Owner-reported complaints naming the brake system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1999 GMC Sierra submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 338 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.
The 25 most recent of 338, in the owner's own words
WHILE PULLING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY I EXPERIENCED COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE. LOOKED UNDER TRUCK AND BRAKE FLUID WAS EVERYWHERE AND THE BRAKE LINES WERE SEVERELY RUSTED AND HAD BUSTED. LOOKED IT UP AND THIS APPEARS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL TRUCK BUT THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A RECALL?! THIS ISSUE NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED WITH GM.
I WAS DRIVING AND WENT TO APPLY BRAKES FOR THE STOP SIGN AHEAD, AND I HAD NO BRAKES. ONCE I HAD THE TRUCK HOME I PARKED IT. I DETERMINED THAT THE BRAKE LINES HAD RUSTED THROUGH BY HAVING A PIECE OF CARDBOARD UNDER THE TRUCK TO LOCATE THE LEAKING BRAKE FLUID. I'M SO LUCKY THAT I DIDN'T HAVE A CAMPER ON THE TRUCK AND HAD GONE ON VACATION TO COLORADO, AS I INTENDED THIS TO BE MY RECREATIONAL VEHICLE FOR THIS PURPOSE. I AM HAUNTED BY THE POSSIBLE SCENARIOS AND CRASHES THAT COULD HAVE OCCURRED TO ME AND MY FAMILY. WIFE, SON, AND TWO DAUGHTERS. THIS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BEFORE OTHER HUMAN BEINGS END UP SERIOUSLY INJURED, TRAUMATIZED, OR DEATH BEING VERY HIGHLY LIKELY. SO I HAVE A NEAR NEW TRUCK SITTING IN THE YARD FOR NEARLY THE PAST FIVE YEARS. MY ATTEMPT TO INSTALL AFTER-MARKET BRAKE LINES HAS BEEN A FAILURE. GM SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS CATASTROPHIC FAILURE. I KNOW AS TIME GOES BY OTHER BRAKE LINES ON THESE MODELS WILL RUST AND FAIL. I WILL BE HERE AS A WITNESS, AND SO WILL THE TRUCK AS I HAVE REFUSED OFFERS TO SELL IT. *TR
DRIVING DOWN HILL, APPROX SPEED OF 45 MPH, WENT TO APPLY BRAKES WHEN DID HEARD POP NOISE AND BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR WITH NO STOPPING. PUMPED ON BRAKES AND GEARED DOWN TRUCK TO SLOW DOWN. PULLED OVER TO SIDE OF ROAD TO NOTICE THAT FLUID WAS COMING OUT OF THE BODY. WAS ABLE TO GET MIRROR AND RESEARCH AND FIND THE BRAKE LINE HAD CORRODED WITH RUST, AND IT HAS SPLIT. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 GMC SIERRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE BRAKES FAILED. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT HAD TO SWITCH GEARS IN ORDER TO STOP THE VEHICLE. AFTER INSPECTING THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE BRAKE LINE HAD FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 196,000.
