Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1999 Chevrolet Suburban owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
1999 Chevrolet Suburban. As of 4/28/04 with only 47K miles, A/C compressor defective & dealer will not replace in spite of several attempts to repair before warranty expired, as soon as 3 months after purchase in October of 2002. Replaced brakes 3 times at our expense. Dealer (bob neill Pontiac in winston-salem, nc refused to repair under warranty), steering problems, attempted repair, again at our expense. Replaced door locks and window mechanism's at our cost. Total piece of junk. Will never buy from bob neill Pontiac in winston-salem, nc again & will never buy another GM product. Just bought entire fleet (6 trucks) from Chevy. Dealer n kernersville, nc). Waiting with baited breath for the entire lot to break down. Completely disgusted with GM.
Dt*: the contact stated while traveling 65 MPH a clanking noise was heard, as if something fell off of the vehicle. Then ,there was a whistling noise, usually associated with a door or window not being shut properly. The vehicle was pulled over and the rear passenger door was opened, and the contact noticed the door was out off alignment and the hinge pin was missing. The dealership determined the pin needed to be replaced.
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated that both rear doors failed to open from the inside. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the technician diagnosed that the door latches needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 180,000 and the current mileage was 190,000.
Dt*: the contact stated the rear passenger side door was difficult to open. There was a grinding noise present while opening the door . All of the doors close without difficulty. The rear passenger side door has been realigned twice by a dealership however the problem has returned.
Airbags failed to deploy on frontal interstate speed impact. Dealer disclaimed seriousness. Door locks would lock automatically, without any adult in the car... However, there were children in car seats in back. Keep spare set of keys in hand at all times.
I am concerned about the fact that in this size of vehicle that the fuel tank ruptured and that the doors crimpled so bad that the passengers were unable to get out of the vehicle in a timely manner. Please contact me concerning this. Thank you.
When brakes are applied front pulls to left, and sometimes to right. This also happens when a bump in road is hit. Dealer has worked on this vehicle a number of times, but problem has not been solved. Consumer also complains of soft pedal, steering wheel also pulsates when braking, dealer has switched rotors from side to side, replaced out of round rotors, replaced front brake pads twice, and resurfaced rotors and drums, dealer rotated tires and vehicle still pulled. Steering wheel found off center. Center seat recliner handle broke, dealer replaced handle. Vehicle experienced oil leak. Driver door power switch loose in door. Reverse low planetary gear was broken causing a grinding noise at low gear, valve body and gear were scored due to metal in transmission. Air pump replaced due to being very noisy.
The problem started with the passenger front door the lock or closing mechanism didn't seem to engage the door would just fly open when making a turn. Then the inside handle broke and the window works only sporadically. Now the driver side door is having similar problems the door does not close completely and the inside door handle broke. Fortunately nobody has fallen out of the car . I also have at least 3 friends who own 1999 suburbans and are having similar problems with their doors.
Driver side and passenger side door handles on inside break or fall off hinge mechanism within the door. This poses a big safety issue if there was a need to get out of the car quickly. Now, we roll the windows down on both sides to get out of the vehicle. We have paid to have the driver side fixed before including buying a new inside door handle. Same issue again, the door handles just hang there on the inside of the doors.
Three days after purchasing vehicle, and after using the lighter, power locks stopped working. Rear hatch would not open nor would the lighter work. Dealership was notified and the problem was fixed. It was supposedly a short in the wiring. Approximately 1 month later the same problem occurred after the lighter was used, this will be the second attempt to repair the vehicle.
Body complaints in other Suburban years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 1999 Chevrolet Suburban?
NHTSA has 20 complaints about the body & structure of the 1999 Chevrolet Suburban, 3% of the model year's 634 complaints. The component named most often is body › door (12 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1999 Chevrolet Suburban body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 1999 Chevrolet Suburban, though it has 1 recall 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 Suburban body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 107,000 miles, and 25% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 0 fires and 4 injuries to body & structure 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.