Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power steering, steering column, rack and pinion).
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. …
Steering would pull to right. Took vehicle to dealership and mechanic repaired it, but currently vehicle was pulling to left. Steering sensor was replaced. Had an accident due to steering problem. Steering went right, and vehicle hit curb. Then, spun around, backwards. Air bags did not deploy. Vehicle went across 4 lanes. Axle broke , and vehicle tumbled down a hill.
Power steering assist is erratic at highway speeds. Steering input force will increase until the steering wheel suddenly moves because of an increase in power steering assist. Problem is erratic, and it has only occurred at speeds above 40 MPH. This phenomenom has been occurring for several years with this vehicle.
Steering speed sensor fails causing the steering to suddenly jerk while turning under speed. It feels like the front wheels hit "slippery ice". I have replaced this item 3 times on my own and the sensor keeps failing. The one in my car currently is experiencing the problem again and will need replacing.
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. …
In August of 2002 my 1997 GMC Suburban started to to slighty loose control of the power steering while turning to the left. Over the years the lack of control of the power steering while turning to the left has increased as well as driving straight down the road. It is a very scary feeling but over the time I myself have learned how to handle it. I have notified GMC of the problem but they said my model is not under a current recall for this problem. I have found where some GMC models have been recalled for this problem. GMC is aware of the problem yet they ignore the problem. I have a terminally ill husband so I cannot afford to go out and buy a new or used vehicle. I love my GMC Suburban so I always wanted to purchase a new one or even maybe a GMC yukon. Yet with the distrust I have with GMC about fixing problems they know about I would have second thoughts about such a purchase. …
The first date of failure was around May 2001 and started when making left turns and continued since. The steering would completely go out for a couple of seconds. It felt like the steering wheel was jerked from my hand. I could not get anyone to understand what was happening because it would not do it during test drive. On June 30, 2002, while traveling at 65 MPH, the steering completely went out for a couple of seconds. I immediatly went to experttire and a part was replaced regarding the steering. After checking with the local dealer, found there is not a recall for this problem. After doing research on the internet, I have found that this has happened to other people. It has happened to another Suburban owner here in laurel, mississippi as well. It is very dangerous and scary when your steering goes out completely and I feel this needs to be addressed with the manufacturer.
At higher speeds, steering would become erratic and loose causing vehicle to swerve without warning. Occurred once while turning a corner and vehicle went up over curb. Took it to dealer who replaced, at my expense, faulty steering wheel sensor which was switching from low pressure to high pressure and back at higher speeds creating erratic steering. Noted in your complaint database well over 80 complaints just on GMC vehicles alone. One would wonder if this difficulty could cause a vehicle to rollover or crash if the erratic swerve occurred while on a sharper curve and/or in differing weather conditions.
When turning right, it feels like steering is slipping & loses control. Wheels not responding when this is happening. When turning left, the steering is soft but okay. Taking to dealer. Dealer found the problem to be in the power steerign and replaced it, consumer states that the steering still feels mushy.
Intermittently while driving something causes the steering wheel to twitch for less than a second and the steering wheel turns to the right. This is due the ves (variable effect steering). The power steering control unit was replaced end of August or early September. The problem still exists.
NHTSA investigations
Erratic steering boost while driving
Alleged that the variable effort steering unit intermittently provides full boost tot he power steering gear at moderate to high speeds.
Steering complaints in other Suburban years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 1997 GMC Suburban?
NHTSA has 39 complaints about the steering of the 1997 GMC Suburban, 20% of the model year's 200 complaints. The component named most often is hydraulic power assist system (12 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1997 GMC Suburban steering problems?
No. NHTSA lists no steering 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 steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 130,000 miles, and 25% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 0 injuries to steering 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.