IllustrationTHE BRAKES FAIL WHEN YOU ARE IN A SITUATION THAT YOU HAVE TO STOP FAST OR HOLD GOING DOWN A HILL,THERE IS A CHATTERING AND THE PEDAL GOES TO THE FLOOR, YOU HAVE TO RELEASE THE PEDAL THEN REAPPLY PRESSURE AND HOPE IT ENGAGES, WEVE HAD SOME CLOSE CALLS. WEVE ALSO HAD TO PUT ON NEW BRAKE PADS FREQUENTLY. *AK
1993 GMC Suburban
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Suburban years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 4 of 212 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 161 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Visibility. Review the 19 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 10 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
31 crash reports4 fire reports6 injury reports
Service Brakes, Hydraulic complaints
161 reportsWHILE PULLING UP TO A STOP LIGHT, AND APPLYING THE BRAKES, CAR SHOT INTO CRUISE CONTROL/GAS PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND CAR WAS OUT CONTROL. CONSUMER HAD BOTH FEET ON BRAKE PEDAL, WHEN CAR JUMPED INTO A DITCH, AND LANDED IN A GRAVELED PARKING LOT. CONSUMER HAD TO SLAM INTO PARK WHILE FEET WERE STILL ON THE BRAKES. CONSUMER TOO…
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WHILE PULLING UP TO A STOP LIGHT, AND APPLYING THE BRAKES, CAR SHOT INTO CRUISE CONTROL/GAS PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND CAR WAS OUT CONTROL. CONSUMER HAD BOTH FEET ON BRAKE PEDAL, WHEN CAR JUMPED INTO A DITCH, AND LANDED IN A GRAVELED PARKING LOT. CONSUMER HAD TO SLAM INTO PARK WHILE FEET WERE STILL ON THE BRAKES. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND THEY SAID SYNCHRONIZER WAS BAD. CONSUMER FELT THIS COULD HAVE KILLED HIS FAMILY OR INNOCENT BYSTANDERS. *AK *ML
WHEN BRAKE PEDAL WAS APPLIED BRAKES CAME ON, AND VEHICLE BEGAN TO SLIDE. THEN BRAKES RELEASED, AND CAME BACK ON, STOPPING VEHICLE AS THE BRAKES WERE SUPPOSE TO WORK. DELAER HAS BEEN CONTACTED, AND WOULD LIKE TO INSPECT VEHICLE. *AK
ABS BRAKE PROBLEMS; WHEN STOPPING IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION, FRONT BRAKES SEEM TO LOCK UP, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. THIS IS MORE NOTICEABLE ON WET ROAD SURFACES. MANUFACTURER WAS CALLED ABOUT THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
I HAVE MADE SURE I HAVE DONE PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE TO ENSURE THAT NOTHING MAJOR WOULD HAPPEN . HOWEVER, I SPENT $2,600 TO REPLACE THE REAR DIFFERNTIAL IN 1997 AND NOW AFTER PUTTING THE CAR IN REVERSE ON 3/17/00 THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL EXPLODED. NOW THE MECHANICS ARE TELLING ME THAT IT WILL COST 4,000 BECAUSE THERE ARE NO USED IDF…
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I HAVE MADE SURE I HAVE DONE PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE TO ENSURE THAT NOTHING MAJOR WOULD HAPPEN . HOWEVER, I SPENT $2,600 TO REPLACE THE REAR DIFFERNTIAL IN 1997 AND NOW AFTER PUTTING THE CAR IN REVERSE ON 3/17/00 THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL EXPLODED. NOW THE MECHANICS ARE TELLING ME THAT IT WILL COST 4,000 BECAUSE THERE ARE NO USED IDFFERENTIALS AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY ARE ALL BROKEN. I HAVE SPENT THOUSANDS FIXING THE ROTARS, EVEN AFTER GETTING REGULAR BRAKE INSPECTIONS. OTHER ITEMS I DID NOT REPORT ARE THE THREE REAR PASSENGER SEAT BELTS THAT BROKE, THE DOOR LOCKS CONSTANTLY GET SUCK AND I HAVE TO USE A SCREW DIRIVER TO UNLOCK THEM, AND IT TAKES TWO HANDS TO TURN THE KEY LOCKS BECAUSE THEY ARE SO HARD TO TURN. WITH ALL THAT SAID, MY MJAOR CONCERN IS WHY THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL JUST EXPLODES, EVEN AFTER GETTING MY BREAKS AND AR FLUIDS INSPECTED.THE SUBURBAN IS A GMC 1500, SLE MODEL K10906. *AK
