Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 1999 GMC Sierra, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Service brakes, hydraulic280
- Vehicle speed control39
- Suspension39
- Power train37
- Tires31
- Structure30
- Service brakes, air26
- Service brakes25
- Seats23
- Visibility18
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 31 injuries and 1 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 70 1999 Sierra vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 41 people died inside them, and 15 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 1999 GMC Sierra failed the safety check 1.85% of the time — 5% more often than the average 1999 passenger car (1.76%). Median odometer at inspection: 160,097 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
In New Zealand
1 1999 cars are on the New Zealand register; 100% arrived as used imports, 0% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Recalls in Canada
8 Transport Canada recalls for the 1999 GMC Sierra.
| 2006057 9 Mar 2006 | Other On certain vehicles, the galvanized-braided-steel tailgate support cables used to support the tailgate in the full open (horizontal) position can corrode over t… |
| 2005116 22 Apr 2005 | Brakes On certain 1999-2002 1500 series and 2001-2005 2500 & 3500 series trucks equipped with a manual transmission, the parking brake friction lining may wear to an e… |
| 2004395 5 Nov 2004 | Brakes Certain vehicles located in Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland & Labrador may experience unwanted Antilock Brak… |
| 2001263 1 Nov 2001 | Electrical Certain vehicles: Light duty trucks. passenger vehicles and sport utility vehicles. Certain vehicles do not comply with the requirements of C.M.V.S.S. NO. 118,… |
| 2000270 17 Nov 2000 | Brakes On certain vehicles, the body cross sill may contact the front, right-hand brake pipe. This could eventually wear a hole in the brake pipe over the normal life … |
| 2000194 15 Sept 2000 | Seats And Restraints Certain vehicles do not comply with the requirements of CMVSS 209 - Seat Belt Assemblies. These vehicles have front belt retractors that have higher G-force lo… |
| 1999079 6 May 1999 | Emissions Certain vehicles equipped with 4.8 litre or 5.3 litre engines do not comply with the requirements of CMVSS 1103 - Exhaust Emissions. Engines may have been buil… |
| 1998200 20 Oct 1998 | Steering Certain vehicles have lower than specified torque on all three of the steering gear to frame attachment bolts. In this condition, the bolts may loosen during th… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
CERTAIN PICKUP TRUCKS HAVE GALVANIZED-BRAIDED-STEEL TAILGATE SUPPORT CABLES USED TO SUPPORT THE TAILGATE IN THE FULL OPEN (HORIZONTAL) POSITION. OVER TIME THESE CABLES CAN CORRODE AND FRACTURE WHEN LOADS ARE APPLIED TO THEM.
CERTAIN PICKUP TRUCKS AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES MAY EXPERIENCE UNWANTED ANTILOCK BRAKE SYSTEM (ABS) ACTIVATION. THIS CONDITION IS MORE LIKELY TO OCCUR IN ENVIRONMENTALLY CORROSIVE AREAS. THIS RECALL WILL BE LAUNCHED IN THE "SALT BELT" STATES OF CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MAINE, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, VERMONT, WEST VIRGINIA, WISCONSIN AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA ONLY.
ON CERTAIN PICKUP TRUCKS EQUIPPED WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS AND BUILT WITH EITHER PBR PARKING BRAKE SYSTEMS OR TRW PARKING BRAKE SYSTEMS, THE PARKING BRAKE FRICTION LININGS MAY WEAR TO AN EXTENT WHERE THE PARKING BRAKE CAN BECOME INEFFECTIVE IN IMMOBILIZING A PARKED VEHICLE.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: LIGHT DUTY PICKUP TRUCKS AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES. SOME OF THESE VEHICLES HAVE A CLEARANCE CONDITION BETWEEN THE FRONT RIGHT-HAND BRAKE PIPE AND THE BODY CROSS SILL THAT COULD DECREASE TO THE POINT OF ALLOWING CONTACT DURING THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE. IF CONTACT OCCURS AND THE BRAKE PIPE BECOMES DAMAGED, IN HALF OF THE BRAKE SYSTEM THERE CAN BE A LOSS OF BRAKE FLUID AND PRESSURE. THE BRAKE WARNING LAMP WILL BE ACTIVATED WHEN THE BRAKE FLUID LEVEL REACHES THE INDICATOR LIMIT.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: EXTENDED CAB 4-WHEEL DRIVE PICKUP TRUCKS. SOME OF THESE VEHICLES HAVE A LOWER THAN SPECIFIED TORQUE ON ALL THREE OF THE STEERING GEAR TO FRAME ATTACHMENT BOLTS. THE BOLTS CAN LOOSEN OVER TIME ALLOWING THE STEERING GEAR TO MOVE. THIS LOOSENING CAN RESULT IN SOME UNRESPONSIVE STEERING FEEL AND SOME NOISE TO THE DRIVER.
