Most common 1999 GMC Sierra 1500 problems
Share of the 158 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
GMC Sierra 1500 complaints by model year
Best Sierra 1500 years: 2012, 2013. Years to avoid: 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2019. Compare all years →
1999 GMC Sierra 1500 recalls (1)
Seat belts › Front › Webbing
Vehicle description: light duty pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles. These vehicles do not comply with the occupant protection requirements of FMVSS no. 208, "occupant crash protection."
Remedy: Dealers will install a tray insert on the top of the passenger side of the instrument panel. The tray insert corrects the noncompliance.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 2 possible defects involving the 1999 GMC Sierra 1500:
Parking brake failure
Odi opened pe03-057 to assess parking brake ineffectiveness in the subject vehicles.these vehicles are equipped with four wheel disc brakes that incorporate a single-shoe drum-in-hat parking brake independent of the service brakes.complaint and warranty data indicate that the parking brake linings tend to wear out early in the life of the vehicle (at an average of 24 months in service), reducing the parking brake…
Parking brake failure
In a letter dated April 20, 2005, GM notified NHTSA that it had decided that defects that relate to motor vehicle safety exist in certain model year (my) 1999-2002 c/k 1500 series (pbr parking brake system) and my 2001-2005 c/k 2500 and 3500 series (trw parking brake system) pickups with manual transmissions.according to GM, some of these vehicles May have conditions that cause the friction linings to wear to an…
What 1999 GMC Sierra 1500 owners say
Brakes all 103 →
ABS Brakes cut out leaving you with little to no brakes. No warning light appears. This continues on and off over time. Then that ABS warning light came on. When the warning light was on, brakes worked just not ABS. Light would go out and back to the original issue. Took it in to dealership when the light remained on. They reset the light and told me every thing was fine. And charged me $$$. ABS Brake warning light can right back on. Had the manager drive it. Told me it was fine, brakes worked well. The ABS warning would go in and out. Removed the ABS fuse, so I could depend on being able to stop, without having to worry about the ABS cutting in and out for a few years. Watched for recalls, nothing appeared. Noticed on blogs, others were having the same issue. Took it to a great mechanic! …
I am the original owner of a 1999 GMC Sierra that just had brake line failure on 7/14/16 on the interstate that caused an acccident. I had complete loss of brakes, pedal to the floor. I used low gear and park brake to minimize damage but still made contact. It is currently at patriot Buick GMC in williamsburg va for repair where I bought it new. I feel me having to pay $1000+ for the brake line repair and now a court date and insurance issues that are not my fault. We need to discuss GMC making some restitution as there is no rust anywhere else and this truck has only been in va. I have other GM cars from the 60's, 70s and 2000s that have no rust issue. Fuel line was leaking as well and some needed replacment.GM service request 8-2250924255 I also had the ps rear brake rotor shield come off and scrape moving parts last year. Turned itnto dealership as a problem. …
Seats
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that while coming to a stop, the latch that held the driver seat in place failed. The contact stated that the seat would slide forward and back. The vehicle was not diagnosed or replaced. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 81,316.
1999 GMC Sierra about 55,000miles: manual seat drivers side: the device that prevents the seat from sliding back and forth freely on its tracks has failed. Now the seat is all the way back except under braking, when it abruptly slides all the way to the steering wheel. No matter how alert you try to be, eventually some maneuver will be needed without time to brace yourself, your foot will mash the brake uncontrollably to the floor as the seat rushes forward, your arms won't be able to steer as your body rushes forward into the steering wheel. A handful of broken nylon pieces and zinc casting pieces and a spring were recovered from the starboard track. Dealer doesn't have a replacement for just the broken stuff, the track assembly is insanely expensive ($500 for both sides) not counting labor. No junkyard I can find has the part, this model seat was only made in 1999. …
Body & structure
I purchased this truck a few months ago. Within a week I had a co worker point out the bed was leaning toward the cab. A few weeks later we got under the truck to find out what was going on. We noticed alot of rust. I looked on line to see how to fix it and found alot of people were dealing with the same issue. I decided to get some sheet metal and weld it to the frame. I then asked my boss who owns a welder if he could help me with it. He said there wasn't anything left to weld to. Then the truck started not going into park. And to start it you'd have to start it in neutral and it would not stay in park, it would roll and the emergency brake no longer worked. I then had my parents to take the truck to a body shop to see if they could repair it. Both body shops said it was not repairable that the frame was rusted out and needed replaced. …
Frame cross member behind the cab is rusted through. I have owned vehicles in "salt" states and not had the frame rust out. This should not be considered a "wear item". This can lead to a failure whereby the fuel tank falls down leading to a high risk of fire. This was found during a replacement of the brake line (3rd set) assembly and removal of the truck bed.
1999 GMC Sierra 1500 engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.3L 6-cyl | 5-speed manual | RWD | 15 / 21 / 17 |
| 4.3L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 14 / 19 / 16 |
| 4.8L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 14 / 19 / 16 |
| 4.8L 8-cyl | 5-speed manual | RWD | 14 / 19 / 16 |
| 5.3L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 14 / 19 / 16 |
| 4.3L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 14 / 19 / 16 |
| 5.0L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 13 / 17 / 15 |
| 4.8L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 14 / 17 / 15 |
| 4.8L 8-cyl | 5-speed manual | 4WD/AWD | 13 / 18 / 15 |
| 5.7L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 13 / 17 / 14 |
| 4.3L 6-cyl | 5-speed manual | 4WD/AWD | 13 / 16 / 14 |
| 5.0L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 13 / 17 / 14 |
EPA ratings. Class: Full-size pickup.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1999 GMC Sierra 1500 a good car?
Based on 158 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 1999 Sierra 1500 rates better than average: 57% fewer complaints than a typical year of the Sierra 1500 at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 1999 GMC Sierra 1500?
The brakes — 103 complaints, 65% of all complaints for this model year, most often about antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip. Next are the seats (10) and body & structure (9).
How many recalls does the 1999 GMC Sierra 1500 have?
There is 1 recall for the 1999 GMC Sierra 1500, the most recent from April 27, 2000 (webbing). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the GMC Sierra 1500?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2012 and 2013. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021 and 2019. See the full GMC Sierra 1500 years comparison.
At what mileage do 1999 GMC Sierra 1500 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 107,000 miles; 15% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
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.