1999 Chevrolet C/K 3500: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
4 owner complaints analyzed
0 distinct recall campaigns
118,000 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 1999 model year. Data updated: . 4 complaints include usable failure mileage. View data status.
This selection has limited data. It remains available for lookup but is excluded from search indexing.
Owner-reported patterns
Most common problems
Electrical System is the most frequently named component, appearing in 1 of 4 complaints (25.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.
Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic
Matching reports
Share of complaints
Engine operation
2
50.0%
Braking behavior
1
25.0%
Steering behavior
1
25.0%
Fuel system concerns
1
25.0%
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
Under 25,000
0
25,000 to 49,999
0
50,000 to 74,999
0
75,000 to 99,999
0
100,000 to 149,999
4
150,000 and above
0
Reported problems by failure mileage data
Category
Count
Under 25,000
0
25,000 to 49,999
0
50,000 to 74,999
0
75,000 to 99,999
0
100,000 to 149,999
4
150,000 and above
0
Under 25,000: 0; 25,000 to 49,999: 0; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 4; 150,000 and above: 0
100,000 to 149,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (4). 0 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
2004
1
2006
1
2014
2
Complaints over time data
Category
Count
2004
1
2006
1
2014
2
2004: 1; 2006: 1; 2014: 2
Pattern summary
Electrical System leads the component reports. Engine operation appears in 2 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 1 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 1 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Examples from the source records
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
I HAD NO WARNING, NO VIBRATION OR SLOP IN MY STEERING. LUCKILY MY SON HAD JUST CAME IN WITH THE TRUCK. I WENT OUT AND STARTED BACKING UP AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE FRONT LEFT (DS) WHEEL DROPPED TO THE GROUND. I INSPECTED IT AND FOUND THAT IT LOOKS LIKE THE SPINDLE HAD BROKEN JUST BEFORE WHERE THE BOTTOM BALL JOINT IS. APPROX 1" FROM THE A FRAME. WONDER WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF SOMEONE HAD BEEN DRIVING IT??????? I DIDNT SEE ANY SIGNS OF DAMAGE OR WHERE IT WAS HIT. IT JUST LOOKS LIKE THERE WAS A FAILURE IN THE SPINDLE?????*AK
THIS PROBLEM STARTED APPROXIMATELY A YEAR AGO WHEN THE TRUCK MOTOR (1999 CHEVROLET 3500 DIESEL DUALLY) SUDDENLY SHUTDOWN WHILE I WAS TRAVELING DOWN THE INTERSTATE. AFTER A FEW ATTEMPTS IT STARTED AND I HAD NO FURTHER INCIDENTS THAT DAY. NO MORE INCIDENTS FOR A FEW WEEKS, IT BECAME AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM AND AFTER ALMOST JACK KNIFING THE TRUCK, PULLING A 34 FT BOAT DECIDED TO TAKE IT A LOCAL SHOP FOR REPAIRS. THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO FIND ANYTHING BUT SAID THERE MAY BE AN ISSUE OR RECALL, CHECKED WITH A LOCAL CHEVROLET DEALER. CALLED DEALERSHIP…
WHILE DRIVING DOWN A VERY BUSY ROAD THE ENGINE STALLED. THE PMD PUMP MOUNTED DRIVER FAILED. I ALMOST WRECKED AND HAD TO TAKE MEASURES TO AVOID OTHERS AND ENDED UP IN A PARKING LOT ALMOST HITTING PARKED CARS. *TR
0 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.
No recall campaigns are recorded in this snapshot.
Explore the data
Vehicle analysis explorer
Inspect model-year patterns, reported mileage, monthly activity and the evidence behind each signal.
Data completeness
4 unique complaints in this selection. Analysis snapshot: 2026-10-01.
100.0%Usable mileage4 / 4 records
100.0%Valid incident date4 / 4 records
100.0%Valid filing date4 / 4 records
100.0%Ordered incident and filing dates4 / 4 records
Missing, zero and invalid mileage is excluded. Dates after the snapshot are excluded. Examples are limited selections, not a representative sample.
