Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1999 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I had the ignition sleeve required in recall done. Never had problems with key before that. Since then, have trouble starting car; the garage replaced battery (was 6 yrs. Old) because they could find nothing else wrong with the car. Still I have difficulty starting the car..........yesterday it took 3 tries. I moved in the interim of having this done....so going back to simon Chevrolet in woonsocket,ri is out of the question. I called salvatore Chevrolet in gardner, ma. And they told me there would be a $200. Charge to find out what the problem was. Never had problems before and this should not be a charged for issue. Any suggestions? Also, this morning the diamond shaped button for the warning lights broke off and fell into dash......the car is sound and I keep it well kept up. These are just frustrating issues. Please advise. Thank you for the time and effort put into this matter. …
Passlock system engages without cause. When starting my truck, it acts like it will and then shuts down after a second, and then the security light comes on. This is common with past lock system errors. This happens about 1 out of 4 starts. To get the car started, I have to go through a reset process that takes over 30 min, which causes battery drain. This has left myself and family members stranded in unsafe situations several times. Most recently I was stuck on the side of the highway, after stopping to change a flat at 11 pm. After not starting with these same symtoms, while trying to do the 30min. Relearn process, the battery did not have enough to start the truck. So I was then stuck there for 3 more hours waiting on a tow truck for a jump. I was stranded for over 3 1/2 hours. This issue has been happening for the last 2 years, and have spent about 4K dollars to try and fix it.
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 (gmt800). While the vehicle was stationary, an abnormal odor was detected inside the cabin. The contact attempted to open the hood, but the latch failed to release the hood. Also, flames were seen underneath the hood. The contact believed the fire originated from the fuse box, which burned the engine wire harness. The fire was extinguished by the fire department. A police report was filed. There were no injuries sustained. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The vehicle was not destroyed. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic for diagnostic testing or repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failures. The failure mileage was unknown.
Tl contact owns a 1999 Chevrolet k1500. On May 17, 2008, while driving 10 MPH, smoke appeared from the dashboard, followed by flames. There were no warning indicators prior to the failure. The fire department arrived and extinguished the fire. The fire department stated that something electrical heated up under the dashboard and caused the fire. The contact checked to see if he was eligible for any reimbursements because he has no comprehensive insurance to cover the damage. The failure mileage was 101,000. Updated 6/16/08
Contact states: the brakes failed and the consumer ran into a vehicle. The rotors rusted so badly that brakes were not being applied. When he contacted GM. They told him to take it to the dealer, and the dealer replaced the hub assembly. They wouldn't pay for the brakes or the damage done to his truck. Just the hub assembly. The ignition system was replaced.
I have had nothing but trouble with rotted rotors, pads that don't wear right, brake lines that rotted and rusted away that they needed to be all replaced in July of 2006. A six year old motor vehicle should not have to have all the lines replaced. The bill was $1,200. Next a ABS front wheel sensor recall was done at best Chevy, hingham, mass. The ABS lights came on and off at their own pace. I had new front bearings installed, had my mechanic check for codes. Nothing. The brakes just never felt right sometimes. I worked as a auto mechanic for nearly 25 years, never seen anything like this brake problem. By the way I took good care of my vehicle, GM must of used sub standard brake tubing, never seen anything so decayed after 6 years. On April 29, 2011 I was driving home and had stopped at a traffic light about 1/4 mile from my home. …
After filling up my truck and got speed up to about 65mph my gas gauge went to empty and then would come back up after hitting a bump in the road or rocking the truck back and forth , also the light on the gear shift lever kept going out and couldn't tell what gear I was in, could peck on console and light might come back on but stays off most of the time now. Now the fuel gauge still acts up and it does not give and accurate reading.have to set my trip timer each time I fillup so I will know how much gas I have unless someone steals a lot of it then I usually run out of gas along side the road. [redacted]
Tl contact owns a 1999 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that when attempting to brake, the vehicle would continue moving another five feet before the brakes would grab. Also, the contact was driving at 60 MPH on the highway when the vehicle suddenly completely shut down. The vehicle was towed to an authorized dealership where the contact was informed that a new starter and new fuel sending unit needed to be installed. The vehicle was repaired at that time. The rear seal on the engine was leaking oil; the dealer repaired the seal. The contact also noticed that the rotors were peeling; the contact repaired the problem at his expense. The braking issue was the most recent problem and had not been corrected at the time of the complaint. The manufacturer had not been notified of the brake problem. The current mileage was approximately 140,000. …
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that instrument panel gauges would fail sporadically. The gauges would fluctuate to the left simultaneously indicating that the fuel tank was low, the engine was running hot and so forth. The vehicle had been taken to the dealer several times but never at the time when the failure was actually occurring so the dealer was unable to diagnose the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact expressed that he did not feel safe driving the vehicle. The failure mileage was 70,000 and the current mileage was 100,000. Updated 5/9/11 updated 05/16/11
Passlock ii system if faulty, leading to having the occupants of the vehicle stranded for 10 minutes to hours waiting for the system to reset itself. System misreads the key's resistance value and disables the fuel for a period of time, frequently over an hour. My system faults more frequently in hot, humid weather, leading me to believe the moisture from the humidity is lowering the ohms causing a misread of the factory key. I have no aftermarket wiring, alarms, stereo, remote starts etc. I also use the single key with nothing attached to the ring that would bear additional weight to the key in the cylinder.
Electrical complaints in other Silverado 1500 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 1999 Chevrolet Silverado 1500?
NHTSA has 25 complaints about the electrical system of the 1999 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 4% of the model year's 587 complaints. The component named most often is instrument cluster/panel (4 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1999 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 1999 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 1999 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 101,000 miles, and 6% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 2 fires and 0 injuries to electrical system problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.