Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1997 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
1997 Chevy Silverado k1500 z71. The anti-lock brake was preventing me from stopping at low speeds. They have recalled all the newer models to fix the defect, but not the older models. The only way to disable the anti-lock brake is to cut the anti-lock speed sensor for it. Anti-brake light comes on after. At least, I have brakes. I was involved in many accidents, fortunately, with no major injuries other than many bumper scratches and dents. To avoid hitting a car at stop, I had to run off the road intentionally many times. This truck could get people killed if they are not recalled.
While exiting a ramp in lexington, ky, the antilock braking system on my pick-up failed, resulting in my truck not being able to stop. This resulted in my truck entering on-coming traffic and caused an non-injury accident. My family was present in the vehicle, including my 3 year old son. The truck was able to make it home, and is preparing to be repaired. The braking system continues to mal-function without warning, reducing or eliminating the ability to stop the vehicle. The anti-lock system kicks in constantly, and when this happens, the truck will not immediately stop.
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. While driving at unknown speeds, the brake pedal was depressed, but the vehicle did not slow down or stop. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer and dealer were not contacted. The failure mileage was 351,000. The VIN was unknown.
1997 Chevy Silverado brake problem. At slow speeds the brake pedal travels to the floor during a sudden stop with greatly increased stopping distance required. This is a very dangerous and is apparently very common problem with owners of this vehicle. The following is copied from a post to this site which describes exactly the problem: "I have a 1997 Chevrolet Silverado truck. Over the last several months I have been experiencing random failure in the anti-lock brakes, they engage in situations where there is no reason to. Recently I viewed a report that your organization is investigating the same problem with 1999 - 2002 models, but the problem in that investigation exactly describes my problem. Since the problem is random, you cannot be prepared when you don't quite stop as fast as expected. …
Vehicle is a 1997 Chevy k1500 pickup the problem is that the ABS brakes sometimes activate at low speeds, which definately causes it to take a couple extra feet to stop, which could be a problem since it typically happens when in stop and go traffic and you're already close to the car in front. The dealer gave me a TSB which describes the problem and says it is due to corrosion of the wheel hub. My mechanic tried to fix the problem, but the sensor on the passenger side was siezed in the hub, which likely means the entire hub will need to be replaced to fix the problem. For the time being, the ABS system has been disabled, and the brakes are now functioning normally (but obviously without the anti-lock function). Based on news reports, this is a very common problem which GM appears to be downplaying. …
1997 Chevrolet Silverado k1500. Rear brake line near wheel well ruptured causing loss of braking power. Cause of line rupture was due to excessive rust/corrosion of the line itself. I have digital pictures of the the defective line. Contact me via email and I will be happy to send. (someone at GM really should review these!) the entire line from front to rear exhibits signs of excessive/premature corrosion. The truck itself shows no other signs of rust damage. The dealer repaired only the portion of the line that failed. When questioned about the remaining corrosion, the service manager shrugged it off and acvised me it wasn't a problem. Total cost of repair including tow in was $349.93. I have filed a complait with GM customer service...so far I have gotten no where. I feel this is a valid safety concern and other owners of this model truck should be notified of this potential problem.
I have a 1997 4wd Chevy pickup with 4 wheel ABS. When coming to a stop, just before the vehicle actually comes to a complete stop, the ABS activates, the brake pedal goes to the floor, and the truck surges forward another few feet. This happens on dry pavement! There is no reason for the ABS to activate and this causes a dangerous situation with the unpredictable surge forward of the vehicle. I have researched this problem on the internet and found tons of others with the same problem. Yahoo search: "ABS activates on dry pavement" revealed thousands of hits of consumers with the same problem. Because it is related to brakes, I believe there is a serious safety risk to consumers and GM should recall the defect. This happens everyday and is very noticeable. I leave extra space while braking until I am able to get this fixed.
At speeds less than 5 MPH, each time I apply the brakes to stop, the ABS systems engages and the vehicle does not brake to an immediate halt. Numerous times I barely avoided collisions with other vehicles and buildings. I understand that GM is aware of this or a similar problem on 1999 and later trucks and has issued a recall for a repair on some of these vehicles, but not all. After researching this problem I discovered that by removing the ABS system fuse the ABS does not engage and the vehicle will come to a stop upon application of the brakes. I have now removed the ABS system fuse to disable the system. I now know that this is a very widespread problem that GM should stand behind or at least offer to disable the ABS system (and the ABS light) so the conventional brakes will function.
1997 k1500 Chevrolet Silverado kelsey hayes ABS activates on dry pavement (no wheel slip) between 5-10 MPH when brakes applied hard or softly. This leads to increased stopping distance unless brakes released and reapplied quickly. This has caused several near miss collisions with parked vehicles (no collision has yet occurred.) one front wheel speed sensor replaced by dealer on 9/2005 (part not available) this temporarily fixed the problem, but ~4 months later the problem began recurring. A second dealer stated this was a known problem (NHTSA campaign #05V379000) due to rust accumulating around front wheel speed sensors but no recall has been issued for 1997 model year. Vehicle has been owned and operated primarily in mn, sd, and ny.
Traveling approximately 25 MPH I began for an upcoming stop sign, two school buses were already stopped as I applied the brakes the peddle went quickly to the floor with little results, I was able to put the truck in low gear, turned onto the shoulder and with the emer. Brake and what little brake that was left I was able to get stopped safely. I would learn the welding on the upper shock bracket had failed allowing movement which allowed metal to rub against the brake line which runs past that area. The line failed with the lose of fluid and the brakes. Repairs included replacing of the upper frt.susp control arm assy misc brackets and shelds and rewelding upper shock bracket. It also included replacement of the brake line.
Brake complaints in other Silverado 1500 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 1997 Chevrolet Silverado 1500?
NHTSA has 134 complaints about the brakes of the 1997 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 24% of the model year's 555 complaints. The component named most often is antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (86 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1997 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 brake problems?
No. NHTSA lists no brakes recall for the 1997 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 1997 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 86,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 15 crashes, 0 fires and 8 injuries to brakes problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.