1999 Gmc Sierra 1500 — Known Issues & Recalls

Your brake pedal went all the way to the floor with no stopping power while driving on the highway. A corroded brake line leaked all the brake fluid, leaving you unable to brake. This is a serious safety issue that could cause a crash, and repairing it will require replacing the corroded brake line and refilling the brake fluid system.

While braking at 45 mph approaching an intersection, one of your rear brake lines burst, causing a sudden loss of braking power. You had to rapidly pump the brake pedal to bring the truck to a stop in a dangerous situation with emergency vehicles nearby. This brake line failure is a known issue affecting GM trucks. Repair will likely involve replacing the failed brake line and inspecting the entire brake system.

While driving at 30 mph, your brake pedal went all the way to the floor and the vehicle stopped. You noticed brake fluid leaking underneath. A mechanic found that a brake line had exploded due to rust in the braking system, causing complete brake failure. The entire braking system will need to be replaced.

While braking normally from 50 mph at a rural intersection, your brake pedal sank to the floor with almost no stopping power. You had to use the emergency brake to stop before entering high-speed traffic. After inspection, you found a rust-damaged brake line that had ruptured and lost all its fluid. The repair will involve replacing the corroded brake line and refilling the brake fluid system.

Your brake lines failed while you were towing another vehicle with a trailer attached, with no warning beforehand. The factory brake lines were routed poorly and made from bare steel, which corroded over time. To prevent this, you'll need to replace the OEM brake lines with powder-coated or stainless steel aftermarket lines, and inspect all brake line clips and hardware attached to the frame for corrosion.

Your brake pedal feels soft and sinks toward the floor when you're stopped at a light or holding the brakes steady. The pedal becomes increasingly unresponsive with each application, going all the way to the floor. You noticed brake fluid leaking from the brake lines that run along the frame under the driver's side door. The fix will likely involve replacing the leaking brake lines and bleeding the brake system to remove air.

Your brake lines are corroding and leaking, which is causing you to lose braking power. This is a serious safety issue that needs immediate attention. The corroded brake lines will need to be replaced to restore your braking system.

Your truck's frame has extensive rust damage that has compromised its structural integrity. The truck bed is leaning toward the cab, the frame is bent or weakened from corrosion, and the parking brake and transmission park function no longer work properly—the truck rolls when parked even with the emergency brake engaged. Multiple body shops have determined the frame is too damaged to repair and the truck is unsafe to drive. Fixing this would require complete frame replacement, which is a major structural repair.

The frame cross member located behind your cab has rusted completely through. This rust-out can potentially lead to the fuel tank dropping down, which creates a serious fire risk. This problem was discovered while replacing brake lines and removing the truck bed.

While driving, your ignition switch can be turned to the "OFF" or "ACCESSORY" position without the key being fully removed, which disables power steering, brakes, and other critical systems. This happened while the vehicle was in motion, creating a dangerous situation where you could lose control at highway speeds. The ignition switch needs to be replaced or repaired to prevent it from moving to these positions while driving.

Your instrument panel gauges suddenly failed and flickered while your truck was in neutral, with no warning beforehand. The gauges stopped working without being diagnosed or repaired. This electrical issue may require inspection and replacement of the instrument cluster or its wiring connections.

While changing your oil, you discovered a crack in the truck's frame where the cross member (a support beam that runs across the frame) is located. This is a structural issue that should be inspected by a mechanic, as frame cracks can affect the vehicle's stability and safety. A frame repair or replacement of the damaged cross member may be necessary.

Your truck's frame has cracked and is rotting beneath the passenger door and at the rear shock mount. The dealer confirmed the frame is corroded but said there's nothing they can do about it. You're concerned this is a safety issue since your previous truck didn't experience this problem. Fixing frame rot typically requires professional welding repair or frame replacement, which is a major structural repair.

Your truck's ABS brake system intermittently fails, leaving you with little to no braking power without any warning light—or the light comes on only after the problem persists. Your mechanic eventually found that one or both ABS wheel speed sensors weren't responding evenly, which was causing the system to malfunction during hard braking, particularly on hills. The fix involved replacing the faulty ABS brake sensor(s) and verifying the brake lines and ABS computer module.

Your driver's side airbag only partially deployed during a crash, failing to fully protect your head from hitting the steering wheel. You sustained head injuries requiring medical treatment as a result. The airbag may need to be replaced and the deployment system inspected by a qualified technician to determine why it didn't fully inflate.

Your vehicle made an abnormal clunking noise while you were trying to stop it. When you engaged the parking brake, it didn't hold—the vehicle continued to move instead. This happened at 204,206 miles and suggests a problem with either the parking brake system or the service brakes that needs immediate attention. A mechanic will need to inspect the brake components to determine whether the issue is with the parking brake mechanism, brake pads, or related hydraulic parts.

Your truck's brake lines, gas lines, and transmission cooling lines have rusted and failed over the years, requiring replacement. Your ABS system has also failed. Now your frame has developed rust and cracks, making the truck unsafe and unreliable. Addressing this would require replacing corroded brake lines, fuel lines, transmission cooler lines, and potentially frame repair or replacement.

Your brake line failed while driving on the interstate, causing you to lose all braking power and resulting in an accident. The fuel line was also leaking and required replacement, and you previously had a rear brake rotor shield come loose. This truck was subject to a Technical Service Bulletin years ago for line inspection. Fixing the brake line and fuel line will likely require replacement of the corroded or damaged lines.

After hitting a pothole, your truck started making an abnormal grinding noise from the rear end. The dealer found the rear differential was defective and replaced it, but the same problem happened again. The rear differential has been replaced four times total, and the manufacturer has been notified. This issue started occurring around 186,000 miles. The fix involves replacing the rear differential assembly and potentially identifying why repeated replacements keep failing.

Your check engine light won't turn off even after you've changed the oil. This indicator is meant to remind you when an oil change is due, but it's stuck on and won't reset. You'll likely need to manually reset the oil change indicator through your vehicle's dashboard controls or have a mechanic clear it.