RoadVitals

1999 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Transmission Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the transmission system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Transmission reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
10
Latest Oct 31, 2008
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
2%
of 587 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
0
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1999 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 10 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming transmission

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Transmission
Filed Oct 31, 2008

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. THE CONTACT EXPERIENCED DIFFICULTY SHIFTING THE FIRST AND SECOND GEARS OF THE VEHICLE. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY REBUILT THE TRANSMISSION. APPROXIMATELY FIFTY THOUSAND MILES LATER, THE FAILURE RECURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE CONTACT IS IN THE PROCESS OF TAKING THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 110,000.

NHTSA ID
10247398
Incident
Oct 30, 2004
Mileage
45,000 mi
Transmission
Filed Jul 19, 2006

THE VEHICLE IS DRIVEN 1 HOUR AT FREEWAY SPEEDS THEN WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP THE 1-2 UP SHIFT SLAMS INTO 2ND. THE RESULTING HARD UPSHIFT CAUSES A FORWARD UNCONTROLLED LURCH FORWARD. THIS IS PARTICULARLY HAZARDOUS IN RUSH HOUR STOP AND GO TRAFFIC. CORRECTION IS A KNOWN GM ISSUE TSB 01-07-30-023A. BUT NOT AVAILABLE AT MANUFACTURERS FINANCIAL PARTICIPATION IF OUT OF BASIC WARRANTY. THE ISSUE IS A DESIGN DEFECT IN MATERIAL SELECTION AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED ACROSS THE BOARD. THE LURCHING UPSHIFT IS NOT AN IF IT WILL OCCUR ON A VEHICLE BUT A WHEN WILL IT OCCUR SYMPTOM. RESEARCH ON THE COMMONALITY OF THIS DEFECT CAN BE RESEARCHED THROUGH ANY SEARCH ENGINE USING THE DTC P1870. *NM

NHTSA ID
10162858
Incident
Jul 18, 2006
Mileage
115,000 mi
BrakesTires & wheelsTransmission
Filed Nov 9, 2005

DT: THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE ANTI LOCK BRAKES WERE ACTIVATING AT LOW SPEEDS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND THEY CLEANED THE FRONT HUBS OF RUST. THEN THE ABS WORKED PROPERLY, BUT THE ABS AND BRAKE LIGHT WOULD COME ON. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND THEY FOUND THAT THERE WAS AN INTERNAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE IN THE BRAKE CONTROL MODULE. THEY PERFORMED NHTSA RECALL 05V379000 REPAIRS. WHEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE OFF OF THE LOT IT ALMOST HIT ANOTHER CAR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND THEY DISCONNECTED THE FUSE FOR THE ABS AND THE ABS LIGHT STAYED ON. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT PASS INSPECTION. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED GM AND THEY STATED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS NOT RELATED TO THE RECALL AND THE CONSUMER WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR REPAIRS OUT OF POCKET. *AK (12/01/05) THE TOW HAUL MODE WAS INOPERATIVE. *SC

