1999 Chevrolet Suburban Problems

What owners report

Complaints about this model year concentrate on the anti-lock braking system, which owners say activates at low speeds on dry pavement and lengthens stopping distance; many note their vehicle was not covered by an ABS campaign. Steering wheel kick or play, fuel pump and injection pump stalling, door lock and security-system no-start problems, and tire tread separation also appear repeatedly. Reports tend to arrive at mid to high mileage, with brake complaints spread widely from about 43,000 to 180,000 miles.

1. 1
   Brakes

   ABS activates at low speed on dry pavement

   • 229 complaints (36%)
   • median 98,342 mi at 7.2 yrs old (91 state mileage)
   • 25 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $748 (median of 6 quotes)
   • filed 1998–2022

   Complaints describe the anti-lock system engaging during ordinary braking at roughly 3 to 20 mph, with a grinding or pulsing pedal and noticeably longer stopping distance; some report the pedal going hard or soft and vehicles rolling through stop signs or into walls. Several owners say wheel speed sensors or the ABS module/EBCM were diagnosed and replaced, and one owner was told the module part number is no longer available and the system could only be disabled. Many state that a manufacturer recall for ABS applied to other vehicles but not theirs by VIN. Reported across a wide mileage range, from about 34,000 to 180,000 miles, on dry pavement and also when brakes were wet.

   What to check: Drive the vehicle at low speed on dry pavement and brake firmly; a pulsing pedal or reduced braking effort at walking pace is worth having inspected. Ask for service records on ABS sensors and the ABS control module, and check whether any ABS campaign was ever applied to the vehicle by VIN.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “After 50,000 miles on my 1999 Chevrolet Suburban (5.7 / 4wd), I started to experience ABS activation at lower speeds when no traction loss was actually happening. This made the distance increase significantly and made for potentially dangerous situations. It was serviced by my local chevy dealership at my cost.”

   NHTSA complaint #10160884, filed 2006-06, 50,000 miles

   “I am experiencing the same problem listed on the recall for ABS on my truck. The ABS is kicking in at unwanted times and takes forever to stop. I called the dealership about the recall and mine is not in the recall even though I am experiencing the same problems. Why is this model year not included in the recall? What do we need to do to add this model to the recall list? When you are stopping, you can hear the ABS kicking in and then you begin to slide. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10144557, filed 2005-12, 130,000 miles
2. 2
   Fuel system

   Stalling from fuel pump or injection pump failure

   • 30 complaints (5%)
   • median 82,500 mi at 6.0 yrs old (18 state mileage)
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1999–2022

   Complaints describe sudden loss of power or stalling at speed, sometimes with a check engine light beforehand, traced to a failed fuel pump or, on diesel models, the electronic fuel injection pump and its pump-mounted driver. Owners report replacing the pump, and in some cases the same failure returned; a few mention that a warranty extension covered the diesel injection pump. Towing and repairs away from home are common in these accounts. Reported from about 58,000 to 138,000 miles, often during highway driving.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Ask for fuel pump and filter replacement history and whether the vehicle has ever stalled or cut out at speed. A fuel pressure check and a scan for stored codes before purchase are reasonable, especially on diesel versions.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Check engine warning light would illuminate during normal vehicle operation and subsequent mechanical inspections could not detect the following impending problem. My family and I were returning from a weekend vacation in arizona on our way home. While driving through the middle of the desert just past the california/arizona state line I heard a loud pop and our vehicle lost power. We were towed back into needles, ca and it was determined that the fuel pump had failed. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10163605, filed 2006-07, 85,614 miles

   “Vehicle is a 1999 Chevrolet Suburban k2500 with GM 6.5 liter turbo-diesel engine. The vehicle stalled in interstate traffic (I-270) multiple times on october 21, 2003. I called the dealer, and was informed that the likely cause was the electronic fuel injection pump, which GM has warranted for 10 years or 120,000 miles. The dealer thereafter replaced the injection pump under warranty. While I am pleased that the part was replaced at no cost to me, I believe that this represents an unacceptable defect. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10047452, filed 2003-11, 73,000 miles
3. 3
   Steering

