1997 Chevrolet Silverado Z71 review from North America

Manifold gasket went out at 70000 miles.

Water pump went out at 75000 miles.

Replaced the pitman arm, idler arm, and front upper right ball joint at 79500 miles.

Service engine soon light been on since 75000 miles. Believed to be a leak in a fuel emissions line. Hasn't been officially diagnosed yet.

I purchased the truck from a small dealer as a second owner a year ago. The steering wheel had a noticeable amount of loose play at the top. I could move it about three inches left or right and not move the actual wheels. I had my mechanic check it out before I purchased it and he told me it was the pitman arm, which tends to go bad on larger 4x4 trucks due to the extra weight up front. I started noticing a lot of bouncing in the front end sometimes when I would hit bumps at around 77000 miles. I had it checked out and it was the upper ball joint. I had them replace it, the pitman arm, and the idler arm at the same time.

As far as the manifold gasket and water pump are concerned, I read reviews on this website and new that they had a tendency to go out around 75000 miles so it was nothing unexpected.

Otherwise I love this truck. The interior is comfortable and nothing seems out of place. The engine has plenty of power and the push button four wheel drive is very capable and easy to use. My truck has the Z71 package, but the ride is more than tolerable. My only gripe is I don't have a third door. So far I have experienced 15-19 miles per gallon on regular gas under conservative to moderate driving habits. The acceleration and gear changes have been smooth so far.

I generally use this truck around town, but occasionally I will pull a trailer or do some hauling. I would definitely recommend this truck to someone looking a full size pickup. I would just make sure they new to expect potential repairs starting around 70000 miles. I love driving this truck and now that I have some of the common problems out of the way, I plan to keep it for a long time.