1999 Chevrolet Silverado Service Brakes, Hydraulic Problems
Owners have filed 815 complaints with NHTSA about service brakes, hydraulic problems on the 1999 Chevrolet Silverado, 49% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 60,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “anti lock” (13% of reports).
- 815service brakes, hydraulic complaints
- 60,000median miles at failure
- 49mention a crash
- 13mention an injury
- 2related recalls
- $1,750typical repair cost reported by owners
- 14%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Anti lock: mentioned in 104 of 815 complaints (13%)
- ABS motor: mentioned in 94 of 815 complaints (12%)
- Stopping distance: mentioned in 53 of 815 complaints (7%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical service brakes, hydraulic repair on the 1999 Chevrolet Silverado at $1,750, and half of them between $1,550 and $1,900.
Based on 103 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2001–2015), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do service brakes, hydraulic problems happen?
Based on 347 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 815 complaints, 49 mention a crash, 1 a fire, 13 an injury.
Chevrolet Silverado service brakes, hydraulic complaints by model year
| Model year | Service Brakes, Hydraulic complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 Silverado | 1 | 1% | 118,000 |
| 2015 Silverado | 2 | 3% | 95,000 |
| 2014 Silverado | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2011 Silverado | 4 | 5% | 4,105 |
| 2009 Silverado | 3 | 4% | 19,250 |
| 2008 Silverado | 4 | 2% | 71,500 |
| 2007 Silverado | 13 | 7% | 53,500 |
| 2006 Silverado | 19 | 10% | 24,000 |
| 2005 Silverado | 26 | 8% | 25,072 |
| 2004 Silverado | 84 | 14% | 19,750 |
| 2003 Silverado | 130 | 19% | 39,000 |
| 2002 Silverado | 245 | 35% | 42,638 |
| 2001 Silverado | 306 | 35% | 49,850 |
| 2000 Silverado | 450 | 34% | 54,000 |
| 1999 Silverado | 815 | 49% | 60,000 |
| 1998 Silverado | 84 | 30% | 66,500 |
| 1997 Silverado | 57 | 21% | 70,000 |
| 1996 Silverado | 31 | 17% | 78,000 |
| 1995 Silverado | 27 | 10% | — |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (2)
Service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip
Problem: Certain pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles may experience unwanted antilock brake system (abs) activation. This condition is more likely to occur in environmentally corrosive areas. This recall will be launched in the "salt belt" states of connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, maryland, massachusetts, maine, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin and the district of columbia only.
Risk: This can cause increased stopping distances during low-speed brake applications, which could result in a crash.
Fix: Dealers are to remove the wheel speed sensor and thoroughly clean the wheel speed sensor mounting surface on the bearing, apply rust inhibitor to the cleaned surface, grease the mounting surface, reinstall the wheel speed sensor, and check the peak-to-peak output voltage to ensure the wheel speed signal is within specifications. The recall began september 22, 2005. Owners may contact chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438 or gmc at 1-866-996-9463.
Service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Problem: Vehicle description: light duty pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles. Some of these vehicles have a clearance condition between the front right-hand brake pipe and the body cross sill that could decrease to the point of allowing contact during the life of the vehicle. If contact occurs and the brake pipe becomes damaged, in half of the brake system there can be a loss of brake fluid and pressure. The brake warning lamp will be activated when the brake fluid level reaches the indicator limit.
Risk: During braking, the pedal will be lower than normal and stopping distances will be longer. If this occurs when stopping distance is limited, a crash could occur.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the front right-hand brake pipe for wear. If there are signs of wear, this section of the brake pipe will be replaced with a new designed brake pipe section. If there are not signs of wear on the brake pipe, the dealer will install a spacer clip to ensure sufficient clearance between the brake pipe and the body cross sill.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
I was driving home on memorial day 2014 pulling my boat and trailer. Traffic was stopped outside crivitz, wi and i had to hit my brake pedal. It went right to the floor - no brakes at all - contrary to the gm info in an article i read on yahoo. I quickly hit the shoulder, fortunately wide and hard…
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 chevrolet silverado. While driving 35 mph and approaching a traffic light, the brake pedal sank to the floorboard when depressed. The contact had to quickly shift the transmission in order to stop the vehicle safely. The dealer and manufacturer were not notified. The…
While approaching a red light at 28mph and pressing the brake, the pedal went completely to the floor and the vehicle did not slow down. I pumped the pedal repeatedly and only slight braking action could be achieved. I went through the intersection just narrowly missing two crossing cars and turned…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1999 Chevrolet Silverados have service brakes, hydraulic problems?
No. NHTSA has 815 owner complaints about service brakes, hydraulic for the 1999 Chevrolet Silverado (49% of the 1,660 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 1999 Chevrolet Silverado service brakes, hydraulic?
Yes: 2 safety recalls list service brakes, hydraulic. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do service brakes, hydraulic problems start?
The median reported mileage is 60,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix service brakes, hydraulic problems on the 1999 Chevrolet Silverado?
Owners report a typical cost of $1,750 (half paid between $1,550 and $1,900), from 103 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about service brakes, hydraulic problems on the 1999 Chevrolet Silverado?
The most frequent phrase is “anti lock”, in 104 of 815 complaints, followed by “abs motor” (94).
Other 1999 Chevrolet Silverado problems
See all 1999 Chevrolet Silverado problems or service brakes, hydraulic problems across all Silverado years.