consumption. This is due to a faulty valve in the transmission this is also the main cause in the transmissions failure due to overheating caused by the slippage. …”
NHTSA complaint #10194184, filed 2007-06, 50,000 miles“The shifting valve has failed 3 time and I have been told thats too bad,, it is no longer under factory warranty, but it is still under the extended warranty, so have them take care of it,. This has been an ongoing problem that 3 times tells me their is a problem with the part.”
NHTSA complaint #712434, filed 1999-09“At less than 70,000 miles I had to replace the transmission on my 1997 chev ext-cab 4 wheel drive truck. That was in september of 2000. No real explanation for the reason it went out. They calim miles driven. The previous year, june 1999, with less than 50,000 miles on the truck, they took the transmission out and tore it apart to find out what was causing a slipping problem. They finally settled on a valve that had gone bad. One week later they had to replace the same valve again. …”
NHTSA complaint #759792, filed 2002-03“Truck was parked on a 14 degree incline with engine facing uphill and the 4wd was in 4wd-low. With no one in the truck and after 5010 minutes, truck disengaged from park. The truck proceeded down the hill causing the driver to jump out of way from being hit. The truck came to rest after hitting the side of a home. Police were called to investigate the accident.”
NHTSA complaint #700616, filed 1998-11Transmission and drivetrain: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 2 | 5% |
| 2002 | 9 | 24% |
| 2001 | 1 | 5% |
| 1998 | 1 | 3% |
| 1997 | 7 | 15% |
| 1996 | 11 | 22% |
| 1995 | 7 | 13% |
| 1994 | 3 | 9% |
| 1991 | 2 | 15% |
| 1990 | 1 | 9% |
| 1989 | 2 | 14% |
| 1988 | 6 | 40% |
Other parts of the 1997 Chevrolet Chevrolet Truck
13 complaintsSteering
13 complaintsBody and structure
4 complaintsFuel system
3 complaintsSuspension
2 complaintsElectrical system
1 complaintsEngine cooling
1 complaintsExterior lighting
1 complaintsOther or unknown
1 complaintsTires
1 complaintsVehicle speed control
1 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
1 complaints
← All problems reported for the 1997 Chevrolet Chevrolet Truck
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology