What breaks most · 1999 to 2007 model years
GMC Silverado problems by year
Owners have filed 55 safety complaints with NHTSA about the GMC Silverado across model years 1999 to 2007. Three years stand out: 1999 for brakes (hydraulic) complaints, 2000 for brakes (hydraulic) complaints and 2001 for engine and cooling complaints. The quietest years are 2003, 2004 and 2002.
- Years to check closely: 1999, 2000, 2001
- Fewest complaints: 2003, 2004, 2002
- Complaints on file
- 551999 to 2007, all trims
- Worst year
- 199915 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 60 fires · 2 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 61kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 4Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | 2 | 1 | Brakes (hydraulic) (10) | |
| 14 | 1 | 1 | Brakes (hydraulic) (10) | |
| 9 | 1 | 1 | Engine and cooling (3) | |
| 9 | 2 | 1 | Air bags (2) | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Brakes (hydraulic) (1) | |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | Brakes (2) | |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | Electrical system (1) | |
| 3 | 0 | 0 | Air bags (1) |
What fails on the 1999 GMC Silverado
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brakes (hydraulic)Brake pads, rotors and calipers | 67% |
10 | 0 | Shop all brakes (hydraulic) parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 27% |
4 | 1 | Shop all speed control and throttle parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Air bags | 7% |
1 | 1 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| Seat belts | 7% |
1 | 0 | Check recalls for seat belts on NHTSA.gov |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
While backing out of a parking space consumer depressed the brakes and a popping sound was heard. Brake pedal descended to the floorboard, and the vehicle coasted to a stop. Vehicle was serviced by a technician who determined that a brake line was the cause.*ak
-
ABS sensor problems on 2000 GM 2500. ABS engages at low speed and prevents stopping. Sensors have ben replaced or cleaned at least three time under warranty. Now at 55,000 miles ABS has again failed. For safty reasons i have disconnected the ABS system.
-
While driving 55 mph engine check light appeared on the dashboard and remained on. Consumer drove the vehicle to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic placed the vehicle under diagnostic, and determined that head gasket and both upper and lower ball joints needed to be replaced due to worn out parts. *ak
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which GMC Silverado years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 1999, 2000, 2001 carry the most filings on the GMC Silverado. The 1999 alone has 15 complaints, led by brakes (hydraulic).
What is the most common GMC Silverado problem?
On the 1999 model year, the most-reported component is brakes (hydraulic) with 10 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do GMC Silverado problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all GMC Silverado complaints that include mileage is about 61,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.