Chevrolet SUBURBAN 2500 problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
167 owner complaints analyzed
0 distinct recall campaigns
86,600 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 1994 to 2011 model years. Data snapshot: . 153 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Service Brakes is the most frequently named component, appearing in 28 of 167 complaints (16.8%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Braking behavior | 66 | 39.5% |
| Engine operation | 25 | 15.0% |
| Steering behavior | 22 | 13.2% |
| Fuel system concerns | 16 | 9.6% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 12 | 7.2% |
| Transmission and shifting | 2 | 1.2% |
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.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Service Brakes | 28 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 18 |
| Electrical System | 17 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 17 |
| Air Bags | 12 |
| Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/Panel | 9 |
| Tires | 9 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 7 |
Service Brakes: 28; Engine And Engine Cooling: 18; Electrical System: 17; Service Brakes, Hydraulic: 17; Air Bags: 12; Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/Panel: 9; Tires: 9; Fuel System, Gasoline: 7
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 9 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 10 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 39 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 37 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 41 |
| 150,000 and above | 17 |
Under 25,000: 9; 25,000 to 49,999: 10; 50,000 to 74,999: 39; 75,000 to 99,999: 37; 100,000 to 149,999: 41; 150,000 and above: 17
100,000 to 149,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (41). 14 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.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2006 | 11 |
| 2007 | 16 |
| 2008 | 23 |
| 2009 | 17 |
| 2010 | 21 |
| 2011 | 13 |
| 2012 | 12 |
| 2013 | 9 |
| 2014 | 8 |
| 2015 | 10 |
| 2016 | 12 |
| 2017 | 10 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 4 |
2006: 11; 2007: 16; 2008: 23; 2009: 17; 2010: 21; 2011: 13; 2012: 12; 2013: 9; 2014: 8; 2015: 10; 2016: 12; 2017: 10; 2018: 1; 2019: 4
Pattern summary
Service Brakes leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 66 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 25 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 22 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.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10196550 · 2007-07-17 (July 17, 2007)
ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WHILE DRIVING AT A SLOWER SPEEDS THE ABS SYSTEM ON THE 1994 K2500 4X4 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN HAS ACTIVATED FOR NO APPARENT REASON. THIS CAUSED A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN STOPPING DISTANCE. TO THIS DATE THERE HAVE BEEN NO ACCIDENTS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS PROBLEM, BUT QUITE A FEW CLOSE CALLS. *AK
Owner-reported narrative. 160,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10196550 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10470509 · 2012-08-13 (August 13, 2012)
RUSTED BRAKE LINE BLEW OUT AND I HAD WRECK. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 76,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10470509 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10165885 · 2006-08-17 (August 17, 2006)
CAR WILL DIE AT HIGHWAY SPEED, LEADING TO LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKING. 2001 CHEVY SUBURBAN WITH 8.1L ENGINE. THIS SOUNDS THE SAME AS OPEN COMPLAINT NHTSA ACTION NUMBER: PE06016. *NM
Owner-reported narrative. 60,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10165885 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10168690 · 2006-09-19 (September 19, 2006)
BOUGHT A USED 01 SUBURBAN ON 9/10/06 IT HAS 826000 MILES ON IT. THE DAY AFTER I BOUGHT IT DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD 30 MPH, THE TRUCK STALLED. I PUT IT IN NEUTRAL, STILL ROLLING AND ATTEMPTED TO RESTART 2 OR 3 TIMES. IT FINALLY STARTED. IT HAS ALSO DONE IT AT A DEAD STOP AT THE BANK DRIVE THROUGH. THIS TIME IT DIDN'T RESTART UNTIL I PULLED THE KEY AND REINSERTED IT AND IT STARTED. AS OF TODAY 9/19/06 IT HAS DONE IT AT LEAST 7 TIMES. I TOOK IT TO CHEVROLET THEY SAID POSSIBLE CRANK POSITION SENSOR? *NM
Owner-reported narrative. 82,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10168690 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10332737 · 2010-05-29 (May 29, 2010)