NHTSA ID
10142293
Incident
Aug 31, 2005
EngineTransmission
Filed Jan 12, 2005

I AM WRITING TO CONVEY MY EXTREME DISAPPOINTMENT IN THE QUALITY OF CHEVROLET VEHICLES. WE OWN A 1999 CHEVROLET, TAHOE WHICH WE BOUGHT NEW. ON DECEMBER 24, 2002, OUR TRANSMISSION WENT OUT AT 103000 MILES. AS A RESULT, WE HAD TO HAVE A NEW TRANSMISSION INSTALLED AT A COST OF $2,646.72 PLUS THE COST OF RENTING A VEHICLE. WE DRIVE ABOUT 25,000 MILES PER YEAR. WE DO NOT DO ANY TOWING, WE DO NOT USE FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE EXCEPT IN THE WINTER, AND WE TAKE GOOD CARE OF OUR VEHICLE. SINCE THIS INCIDENT, THIS TRANSMISSION WE HAD REPLACED HAS FAILED AGAIN, FORTUNATELY ABOUT 2000 PRIOR TO ITS 50000 MILE WARRANTY. I AM STILL TRYING TO UNDERSTAND HOW THIS IS HAPPENING. WE DO NOT ABUSE OUR VEHICLE AND WE DRIVE LIKE ANY REGULAR PERSON DOES. OH YES, POOR ENGINEERING. FURTHERMORE, ABOUT A YEAR AGO, WE HAD TO REPLACE THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET ON OUR ENGINE WHICH COST US $700. NOT ONLY THAT, WHEN WE TOOK THE TAHOE TO HAVE THE 2ND TRANSMISSION FIXED, I ASKED IF OUR CRACKED DOOR HANDLE WAS THE RESULT OF A BREAK-IN. THE TECHNICIAN CHUCKLED AND SAID THAT WAS COMMON. HE EVEN HAD THE AUDACITY TO BLAME IT ON THE CONSUMER FOR NOT USING THE DOOR HANDLE PROPERLY ACTUALLY SHOWING US HOW YOU HAD TO LIFT AND. SEEMS TO ME THAT THIS IS POOR ENGINEERING. I EVEN WENT SO FAR AS TO CONTACT SEVERAL CHEVROLET DEALERSHIPS WHO UNANIMOUSLY AGREED THAT A TRANSMISSION ON THESE VEHICLES SHOULD LAST AT LEAST 200,000 IF NOT THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE. I?M NOT SURE WHAT ANYONE ELSE EXPECTS FROM THEIR VEHICLES, BUT WE DO NOT EXPECT A MAJOR COMPONENT, LIKE PART OF THE ENGINE, TO BLOW AT SUCH LOW MILEAGE. I DID MAKE MY VOICE HEARD BY WRITING A LETTER FOR THE 1ST TRANSMISSION THEY PUT IN, BUT ALL THEY COULD OFFER ME WAS $1000 LOYALTY VOUCHER TOWARDS THE PURCHASE OF A NEW GMC PRODUCT. IF THEY CAN'T MAKE GOOD ON MY FIRST GMC VEHICLE, THEN WHY WOULD I BUY ANOTHER? IN CLOSING, I NEED TO MAKE MY VOICE HEARD SO PEOPLE DON'T BUY GM PRODUCTS.*AK

NHTSA ID
10106185
Incident
Dec 24, 2002
Mileage
103,000 mi
EngineTransmission
Filed Dec 30, 2004

I HAVE BEEN A LIFE-LONG GM OWNER. IN 1991 I OWNED A BUICK REGAL AND IN 1992 I OWNED A GMC JIMMY. BY THE LATE 1990'S I HAD OWNED A '93 BLAZER AND A ?94 C-1500. NEVER HAVE I HAD AS MUCH TROUBLE COLLECTIVELY WITH THESE FOUR VEHICLES AS I HAVE HAD WITH MY 1999 SILVERADO K-1500. IT BEGAN IN OCTOBER OF 2003 WHEN AFTER ONLY 46,584 MILES I HAD TO HAVE THE RIGHT AND LEFT HEAD GASKETS REPLACED DUE TO DETERIORATION OF THE GASKETS, WHICH TOTALED $989.47. THE LIFE-LONG MECHANIC THAT REPAIRED THE HEAD GASKET BELIEVES THAT THE GM/100,000 MILE ANTIFREEZE DETERIORATED THE GASKETS AND THEREFORE REPLACED IT WITH THE TIME-TESTED STANDARD GREEN ANTIFREEZE. I WAS WILLING TO OVERLOOK THIS PROBLEM BUT RIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS OF ?04 I HAD TO HAVE THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION AND TORQUE CONVERTER COMPLETELY REBUILT DUE TO THE LOSS OF SECOND GEAR, FOURTH GEAR, AND REVERSE FOR THE TOTAL COST OF $1234.00. THE OWNER OF THE TRANSMISSION SHOP WAS ABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM INITIALLY OVER THE PHONE BECAUSE OF THE NUMEROUS OTHER GMC OR CHEVROLET TRANSMISSIONS HE HAS HAD TO OVERHAUL. I HAVE THE WORK -ORDER/RECEIPTS FOR BOTH JOBS COMPLETED.*AK

