1999 Chevrolet Sierra recalls & problems

Safety recalls

Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. A recall listed here may already have been fixed on a particular car: enter its 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls.

What owners report

*Median odometer reading when the problem happened, where owners gave one. One complaint can name several problem areas.

Recent owner complaints

• Service brakes, hydraulic › Antilock/traction control/electronic limited slipCrash

  DT: THE BRAKES FAILED ON SEPTEMBER 8, 2005, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO HIT A CONCRETE POLE. THE CONSUMER WAS NOT INJURED. THERE WAS RECALL 05V379000 CONCERNING ABS BRAKES. WHEN THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER, THEY TOLD HIM THAT THEY HAD NO RECALL INFORMATION AS OF YET. *AK

  Sep 9, 2005 · 33,000 miles
• Service brakes, hydraulic › Antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip

  DT: CONTACT STATED ABS BRAKES WERE NOT WORKING CORRECTLY. WHILE TRAVELING UNDER 10 MPH THEY WERE ACTIVATING, MAKING THE BRAKING VERY HARD, ALMOST CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. CONTACT NOTICED A PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKES ALMOST ONE YEAR AND A HALF AGO. HE PULLED THE FUSE. HAS BEEN WAITING ON A RECALL. HE COULD NOT GET AN INSPECTION STICKER BECAUSE THE ABS LIGHT WAS ON.*AK

  Jul 28, 2005 · 60,000 miles
• Steering › Gear box › Shaft pitman

  PROBLEMS WITH STEERING SHAFT, DRIVER DOOR SPEAKER, ACCELERATOR PEDAL, NOISE FROM REAR END OF VEHICLE,ETC.*MR THE CONSUMER WAS DISSATISFIED WITH THE COUNTLESS AMOUNTS OF PROBLEMS THAT OCCURRED WITH THE VEHICLE AND NO LONGER WANTED TO LEASE THE VEHICLE. PLEASE RESPOND PROMPTLY IN HELPING RESOLVE MATTERS. *CB

  Jun 8, 2001
• Electrical system › 12v/24v/48v battery

  THE DEALER REPLACED THE FRONT SEAT BELTS AT A VERY LOW MILEAGE. COST $100 DEDUCTIBLE TO THE CONSUMER. THE ALR CAUSED THE RETRACTOR TO CONSTANTLY LOCK UP. THE DEALER REPLACED THE RETRACTORS WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS BRAND NEW WITHOUT THE CONSUMER BRINGING THE VEHICLE IN FOR THIS ISSUE. CONSUMER STATES THAT IT WAS HANDLED LIKE A RECALL BUT WAS NOT AWARE THE RETRACTORS WERE RECALLED. ALSO STATED HE THINKS THE BUCKLES WERE REPLACED AT THAT TIME. *AK THE POSITIVE BATTERY POST BROKE AND THE BATTERY LEAKED ACID ALL OVER THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE POST BROKE AROUND 8/01/03. IT WAS AN AC DELCO BATTERY. ABS MOTOR CONSTANTLY RAN AND KILLED THE BATTERY. THE ABS LIGHT HAD COME ON , THE PUMP KEPT RUNNING,…

  Aug 1, 2003
• Electrical system › 12v/24v/48v battery › Cables

  DEALER REPLACED THE POSITIVE BATTERY CABLE WHICH WAS BROKE N AT THE TERMINAL AT VERY LOW MILEAGE. COST $198, DEDUCTIBLE TO THE CONSUMER. *AK

  Aug 1, 2003
• Electrical system

  DEALER REPLACED THE MODULE SENSOR INDICATING THAT FOUR WHEEL LIGHT WAS ON AT VERY LOW MILEAGE. COST $100, DEDUCTIBLE TO THE CONSUMER.*AK

  Aug 1, 2003
• Service brakes, hydraulic › Antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip › Abs warning light

  DEALER REPLACED THE ABS BRAKE CABLE AT VERY LOW MILEAGE. COST $100, DEDUCTIBLE TO THE CONSUMER.*AK

  Aug 1, 2003
• Seats

  THE DRIVER'S SEAT DID NOT LOCK INTO PLACE, WHICH CAUSED THE SEAT TO MOVE BACK AND FORTH. *JB

  May 14, 2003

Owner complaints are submitted to NHTSA by the public and are not verified. Shown as filed (NHTSA removes personal details); long reports are shortened.