Problems by model year
Model-wide comparison of the eight most reported components across the model. Cells show counts and shares within each model year. Open a cell for source examples.
Component complaint heatmap
Component
1996
1998
1999
Service Brakes
125.0%ODI 10617312 · 198,000 mi
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 CHEVROLET C/K 3500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE BRAKES REQUIRED EXCESSIVE FORCE IN ORDER TO STOP THE VEHICLE AND TO AVOID CRASHING INTO A DEER. THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THAT THERE WAS OIL LEAKING FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING, WHO REPLACED THE HYDRAULIC BRAKE BOOSTER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 198,000. ..UPDATED 08-26-14 *BF UPDATED 09/2/2014 *JS
I HAVE A 1998 CHEVY CK3500 4X4 DUALLY, THIS TRUCK HAS 50,000 MILES ON IT AND HAS NEVER BEEN USED FOR TOWING. WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY IN RAINY CONDITIONS NOT ONLY DID THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOP WORKING, THE TRANSFER CASE LOCKED UP, THE REAR TIRES LOCKED UP AND WE HAD TO SWERVE OFF THE ROAD, WE THOUGHT IT WAS A BRAKE PROBLEM AT FIRST BUT IT IS THE TRANSFER CASE, THIS ALMOST CAUSED A MAJOR ACCIDENT ON THE TURNPIKE, THIS TRUCK HAS BEEN BABIED AND SERVICED REGULARLY. THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS SOMETIMES WORK NOW, AND WE WILL TAKE APART THE TRANS…
PUMP MOUNTED DRIVER HAS FAILED A NUMBER OF TIMES, CAUSING VERY HIGH FUEL TEMPERATURES. I HAVE REPLACED ALL OTHER PARTS IN FUEL/ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT, BUT HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE PMD 3 TIMES SO FAR. WHEN THE PMD IS NEW, EVERYTHING WORKS GREAT, BUT THAT ONLY LASTS A FEW MONTHS AT BEST. *TR
WHILE DRIVING DOWN A VERY BUSY ROAD THE ENGINE STALLED. THE PMD PUMP MOUNTED DRIVER FAILED. I ALMOST WRECKED AND HAD TO TAKE MEASURES TO AVOID OTHERS AND ENDED UP IN A PARKING LOT ALMOST HITTING PARKED CARS. *TR
CONSUMER STATED WHILE HE WAS ON VACATION, DRIVING 1 TON PICKUP TRUCK,IT RAN HOT AND STOPPED RUNNING. THIS WAS ON JULY 4, 2003 WEEKEND AND NO ONE WAS AVAILABLE TO HELP. AFTER CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO FIND A DEALERSHIP, THEY FOUND THAT THE TRUCK HAD OVERHEATED, CAUSING THE WIRES TO FUSE TOGETHER. DEALER TOLD HIM THIS HAPPENED BECAUSE THE WIRES WERE TOO CLOSE TO THE MANIFOLD WHERE THEY GET EXTRA HOT AND FUSE TOGETHER. DEALERSHIP THOUGHT THAT THE WIRES SHOULD SOME HOW BE REROUTED SO THEY WERE NOT SO CLOSE TO THE MANIFOLD. CONSUMER WOULD LI…
PUMP MOUNTED DRIVER HAS FAILED A NUMBER OF TIMES, CAUSING VERY HIGH FUEL TEMPERATURES. I HAVE REPLACED ALL OTHER PARTS IN FUEL/ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT, BUT HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE PMD 3 TIMES SO FAR. WHEN THE PMD IS NEW, EVERYTHING WORKS GREAT, BUT THAT ONLY LASTS A FEW MONTHS AT BEST. *TR
I HAVE A 1998 CHEVY CK3500 4X4 DUALLY, THIS TRUCK HAS 50,000 MILES ON IT AND HAS NEVER BEEN USED FOR TOWING. WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY IN RAINY CONDITIONS NOT ONLY DID THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOP WORKING, THE TRANSFER CASE LOCKED UP, THE REAR TIRES LOCKED UP AND WE HAD TO SWERVE OFF THE ROAD, WE THOUGHT IT WAS A BRAKE PROBLEM AT FIRST BUT IT IS THE TRANSFER CASE, THIS ALMOST CAUSED A MAJOR ACCIDENT ON THE TURNPIKE, THIS TRUCK HAS BEEN BABIED AND SERVICED REGULARLY. THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS SOMETIMES WORK NOW, AND WE WILL TAKE APART THE TRANS…
THIS PROBLEM STARTED APPROXIMATELY A YEAR AGO WHEN THE TRUCK MOTOR (1999 CHEVROLET 3500 DIESEL DUALLY) SUDDENLY SHUTDOWN WHILE I WAS TRAVELING DOWN THE INTERSTATE. AFTER A FEW ATTEMPTS IT STARTED AND I HAD NO FURTHER INCIDENTS THAT DAY. NO MORE INCIDENTS FOR A FEW WEEKS, IT BECAME AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM AND AFTER ALMOST JACK KNIFING THE TRUCK, PULLING A 34 FT BOAT DECIDED TO TAKE IT A LOCAL SHOP FOR REPAIRS. THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO FIND ANYTHING BUT SAID THERE MAY BE AN ISSUE OR RECALL, CHECKED WITH A LOCAL CHEVROLET DEALER. CALLED DEALERSHIP…
Darker cells indicate a larger share of submitted complaints. Components overlap. This measures complaint composition, not failure probability.
Failure mileage by component
Median and middle 50% of usable owner-reported mileages. Ranges require at least five records.
Component failure mileage distribution
Component
Mileage range (25th–75th percentile)
Median
Usable records
Examples
Electrical System
Too few reports for a range
110,000 mi
1 (sparse)
ODI 10641725 · 110,000 mi
WHILE DRIVING DOWN A VERY BUSY ROAD THE ENGINE STALLED. THE PMD PUMP MOUNTED DRIVER FAILED. I ALMOST WRECKED AND HAD TO TAKE MEASURES TO AVOID OTHERS AND ENDED UP IN A PARKING LOT ALMOST HITTING PARKED CARS. *TR
THIS PROBLEM STARTED APPROXIMATELY A YEAR AGO WHEN THE TRUCK MOTOR (1999 CHEVROLET 3500 DIESEL DUALLY) SUDDENLY SHUTDOWN WHILE I WAS TRAVELING DOWN THE INTERSTATE. AFTER A FEW ATTEMPTS IT STARTED AND I HAD NO FURTHER INCIDENTS THAT DAY. NO MORE INCIDENTS FOR A FEW WEEKS, IT BECAME AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM AND AFTER ALMOST JACK KNIFING THE TRUCK, PULLING A 34 FT BOAT DECIDED TO TAKE IT A LOCAL SHOP FOR REPAIRS. THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO FIND ANYTHING BUT SAID THERE MAY BE AN ISSUE OR RECALL, CHECKED WITH A LOCAL CHEVROLET DEALER. CALLED DEALERSHIP…
I HAD NO WARNING, NO VIBRATION OR SLOP IN MY STEERING. LUCKILY MY SON HAD JUST CAME IN WITH THE TRUCK. I WENT OUT AND STARTED BACKING UP AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE FRONT LEFT (DS) WHEEL DROPPED TO THE GROUND. I INSPECTED IT AND FOUND THAT IT LOOKS LIKE THE SPINDLE HAD BROKEN JUST BEFORE WHERE THE BOTTOM BALL JOINT IS. APPROX 1" FROM THE A FRAME. WONDER WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF SOMEONE HAD BEEN DRIVING IT??????? I DIDNT SEE ANY SIGNS OF DAMAGE OR WHERE IT WAS HIT. IT JUST LOOKS LIKE THERE WAS A FAILURE IN THE SPINDLE?????*AK
Explore monthly filing activity alongside recall announcements. Up to ten years of monthly history is available.
Solid line: filed complaints. Dashed amber lines: recall announcement dates for this vehicle selection; markers include all recall components. The latest month is partial. Temporal proximity does not establish causation.
Monthly counts, recall campaigns and complaint examples
Monthly complaint and recall timeline
Month
Complaints
Campaigns announced
Examples
2024-11
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2024-12
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-01
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-02
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-03
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-04
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-05
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-06
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-07
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-08
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-09
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-10
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-11
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-12
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2026-01
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2026-02
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2026-03
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2026-04
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2026-05
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2026-06
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2026-07
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2026-08
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2026-09
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2026-10 (partial)
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
Emerging complaint spikes
Complete months in the latest six months with at least 10 complaints, at least twice the preceding 12-month average, and at least three square-root deviations above that average.
This is a descriptive screening rule, not a statistical defect finding. Publicity and reporting changes can increase submissions.
No complete months meet the spike thresholds for this selection.
Equal-age model-year comparison
Model-wide cumulative reports during the first three or five calendar years, starting with the model year (age 0). Only fully elapsed windows are compared.
1998: 1 complaints · 1999: 0 complaints
Equal observation windows
Model year
Through age 0
Through age 1
Through age 2
1998
0
1
1
1999
0
0
0
Date coverage across each selected cohort
Date basis for all complaints in selected model years
Year
Incident dates used
Filing date fallbacks
Excluded dates
1998
9
0
0
1999
4
0
0
Incident date is preferred when valid and no later than filing; otherwise filing date is used. Model year approximates age. Equal observation time does not adjust for sales, distance driven or reporting delays. One complaint linked to multiple model years can appear in each cohort.
Components reported together
Each cell counts unique complaints naming both components. Open a nonzero cell for examples.
Component co-occurrence matrix
Component
Electrical System
Fuel System, Diesel
Service Brakes
Steering:Linkages:Knuckle:Spindle:Arm
Electrical System
—
0
0
0
Fuel System, Diesel
0
—
0
0
Service Brakes
0
0
—
0
Steering:Linkages:Knuckle:Spindle:Arm
0
0
0
—
Co-reporting does not establish that one component caused another concern.
Recurring narrative patterns
Specific keyword mentions beyond broad component labels. Matching includes negations and comparisons and does not confirm a diagnosis.
1 patterns with matching reports.
Stalling or loss of power
2 mentions · 50.0% of complaints
Median mileage: 111,000 mi (2 usable records).
ODI 10167198 · 112,000 mi
THIS PROBLEM STARTED APPROXIMATELY A YEAR AGO WHEN THE TRUCK MOTOR (1999 CHEVROLET 3500 DIESEL DUALLY) SUDDENLY SHUTDOWN WHILE I WAS TRAVELING DOWN THE INTERSTATE. AFTER A FEW ATTEMPTS IT STARTED AND I HAD NO FURTHER INCIDENTS THAT DAY. NO MORE INCIDENTS FOR A FEW WEEKS, IT BECAME AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM AND AFTER ALMOST JACK KNIFING THE TRUCK, PULLING A 34 FT BOAT DECIDED TO TAKE IT A LOCAL SHOP FOR REPAIRS. THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO FIND ANYTHING BUT SAID THERE MAY BE AN ISSUE OR RECALL, CHECKED WITH A LOCAL CHEVROLET DEALER. CALLED DEALERSHIP…
WHILE DRIVING DOWN A VERY BUSY ROAD THE ENGINE STALLED. THE PMD PUMP MOUNTED DRIVER FAILED. I ALMOST WRECKED AND HAD TO TAKE MEASURES TO AVOID OTHERS AND ENDED UP IN A PARKING LOT ALMOST HITTING PARKED CARS. *TR