1999 GMC Sierra 1500 Problems, Recalls & Reliability
903 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 1999 GMC Sierra 1500, alongside 4 recall campaigns and 10 defect investigations. It scores 83/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Brakes & stability leads the reports, typically around 70,500 miles.
Avoid this year if you can. The 1999 GMC Sierra 1500 sits at the top of this model's complaint rankings. Quieter picks in the same family: 1990, 1992–1994, 2012–2013.
Avoid
Where 1999 sits among all Sierra 1500 years
What owners report
“1999 gmc sierra 34719 miles i had failure of the electronic brake control module.”— owner report to NHTSA, 1999 Sierra 1500
“Vehicle vibrates severely at speeds above 55. Vehicle shakes when brakes are applied. Dealer has advised potential problems with front hubs, rear shocks, wheels and tires. Vehicle has been to dealer three (3) times since 08-25-99 for diagnosis and repair of problem, but as of 09-10-99, the problem…”— owner report to NHTSA, 1999 Sierra 1500
“I had three flats in the first two months of owing the vehicle. The third caused me to lose control of my vehicle and crash, resulting in $4,500 body damage. I sent firestone the tire, and they wrote back that there was indeed a blowout which resulted in( dot number: tire size: lt24575r16 )”— owner report to NHTSA, 1999 Sierra 1500
“The rear rotors u-joint, carbon build up on throttle, replaced window motor uses 2 qts of oil every 400 to 500 miles , transmission uses 1 qt of oil every 20000 miles , air conditioner fan does not work on high i believe the throttle build up is a safety issue with the gas petal sticking. We have a…”— owner report to NHTSA, 1999 Sierra 1500
“Gas pedal sticks off idle. Causes vehicle to lunge when starting out. Is most likely service bulletin 00-06-04-007a. Contacted gm, they will not pay for part because i am out of warrenty. This is a safety issue and should be a recall.”— owner report to NHTSA, 1999 Sierra 1500
“Brake lines rusted , abs failure ,gas lines rusted, trans cooling lines rusted. These were all failures that needed replacement through the years i have owned it. Now frame rusted and cracked . Truck basically shot .”— owner report to NHTSA, 1999 Sierra 1500
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 417 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 72,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 49,900 and 113,950 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (4)
CERTAIN FEDERAL-MOGUL REPLACEMENT WHEEL HUB ASSEMBLIES WITH THE BRAND NAMES: NATIONAL, CARQUEST P/NOS. 515020, 515021, 515025, 515053, 515054, 515059, AND 515060, SHIPPED BETWEEN JANUARY 23, 2006, AND DECEMBER 20, 2007, SOLD FOR LIGHT DUTY AND MEDIUM DUTY…
Fix: FEDERAL-MOGUL WILL NOTIFY CUSTOMERS AND WILL REPLACE THE HUB ASSEMBLY FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 7, 2008. OWNERS CAN CONTACT FEDERAL-MOGUL TOLL-FREE AT 877-489-6659.
CERTAIN HONEYWELL FRAM RACING BRAND HP4 AND HP8 OIL FILTERS THAT WERE MANUFACTURED FROM MAY 25, 2006, THROUGH SEPTEMBER 14, 2007, AND SOLD FOR USE AS REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT FOR VEHICLES LIST ABOVE. THE AFFECTED FILTERS ARE MARKED WITH A DATE CODE A61451…
Fix: HONEYWELL WILL REPLACE THE AFFECTED OIL FILTERS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN DURING NOVEMBER 2007. OWNERS CAN CONTACT FRAM CUSTOMER SERVICE TOLL-FREE AT 1-800-890-2075.
CERTAIN REPLACEMENT FUEL FILTERS, FRAM BRAND NAME P/N G3727, WITH DATE CODES X52911 THROUGH X60801 SEQUENTIALLY OR X600141 AND A MEXICO COUNTRY OR ORIGIN MARKING ON THE FUEL FILTER HOUSING MANUFACTURED FROM OCTOBER 18, 2005, THROUGH MARCH 21, 2006, SOLD FOR…
Fix: HONEYWELL WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE FUEL FILTERS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 18, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FRAM CUSTOMER SERVICE AT 1-800-890-2075 (OPTION 1).
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: LIGHT DUTY PICKUP TRUCKS AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES. THESE VEHICLES DO NOT COMPLY WITH THE OCCUPANT PROTECTION REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 208, "OCCUPANT CRASH PROTECTION."
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A TRAY INSERT ON THE TOP OF THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE TRAY INSERT CORRECTS THE NONCOMPLIANCE.
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 05V379000.
Led to recall campaign 06V066000.
Led to recall campaign 05V161000.
Led to recall campaign 04E067000.
Led to recall campaign 98V242000.
Technical service bulletins
259 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on transmission & drivetrain and engine — are on file for the 1999 GMC Sierra 1500. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 1999 Sierra 1500 TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 1999 GMC Sierra 1500 reliable?
The 1999 GMC Sierra 1500 drew 903 complaints in federal safety records — one of the years to avoid for this model. Its trouble index is 83/100, scored against the model's worst year (2014).
What are the most common 1999 GMC Sierra 1500 problems?
The top reported problems for the 1999 GMC Sierra 1500 are brakes & stability (465 complaints), suspension (49), and wheels & tires (44).
At what mileage do 1999 GMC Sierra 1500 problems show up?
Owners most often report 1999 GMC Sierra 1500 problems around 72,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 49,900 and 113,950 miles.
Does the 1999 GMC Sierra 1500 have recalls?
4 recall campaigns apply to the 1999 GMC Sierra 1500. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.