I WAS COMING TO A STOP AND I LOST MY BRAKES I WAS ABLE TO GET IT STOPPED. TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC RIGHT AWAY AND WAS TOLD THE BRAKE LINE BURST AND HIT MY GAS LINE BUSTING IT AS WELL. THEY HAD THE VEHICLE FOR OVER 3 WEEKS. THEY REPAIRED THE GAS LINE EASY ENOUGH BUT THE BRAKE LINE HAD TO BE COMPLETELY REPLACED. *TR
DURING MANY OCCASIONS SINCE I PURCHASED THE TRUCK(NEW) ,THE ABS SYSTEM WOULD ACTIVATE AS I AM APPLYING THE BRAKES AND THE TRUCK IS ALMOST STOPPED: LOUD SHUDDER,THE TRUCK WOULD KEEP ROLLING EVEN AFTER PRESSING HARD ON THE BRAKE PEDAL(AT WALKING SPEED);IT HAS BEEN A RATHER SCARY EXPERIENCE ALL ALONG AS MORE THAN ONCE ,I CAME CLOSE TO HIT OTHER VEHICLES AND MY GARAGE DOOR AND BACK WALL. *TR
THIS IS THE CONTINUING STORY OF THE UNSAFE BRAKING SYSTEM ON MY 1999 GMC TRUCK. ON 7/15/14 AS I WENT TO STOP AT A RED LIGHT MY BRAKE PEDAL BEGAN TO SLOW THE TRUCK AND THEN THE PEDAL TRAVEL ALMOST TO THE FLOOR, THE RED WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AND I HAD TO USE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP. I WAS VERY CLOSE TO HOME AND MANAGED TO SLOWLY MAKE IT SAFELY BACK WHERE I DISCOVERED, FOR THE THIRD TIME, THAT MY BRAKE LINE HAD RUSTED THROUGH. I HAD LOST A PINT OF FLUID AND LATER FOUND THE LEAKING BRAKE LINE. THIS WILL BE THE THIRD TIME I HAVE HAD TO CHANGE THE RUSTY BRAKE LINES ON MY TRUCK. I REALIZE MY VEHICLE IS OLD, BUT THIS HAS BEEN A RECURRING PROBLEM FOR AT LEAST TEN YEARS. MY 1976 PONTIAC FIREBIRD STILL HAS IT'S ORIGINAL BRAKE LINES THAT SHOW NO SIGNS OF RUST. MY GMC BRAKE LINES ARE COMPLETELY RUSTED. I HAVE SPENT MORE THAN $5000 ON REPAIRING THE BRAKES ON THIS VEHICLE SINCE PURCHASING IT NEW IN 1999. I HAVE HAD MORE THAN FIVE VERY CLOSE CLOSE CALLS WITH ASSORTED BRAKE FAILURES WITH THE RUSTY BRAKE LINES, FAULTY ABS SENSORS AND DEFECTIVE WHEEL HUBS. I AM GLAD THAT I AM WRITING THIS COMPLAINT AND NOT MY NEXT OF KIN. *TR
THE BRAKE LINES IN MY 1999 GMC SIERRA BLEW OUT, AND I WAS BARELY ABLE TO STOP THE TRUCK BEFORE ENTERING A BUSY HIGHWAY FROM MY DRIVEWAY - THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR, PROVIDING VERY LITTLE BREAKING POWER AND TAKING A MUCH LONGER TIME TO STOP AND A MUCH LONGER DISTANCE TO STOP THAN NORMAL . I WAS INFORMED THAT MY BRAKE LINES HAD COMPLETELY RUSTED OUT, NEEDING FULL REPLACEMENT, WHICH I HAD DONE LAST WEEK AT CONSIDERABLE EXPENSE. IT IS UNCONSCIONABLE THAT GM KNEW ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND FAILED TO INFORM OWNERS OF THEIR VEHICLES TO HAVE THEIR BRAKE LINES INSPECTED! I HAVE OWNED THIS TRUCK SINCE IT WAS NEW, AND MY ADDRESS HAS NOT CHANGED SINCE IT WAS PURCHASED, SO MY ADDRESS IS IN THEIR FILES. *JS
WHILE DRIVING MY VEHICLE I WAS STOPPING AND THE BRAKES WERE SHOT. I HAD TO PUSH THE PEDAL AS HARD AS POSSIBLE TO THE FLOOR TO GET IT TO STOP. LUCKILY I NARROWLY AVOIDED AN ACCIDENT WITH THE PERSON IN FRONT OF ME. I TOOK THE TRUCK TO GET LOOKED AT AND THE BRAKE LINES ARE LEAKING FROM THE MASTER CYLINDER TO THE ABS UNIT. THEY ARE EXTREMELY RUSTED AND THEY NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE ESTIMATE WAS OVER $1000. *TR
BRAKE FLUID LEAKING ALL OVER BOTTOM OF TRUCK SPRAYING OUT I TOOK TO A MECHANIC AND HAD 1000 DOLLAR BRAKE LINE JOB DONE GOT TRUCK BACK AND ABS BRAKES WORKED LIKE MANUAL BRAKES HAD A SENSOR AND 2 BALL JOINTS REPLACED IM BEING RIPPED OF FROM A GMC LOYAL CUSTOMER I WAS I GUESS BACK TO FORD OR TOYOTA FOR MY NEXT NEW TRUCKS I HAD WARRANTY ISSUES YOU CHEAP [XXX] WOULDNT PAY FOR A WATERPUMP THAT WAS LEAKING ONLY A 7 DOLLAR GASKET ALSO HAD A TRANSMISSION ON MY WORK VAN REPAIR AND THEN REPLACED AFTER A MONTH OF RUN AROUND. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
