Most common 1997 Chevrolet Lumina problems
Share of the 347 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Chevrolet Lumina complaints by model year
Best Lumina years: 2001, 2000, 1999. Years to avoid: 1995, 1997, 1996. Compare all years →
1997 Chevrolet Lumina recalls (1)
Steering › Rack and pinion
Certain passenger vehicles have lower pinion bearings in the power rack and pinion assembly in which the retainer tabs were not crimped properly. These retainers could fail and permit the ball bearings to escape.
Remedy: Dealers will install a new lower pinion bearing unless inspect of the existing bearing indicates that replacement of the gear assembly is necessary. Owner notification began on February 5, 2004.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 2 possible defects involving the 1997 Chevrolet Lumina:
Power rack and pinion steering failure
GM conducted a safety recall (NHTSA # 02V286) to address a steering defect pertaining to a lower pinion bearing (lpb) within the rack and pinion steering gear (r&p). The recall covered 1,159,156 model year 1997-1998 Pontiac grand prix vehicles built between March 1, 1996 and October 31, 1997, 1996-1998 Pontiac trans sport, Chevrolet lumina apv, Chevrolet venture, Oldsmobile silhouette minivans, and Chevrolet…
Power rack and pinion steering failure
GM's letter to NHTSA dated December 11, 2003, expands its original recall (NHTSA 02V286) to include certain w-body vehicles: 96-97 olds cutlass supreme; 98 olds intrigue; 97-98 olds cutlass; 97-98 Chevy lumina, monte carlo and malibu; 96 Pontiac grand prix; and 96-98 Buick regal.the number of vehicles recalled is 750,283.GM determined that failure of the rack and pinion is related to damage of the lower pinion…
What 1997 Chevrolet Lumina owners say
Steering all 88 →
I was traveling home. Lost control and could not turn. The steering went out, and fuel system. I was left in a coma for ten days. My airbag did not deploy like it was developed to do. I received a traumatic brain injury because of the lack of it deploying broke 11 bones. 7 ribs and four vertebraes. Spent a month in lester e cox hospital (south), 4 months in the university or missouri brain injury unit was awarded a state guardian, [redacted] , and spent 3 months in maries manor located in vienna missouri. The state guardian cleaned me out of all assets even though I had two insurances. One cigna and one medicaid. So none of my money went to medical care but to pay his 3 attorney fees. My traumatic brain injury I deal with every day. It does not go away. For life. Your firm covered up nearly 15 years of another recall that does not deploy the airbag in many vehicles. No more! …
While making left hand turn into a parking lot, the steering wheel locked up. The driver hit a parked car and both air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was towed to the dealer for analysis and the mechanic noticed that rack and pinion needed to be replaced. Recall#03V527000 followup letter sent by consumer. Consumer states that GM purposely desrtoyed the defective parts before they could be examined by an independient party. The vehicle crashed due to a low speed left hand turn steering failure which was documented before the recall occurred. Lower pinion bearing separation was mentioned on a local media channel as the reason for the recal 1997 Chevy luminas
Engine & cooling all 52 →
"GM should recall faulty intake manifold gasket installed in their vehicles". As of April 10, 2002, there is a nationwide backorder of the intake manifold gasket. At this time, is it not even known when the part will become available. Being aware of this proves there is a serious problem to be addressed. Because of apparent poor engineering, GM can not manufacture replacements fast enough for all the vehicles in which they are needed. Intake manifold leaks can lead to any number of very serious, and expensive, problems. While the part itself isn't costly, the labor to repair it is very intensive, and has been quoted around $800 usd (give or take a couple hundred depending on the vehicle). This is in addition to any other costly problem(s) the intake manifold gasket leak May have produced.
I have been the owner of a 1997 Chevrolet Lumina since July of 2002. It was well maintained by my uncle, whom I bought it from. It had 57K miles when bought. Shortly after buying it, I noticed coolant loss in the overflow bottle. To make a long and expensive story short, I had to replace the intake manifold gasket at a cost of nearly $600. This is a common repair on GM v6 engines I later found out after talking to mechanics and reading on various web sites such as GM-v6lemons.com. This is a flawed engine design that GM denies has any problems. I attempted to get GM to take responsibility for this by asking for renumeration and was told that the engine was out of warranty and I wasn't the original owner. This response was in reply to a letter written to kurt ritter, ceo of Chevrolet.
Fuel & propulsion system all 50 →
I noticed the smell of gasoline. Initial searches for the source of the leak were unsuccessful, but after1 - 2 weeks it got worse and I was able to find it easily. The pressure regulator was leaking. I checked for a related recall and found that universal pressure regulators (upr's) produced after 1/9/07 had been recalled, but mine, I believe, is the original equipment pressure regulator. Nevertheless, it May have a design defect. The car has about 161,000 miles on it. The dealer indicated that failure of a part with that many miles on it would not be subject to a recall, even though it is a safety-related failure. I sought out the NHTSA site to try to find out if that is the case, or not. The "incident date" noted below is the date I found the leak. No damage was done, and there were no injuries.
We need assistants - my '97 Lumina caught on fire and burned down our house on 10/29/00. We lost the car, which melted down to the frame, the house and contents. We would have lost our lives if this had occurred two hours later. It has been determined by the athens clarke county fire investigator and the cotton states investigator that the fuel pump and daylight runners caused this fire. This defect in my vehcile is a life saftey issue - who will be the next victms? Please contact me asap.
1997 Chevrolet Lumina engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.1L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 18 / 26 / 21 |
| 3.4L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 15 / 24 / 18 |
EPA ratings. Class: Midsize car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1997 Chevrolet Lumina a good car?
Based on 347 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 1997 Lumina rates avoid: 2.5× as many complaints as a typical year of the Lumina at the same age. It is one of the Lumina years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 1997 Chevrolet Lumina?
The steering — 88 complaints, 25% of all complaints for this model year, most often about rack and pinion. Next are the engine & cooling (52) and fuel & propulsion system (50).
How many recalls does the 1997 Chevrolet Lumina have?
There is 1 recall for the 1997 Chevrolet Lumina, the most recent from December 11, 2003 (rack and pinion). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Chevrolet Lumina?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2001, 2000 and 1999. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 1995, 1997 and 1996. See the full Chevrolet Lumina years comparison.
At what mileage do 1997 Chevrolet Lumina problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 81,000 miles; 8% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.