I have owned a 1999 Suburban LT 4x4 1500 for a little under two years. I bought it from a dealer only auction (I had connections) with 72k miles and now have 125k miles. I love the rig and the ride. The ride improved dramatically after replacing the shocks. I did not suspect they were too bad until I experienced excessive front end bouncing on some poor Montana roads (paved). I have replaced all four passenger door power lock actuators ($180 each). I just replaced the heater fan switch. It slowly died over a three week period. I would keep losing a speed setting until I had none. Unfortunately the fan switch is part of a heating/cooling control panel, thus the entire panel has to be replaced ($350). I also had an engine light come on for no reason. A helpful local oil lube station told me to go add a full tank of Chevron supreme gas and two bottles of injector cleaner. Just before that tank of gas ran out the light went out and has not come back (10k miles later). The only other issue I have has is the power steering. At speeds of 25-30 MPH in somewhat tight turns (such as those found in subdivisions), the power steering resistance seams to disappear briefly. This makes you turn the wheel too sharply and requires a steering correction in the opposite direction of the turn. This is a very strange sensation. This is my first American manufacture vehicle, so it seams strange needing repairs before 150-200k miles. Other than these items listed above, the truck has been a great vehicle to own.
I am the original owner of a 1999 Chevy Suburban K2500. Overall, I have had quality problems that were taken care of by a dealer and the extended warranty, thank goodness.
My current quality frustration is related to the rear tail light assemblies. First around 70K miles the passenger side blinker failed. I replaced the bulb, but that did not resolve the issue. The socket assembly that the bulb fits in to actually heated up enough to cause an overall failure of the socket. It was replaced under the extended warranty. Today, at approximately 80K miles, the driver side socket failed. Not being able to have the vehicle in the shop for a day, I decided to fix it myself. It only took about 15 minutes tops to do.
Here is the beef. The replacement item, with tax, is a little over $60.00. Sure is an expensive fix for what normally could be resolved by an inexpensive bulb replacement back in the day. Has anyone else experienced this problem?
This seems to be a design defect that GM should resolve in my opinion, even if the design has been changed on the current subs.
Bought a 1998 Suburban from a Chevy dealer. Vehicle had 58K on it and has been a good car. A few things did happen however. the water pump failed at 65K. Alternator died as well at 67K. The check engine light comes on when I pull a boat up grades. Always goes away later and was diagnosed as a misfire.
The front rotors warped at 72K requiring replacement. I used cross-drilled TRW rotors and 911 pads. What a difference!
Intake gasket seeps and is slated to be replaced in a few weeks.
My family loves this vehicle and the comfort it provides on long trips. I wish GM would own up to the intake problem.
I am the Owner of a 1994 1500 4wd drive Suburban I have owned for about four years. The truck has 120,000 miles on it now.
I have done "routine" maintenance and have had no major problems until recently. The radiator began to leak out of the oil line location on the radiator tank. The tank actually is plastic and was cracked. I replaced the radiator with a NEW modine. I also replaced the upper and lower radiator hoses and a new thermostat. When I put it all back together I had no heat. Prior to putting the radiator in it had good front heat, but no rear heat ever.
So, I put a new de-clutching fan on it which was bad. I replaced the water pump and a new radiator cap (15lbs).
All to no avail, it still has no heat. So I break down and take it to the local Chevy dealer. They "flush" the system for air pockets. Result was for one day I had front heat back. Then next day it was back to no heat condition.
Has anyone had similar problems? Any suggestions would be welcome. Heater core seemed fine and worked prior to rad change?
Thanks,
I have a 1999 GMC Suburban. The battery has (2) cables attached to the positive post. In the winter months, we are constantly going under the hood to shake the positive cables before it starts. Again, this only happens in the winter so I'm assuming the cables are getting rigid and losing conductivity. I would like to see if others are having the some issue.
I notice another posting regarding "mushy brakes", I have the same problem. We had them checked, which works for about a month then back to the same issue.
We love our vehicle and plan to purchase another one, but these issues are worrisome.