UPON LOW SPEED BRAKING, BRAKE PEDAL GOES TO THE FLOOR AND LOSS OF STEERING AT THE SAME TIME. TRUCK IS K2500 SUBURBAN WITH HYDRAULIC BRAKE BOOSTER WITH FLUID SUPPLIED BY STEERING PUMP. WILL COME & GO AS IT PLEASES-NO WARNING WHEN. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 122,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10332737 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10201337 · 2007-08-31 (August 31, 2007)
(1) TIME. IT APPEARS THAT THIS FAILURE IS GUARANTEED TO HAPPEN. (2) THE FUEL SOLENOID DRIVER FAILS; THE DIESEL ENGINE STOPS; ONE IS LEFT GOING DOWN THE ROAD WITHOUT POWER STEERING NOR POWER BRAKES IN A VERY HEAVY VEHICLE. WHETHER AN ACCIDENT OCCURRED IS BY CHANCE. (3) A NEW, AND EXPENSIVE, FUEL SOLENOID DRIVER WAS INSTALLED. THE OLD ONE IS STILL IN PLACE. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 45,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10201337 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10296234 · 2009-12-17 (December 17, 2009)
MY 1995 DIESEL SUBURBAN BEGAN RUNNING A LITTLE ROUGH. ONE MORNING JUST AFTER PULLING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY THE ENGINE SUDDENLY SURGED UP TO 3000 RPM AND JUMPED FORWARD. FORTUNATELY I WAS ABLE TO CONTROL IT AND COAX IT BACK INTO THE DRIVEWAY WITHOUT INCIDENT OR INJURY. RESEARCH WITH MY LOCAL DIESEL EXPERT SHOWED THAT THIS WAS DUE TO A FAILING INJECTOR PUMP AND FURTHERMORE IT IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THESE PUMPS. THE PROBLEM IS NOW EASILY REPRODUCED SIMPLY BY SITTING IN THE DRIVEWAY AND RUNNING THE TRUCK. IT WILL START, AND THEN REV TO 3000+ R…
Owner-reported narrative. 170,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10296234 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10172066 · 2006-10-29 (October 29, 2006)
CONTINUAL FAILURE OF FUEL PUMP, WIRING HARNESS SOCKET HEATING UP TO THE POINT WHERE THE PLASTIC AROUND THE MALE PORTION OF THE ELECTRIC CONNECTORS IS MELTING. THIS HAS OCCURRED ON 3 SEPARATE FUEL PUMPS OVER THE LAST YEAR. AFTER RESEARCHING THE ISSUE ONLINE IT APPEARS TO BE A COMMON OCCURRENCE AMONG 99 SUBURBANS. *NM
Owner-reported narrative. 1 miles reported. Look up ODI 10172066 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10370313 · 2010-12-12 (December 12, 2010)
GM SIDE TERMINAL BATTERIES HAVE DESIGN FLAW THAT ALLOWS BATTERY ACID TO LEAK OUT OF THE TERMINALS WHEN STRESSES FROM HEAVY CABLES CAUSE SEAL TO FAIL. BATTERY ACID LEAKS ON VEHICLE COMPONENTS BELOW AND HAS BEEN KNOWN TO RUIN BRAKE LINES AND OTHER IMPORTANT SAFETY COMPONENTS. IN ADDITION, THE BATTERY ACID IS HARMFUL TO THE ENVIRONMENT. I HAVE PERSONALLY HAD THESE BATTERIES FAIL SEVERAL TIMES IN MY 99 CHEVY. SUBURBAN K2500 DIESEL. SEE THE LINK FOLLOWING FOR MORE REPORTS OF SAME PROBLEM BY OTHERS: HTTP://WWW.ABOUTAUTOMOBILE.COM/COMPLAINT/1999/…
Owner-reported narrative. 90,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10370313 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10629913 · 2014-09-01 (September 1, 2014)
ONE OF THE METAL BRAKE LINES BETWEEN THE MASTER CYLINDER AND THE ABS MODULATOR VALVE RUPTURED DURING A STOP DUE TO CORROSION. ALL BRAKE LINES IN THE VEHICLE HAVE SIMILAR LEVELS OF CORROSION NEAR THE AREA THE AFOREMENTIONED LINE RUPTURED, AND AT VARIOUS OTHER LOCATIONS ON THE VEHICLE. THE TRANSMISSION COOLER LINES HAD FAILED APPROXIMATELY 18 MONTHS PREVIOUSLY DUE TO CORROSION. THE CORROSION AND RUST ON MANY COMPONENTS BENEATH THE VEHICLE AND IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT IS BECOMING RATHER CONCERNING. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 137,096 miles reported. Look up ODI 10629913 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10721311 · 2015-05-25 (May 25, 2015)
THE METAL BRAKE LINE BETWEEN THE ABS MODULATOR VALVE AND FRONT RIGHT WHEEL RUPTURED WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS PRESSED. THE LINE FAILED DUE TO CORROSION. ALL BRAKE LINES IN THE VEHICLE HAD SIMILAR LEVELS OF CORROSION NEAR THE AREA THE AFOREMENTIONED LINE RUPTURED, AND AT VARIOUS OTHER LOCATIONS ON THE VEHICLE. A BRAKE LINE BETWEEN THE MASTER CYLINDER AND ABS MODULATOR HAD FAILED IN A SIMILAR MANNNER APPROXIMATELY 8 MONTHS PREVIOUSLY. THE TRANSMISSION COOLER LINES HAD ALSO FAILED DUE TO CORROSION APPROXIMATELY 2 YEARS AGO. THE CORROSION AND RUST O…
Owner-reported narrative. 140,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10721311 at NHTSA ↗
Recalls by model year
All campaigns in the snapshot affecting each model year, including recalls announced years later.
Recall campaigns
Shared campaigns appear once in each affected model year.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 0 |
| 1996 | 0 |
| 1997 | 0 |
| 1998 | 0 |
| 1999 | 0 |
| 2000 | 0 |
| 2001 | 0 |
| 2002 | 0 |
| 2003 | 0 |
| 2004 | 0 |
| 2005 | 0 |
| 2006 | 0 |
| 2008 | 0 |
| 2009 | 0 |
| 2010 | 0 |
| 2011 | 0 |
1995: 0; 1996: 0; 1997: 0; 1998: 0; 1999: 0; 2000: 0; 2001: 0; 2002: 0; 2003: 0; 2004: 0; 2005: 0; 2006: 0; 2008: 0; 2009: 0; 2010: 0; 2011: 0