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 GMC Suburban owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The ignition switch started to fail while driving. First the heater fan would quit and the ABS light would instantly turn on, and the cruise control would fail to operate. When the ABS light would be on the ABS would fail to operate. Then suddenly all operations would go back to normal. It would be unpredictable when the heater fan and the ABS would fail and come back. Then yesterday, the Suburban started and died 3 seconds after starting. I restarted the Suburban and all seemed good. I put the Suburban in drive and rolled at about 5 MPH and the truck died. I stopped and put the Suburban in to park and restarted. Placed it into drive and made it home. When I got home, I turned off the Suburban and tried to restart it. It would crank but not fire the engine. The radio and heater and all other electronics would operate as normal, but the dash lights would not turn on I.e. …
1997 GMC Suburban- multiple engine & transmission failures. At 60,000 miles, vehicle began to shift hard. Returned to shop for diagnosis and repairs several times for work. Finally, while driving the vehicle in city traffic, the transmission failed compeletly. Required valve cover and transmission rebuild @ cost of $2,000. On December 27 '03, had to replace the radiator. On jan 17 '04, discovered that there was no antifreeze in new radiator. Returned to mechanic who replaced the radiator. Said the intake manifold needed to be replaced. Cost: ~$600. Took to another mechanic for second opinion. Same diagnosis. Both state that GM is aware of both problems, however, they will not cover the costs of repairs or replacement. Additionally- replaced alternator two times; replaced water pump two times; replaced the master cylinder in fall 2003.
While driving the serpentine belt tensioner broke from its mounting and resulted in loss of power steering and other components including charging of the battery. The alternator also shorted out. The manufacturer and the dealer were notified. The consumer was told that the warranty not longer covered the belt. The brakes shuttered while braking from 60 MPH. The dealer replaced the front brake pads and resurfaced the rotors.
The child safety seats do not work with the seat belt system of the Suburban. Only the front passenger seat will securely hold the seat. I contacted NHTSA twice and GMC customer service 3 times and many other places. Finally a GM engineer in the safety dept. Called me took my complaint. He tried to put a seat in a Suburban and said yes they do not work right. They wanted to take care of problem in house. I have heard nothing more from them. The vechile pulled to the right from day one had it aligned problem continues to this day. The left rear door hinge on drivers side busted off. The door did not open and shut proper. Had problems with fuses blowing constantly. The brakes wore out at 26000 miles and every 10 to 15 since. The brakes after 10,000 miles wore through the rotors. The pedal will often go to the floor or the vechile will pull to the right worse than it already does. …
Manifold gasket failed on my vehicle at 67,000 miles and probably well before this but I was not aware of the problem until picked up on routine maintenace check. Normally, I would fix the problem and move since I have gmpp (extended warranty) with no out of pocket costs. Not in this case. The problem here with the manifold gasket is not about noise pollution. It is about carbon monoxide and other noxious gas leaking into the vehicle. Before the lawyers at GMC pick up their pencils and start taking notes, the end result in my case was only one of feeling tired at the wheel. Problem solved when the new manifold gaskets were installed. Everyone happy, no accidents--not quite so fast.. Well here is the problem: I have been told that this problem is endemic to this series of vehicle and to be expected every 36,000. …
Vehicle has been owned since new. Shortly after purchase took vehicle to dealer with complaint the vehicle had excessive stopping distances and it appeared ABS was malfunctioning. The dealer advised the brake performance was "normal". Having owned 30 vehicles of all types I do not believe same. Also took vehicle to dealer with a complaint the steering was extremely vague and would feel like it had a time delay. Again was advised steering was "normal". Dealer treated complainant like the proverbial village idiot. Now, three years later I have discovered I am not the only village idiot that owns a GMC Suburban. I found numerous other complaints from owners with the exact same complaints I had. I just want to verify what they have reported. Recently the vehicle's cooling system has had numerous and sequential leaks. The delaer shrugs his shoulders when queried about the condition.
On April 10, transmission failed and vehicle was returned to dealership. On April 18, the vehicle was returned to the owner after having replaced the transmission, the transmission cooler, and intake manifold gasket. On April 27, 2000, the engine failed on a busy road as schools were letting out. The engine failure, put both the occupants of the vehicle at risks and the schoolchildren also, as the engine failure resulted in loss of power steering and power brakes. The driver avoided collision but with no steering and loss of braking power, the results could have been catastrophic.
Engine shut completely while driving on highway/freeway, lost control of brake, steering wheel and gear. Driver was able to steer into safety all 3 times. Took to dealer, 1st time said it was "mass air flow controller" 2 weeks later the same problem happened, this time dealer could not find what is wrong guessing is fuel injection pump. Need assistance because this is a safety issue and could cause injury or death if happen again.
The vehicle has consumes oil at approximately 1 quart every 600 miles,no leaks visible. The dealer worked on the oil problem in May but did not fix it. Another problem is that since the vehicle was new it has had a vibration when speeds approach 50 miles per hour and increases with more speed, new tires, continuous balancing of tires, does not help.
Roads were snowy when engine died for no reason. Lost control of vehicle & ended in a ditch. Towed truck/ pulled vehicle out of ditch. Had been to dealership many times for problem with engine. Vehicle placed on diagnostic machine. No codes of problem showed. Mechanic replaced fuel pump on diesel engine last moment.
Engine complaints in other Suburban years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 1997 GMC Suburban?
NHTSA has 21 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 1997 GMC Suburban, 11% of the model year's 200 complaints. The component named most often is engine › gasoline (12 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1997 GMC Suburban engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 1997 GMC 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 GMC Suburban engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 60,000 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.