Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1997 Chevrolet Suburban owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The car was parked in the driveway. In the middle of the night it burst into flames. Our dogs woke us up. The fire started in the front passenger compartment. By the time the fire department arrived 7 minutes later there was nothing left to the interior of the car. The engine and underside of the car were undamaged by the fire. A tree near the car also caught fire. Chevrolet said there were no recalls on our car. They do not seem interested in examining the car since we settled with our insurance company. Neither the fire department nor the police suspect arson. It would appear to be electrical. If the car had been parked in our garage we would have lost our house.
My 1997 Chevrolet Suburban c-2500 is leaking oil from underneath the engine and making engine very "hot". This happens when I'm driving this vehicle.I touch the engine hood and feel that it's very, very hot. I just went home to prevent any fire or accident. My mechanic said it's not ordinary for this heavy duty truck to leak oil with only 77,000 miles. I need you to investigate my problem and contact GM. You can email me at [redacted] for an updates regarding this problems. Looking forward to hear from you soon. Thanks.
Heater and ac controls went out twice. Factory replaced them @ $125, then 9 months later it went out again. Factory said it was under 12 months, but I had driven over 12,000 miles so it was not under warranty any longer. Windsheild wiper module goes bad. Wipers will suddenly stop or wont turn on. On 3rd module now. Brakes, constant grinding and weak stops. Have replaced rotors 4 times. Same results. Steering loses tension when steering to the left. Problem is still ongoing but has made me almost lose control several times.
I have a 1997 Chevrolet Suburban and it blew the coupling on the heater hose while driving this past Saturday. The vehicle had to be towed and the repair was 93.00. I have spoken to several people with the same motor that all had the same problem. The Chevrolet dealer said that there probably should be a recall since this happens so frequently. The local shop that made the repair has so many to come in with this problem that they now stock the part.
Sudden unexpected acceleration. At random, a 500 to 1500 RPM increase in engine spead for up to several seconds accompanied by thick black smoke and the smell of raw diesel fuel. Has occurred in drive, neutral, reverse, and park. Has occurred with cruise control turned off. Has occurred with the cruise control fuse removed. Has occurred in park with no operator in vehicle. The truck will accelerate quickly (dangerously) when in drive or reverse.
While driving at any speed, the vehicle intermittently stalled. This caused lost of steering and brakes. This happened five times in a half an hour. The consumer noted he was not towing anything at the time which could've caused a serious accident if there was a lost of steering and brakes. Vehicle was repaired at a local shop when this occurred at 60,000 miles.
Consumer turned vehicle off, went into store then heard a store page that there was a truck on fire. The fire was in the engine compartment. (fire dept. Incident #97013984 riverside fire dept., city of riverside 3601 ninth street riverside ca 92501, gary fiegener [phone]). Consumer has not heard anything from Chevrolet.
The truck stalls while driving at any speed and without warning. This was caused by the pdm driver overheating and shutting off the fuel injection pump, which in turn caused the engine motor to shut off. Please provide more detailed information.
Dt: this morning hit the brakes coming down the hill and engine shut down, could not control steering and brakes didn't work either. The electric and power failure, couldn't do anything with the vehicle. It hasn't be checked by dealer yet.
Driving at 70mph noticed smoke in rear view mirror started to stop engine quit and passenger compartment filled with smoke. Got vehicle stoped and passengers out tried to put fire out with two extiguishers but spread to fast.
Engine complaints in other Suburban years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 1997 Chevrolet Suburban?
NHTSA has 21 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 1997 Chevrolet Suburban, 5% of the model year's 414 complaints. The component named most often is engine › gasoline (9 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1997 Chevrolet Suburban engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 1997 Chevrolet Suburban, though it has 2 recalls for other components. 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 Suburban engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 138,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 3 fires and 0 injuries to engine & cooling 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.