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 GMC told its dealers about the 1999 GMC Sierra: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 637176 | SOME VEHICLES MAY DISPLAY A DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE OF P0446 (EVAP CANISTER VENT). *TT |
| 636609 | SOME CUSTOMERS MAY COMMENT ABOUT HOOD HINGE WIND NOISE . *TT |
| 634999 | DIAGNOSIS OF CRACKED OR BROKEN TRANSMISSION CASE. *TT 2006 AND PRIOR CARS AND LIGHT DUTY TRUCKS. *TT |
| 634905 | SOME VEHICLES WILL NOT MOVE WHEN 4-WHEEL DRIVE IS REQUESTED, NOISE, SHUDDER, POOR PERFORMANCE, TRANSMISSION / TRANSFER CASE SLIPS, TRANSMISSION WILL NOT UPSHIFT, SLIPS IN 4-WHEEL DRIVE. *TT |
| 634899 | SOME CUSTOMERS MAY COMMENT ON THE SERVICE 4WD INDICATOR ILLUMINATING WITH DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE B2725 SET. *TT |
| 634895 | CONCERNS WITH LAUNCH SHUDDER / VIBRATION ON ACCELERATION. *TT |
| 634839 | SUBJECT REGARDING REVISED WHEEL SPEED SENSOR REPLACEMENT PROCEDURE. *TT |
| 634821 | SOME CUSTOMERS MAY COMMENT THAT THE MANUAL LOCK LEVER COMES LOOSE FROM THE DOOR TRIM PANEL. *TT |
| 634819 | PICKUP BOX SHEET METAL FRACTURE / DAMAGE WITH AFTERMARKET ACCESSORIES INSTALLED. *TT |
| 634817 | SUBJECT REGARDING AVAILABILITY OF PICKUP BOX REINFORCEMENT KITS FOR TOOLBOX / REAR WINDOW BARRIER / LADDER RACK APPLICATIONS. *TT |
| 634805 | SOME CUSTOMERS MAY COMMENT ON HIGHER THAN EXPECTED ENGINE OIL CONSUMPTION. *TT |
| 634788 | SOME CUSTOMERS MAY COMMENT ON A MILD TO SEVERE ENGINE PING (COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS SPARK KNOCK) USUALLY WORSE DURING ACCELERATION AND / OR AN ILLUMINATED MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP. *TT |
| 634786 | SOME CUSTOMERS WHOSE VEHICLES ARE OPERATED IN DUSTY TYPE ENVIRONMENTS, SUCH AS FARMING OR MINING OFF-ROAD TYPE APPLICATIONS, MAY COMMENT ABOUT THE ILLUMINATION OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL SES LIGHT, WITH DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE P0446 SET. *TT UPDATED 7/11/08. *NJ UPDATED 11/5/10. *PE |
| 634770 | EXHAUST MOAN OR VIBRATION AT LOW VEHICLE SPEEDS BETWEEN 900-1200 RPM UNDER LOAD. *TT |
| 634723 | SOME CUSTOMERS MAY COMMENT ON A MILD TO SEVERE ENGINE PING (SPARK KNOCK) DURING ACCELERATION AND / OR ILLUMINATED MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP WITH DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE P0332 SET. *TT |
| 634226 | SUBJECT REGARDING LUBRICATION OF PROPELLER SHAFT DOUBLE CARDAN CV TYPE U-JOINT CENTERING BALL AND SEAT.*NLM |
| 629811 | CUSTOMERS MAY COMMENT ABOUT A BRAKE SQUEAK OR A NOISE, PARTICULARLY AFTER A COLD SOAK AND ON THE FIRST BRAKE APPLICATION. *TT |
| 629716 | SOME FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE EXTENDED CAB SHORT BED MODELS MAY EXHIBIT A BUMP/CLUNK ON STOP OR ACCELERATION. *TT |
| 629629 | SUBJECT REGARDING STEERING SHAFT CLUNK CONDITION. *TT |
| 629369 | SOME OWNERS OF C1500 SERIES EXTENDED CAB PICKUP MODELS MAY COMMENT ON A VIBRATION/LAUNCH SHUDDER WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP. *TT |
| 628934 | SOME CUSTOMERS MAY COMMENT THAT THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LAMP IS ILLUMINATED, NO 3RD AND 4TH GEAR, THE TRANSMISSION DOES NOT SHIFT CORRECTLY, THE TRANSMISSION FEELS LIKE IT SHIFTS TO NEUTRAL OR A LOSS OF DRIVE OCCURS. *TT |
| 628884 | CONCERNS THAT CLUNK NOISE CAN BE HEARD COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD ALSO FELT IN THE STEERING WHEEL. *TT UPDATED *EH GM ADMINISTRATIVE MESSAGE. *TT |
| 628858 | SUBJECT REGARDING LOSS OF HVAC SYSTEM MODE AND/OR TEMPERATURE CONTROL. *TT |
| 628856 | A CONDITION MAY EXIST WHERE THE CUSTOMER CANNOT CONTROL THE HVAC SYSTEM MODES AND / OR THE TEMPERATURE. *TT |
| 628508 | SUBJECT REGARDING DOOR MANUAL LOCK LEVER DISENGAGES FROM DOOR TRIM PANEL (REPAIR LOCK LEVER) *JG |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
Brake line corrosion failure
PARKING BRAKE FAILURE
UNWANTED LOW-SPEED ABS ACTIVATION
TAILGATE SUPPORT CABLES
PARKING BRAKE FAILURE
TAILGATE CABLE BREAKAGE
PARKING BRAKE FAILURE
THROTTLE STICKING CLOSED
THROTTLE STICKING
STEERING GEAR/GRAME ATTACHING BOLTS
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation