1999 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 problems & reliability
587 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1999 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
18 complaints report injuries (23 injured, 2 deaths reported).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 222 | 38% |
| Service Brakes | 126 | 21% |
| Structure | 53 | 9% |
| Seats | 30 | 5% |
| Suspension | 29 | 5% |
| Power Train | 26 | 4% |
| Electrical System | 25 | 4% |
| Air Bags | 19 | 3% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 18 | 3% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 17 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 111,000 miles (middle 50% between 72,000 and 149,867 miles), based on 416 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The contact owns a 1999 Cherverolt Silverado equipped with tire band Cooper tire line Discoverer HTP tire size 235/70R16 DOT not available. The contact noticed that the front driver-side tire had a sidewall compound on it. The contact added air to the tire, but the sidewall compound was still on the tire. The tire was…”
Tires · filed Jul 17, 2023
“The contact owns a 1999 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that there was a gap between the cab and the bed of the vehicle, and that the subframe of the vehicle was corroded. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent dealer and the contact was informed that the…”
Structure · filed Apr 25, 2023
“The contact owns a 1999 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that an unknown warning light was illuminated during the failure. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and drove the vehicle to the dealer. The dealer performed a diagnostic…”
Engine · filed Sep 29, 2021
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- PARKING BRAKE FAILURE
Engineering Analysis EA04011 · opened Apr 9, 2004 · closed May 10, 2005 · led to recall 05V161000
- PARKING BRAKE FAILURE
Preliminary Evaluation PE03057 · opened Dec 8, 2003 · closed Apr 9, 2004
Technical service bulletins
47 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1999 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The 10 most recent:
This Preliminary Information communication advises the technician that the Hydro-Boost is not serviceable and will need to be replaced if the brake pedal moves or applies on its own at a full turn.
PIT3665M · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 19, 2023
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that may have slack in one of the tailgate cables. Technician should not replace any parts for this concern. Please…
PIT3227S · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 9, 2023
This warranty administration bulletin provides information regarding the field action courtesy transportation policy.
17-NA-073 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 21, 2023
This Preliminary Information communication advises the technician that the Hydro-Boost is not serviceable and will need to be replaced if the brake pedal moves or applies on its own at a full turn.
PIT3665L · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 18, 2022
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that may have slack in one of the tailgate cables. Technician should not replace any parts for this concern. Please…
PIT3227R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 13, 2022
This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or updating operating software for the Tire Pressure Monitor, Active Fuel Injector tester, multi media tester, PICO Scope, GR8…
PIP4723F · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 14, 2022
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that may have slack in one of the tailgate cables. Technician should not replace any parts for this concern. Please…
PIT3227Q · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 1, 2021
This Preliminary Information communication advises the technician that the Hydro-Boost is not serviceable and will need to be replaced if the brake pedal moves or applies on its own at a full turn.
PIT3665J · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 26, 2020
This technical bulletin provides a procedure to apply grease to the leaf springs to correct a condition of a squeak noise from the metals making contact.
060309004N · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 31, 2019
This SKU is a Pitman Arm. The customer communication requested return of unsold inventory to inspect for the spline size. If the spline size is incorrect it will not have a tight fit with the mating component, and would…
DOR-K2S2K-10 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 26, 2019
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1999 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1999 Chevrolet Silverado 1500?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 111,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.