Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 1997 Chevrolet Lumina, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Steering88
- Engine and engine cooling52
- Fuel system, gasoline42
- Service brakes, hydraulic36
- Air bags36
- Electrical system26
- Power train21
- Visibility19
- Exterior lighting15
- Structure14
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 28 injuries and 7 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 9 1997 Lumina vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 9 people died inside them, and 1 of the vehicles rolled over. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 1997 Chevrolet Lumina failed the safety check 1.01% of the time — 37% less often than the average 1997 passenger car (1.60%). Median odometer at inspection: 101,639 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
In Finland
29 of these cars first registered in 1997 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 221,000 km on the odometer at their last inspection.
Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use · CC BY 4.0
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 2 variants: combined 11.4–13.0 L/100 km (about 18–21 mpg US), CO₂ 262–299 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lumina · Mid-size · Regular gasoline | 13.4 | 8.9 | 11.4 |
| Lumina · Mid-size · Regular gasoline | 15.6 | 9.7 | 13.0 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES HAVE LOWER PINION BEARINGS IN THE POWER RACK AND PINION ASSEMBLY IN WHICH THE RETAINER TABS WERE NOT CRIMPED PROPERLY. THESE RETAINERS COULD FAIL AND PERMIT THE BALL BEARINGS TO ESCAPE.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Chevrolet told its dealers about the 1997 Chevrolet Lumina: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 635006 | INFORMATION ON SERVICING 4T65-E TRANSAXLE SPACER PLATE AND GASKETS FOR VARIOUS MODELS FROM 1997 THROUGH 2002. *TT |
| 634997 | INFORMATION ON SERVICING 4T65E TRANSAXLE SPACER PLATE AND GASKETS. *TT |
| 634985 | CONCERNS WITH SLIPS, HARSH UPSHIFT OR GARAGE SHIFTS, LAUNCH SHUDDERS, FLARES, ERRATIC SHIFTS AND INTERMITTENT CONCERNS, DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE P1811 OR P0748 SET. *TT |
| 634708 | SUBJECT REGARDING REVISED LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD INSTALLATION. *TT |
| 628928 | SOME OWNERS MAY COMMENT ON A TRANSMISSION OIL LEAK. *TT UPDATED *EH |
| 623615 | INFORMATION REGARDING EXTRA CLIPS IN THE 4T65E TRANSMISSION. *SLC |
| 620810 | SUBJECT REGARDING POLYMER SERVICE PISTONS. *TT |
| 619370 | OWNERS OF SOME VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH HYDRA-MATIC 3T40, 4T60, 4T60-E OR 4T65-E TRANSAXLES MAY COMMENT ON A GRINDING AND / OR GROWLING NOISE THAT IS NOTICEABLE WHEN STANDING IN PARK ON A HILL OR SLOPE WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING AND THE PARKING BRAKE NOT APPLIED. *TT |
| 619369 | A CONDITION MAY EXIST IN WHICH THE FUEL GAUGE READS INCORRECTLY / FLUCTUATES, LOW FUEL CHIME SOUNDS PREMATURELY. *TT |
| 619360 | SOME OWNERS MAY COMMENT ON DRIVEABILITY SYMPTONS OF LONG OR HARD STARTS, CHUGGLE, ROUGH IDLE AND LIGHT OR INTERMITTENT MISFIRE DUE TO CLOGGED FUEL INJECTORS. *TT |
| 615083 | SOME OPERATORS OF VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH LAND MOBILE COMMUNCATION SYSTEMS, SUCH AS THOSE UTILIZED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES, MAY COMMENT ON FUEL PUMP RELATED RADIO FREQUENCY INTERFERENCE DURING VEHICLE OPERATION. *TT |
| 615074 | SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT FRONT SUSPENSION SCRUNCH / POPPING TYPE NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF VEHICLE THAT IS APPARENT DURING LOW SPEED TURNING MANEUVERS. *TT |
| 615073 | SOME V6 ENGINES MAY, ON A VERY INFREQUENT BASIS, HAVE AN OIL ODOR CONDITION THAT IS GENERALLY ENCOUNTERED AFTER THE ENGINE'S OIL HAS BEEN CHANGED.TYPICALLY THE ODOR LASTS APPROXIMATELY 1000 MILES AFTER THE CHANGE OF OIL AND THEN DOES NOT REAPPEAR UNTIL THE NEXT CHANGE OF OIL. *TT |
| 609721 | SOME CUSTOMERS MAY COMMENT ON THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS: 1) THE FUEL GAUGE READING INCORRECTLY. 2) LOW FUEL CHIME SOUNDS PREMATURELY. 3) FUEL GAUGE MAY FLUCTUATE FROM FULL TO EMPTY. *TT |
| 6089996 | SOME VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH HYDRA-MATIC 3T40, 4T60 OR 4T60-E TRANSXALES MAY COMMENT ON A GRINDING AND / OR GROWLING NOISE THAT IS NOTICEABLE WHEN IN PARK ON INCLINE. *TT |
| 6088901 | CONDITIONS WITH INACCURATE FUEL GAUGE / FLUCTUATES, PREMATURE LOW FUEL CHIME. *TT |
| 608372 | SUBJECT REGARDING SPARK PLUG WIRE FAILURE. *TT |
| 607586 | SOME CUSTOMERS MAY COMMENT THAT THE FUEL GAUGE READS INCORRECTLY / FLUCTUATES, AND THE LOW FUEL CHIME SOUNDS PREMATURELY. *TT |
| 607522 | SUBJECT REGARDING SPARK PLUG WIRE FAILURE. *TT |
| 604343 | SOME OWNERS MAY EXPERIENCE A DRIVEABILITY SYMPTOM OF LONG OR HARD STARTS, CHUGGLE, ROUGH IDLE AND LIGHT OR INTERMITTENT MISFIRE. *TT |
| 602269 | SOME CUSTOMERS MAY COMMENT THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY OR STAYS ON. *YC |
| 601412 | SOME VEHICLES MAY EXPERIENCE A MIL (MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP) LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE VEHICLE'S INSTRUMENT PANEL. *YC |
| 600282 | SOME VEHICLES MAY EXPERIENCE A DRIVEABILITY SYMPTOM OF LONG OR HARD STARTS, CHUGGLE, ROUGH IDLE AND LIGHT OR INTERMITTENT MISFIRE. *YC |
| 54418 | SOME VEHICLES EXPERIENCE DIFFICULTIES TO DEPRESS ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND/OR AN ACCELERATOR CABLE SEPARATION. *YC |
| 54342 | EXPERIENCING AN INTERMITTENT ROUGH IDLE OR MISFIRE AT IDLE AFTER THE ENGINE IS STARTED. *YC |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
POWER RACK AND PINION STEERING FAILURE
POWER RACK AND PINION STEERING FAILURE
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation