My 1999 GMC Sierra – One Lemon Later, Yet Back Into The GM Fold

GMC Sierra image from bidcars.com. 

After returning my ‘98 Cheyenne pickup to the dealer after a short and troublesome ownership (my Lemon Law chapter), I now needed to replace it. GM had agreed to give me a check for all of my lease payments plus the cost of a bed liner and the window tinting, less a 20% usage fee, per the Attorney General’s guidelines. It was time to go shopping.

This time, however, I did more research. We had decided that on this occasion, there were certain must haves that were not negotiable: a small V8, an automatic, tilt and cruise, power windows and locks, and a nicer interior. Also, some time on the road would be welcomed on any prospects.

Since the brand new 1999 GM trucks were just released, there weren’t any available at rentals. However, I did rent both a Ram and an F150 to check them out.

The Ram was a very nice driving truck; it offered a fourth door and was really quiet. But my research, talking to service people, revealed that the ‘99 Ram was showing problems, including a “near certain” air conditioning failure. So I crossed that one off.

I then rented an F150, but I was not a fan of the swoopy design, and my wife said, “It looks like it needs lipstick!” Now, as far as the drivability, no issues.

So I went into my local Ford store, where a friend’s brother was the top salesman. He and I went over what I wanted and he thought that the XLT trim was the way to go, so we went out to the lot and looked at a dark blue unit. I sat on the passenger’s side, and the salesman was on the driver’s side. As we looked it over, I mentioned that I really wanted the XLT trim. He said, “ This is an XLT.”

Well, he was half right. On his side was affixed an XLT badge and V8 callout. But on my side, it was an XL. Wow, Ford.

So he found me a nice silver unit. It had the 5.4 engine since, according to him, “They were beginning to see engine issues with the V6 and oil burning issues with the 4.6”.

Still, I told him to start the paperwork and that I would be by in the morning.

GMC Sierra image from bidcars.com. 

The next day, my father in law Paul came by to drive me to the dealer. As we drove along, I told him about my final decision was and the why. He asked if I’d considered the new Chevys, and I told him yes, but that low stock meant they were asking window plus for them. He hurriedly asked “Does GMC make a version?”

  • Yes, I told him.

He then did a 180 in the middle of traffic and pulled into a GMC/Pontiac dealer. Out front, the dealer had done a cool display; they had parked the new Sierras in a fan shape, with the basic work truck on the left, increasing in models and options, to a Choo-Choo custom 3500 dually at the end.

GMC Sierra image from bidcars.com. 

In the very center was a burgundy SLE over an oak interior. It was equipped exactly how I wanted, and in fact, the only option was buckets with a console. See, GMC equipped their mid trim extended cab trucks with a small V8 (4.8) automatic and other nice things.

After a test drive, we made our offer. Window price was $26,300 and I offered $23,000. When we were done, I paid $23,500, which included 4 oil changes and tire rotations, plus a bed liner.

So, yes, I did go back to the company that had driven me nuts for 14 months. But, as I’ll write next time, it turned out to be a very good experience.