EA95026, POOR BRAKE PERFORMANCE; WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES, ON ANY NON-DRY SURFACE, IT TAKES TOO LONG TO STOP. IT FEELS AS THOUGH CONSUME LOSES MOST OF THE BRAKES. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
EA 95 026; VEHICLE EXPERIENCING INTERMITTENT PROBLEM WITH ABS ENGAGING AT LOW SPEED WHILE RUNNING ON DIFFERENT SURFACES, AND CAUSING BRAKE FAILURE WHEN APPLIED. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK
ON DRY, SMOOTH PAVEMENT MY WIFE WAS UNABLE TO PREVENT AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF THE ANTILOCK BRAKE SYSTEM. THE DRIVER IN FRONT OF MY WIFE CHANGED HIS MIND ABOUT ENTERING A LEFT TURN LANE AND WHIPPED HIS CAR BACK IN FRONT OF MY WIFE. BOTH THE DRIVER OF THE OTHER CAR AND MY WIFE THOUGHT THERE WAS ENOUGH SPACE BETWEEN THE VEHICLES T…
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ON DRY, SMOOTH PAVEMENT MY WIFE WAS UNABLE TO PREVENT AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF THE ANTILOCK BRAKE SYSTEM. THE DRIVER IN FRONT OF MY WIFE CHANGED HIS MIND ABOUT ENTERING A LEFT TURN LANE AND WHIPPED HIS CAR BACK IN FRONT OF MY WIFE. BOTH THE DRIVER OF THE OTHER CAR AND MY WIFE THOUGHT THERE WAS ENOUGH SPACE BETWEEN THE VEHICLES TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT. SHE APPLIED THE BRAKES ONLY TO DISCOVER THE CAR WOULD NOT DE-ACCELERATE QUICK ENOUGH. SHE HAD BOTH FEET ON THE BREAK PEDAL AT THIS TIME. THE DEALER CHECKED THE ANTILOCK SYSTEM AND REPORTED IT WAS "FUNCTIONING AS DESIGNED". I PULLED THE FUSE SUPPLYING THE ANTILOCK SYSTEM AND DISCOVERED THE RIGHT REAR BRAKE WAS LOCKING UP SOONER THAN THE OTHERS. A SECOND CONTACT WITH THE DEALER INFORMED ME THE GM SYSTEM BACKS OF THE BRAKE LINE PRESSURE ON ALL BRAKES IF ONE WHEEL LOCKS UP. WITHOUT THE SYSTEM, EVEN WITH ONE WHEEL LOCKED UP, I THINK THE VEHICLE COULD HAVE SLOWED DOWN ENOUGH TO AVOID THE ACCIDENT. *AK
WHEN CROSSING A RAILROAD TRACK BRAKES FAILED THEY WOULD NOT STOP VEHICLE. AFTER GOING ABOUT 50 FEET ON GRAVEL THE CAR FINALLY STOPPED. ALSO, WHEN DRIVING ON GRAVEL ANTI-LOCK BRAKES SEEMED TO WORK INCORRECTLY. TOOK TO DEALER, AND DEALER INDICATED THAT CAR DRIVES THE WAY IT SHOULD. *AK
THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS OF ABS BRAKE FAILURES WITH THE SUBURBANS. I HOPE NO ONE GETS KILLED WHILE DRIVING ONE OF THEM. *AK
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
3DP00001 · Oem Hitch Receiver Platform Cracking
Opened Jan 31, 2000 · No close date supplied
Status: open (inferred from source dates) · Equipment
THE PETITION ALLEGES THAT CRACKS IN THE HITCH RECEIVER PLATFORM MAY LEAD TO SEPARATION OF THE TRAILER AND LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL
EA95026 · Poor Brake Performance
Opened Sep 20, 1995 · Closed Sep 20, 2001
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic
POOR PERFORMANCE OF ABS BRAKES
EA94029 · Engine Compartment Fires
Opened Jul 29, 1994 · Closed Jul 31, 1996
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine And Engine Cooling
AN ALLEGED MALFUNCTION IN THE ATLERNATOR RESULTING IN ENGINE COMPARTMET FIRES.