Dt*: the contact stated that the vehicle lost power steering while braking and making turns. The vehicle has been serviced for the power steering issue however the problem persists. The contact expressed the vehicle problem may be a manufacturer defect.
1999 GMC Suburban: sudden loss of power
5 of the 285 complaints about the 1999 GMC Suburban describe sudden loss of power.
- owner complaints
- 5
- of this car's complaints
- 2%
- recalls
- 0
Is there a fix? 4 service bulletins cover this area of the car. See below
Sudden loss of power by model year
- 19995
- 19981
- 19973
- 19963
- 19953
- 19942
- 19911
What owners say
Fuel pump/connector failure. Initially engine would shut down intermittently. On last occasion, vehicle engine shut down resulting in loss of power steering, power brakes, etc. Would not restart. Former gm mechanic told me that he witnessed this problem numerous times and found most cases involved failure of electrical connector or ground connection at fuel pump.
While driving at low speed and then on the freeway at 70 MPH my suburban lost powering steering control intermittently-on-off, on-off, on-off. At 70 MPH the vehicle repeatedly jerked to the right, and I had to jerk the wheel back to the left and swerve back into the lane. Had inspection made, and found metal shavings in power steering fluid, indicating a component failure in the power steering system. I see a technical service bulletin was issued two years ago on august 1, 2003, but no further action to date to correct this safety defect.
Vehicle engine will intermittently stall or cut out at highway speeds. This condition occurs approximately once or twice a month under varied driving conditions. The vehicle will restart immediately after stalling. Several times when this has occurred, the service engine light will come on, but it will turn off after 20-30 miles of driving. This has been occurring for over a year now, I have taken the vehicle to three gm dealerships, and they claim they cannot replicate the problem. They have replaced the fuel pump at my expense, and the catalytic converter under warranty. I have also taken the vehicle to two independent shops for the same problem and they have also not been able to replicate the problem or offer a solution, other than replacing the basic components (spark plugs , plug wires, fule filter etc), which I have had done.. This is an extremely dangerous problem, primarily because when the engine stalls, the power brakes and steering also fail. I live in a mountainous region of virginia and have had this happen while driving mountain switchbacks. This vehicle weighs almost six thousand pounds, and a loss of power brakes and steering while descending steep mountain grades with sharp curves creates an extremely dangerous and life threatening situation. Thank you for your assistance.
Vehicle experiences a loss of power steering when driving at low speeds and turning. Dealer has vehicle for the fourth time, and is replacing steering gear and module.
Service bulletins that may apply
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the 1999 GMC Suburban loss of power
Is sudden loss of power a common problem on the 1999 GMC Suburban?
5 of 285 owner complaints about the 1999 GMC Suburban (2%) mention sudden loss of power. The model year with the most reports is 1999.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 1999 GMC Suburban?
There are 0 recalls and 4 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 1999 GMC Suburban
ABS 35Brake failure 19Pulling 18Tire blowout 14Jerking 8Fuel pump 7Power steering loss 7Stalling 7Door locks 6Fire or smoke 6Wipers 6Headlights 5Won't start 5
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 1999 GMC Suburban?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history