1999 GMC Sierra 3500 problems & reliability
19 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1999 GMC Sierra 3500, alongside 1 safety recall campaign. 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.
2 complaints report injuries (2 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 7 | 37% |
| Structure | 3 | 16% |
| Tires | 3 | 16% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 2 | 11% |
| Seats | 2 | 11% |
| Service Brakes | 2 | 11% |
| Air Bags | 1 | 5% |
| Electrical System | 1 | 5% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 5% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Bought a 1999 gmc sierra 3500 4door 8ft. Bed with 30000 miles on it in 2001. First brake line rusted out in 2005. Second line from front to back rusted and broke 2008. Fuel line rusted and leaked gas all over my driveway 2010. Today that same truck? Is in a repair shop because the frame by the steeringbox and…”
Structure · filed May 5, 2014
“I was driving in town closing in on an intersection as the light began to change red, two sedans were in front of me so I applied my brakes allowing plenty of time to stop when without warning the brake pedal sunk quickly to the floor and did not slow at all. I had to veer into the turn lane but could not make the…”
Service Brakes · filed Sep 17, 2012
“Every hydraulic brake line on my 75,000-mile 1999 gmc 3500 pickup has rusted out, and had to be replaced. They all blew out when pedal pressure was applied...including one time, when I was backing up at the transfer station to unload trash. The entire truck could have gone back and fallen into the dumpster. *tr”
Service Brakes, Hydraulic · filed Apr 16, 2010
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
42 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1999 GMC Sierra 3500. The 10 most recent:
This technical bulletin provides information and a solution to a condition of Brake Pedal Moves or Self Applies at Full Turns.
23-NA-144 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 18, 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.
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 service bulletin provides information for maintenance cleaning of the fuel injectors and gasoline detergent additive.
04-06-04-051F · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 22, 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 service bulletin provides information for dealers on how to submit a product information report (PIR) (Canada Only).
100089006H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 17, 2021
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
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
The 1999 GMC Sierra 3500 has 1 NHTSA recall campaign — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
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 GMC Sierra 3500?
- · 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.