COMING BACK FROM THE STORE THEN ENTERING MY DRIVE WAY THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR. USED EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP. LOOKED UNDER TRUCK AND SAW BRAKE FLUID ON GROUND.HAD TO BE TOWED IN. HAD TO HAVE BRAKE LINES REPLACE. HEAVY CORROSION . TRUCK HAD BAD RUST PROBLEM. COST,$883.00AT 60,000 MI GAS LINES STARTED TO LEAK FROM CORROSION. HAD TO BE REPLACED ON 10/09/2013. FOR $900.00THE UNDER CARRIAGE IS BADLY RUSTED AND LOOKS IT HAS 200,000MI INSTEAD OF 60,000MI. BRAKE BACKING PLATES ARE ALMOST RUSTED AWAY. HAD TO REPLACE REAR CALIPERS ,ROTORS,PADS 2 TIMES. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 GMC SIERRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, HE SMELLED A STRONG GASOLINE ODOR INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THERE WAS ALSO FUEL VISIBLE ON THE GROUND. THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THAT BOTH THE FUEL AND BRAKE LINES WERE COMPLETELY RUSTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 71,000.
WAS PULLING INTO PARKING SPACE, WHEN I APPLIED BRAKES TO STOP I HEARD A POP AND BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR. UPON INSPECTION I FOUND A CORRODED LEFT REAR BRAKE LINE HAD BUSTED AND I LOST ALL FLUID. WHEN I INSPECTED ALL THE OTHER BRAKE LINES THEY WERE ALSO HEAVILY CORRODED. I HAVE HAD MANY OLDER VEHICLES WITH OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND MILES AND NEVER HAD CORRODED BRAKE LINES. *TR
I JUST TOOK MY 99 GMC SIERRA 1500 TO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP BECAUSE THE BRAKE PEDAL GOING ALL WAY TO THE FLOOR AFTER DRIVING ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY AND FELT THE SOFTNESS IN THE BRAKE PEDAL ATTEMPTING TO STOP BECAUSE OF HEAVY TRAFFIC. *TR THE SERVICE TECH FOUND THE BRAKE LINE LEAKING DUE CORROSION, THE TECH GAVE THE WORST CASE SCENARIO WHICH WOULD BE REPLACING ALL 4 CALIPERS, BRAKE HOSES, AND BRAKE LINES FOR OVER $3000.00. GM OR NHTSA NEEDS TO ISSUE A RECALL OR SOMETHING BUT SOMEONE GETS KILL. LUCKY THERE HAS BEEN NO DEATHS BECAUSE OF SUB QUALITY PARTS USED BY GM. *TR
MY VEHICLE WAS PARKED OVERNIGHT WITH THE EMERGENCY BRAKE ON. SOMETIME THE NEXT DAY I STARTED UP MY TRUCK AND RELEASED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE, ALL SEEMED FINE. I THEN RELEASED MY FOOT FROM THE BRAKE PEDAL TO PROCEED TO BACK UP. GAVE THE VEHICLE A LITTLE GAS TO DO SO, WENT TO APPLY THE BRAKES AGAIN AND HAD THEM GO ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR BOARDS. IN ORDER TO STOP I HAD TO ALLOW THE VEHICLE TO HIT INTO A TELEPHONE POLE. NO DAMAGE TO EITHER OTHER THAN A SCUFF. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED. UNDERSIDE OF THE VEHICLE IS COMPLETELY RUSTED AND MECHANIC SAYS ALL LINES NEED REPLACING. GOING TO COST UPWARDS OF A $1000. THIS IS A VERY COMMON FAILURE WITH THIS VEHICLE AND SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE TO PREVENT LOSS OF LIFE! *TR
DRIVING AT 50 MPH WITH MY YOUNG DAUGHTER THE DRIVERS SIDE METAL BRAKE LINE BURST PREVENTING US FROM STOPPING. UPON INSPECTION OF THE LINE IT WAS HEAVILY CORRODED. *TR
