1999 Chevrolet Chevrolet Truck: common problems

Owners of the 1999 Chevrolet Chevrolet Truck filed 35 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and tires. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 35
involving a crash: 1

What fails most often

1 Service brakes 34% of all complaints
2 Tires 29% of all complaints
3 Steering 9% of all complaints
4 Engine and cooling 6% of all complaints
5 Seats 6% of all complaints
6 Air bags 3% of all complaints
7 Fuel system 3% of all complaints
8 Suspension 3% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Service brakes: 12 complaints (34% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Tires: 10 complaints (29% of all).
Steering: 3 complaints (9% of all).
Engine and cooling: 2 complaints (6% of all).
Seats: 2 complaints (6% of all).

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 35 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

vibration3 · 9%
airbags did not deploy2 · 6%
steering or power steering problems2 · 6%
driver assists: adaptive cruise, lane keeping1 · 3%
brake failure1 · 3%
hesitation when accelerating1 · 3%
rust, corrosion1 · 3%
smoke, burning smell, fire1 · 3%
warning lights, check engine1 · 3%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Service brakes	12	1
Tires	10	0
Steering	3	0
Engine and cooling	2	0
Seats	2	0
Air bags	1	0
Fuel system	1	0
Suspension	1	0
Vehicle speed control	1	0
Visibility	1	0
Other	2	0

What owners report

Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.

I remember thinking at the time, that it sure took a long time for my vehicle to come to a stop, considering that I was traveling at a slow rate of speed, but I attributed it to my vehicle's heavier weight, but also thinking, it could not have been that bad, because my airbag did not deploy.
Service brakes · crash · 2005-08-31 · NHTSA complaint #10134856
Abs system is engaging at low speeds on my chevrolet silverado truck, causing loss of braking power
Service brakes · 2005-07-14 · NHTSA complaint #10128787
During a rain storm on 4/2/05, my windshield wipers stopped working in mid-stream. I had to pull over to the side of the road rather suddenly, no injuries were sustained nor crashes, however iwas very shaken by it all. I actually sat on the side of the road until the rain turned into a drizzle.
Visibility · 2005-04-08 · NHTSA complaint #10116595
Intake manifold is leaking on 5.7 vortec. I know of 2 other trucks that this has also happened on as well as the dealer is well aware of the problem. It is also well documented on the web. If you have a 5.7 liter motor it is not if it's going to happen but when.
Engine and cooling · 2003-11-07 · NHTSA complaint #10045694
The steering wheel lock up, when consumer made a left turn.
Steering · 2003-02-25 · NHTSA complaint #10009247
Consumer states the driver side airbag never deployed nor the passenger side air bag. Dealer notified. Ts
Air bags · 2002-12-30 · NHTSA complaint #10001685
Abs light came on. Stopped truck and heard loud "clicking" noise. Took truck to dealer (corona chevrolet). Dealer said "it's your abs pump. It will cost $1000 dollers to fix. Could cause a fire. Do you want us to fix it?" what else could I say? The dealer did throw in a "free" oil change ($19.95 value).
Service brakes · 2002-12-19 · NHTSA complaint #10000291
Trail blazer model; this truck has carbon build up on throttle body which makes driver push the accelerator pedal with force. Consumer can not use the gas pedal gently to move slowly.
Vehicle speed control · 2002-06-14 · NHTSA complaint #8011842

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

19992
200011
20014
20025
20034
20041
20057
20111

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 6,335 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 17% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Chevrolet Truck has 16 complaints (32 years in the data). This year has 35, above average.

What to check before buying

Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Tires. Tire age by DOT code, bulges, wear pattern.
Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 1999 Chevrolet Chevrolet Truck?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, tires, steering. Total complaints: 35. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: vibration (9%), airbags did not deploy (6%), steering or power steering problems (6%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1999 Chevrolet Chevrolet Truck?

NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.

Should I buy a 1999 Chevrolet Chevrolet Truck from a US auction?

Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.

Other 1999 models

Read also

Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.