NHTSA ID
10104815
Incident
Oct 20, 2003
Mileage
46,584 mi
Transmission
Filed Jun 9, 2004

I PURCHASED MY 1999 GM TRUCK AND I HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION SINCE I PURCHASED IT. I HAD THE TRANSMISSION SERVICED TWICE AND I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS FINE. NOW MY TRANSMISSION IS SKIPPING FIRST GEAR AND GOING STRAIGHT INTO SECOND GEAR. THE VEHICLE WARRANTY, OF COURSE, HAS NOW EXPIRED. MY SISTER-IN-LAW ALSO HAS A 1999 GM VAN, AND HER TRANSMISSION HAS TO BE REPLACED. SHE WAS EXPERIENCING THE SAME CONDITIONS I HAVE AND SHE HAD HER VEHICLE INTO SERVICE FOR THE SAME ISSUES I HAVE. MY SON'S GIRLFRIEND'S MOTHER HAS A 1999 GM SUBURBAN AND SHE HAS JUST HAD HER TRANSMISSION REPLACED. SHE HAD EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEMS MY SISTER-IN-LAW AND MYSELF HAVE EXPERIENCED AND SHE TOO HAS HAD HER VEHICLE IN FOR SERVICE FOR THE SAME ISSUES. I CANNOT BELIEVE GM HAS NOT HAD A RECALL ON THEIR TRANSMISSIONS THAT WERE PLACED IN 1999 GM TRUCK-TYPE VEHICLES. THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS. I AM RESEARCHING TO SEE HOW MANY OTHER PEOPLE WHO BOUGHT 1999 GM TRUCK-TYPE VEHICLES HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEMS. *AK

NHTSA ID
10075097
Incident
May 9, 2004
Mileage
137,000 mi
BrakesTransmission
Filed Mar 20, 2004

ABS PUMP WENT OUT, LUCKLY I HAD AN EXTENDED WARRANTY AND ONLY HAD TO PAY $100.00 INSTEAD OF $800.00. ALSO MANY OTHER TRUCKS IN THE AREA WITH SAME PROBLEM. HAD KLUNKING NOISE IN REAR END CARRIED TO TWO DIFFERENT DEALER SHIPS AND COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING. SOUNDED LIKE TRANSMISSION WAS PLAYING CATCH UP WITH REAREND. THREE MONTHS AFTER WARRANTY GOES OUT IT DOES THE SAME THING AND BUST THE GEARS IN TRANSMISSION. MOTOR SOUNDS LIKE IT IS KNOCKING WHEN YOU FIRST CRANK IT UP. THE DEALERSHIPS AROUND ARE QUICK TO SELL YOU A CAR BUT WILL NOT STAND BEHIND YOU WHEN THERE ARE PROBLEMS. THIS WILL PROBALLY BE MY LAST CHEVY!!! *JB

NHTSA ID
10062706
Incident
Jun 17, 2002
Mileage
69,000 mi
BrakesTransmission
Filed Apr 22, 2002

WHEN AT IDLE, THERE IS AN EXCESSIVE VALVE TRAIN NOISE, CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THERE IS A RECALL COMING REGARDING THIS PROBLEM. *SLC

NHTSA ID
785964
Transmission
Filed Feb 23, 2000

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE ABOUT ANY SPEED, VEHICLE EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH SHIFTING GEARS, AND SOMETIMES LOSS OF POWER ON THE ROAD. ENGINE HAS BEEN REPLACED WITH ONE OF THE SAME TYPE, BUT THE SAME PROBLEMS STILL EXIST. *AK *ML

NHTSA ID
857429
Incident
Feb 22, 2000
Body & structureBrakesTransmission
Filed Feb 16, 1999

ANTI LOCK BRAKES FAILED SEVERAL TIMES, DURING FIRST ACTIVATION OF BRAKES THEY FAIL ALMOST RESULTING IN SEVERAL ACCIDENTS, UNABLE TO DETERMINE CAUSE.

NHTSA ID
543914
Incident
Jan 17, 1999

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .