VehicleVerdict

1997 Chevrolet Lumina engine problems

The 1997 Chevrolet Lumina has 56 engine complaints filed with NHTSA — 13% of the year's total, and up sharply from the prior model year.

56

Engine complaints

13%

Share of year

0

Crash-involved

0

Related recalls

Engine complaints by year

Lumina engine complaints by model year72 complaints1990: 40 complaints1991: 37 complaints1992: 40 complaints1993: 21 complaints1994: 12 complaints1995: 72 complaints1996: 41 complaints1997: 56 complaints1998: 45 complaints1999: 47 complaints2000: 8 complaints2001: 4 complaints
Lumina engine complaints by model year. Red bars are years to avoid.

What owners report

LUMINA HAD 33698 MILES AND WAS CLATTERING WHEN COLD STARTING, LASTS 3-10 MINUTES, CALLED DEALER WHERE CAR WAS BOUGHT, DEALER SAYS IT IS PISTON SLAP AND IT IS COMMON, NOTHING THEY CAN DO ABOUT IT. GETS WORSE AND WORSE AS THE MILES RACK UP. CAR HAS BEEN IN THREE TIMES FOR ENGINE CLATTER AND HAVE BEEN…

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Engine · April 8, 1999

Common questions

How many engine complaints does the 1997 Chevrolet Lumina have?

NHTSA has 56 complaints about the 1997 Chevrolet Lumina engine — 13% of all complaints filed for that model year.

Related

Based on NHTSA ODI data through June 2026. Complaints are consumer-reported and unverified. Updated July 5, 2026.

Compiled by Sharon Ben-Moshe, Founder.