I love my '99 Suburban. It is great for hauling kids, sports equipment and my entire tennis team. We love to take it on trips also. We have had to replace the front disk rotors two times. We have to lock the truck manually because none of the locks work. We had this fixed once and that repair lasted about 3 months. Is anyone having trouble with the gas gage? Mine does not work. It reads full when it is really empty. My husband's truck has the same problem.
I purchased my 1999 LT K2500 in the summer 2001 with 106K miles. Since then I have replaced a number of electronic parts. Most recently the multi function turn signal lever. Symptoms included: headlight/high beam faults, "ghost" dome light and courtesy lights on without notice, and relay chatter in dash. Added a second battery for children accessories and 1000 cold cranking amps. No mechanical problems whatsoever. Should roll 160k today. Love this truck in all conditions.
I just purchased a 1999 suburban 1500 ls. It has 127,000 miles. I love it. It has a very smooth ride which I thought was fantastic for the size. The third row is wonderful. I was wondering how many of you out there have gone past the 127,000 mile mark, and what general problems to expect.
We have had our 99 1500 suburban for 4.5 years. We have only had trouble with it. It needed 2 transmissions before 42,000 miles. We have had excessive trouble with the brakes and rotors. The alternator and starter have been replaced. I have been towed 3 times in the last 8 months. Recently, in one week we had to replace the water pump, hose, and the fuel pump. We have finally had it. It only has 74,000 miles. It is not reliable. I do not want to be stranded with 3 children. The problem we are having is we need the space and capability of towing a bass boat. Not many SUV's have that much space behind the 3rd seat. I have been upset this has not been a good car. My parents have a 1989 suburban and it keeps on trucking. It is built like a rock!
99Yukon,55000 miles on it. Best vehicle I ever owned.
I have a 99 Suburban and the gas gauge does not read right and hasn't for a long time. I only have about 62K miles on it and I am now having the transmission rebuilt. I would never buy another one again and I don't recommend it to any one.
We have a 99 suburban with 70,000 miles. We enjoy the space it provides. We are generally happy with it though we have replaced the water pump and starter so far. Our power locks in the back door will not work all of the time. We have an extended warranty and are very thankful.
I have a 1999 Suburban which I purchased new. It now has 49600 miles on it. The transmission failed while towing a 18 foot lightly loaded box trailer. I am currently waiting for a new transmission to be installed so I can get back on the road. The Owners Manual specifically states that it is OK to tow in Overdrive unless there is excess down shifting. I was running on flat and level for 150 miles when the transmission failed. No indication of a problem towing in Overdrive without any downshifting. I am now being told that I should not have been towing in Overdrive - should have been in third. Transmission gets hot and burns up. First indication I had of a problem is after stopping for gas transmission would not up shift to Overdrive. Next indication was that it would not downshift to 2d and when forced would go to 1st and of course over rev the engine.
Anyone else experience transmission problems caused by towing (and following the manual's instructions)? Please let me know - w8jvp@earthlink.net.
I purchased the 99 Surbuban with 84k miles. I was looking for a family sized camper puller. The 1500 is the wrong vehicle. Now at 86k miles, I had the injector manifold gasket replaced. The same problem I had on my '95 Chevy Z71. Two problems remain. The gas needle has a constant vibration and when I roll a window down, heat comes out of the floor vent. Otherwise, for the year model and mileage it's a nice vehicle. If any one has suggestions, notify me a fishes4@charter.net.
I purchased a 1999 K2500 in December 2003 with slightly more than 50,000 miles on it. I now have 75,000 miles on it, and I am very happy to say that I have never had any major problems that were not related to normal wear & tear. Another thing that I have done is find a "family" mechanic, meaning someone just as skilled as the GM mechanics, but does not have to work under the pressure of the big dealerships. He saves me on average over $300 per visit. He has been maintaining my truck since I bought it, and it runs so wonderful. I have learned through experience that dealerships tend to "over diagnose" a problem, and request replacement parts when you really do not need to replace them right away. I would recommend the Suburban to all, and I plan to buy one of the next generation Suburbans a couple of years after they are introduced to the public. (You have to give them time to work out the bugs).