BRAKE LINE BURST WHILE SHIFTING FROM PARK TO DRIVE, RESULTING IN LOSS OF BRAKING AND SLOW SPEED CRAWL INTO GARAGE DOOR. ON INSPECTION, HEAVILY CORRODED SECTION OF REAR BRAKE LINE UNDERNEATH THE DRIVERS DOOR ON THE INSIDE OF FRAME RAIL WAS SPLIT LENGTHWISE AND LEAKING LARGE VOLUME OF BRAKE FLUID. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 GMC SIERRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE FRONT BRAKES FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE BRAKE LINES WERE RUSTED AND WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE LINES SHOULD HAVE BEEN MANUFACTURED WITH STAINLESS STEEL AS OPPOSED TO MILD STEEL. THE VIN, FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WERE UNAVAILABLE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 GMC SIERRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL SLIGHTLY WHEN HE NOTICED THE BRAKE PEDAL DROPPED TO THE FLOOR BOARD. THE CONTACT APPLIED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE IN ORDER TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THE REAR BRAKE LINE HAD FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 112,785. ..UPDATED 11/14/12 *BF UPDATED 11/15/2012 *JS *TR
FRONT BRAKE HOSE FROM FRAME TO CALIPER RUSTED OUT AND CAUSED BRAKE FAILURE. WHEN THE ISSUE WAS BEING LOOKED AT, NOTICED THAT THE ENTIRE FRAME AND ALL PARTS ON THE BOTTOM OF THE TRUCK WERE COMPLETELY RUSTED LIKE THEY WERE 100 YEARS OLD. APPEARS THERE WAS NO RUST INHIBITOR INCLUDED IN ANY OF THE METAL. ALL BRAKE LINES UNDER BODY OF THE TRUCK ARE SO RUSTED THAT IT IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. FUEL LINE IS ALSO RUSTED. I FEEL THAT ALL OF THESE ISSUES ARE DUE TO POOR RUST INHIBITOR USED DURING MANUFACTURING OF THE TRUCK. *TR
VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN WHEN BRAKE LINE TO REAR AXLE RUPTURED CAUSING AN EXTREME LOSS OF BRAKING ABILITY. VEHICLE WAS DOWNSHIFTED TO ASSIST BRAKING TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT. INSPECTION OF THE BRAKE LINES REVEALED SEVERE CORROSION OF ALL BRAKE LINES WITH THE REAR BRAKE LINE UNDER THE CAB BEING COMPROMISED AND LEAKING. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 GMC SIERRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH, HE ATTEMPTED TO APPLIED THE BRAKES BUT THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOORBOARD AND FAILED TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT NOTICED BRAKE FLUID LEAKING UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 158,000.
TOTAL BRAKE FAILURE OCCURRED WHILE MOVING OUT OF A PARKING SLOT. PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR; UPON INVESTIGATION FOUND BRAKE FLUID POURING FROM LEFT REAR WHEEL AREA (COULD NOT DETERMINE ACTUAL LOCATION); SUSPECT CORRODED STEEL BRAKE LINE. FURTHER INVESTIGATION FOUND EVIDENCE OF FLUID LEAKAGE IN HOME DRIVEWAY WHERE PARKED OVERNIGHT. THIS IS 2ND BRAKE LINE FAILURE ON THIS VEHICLE (1ST WAS JANUARY 2012; REPLACED LINE BUT WAS ADVISED BY MECHS THAT OTHER LINES WERE OK AT THE TIME, THIS IS TWO BRAKE FAILURES IN 7 MONTHS ON THIS TRUCK). *TR
WHILE ON AN ERRAND THERE SEEMED TO BE A SUDDEN, EXTREME DECREASE IN BRAKING ABILITY. WE WERE STILL ABLE TO STOP WITH BRAKE TO THE FLOOR IF WE ALLOWED PLENTY OF TIME TO DO SO, HOWEVER, IT FELT VERY UNSAFE TO DRIVE. UPON A MECHANIC'S INSPECTION IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE GROUP OF BRAKE LINES FROM THE ABS TO MASTER CYLINDER WERE COMPLETELY RUSTED THROUGH AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE TOTAL COST OF REPAIRS WAS $684.95. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 GMC SIERRA. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED A BURSTING SOUND EMITTED WHEN THE BRAKES WERE DEPRESSED. THE CONTACT CONFIRMED THAT THERE WAS CORROSION ON THE BRAKE LINE AND A LOSS OF BRAKE FLUID. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 137,000.
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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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