Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (door latches, locks, hood and tailgate latches).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1999 Chevrolet Silverado owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Dt: the contact stated ABS brakes failed due to faulty left front sensor. When depressing the brake pedal it went to the floor. The consumer stated the frist time the incident occured he had to pay for the repairs. The second time it failed it was replaced under recall. The second problem was the emcm module failed which and caused the ABS motor to run even when the engine was turned off. The passenger side door lock was inoperative. The mechanic found the the door lock rod disconnected. Updated 12/07/05.
There has been a failure by breakage in one of the tailgate support cables, which completely fractured after corrosion. As a result of this happening I observed the second support cable, and see it is weakened by corrision, and will fracture the same way. This breakage occurred after opening the truck tailgate, and fortunately occurred before I was going to jump into the box of the truck. Breakage of the second cable will result in the tailgate dropping off, causing possible injury.
3 months ago the drivers side tailgate cable totally disentegrated and seperated in two parts. Knowone was injured, but this could have injured whoever was working on or sitting on the tailgate, not to mention damage the truck. The passenger side tailgate cable in still intact. The failing cable gave no signs of separating beforehand, however no looking at the exposed cable, it appreas rusted through, thus causing the failure.
While driving the safety latch on the drivers side door failed. The consumer almost fell out of the vehicle. The consumer was driving over a rail road track and the door opened and would not close. The tailgate locks are broken. The consumer had to drive home holding the door. 3 out of 4 locks failed.
We purchased a 1999 Chevy Silverado on 03-27-01. We have never used it for heavy-duty work. On 7-1-04, my husband, driving on a county park road at 15-20 MPH, went over a speed bump and the tail gate opened and the right rear cable on the tailgate broke in two. The tailgate, hanging from the left cable, was damaged as it was dragged about 10 ft. The cable, which is covered with plastic, was completely rusted under the plastic cover. The top of the cable cover did not appear to have any open access to water, so it is doubtful that an inspection of the cable would have shown any wear. The dealer told us there was a cable recall for model years 2000 and on, but not the 1999. Repair work was our responsibility. He referred us to GM customer assistance. I spoke with a manager, robert beckett, who opened a complaint file#1-232-773-551. …
I bought this truck in ohio for my wife [redacted], she reported that the ABS brake would simply not work on accasion and the pedal would go straight to the floor .we took the vehicle in to the dealer but he could not find the problem . At lows speeds I was able to reproduce the problem. Dealers down here say the sensor is bad. We pulled the fuse to disable the brakes when the vehicle was new because a delphi engineer told me that would at least keep the brakes working . I have 58000 miles on my truck and we have replaced the calipers the rotors and even some of the brake lines have rusted rupturing and causing a loss of brakes. The power steering hose line rusted at the cooler radiator. . …
Tailgate cable recall for 1999 Silverado. I understand that an investigation is under was for the 1998 and 1999 Silverado for tailgate cable failure. Just to advise you that I had to replace of the cable because of metal fatigue in the cable. (rusted right through it). GM has refused to replace the cable as they said that my vehicle was outside of the current recall. My vehicle is the new body style Silverado and is identical to the 2000 model. I hope this adds somthing to your investigation.
Power window motor fails, drops glass down inside panel, replaced 4 month old motor going out. Window will not respond. Power locks; remote keyless entry would not open doors, locked out of vehicle several times. Inside manual locks have quit working won't unlock, persons have been locked in vehicle! Including children with adult. ABS motor won't shut off, pulled fuse, dealer says the motor wiring is shorting out, don't know why, driving through rain or car wash May be cause. ??
I do not receive any re-calls and recently saw where there is one now for tail gates. I replaced one on my own. Also, I went to stop and there were no brakes. After taking it to the garage, it was a hub. Was there a recall on this also that I did not receive? I have a 1999 Silverado z71 and only have a little over 50K miles on it. Please inform me if there have been re-calls that I am not aware of. We could have all been killed from this hub incident.
The cables that hold the tailgate up on my 1999 Chevrolet Silverado pickup are encased in plastic. This plastic holds moisture in and causes the cable to corrode and at the same time hides the corrosion. I was standing on my tail gate and the cables broke, causing me to fall. Luckily, I was not hurt, but I could have very easily been hurt.
NHTSA investigations
Tailgate support cable breakage
Odi is upgrading rq04-010 and opening an engineering analysis to further investigate the tailgate support cables installed in 1998, 1999, and partial year 2000 silverados and sierras (c/k models).general motors is conducting recall campaign 04v-129 to replace the tailgate support cables originally installed in certain model year 2000 - 2004 sierras and silverados.general motors has advised odi that the materials…
Tailgate cable breakage
During the pe, odidiscovered that one or both of the tailgate support cables can break due to the effects of metal fatigue at the point where the cable flexes when the lift gate is opened and closed. Concurrently, the strength of the cable degrades over time due to corrosion of the wire strands in the support cables.when the vehicle is stationary and cargo is being loaded or unloaded, the tailgate can tip downward…
Tailgate support cables
General motors is conducting a safety recall to remove and replace the tailgate support cables installed in 805,368 model year 1999 and 2000 gmt 800 model vehicles.the model year 1999 and 2000 gmt-800 series vehicles that will be campaigned had contributed a significant majority of the total complaints (87%) and injuries (79%) associated with the tailgate support cable breakage in the model year 1998 - 2000 c/k…
Tailgate cable breakage
General motors filed a defect notice 04v-129 on March 17, 2004, which outlines a program to replace the tailgate cables installed in affected model year 2000-2004 vehicles.refer to odi's closing report for ea04-005 for additional information.odi is aware of reports of tailgate cable breakage occurring in model year 1999 and earlier vehicles.these vehicles were equipped with similar tailgate cables as addressed by…
Door Lock & Latch complaints in other Silverado years
Frequently asked questions
How common are door lock & latch problems on the 1999 Chevrolet Silverado?
NHTSA has 22 complaints about the locks & latches of the 1999 Chevrolet Silverado, 1% of the model year's 1,660 complaints. The component named most often is tailgate › latch (15 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1999 Chevrolet Silverado door lock & latch problems?
No. NHTSA lists no locks & latches recall for the 1999 Chevrolet Silverado, though it has 5 recalls for other components. 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 door lock & latch problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 78,000 miles, and 9% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury to locks & latches 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.