1999 GMC Sierra 2500: common problems

Owners of the 1999 GMC Sierra 2500 filed 36 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and suspension. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 36
involving a crash: 3

What fails most often

1 Service brakes 61% of all complaints
2 Suspension 8% of all complaints
3 Tires 8% of all complaints
4 Electrical system 6% of all complaints
5 Exterior lighting 6% of all complaints
6 Fuel system 6% of all complaints
7 Steering 6% of all complaints
8 Air bags 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: 22 complaints (61% of all).
Suspension: 3 complaints (8% of all).
Tires: 3 complaints (8% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Electrical system: 2 complaints (6% of all).
Exterior lighting: 2 complaints (6% of all).

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 36 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

rust, corrosion13 · 36%
brake failure6 · 17%
headlights and tail lights2 · 6%
knocking, grinding or other noise2 · 6%
warning lights, check engine2 · 6%
airbags did not deploy1 · 3%
door locks, latches, handles1 · 3%
fuel system, fuel smell1 · 3%
jerking, harsh shifts1 · 3%
seat belts1 · 3%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Service brakes	22	0
Suspension	3	0
Tires	3	1
Electrical system	2	0
Exterior lighting	2	0
Fuel system	2	0
Steering	2	0
Air bags	1	1
Latches, locks, linkages	1	0
Powertrain	1	1
Structure	1	0
Vehicle speed control	1	0

What owners report

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

Employee driving 1999 gmc 2500 pickup towing a 2008 towmaster trailer loaded with a bobcat 325 mini excavator northbound on I-25 at san felipe exit heard a pop, thinking it was a blown tire, tried to pull off to the right side of the road.
Tires · crash · 2009-10-16 · NHTSA complaint #10288680
Dt: the consumer states that their 1999 gmc c2500 light duty pick up was involved in a crash and the air bags did not deploy. Upon further review by gm the vehicle was discovered to not have any air bags in it.
Air bags · crash · 2005-10-11 · NHTSA complaint #10139335
The automatic 4 wheel drive acted erratically causing the back end to become loose and resulting in the consumer loosing control of vehicle, skided off road and hit 2 fence posts. Nlm
Powertrain · crash · 2000-02-14 · NHTSA complaint #550889
2 years ago I had all of the brake lines replaced because of failure due to rust at a cost of $1000.00 I believe the cause was poor metal in the brake lines and the way the lines are attached to the body & frame help to cause the problem.
Service brakes · 2017-12-04 · NHTSA complaint #11052369
Got hard on the brakes to avoid a deer that had jumped out of a ditch and the brake pedal went to the floor and brakes gave out. Dealer replaced all the rotted lines to the tune of 1250.00.
Service brakes · 2014-10-27 · NHTSA complaint #10650279
Brakes failed as brake line corrosion allowed fluid leak. This was first of multiple line failures in the last three years. Three different factory lines failed then one transmission line. This truck is not used during winter and was under coated multiple times.
Service brakes · 2013-10-24 · NHTSA complaint #10549434
I was making a right turn out of a parking lot and heard a load clunk. When I got home I was looking for the cause of the banging and found that the rear leaf spring shackle had rusted so bad it broke in half.
Suspension · 2013-05-18 · NHTSA complaint #10512624
When I tilt the steering wheel in the upward position all headlights goes out/off,and when I tilted it to the lower position all headlights come on.this is very unsafe and other owners of this same vehicle needs to know the safety risk involve.this vehicle is available for inspection anytime.
Exterior lighting · 2011-11-14 · NHTSA complaint #10435450

When owners complained

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

20006
20012
20031
20053
20072
20082
20091
20103
20116
20122
20135
20142
20171

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 6,253 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 17% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Sierra 2500 has 59 complaints (31 years in the data). This year has 36, below average.

What to check before buying

Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
Tires. Tire age by DOT code, bulges, wear pattern.
Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 1999 GMC Sierra 2500?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, suspension, tires. Total complaints: 36. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: rust, corrosion (36%), brake failure (17%), headlights and tail lights (6%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1999 GMC Sierra 2500?

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 GMC Sierra 2500 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.