NHTSA defect investigations

• Brake line corrosion failureClosed

  On January 11, 2011, ODI opened EA11-001 to investigate allegations of premature brake line corrosion failure in model year (MY) 1999 through 2003 General Motors (GM) full-size pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles sold or registered in the following region of the United States that NHTSA has viewed as salt states for investigations of corrosion related issues:Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia and Wisconsin.The subject vehicles represent the first five MY's of GM's GMT800 platform production, of which approximately 2,038,504 vehicles were sold in salt states (the subject vehicles).The GMT800 platform includes the following vehicles:1999-2007 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra 1500, 2500 and…

  EA11001 · opened Jan 5, 2011 · closed Apr 8, 2015
• PARKING BRAKE FAILUREClosed

  ODI'S REVIEW OF COMPLAINT DATA RECEIVED SINCE THE CLOSE OF EA04-011 REVEALED NO INDICATION THAT THE INVESTIGATION SHOULD BE RE-OPENED.MORE DETAILS CAN BE FOUND IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICE ENCLOSED IN THE DP05-009 PUBLIC FILE.ODI RESERVES THE RIGHT TO REOPEN THE INVESTIGATION IN THE FUTURE SHOULD CONDITIONS WARRANT.

  DP05009 · opened Dec 20, 2005 · closed May 31, 2006
• UNWANTED LOW-SPEED ABS ACTIVATIONClosedLed to recall 05V379000

  IN A LETTER DATED AUGUST 29, 2005, GM NOTIFIED ODI THAT IT WAS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 1999 THROUGH 2002 C/K PICKUP TRUCKS AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES TO CORRECT A PROBLEM WITH ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM (ABS) WHEEL SPEED SENSOR CORROSION THAT MAY RESULT IN UNWANTED ABS ACTIVATION AND EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCES DURING LOW-SPEED BRAKING (RECALL 05V-379).GM'S RECALL COVERS APPROXIMATELY 804,000 VEHICLES CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE FOLLOWING 14 SALT-BELT STATES:CONNECTICUT, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, MASSACHUSETTS, MAINE, MICHIGAN, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, VERMONT, AND WEST VIRGINIA.THE RECALL PROCEDURE WILL INVOLVE REMOVING THE SENSOR, CLEANING THE MOUNTING SURFACE, APPLYING A RUST INHIBITOR (ZINC-X) TO THE SURFACE, AND REINSTALLING THE SENSOR.IF NECESSARY, THE SENSOR WILL BE REPLACED. THE POPULATION AND FAILURE REPORT DATA GIVEN IN THIS RESUME ARE…

  PE05020 · opened Apr 28, 2005 · closed Sep 13, 2005
• TAILGATE SUPPORT CABLESClosedLed to recall 06V066000

  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 SERIES VEHICLES ADDRESSED BY THIS INVESTIGATION.

  EA05007 · opened Apr 14, 2005 · closed Apr 11, 2006
• TAILGATE SUPPORT CABLE BREAKAGEClosed

  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 USED FOR THE TAILGATE CABLE SHEATHING INSTALLED IN C/K MODELS HAD INADVERTENTLY CHANGED IN OCTOBER 1999, INCREASING THE PROPENSITY FOR VOIDS IN AND AROUND THE GALVANIZED STEEL CABLE STRANDS WHICH CAN ALLOW MOISTURE TO WICK AMONG THE STRANDS, LEADING TO OXIDATION AND WEAKENING OF THE STRANDS.SINCE ODI INITIATED RQ04-010 IN SEPTEMBER 2004, ODI HAS RECEIVED 10 ADDITONAL NON-INJURY COMPLAINTS ON MY 1998-99 C/K VEHICLES, BUT NO ADDITIONAL INJURY COMPLAINTS.DURING THIS SAME PERIOD, GM…

