Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power steering, steering column, rack and pinion).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1999 GMC Suburban owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
My vehicle, a 1999 GMC Suburban, and now has a tendancy to suddenly veer to the right while rounding any right had curve, at low to high speed. At some point in the turn it is as if there is a peice of the steering missing. We are the second owner of the vehicle. It was sold to us by the dealer and it had 20,000 miles on it when we got it. We asked if there was any problems and they assured us there was nothing wrong with the vehicle. I have explained this condition to several wheel alignment shops, and the consistant statement from them is is sounds like the "steering wheel position sensor is bad". They suggested I call the GM dealer and see if there was a recall for this vehicle because there is one for the problem. I called the GMC dealer and explained it to them and told them what the wheel alignment places are saying, to which they agreed. I asked if there was a recall for that . …
I have a 1999 GMC Suburban that is having a problem with the power steering. I have taken it 3 times to a repair shop to have it looked at but what happens does not occur every day. It seems that the power steering "goes out" for a few seconds - usually when going around a curve, causing the steering wheel to jerk and the vehicle to swerve. I read about a recall that GMC was doing to replace a faulty bearing in the power steering that was causing this problem and I contacted them about it. They opened a file for me but informed me that my year vehicle was not included in the recall and if enough people complained, they might do a recall. Otherwise, I would be responsible for the repairs myself. I have contacted a GMC dealer and this repair is very costly, according to them. …
Vehicle was moving on the interstate while at 65 MPH on cruise control. The automatic gear shift column was struck by the passenger and the transmission was sent into reverse. This action caused the brakes to lockup and the control mechanical lock on the wheel column was locked into a right hand turn with no way to control the vehicle. The vehilce started to skid out of control and then proceeded to roll over three times. All occupants were in saftey belts except my daughter who was int the back seat asleep. The vehicle was totally destroyed. It took resecue crews to remove myself the driver and daughter who was trapped in the back. We were transported via ambulance to a local hospital. All five passengers were released with only minor bruises and cuts. …
Repeated excessive wear on front brake pads and now on rear brake drums. We are very conservative drivers and typically get 80-100,000 miles on a set of brakes. This is our second set of front pads. We do tow heavy loads. The Suburban is equipped with a heavy duty towing package . It has already had the steering gear box replaced by the dealer. The front pads have been replaced once and the rear brakes have been adjusted, also the master cylinder has been replaced by the dealer. The brakes just do not seem of sufficient capacity to stop a vehicle of this mass towing load. We've owned Suburban's since 1973 so we do feel we have a degree of experience in this area. Finally when the vehicle is driven at highway speeds and a bump is hit, the entire electrical system shorts out for approximately 1/6-1/5 of a second causing everything to go dark. I suspect an exposure in a wiring harness. …
Door acuators faulty. Power steering pump replaced. Fuel guage faulty. Security system overrides starter which does not allow the vehicle to be started. We have had the vehicle "serviced" three times for "door actuators" as we were told this is what was causing security system to shut down vehicle. This did not solve the problem. GMC national service center was not helpful. They did not return calls or set-up special service appointment at local dealer as they promised. There are several incident dates of when we could not start our vehicle. Will use July 29th as one date, unable to start vehicle while on summer vacation in lake tahoe area. If this happens during real emergency it would be unfortunate.
While driving at low speed and then on the freeway at 70 MPH my Suburban lost powering steering control intermittently-on-off, on-off, on-off. At 70 MPH the vehicle repeatedly jerked to the right, and I had to jerk the wheel back to the left and swerve back into the lane. Had inspection made, and found metal shavings in power steering fluid, indicating a component failure in the power steering system. I see a technical service bulletin was issued two years ago on August 1, 2003, but no further action to date to correct this safety defect.
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 GMC Suburban. The contact was driving 40 MPH when he noticed that the vehicle was traveling into the next lane. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but the dealer was unable to diagnose the failure. The dealer did perform an alignment as a precaution. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 100,000 and the current mileage was 189,000.
Steering wheel binds and releases in turns. Causes swerving and correction, results in jerky turns. This problem is most noticeable, gets worse as the temperature gets colder. Problem is believed to be caused by steering column or steering shaft components. This problem has been ongoing.
Steering pulled to the right. No impact reported. Steering would pull to the right without warning. Vehicle was serviced several times while under warranty. Consumer located a technical service bulletin related to the problem.
Dt*: the contact stated that the vehicle lost power steering while braking and making turns. The vehicle has been serviced for the power steering issue however the problem persists. The contact expressed the vehicle problem May be a manufacturer defect.
Steering complaints in other Suburban years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 1999 GMC Suburban?
NHTSA has 23 complaints about the steering of the 1999 GMC Suburban, 8% of the model year's 285 complaints. The component named most often is hydraulic power assist system (5 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1999 GMC Suburban steering problems?
No. NHTSA lists no steering recall for the 1999 GMC 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 GMC Suburban steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 71,000 miles, and 10% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 3 injuries to steering 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.