U.S. public vehicle records

2016 Chevrolet SUBURBAN problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

219 owner complaints analyzed

6 distinct recall campaigns

59,963 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2016 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 131 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Service Brakes is the most frequently named component, appearing in 78 of 219 complaints (35.6%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Braking behavior	80	36.5%
Transmission and shifting	48	21.9%
Steering behavior	26	11.9%
Electrical and battery issues	13	5.9%
Engine operation	11	5.0%
Fuel system concerns	1	0.5%

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.

Service Brakes

Power Train

Engine

Unknown Or Other

Electrical System

Steering

Suspension

Structure:Body

Service Brakes: 78; Power Train: 43; Engine: 27; Unknown Or Other: 26; Electrical System: 25; Steering: 22; Suspension: 10; Structure:Body: 8

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 27; 25,000 to 49,999: 24; 50,000 to 74,999: 31; 75,000 to 99,999: 22; 100,000 to 149,999: 21; 150,000 and above: 6

50,000 to 74,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (31). 88 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.

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

2026

2016: 11; 2017: 17; 2018: 17; 2019: 50; 2020: 24; 2021: 19; 2022: 20; 2023: 15; 2024: 12; 2025: 20; 2026: 14

Pattern summary

Service Brakes leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 80 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 48 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 26 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 10914447 · 2016-10-07 (October 7, 2016)

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE GOES INTO "ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED MODE" PREVENTING ANY ACCELARATION. ONCE YOU TAP THE BRAKES - THAT IS YOUR NEW MAXIMUM SPEED. IF GOING UP AN INCLINE AND YOU SLOW DOWN - NEW MAXIMUM SPEED. THE VEHICLE WILL NOT ACCELERATE. TO MAKE A LEFT TURN - THE VEHICLE HAS TO BE RESTARTED BEFORE THERE IS ANY SORT OF POWER/ACCELERATION TO CROSS THE ROAD. A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION ESPECIALLY IF YOU CANNOT EASILY PULL TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD OUT OF HARMS WAY. THIS HAS HAPPENED 3 TIMES WITH A BRAND NEW 2016 CHEVY SUBURBAN. RES…

Owner-reported narrative. 10,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10914447 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10965728 · 2017-03-13 (March 13, 2017)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE. ALSO, THE BRAKES FAILED TO RESPOND WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE FAILURE RECURRED TWO MORE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 14,000.

Owner-reported narrative. 14,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10965728 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11030444 · 2017-09-29 (September 29, 2017)

EXCESS PLAY AT DIFFERENTIAL CAUSING CLUNKING NOISE WHEN SHIFTING INTO GEAR, WHEN GIVING GAS AFTER LETTING GO OF GAS PEDAL AT CRUISING , AND WHEN SLOWING DOWN WITHOUT BREAKING.

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11030444 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11191294 · 2019-03-25 (March 25, 2019)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE RPMS FLUCTUATED FROM HIGH TO LOW. THE VEHICLE STALLED AND WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE FAILURE CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO HESITATE DURING ACCELERATION. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS BURNED OUT. ED RINKE CHEVROLET BUICK GMC (26125 VAN DYKE AVE, CENTER LINE, MI 48015, [phone removed]) WAS CONTACTED AND PROVIDED PRICING AND WARRANTY INFORMATION FOR A NEW TRANSMISSION. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS CURRENTLY …

Owner-reported narrative. 135,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 11191294 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10994037 · 2017-06-08 (June 8, 2017)

I HAVE EXPERIENCED MY RADIO AND STEERING CONTROLS FAIL TO RESPOND TO TOUCH, DISCONNECT FROM PHONE CALLS, MY CRUISE CONTROL HAS STOPPED WORKING ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS AND IS NOW INTERMITTENT. THE VEHICLE'S LANE DEPARTURE ASSIST IS INTERMITTENT AS WELL.

Owner-reported narrative. 10,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10994037 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11002968 · 2017-07-04 (July 4, 2017)

I CONSTANTLY HAVE TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL (ADJUSTING) FROM SIDE TO SIDE IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN A STRAIGHT DIRECTION, EVEN WHEN THE ROAD IS STRAIGHT. IT IS ESPECIALLY NECESSARY WHEN DRIVING ON HIGHWAYS. THE ONLY TIME I DON'T HAVE TO CONSTANTLY CORRECT THE STEERING IS WHEN THERE IS A CONSTANT SIDE WIND FROM ONE SIDE. IT IS AS IF I'M DRIVING A HIGH MILEAGE VEHICLE WITH WORN STEERING COMPONENTS. THE ISSUE HAS PERSISTED FROM DAY ONE WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS BOUGHT NEW. THIS IS MY FOURTH SUBURBAN, AND THE FIRST TIME I HAVE THIS ISSUE. I HAVE BEEN …

Owner-reported narrative. 300 miles reported. Look up ODI 11002968 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10850219 · 2016-03-17 (March 17, 2016)

2016 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN THE ROOF IS COMING LOSE FORM THE ROOF BOWS. THERE IS A BAD VIBRATION THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE VEHICLE CAUSING IT TO WONDER THE ROAD. THERE IS A WIND BUFFERING NOISE IN THE VEHICLE THAT IS CAUSING ME SEVERE HEADACHES AND EARS TO POP. IT IS ALSO AFFECTING MY CHILDREN AS THEY CRY MORE THAN NORMAL WHEN WE GO FOR RIDES IN THIS VEHICLE. THE WIND BUFFERING NOISE IS AFFECTING MY HEALTH AND WELL BEING. THE REAR END IS MAKING NOISE IN MY VEHICLE. MY DASH IS RATTLING EXTREMELY BAD AND A PIECE FELL OUT OF THE BOTTOM OF THE DASH AN…

Owner-reported narrative. 2,400 miles reported. Look up ODI 10850219 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11023344 · 2017-09-13 (September 13, 2017)

SINCE PURCHASE, OUR VEHICLE HAS BEEN TOWED INTO THE DEALERSHIP BECAUSE IT WOULD NOT TURN OFF AND WE HAD TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY. THE VEHICLE DID THAT 2 MORE TIMES AFTER BEING TOWED IN. IT HAS HAD NEW MOTOR MOUNTS, NEW ROTARS, AND HAS BEEN IN A GM SERVICE CENTER 16 TIMES. THE MOST RECENT INCIDENT WAS WHEN THE VEHICLE DIED ON A HIGHWAY WITH 2 CHILDREN IN THE CAR. PLEASE SEE ATTACHED WORK HISTORY FOR THE VEHICLE

Owner-reported narrative. 28,768 miles reported. Look up ODI 11023344 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11004938 · 2017-07-12 (July 12, 2017)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING AND BEGAN TO SHAKE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO ED BOZARTH CHEVROLET OF LAS VEGAS, NEVADA WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL LINE VAPOR LOCK FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. BOTH THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED THE CONTACT TO USE "91 OCTANE FUEL ONLY" IN THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 23,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

Owner-reported narrative. 23,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11004938 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11534013 · 2023-07-24 (July 24, 2023)

When ignition Suv, a gas leak starts coming out of the bottom of the gas tank Strong smell of gas as well. Large amount of gas is seen. Lose of power when driving. Fuel feed hose is seems to be the problem. This may cause a fire or explosion. Putting in risk my family.

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11534013 at NHTSA ↗