  RQ04010 · opened Sep 28, 2004 · closed Apr 14, 2005
• PARKING BRAKE FAILUREClosedLed to recall 05V161000

  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 EXTENT WHERE THE PARKING BRAKE CAN BECOME INEFFECTIVE IN IMMOBILIZING A PARKED VEHICLE.GM'S ACTION COVERS AN ESTIMATED TOTAL OF 142,585 VEHICLES.DEALERS WILL INSTALL A LOW-FORCE SPRING CLIP RETAINER FOR VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE PBR PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM AND INSTALL A REDESIGNED PARKING BRAKE CABLE ASSEMBLY ON VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE TRW PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM. A TOTAL OF 58 NON-DUPLICATIVE COMPLAINTS WERE RECEIVED BY ODI AND GM CONCERNING THE APPROXIMATELY 59,000 MY 1999-2002…

  EA04011 · opened Apr 9, 2004 · closed May 10, 2005
• TAILGATE CABLE BREAKAGEClosedLed to recall 04E067000

  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 04V-129, BUT ARE NOT BEING ADDRESSED BY CAMPAIGN O4V-129.ODI IS INITIATING A SEPARATE INVESTIGATION TO ADDRESS THESE VEHICLES.THE COMPLAINT-INJURY-FATALITY STATISTICS SUMMARIZED ABOVE PERTAIN TO MODEL YEAR 2000-2004 VEHICLES. THE COMPLAINT-INJURY STATISTICS FOR MODEL YEAR 1999 AND EARLIER VEHICLES ARE SUMMARIZED ON THE OPENING RESUME FOR THAT INVESTIGATION.

  EA04005 · opened Feb 19, 2004 · closed Sep 28, 2004
• PARKING BRAKE FAILUREClosed

  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 SYSTEM'S TORQUE BELOW THAT NEEDED TO IMMOBILIZE THE VEHICLE.GM HAS ATTRIBUTED THIS ACCELERATED WEAR TO FOREIGN MATERIAL INTRUSION AND A FAILURE OF THE BRAKE SHOE TO PROPERLY SELF-CENTER WITHIN ITS BRAKE DRUM.EFFECTIVE WITH THE START OF MY 2003 PRODUCTION, A NEWER REDUCED FORCE HOLD-DOWN CLIP WAS INTRODUCED TO FACILITATE BRAKE SHOE DISENGAGEMENT FROM THE DRUM SURFACE.THIS PART IS ALSO AVAILABLE AT THE SERVICE LEVEL FOR THE MY 1999-2002 VEHICLES.GM HAS INDICATED THAT THE PAKING…

  PE03057 · opened Dec 8, 2003 · closed Apr 9, 2004
• STEEL WHEEL RIM FRACTUREClosed

  THERE HAVE BEEN LESS THAN 2 COMPLAINTS PER 100,000 SUBJECT VEHICLES RELATED TO THE ALLEGED DEFECT.THE OLDEST VEHICLES (MY 1999) HAVE ONLY 2 COMPLAINTS IN OVER 140 THOUSAND VEHICLES AFTER OVER 4 YEARS IN SERVICE.THE RATE OF WARRANTY CLAIMS POTENTIALLY RELATED TO THE ALLEGED DEFECT IS LESS THAN 0.1%.THERE ARE NO KNOWN INCIDENTS INVOLVING RAPID LOSS OF TIRE PRESSURE OR LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. A DEFECT TREND HAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED AT THIS TIME.ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT NO SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT EXISTS.THE AGENCY WILL TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.

  PE03026 · opened Jun 12, 2003 · closed Nov 3, 2003