   Steering wheel play, kick or loss of assist

   • 47 complaints (7%)
   • median 71,500 mi at 5.7 yrs old (16 state mileage)
   • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1999–2019

   Owners describe the steering wheel jerking or pulling a few inches during slight turns or curves, as if assist briefly drops out, sometimes intermittently over hundreds of miles. One complaint describes an electronic steering module failure that left the wheel loose; another reports the wheel seizing and the vehicle leaving the roadway. Inspections sometimes found no fault with fluid or steering components, and repairs described in the complaints are limited. Mostly reported between about 57,000 and 80,000 miles, appearing on curves and at both low and higher speeds.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Drive a curve at moderate speed and feel for any sudden kick or looseness in the wheel; also check the front-end alignment and the upper control arm bolt hardware. Ask whether the steering box or pump has been serviced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I purchased my 1999 Suburban in march 2010 with 56,000 original miles. It currently has 60,000 original miles. The steering wheel will randomly jerk/pull when going around a curve. It does not happen every time but it happens often enough that it is a concern of mine. After a thorough check of fluids and steering components there is nothing wrong with the vehicle. It does not matter if I am driving at a lower speed or a higher speed just that I am going around a bend or curve in the road. I have grazed a curb once. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10340483, filed 2010-06, 57,000 miles

   “When making any slight turn, steering will seem to loose pressure where the steering wheel will jerk 2-3 inches. The driver must pay close attention at all times to correct this oversteer or the vehicle will end up in another lane or off the road. This is a very dangerous situation. All of the evidence and complaints exist for a safety recall but 7 years later....nothing has been done to correct this problem. This problem is very sporadic and may not occur for weeks at a time and then suddenly it will occur constantly for hundreds of miles. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10181942, filed 2007-02, 60,000 miles
4. 4
   Electrical system

   Door locks and anti-theft system no-start

   • 40 complaints (6%)
   • median 84,350 mi at 6.1 yrs old (18 state mileage)
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1998–2022

   Owners describe power door locks that stop locking or unlocking, sometimes freezing on all doors, and interior plastic door handles breaking so the door can only be opened from outside. Others report a security light coming on and the engine refusing to start for hours, with towing required; dealers replaced ignition components, door locks and the pass-lock module without permanently resolving it in some cases. Reported between about 40,000 and 120,000 miles, with the no-start condition described as intermittent.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Test every door lock with the power switch and from the outside, and confirm the security light behaves normally on a cold start. Ask whether the ignition cylinder or pass-lock module has been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The plastic door handles broke from the inside compartment. The only way to exit the vehicle is by rolling down the windows, and lifting the handle from the outside. Dealer was aware of this problem, and stated because the part was plastic it broke. If the brakes get wet from either standing water or excessive rain, the ABS brakes become extremely sensitive to pedal application. The brakes will lock up. The cause has not been determined at this time. Please provide details”

   NHTSA complaint #10103608, filed 2004-12, 98,000 miles

   “1999 Chevrolet Suburban - locks on all doors freeze up and won't lock manually or with power lock button. This affects all doors including rear doors. Feel this is a safety issue due to fact the locks can't be locked from driver's seat - potential problem for someone to enter vehicle while driving or stopped. Also a theft issue. Vehicle only has 116,000 miles. We also have a 2009 chevy impala having the same issues. Only one lock on this car locks with the power lock. Rest have to be manually locked/unlocked. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10361126, filed 2010-10, 90,000 miles

Buying note. These are old vehicles, so condition and service records matter more than model-year reputation: brake, steering and fuel-system repairs are the recurring themes in owner complaints. Have a pre-purchase inspection check the ABS operation at low speed, front-end steering components and fuel system, and ask for receipts for any brake or pump work.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.