Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (struts, shocks, control arms, ball joints, springs).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1999 GMC Jimmy owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
My vehicle is a 1999 GMC Jimmy. It has 65000 miles and I am the original owner and primary driver. The front hubs/bearings have both been replaced in the last 9 months, one at 50,600 miles, and nowone at 65,000 miles. The problem was not fixed by replacing the hub/bearings units. I was told yesterday that both of the front lower ball joints and an idler arm need to be replaced in addition to the hub/bearing. The shop working on the vehicle indicated that this was not normal at 65,000 miles, and that the condition of the ball joints made the vehicle unsafe to drive. I called GM and got absolutely no support from the district service representative since all of my repairs were not done at a GM dealership. The reason I stopped going to GM dealerships was poor service, inflated prices and recommendations for work to be done that wasn't necessary.
I was just getting ready to leave the car wash. I pressed the brake padal to put the truck in gear, a second later the padal went to the floor, thought it was air in the line. Tried a few more times then got out of the truck to look for the leak, found (steel line) drivers side rusted. Had truck towed to shop, as I could not drive it. They found heavy rust on all brake lines in the front, the control arms also have heavy rust. Thank god I was not in traffic as I am sure I would have crashed. The shop is replacing all front brake lines and are going to inspect all other lines ie: all brake lines to back, all fuel lines. Parking brake failed as well. How did this truck pass nys inspection? Truck was purchased 3/30/2006 from dealer facility #7096646 a&a used car sales inc. 969 sunrise hwy,brightwaters,ny 11706 nys inspected by station 7099758
Vehicle started making loud noises when turning wheel to left, but because the vehicle wanted to pull to the right, the wheel was almost always turned to the left. Thought it was a problem with the alignment, but after I hit a deer, my vehicle was taken in for body repairs and they informed me that the problem was with my hubs and wheel bearings on both sides of the vehicle and that I was very lucky to have hit the deer because my tires would have likely fallen off very soon. I have read many stories on this site almost exactly like mine. GM needs to do something about this as my car has always been well maintained and there is no reason this should have happened so soon.
The gas gauge was constantly on full. The tank May be empty but the gauge read full. The dealer stated the fuel pump needed to be replaced. Please describe further. Consumer made numerous repairs on driver's door due to door falling off and water leaking during rain; in addition, front wheel bearing was replaced at 36,676 miles and 43,545 miles on the left and right respectively. Also, repairs on driver's seat recliner. Consumer also discovered rust on the rear hatch, and problems encountered with the heating and cooling system. Electrical problem can't be found on headlights and dash.
While driving 20 MPH driver heard a loud noise coming from the front. Then noticed that both frontal wheel hubs fell off the wheel. Vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic determined that the hubs needed to be replaced, and replaced them.. However, the problem recurred. The noise was on the front passenger side.
Wheel noise could be heard during normal driving; noise became louder during a right turn especially at 40 MPH. Mechanic found the right front wheel bearing needed replaced, for a $550 repair cost. This Jimmy only has 34,000 miles, but is out of warranty due to time.
There are several recalls out on my model of vehicle in which my vehicle has the same symptoms but when I run a check on the year VIN it comes back with no recalls. How can I make sure that my repairs should be covered under the recalls.
I purchased a 1999 GMC Jimmy for my daughter. All through the warranty period, there have been problems that still have not been fixed.the brakes have never worked properly, parts inside the vehicle have fallen off, the antenna has fallen off,the electrical system (heating and cooling) has not worked properly,the outside mirrors and windows have not worked properly,the electrical system has buzzed when the radio is on, there has always been a banging noise underneath the vehicle. The left front hub assembly was replaced-didn't correct the probelm-had it replaced again 2 weeks ago-same condition still exists. They finally found the lower and upper ball joints on the passenger side were coming apart-replaced them-but noise (loud sometimes) is still there. Have been taking this vehicle in for repairs since I bought it-have been without the vehicle over 30 days in the warranty perioid. …
I bought this 1999 GMC Jimmy used with 33000 miles. I noticed after buying that when you turned loose of the wheel that the vehicle would swerve to the right. Thinking I had an alignment problem I took it to my tire dealer and that's when he told me that the wheel bearing assembly needed to be replaced. Also he told me that this vehicle was not the only GM vehicle he had seen with that problem. After replacing the humming ,pulling to the right wheel bearing assembly, the problem was corrected. I have noticed on several sites that this is a common problem that GM will not admit to or fix. Bottom line is I should not have to replace that part at 37000 miles. Also the dealers mechanics should have caught it instead of playing dumb like they don't know this problem exist.
I was driving when the front end started making a weird noise. I thought it was my breaks so I continued for about 500 feet. I noticed my vehicle was not driving properly as I turned a corner. I got out a saw that the front left tire had fallen off and was leaning against the frame. I had the vehicle towed to my mechanic. He said the upper and lower ball joints had disintegrated. He also noted that the same thing was happening on the other side. As a result, he replaced both sides and fixed some damage to the axle that resulted from the tire falling off. He said the parts had been maintained properly (adequate grease) and that they were probably bad from the factory.
Suspension complaints in other Jimmy years
Frequently asked questions
How common are suspension problems on the 1999 GMC Jimmy?
NHTSA has 26 complaints about the suspension of the 1999 GMC Jimmy, 19% of the model year's 137 complaints. The component named most often is front › wheel bearing (10 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1999 GMC Jimmy suspension problems?
No. NHTSA lists no suspension recall for the 1999 GMC Jimmy. 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 GMC Jimmy suspension problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 50,000 miles, and 11% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 0 injuries to suspension 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.