1997 Chevrolet Suburban Power Train:automatic Transmission Problems

NHTSA component category: POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION · data through 07/14/2026

36Power Train:automatic Transmission complaints

8.7%Of all 414 complaints

#4Most-reported category

Source: U.S. NHTSA complaint data. Complaints are unverified reports from vehicle owners — a complaint is not a confirmed defect.

How power train:automatic transmission ranks on this vehicle

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP64 · 15.5%

STEERING46 · 11.1%

STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM44 · 10.6%

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION36 · 8.7%

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY27 · 6.5%

Share of the 414 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 1997 Chevrolet Suburban overview page.

What owners report

“TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED / WARRANTED AFTER LITERALLY EXPLODING. THERE IS NO OTHER BRAND TO CHOOSE FROM FOR THIS SIZE AND STYLE VEHICLE. PLEASE…”NHTSA complaint 701307 — filed 01/12/1999

Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.

Power Train:automatic Transmission complaints by year filed

Frequently asked questions

Does the 1997 Chevrolet Suburban have power train:automatic transmission problems?

Power Train:automatic Transmission is the #4 most-reported problem area on the 1997 Chevrolet Suburban: 36 of 414 complaints on file (8.7%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.

How many complaints does the 1997 Chevrolet Suburban have in total?

414 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/14/2026. Across all categories, 22 involved a crash, 13 involved a fire, 16 reported injuries, and none reported deaths.

What does NHTSA's power train:automatic transmission category include?

NHTSA assigns each complaint to standard component categories; this page reports the POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION category exactly as NHTSA defines and records it.

About this data — Complaint figures on this page are consumer reports submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a U.S. government agency. NHTSA does not verify individual complaints; a complaint is not proof that a defect exists, and counts reflect what owners chose to report, not confirmed failure rates. Recall information comes from official NHTSA safety recall campaigns; recall repairs are free at authorized dealers. Always check your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. CarModelProblems.com is an independent site and is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. Data through 07/14/2026.