I experienced a serious brake failure in my 2015 Chevrolet Suburban with 112,500 miles that nearly resulted in a collision. After approximately 90 minutes of driving, I pulled into a parking lot and attempted to stop. Without warning lights or prior symptoms, the brake pedal suddenly became extremely hard to press, and the vehicle nearly failed to stop. I had to stomp on the brake pedal to stop. The same dangerous condition occurred while reversing into a parking space. This created a serious risk of injury to myself and others. The problem appeared primarily at low speeds. After sitting for several hours, the brakes seemed normal again. This intermittent failure is especially dangerous because it occurs without warning. A GM dealership inspected the vehicle and confirmed: "Vacuum pump has failed internally causing a stiff pedal at times when pumping brakes. Pump can't build vacuum fast enough to keep up with demand to fill brake booster." The failed component is available for inspection. I discovered GM Special Coverage N182202780 addresses this vacuum pump failure. However, GM refused assistance because my vehicle exceeded the 10-year coverage period, despite having only 112,500 miles. In approximately 2020, I had a GM braking safety recall performed. The dealership reprogrammed the vehicle and installed a thicker brake pedal pad rather than replacing the vacuum pump. Despite this previous recall repair, I experienced the dangerous braking condition. I believe this is a serious safety defect, not simply a warranty issue. A critical braking component should not fail without warning, making the vehicle extremely difficult to stop. I request that the federal safety agency investigate whether the previous recall remedy was adequate and whether GM's special coverage should be expanded into a safety recall regardless of vehicle age.
2015 Chevrolet Suburban brakes problems
153 complaints (35% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 65,000. 8 crashes reported.
- owner complaints
- 153
- of this car's complaints
- 35%
- typical mileage
- 65,000
- crashes
- 8
- recalls
- 1
Which part fails
- Foundation components: master cylinder1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
Chevrolet Suburban brakes problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2015 Chevrolet Suburban brakes
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Related recalls
Service brakes, hydraulic: power assist: vacuum
- What is wrong
- General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Cadillac Escalade, 2014-2018 Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra, 2015-2018 Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Yukon vehicles. The amount of vacuum created by the vacuum pump may decrease over time.
- Risk
- As the vacuum level drops, the brake assist decreases, increasing braking effort, extending the distance required to stop the vehicle, thereby increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the Electronic Brake Control Module, free of charge. The recall began October 8, 2019. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑630‑2438, Cadillac customer service at 1‑800‑458‑8006 or GMC customer service at 1‑800‑462‑8782. GM's number for this recall is N192268490.
Recall number 19V645000 · Recall details
Related investigations
Brake Vacuum Pump Failure
On November 20, 2018, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened PE18-012 to investigate instances of sudden onset of a hard brake pedal that could result in extended stopping distance due to an issue with the brake assist vacuum pump in model year (MY) 2014 through 2016 GMC Sierra 1500 and Chevrolet Silverado 1500 series pickup trucks and MY 2015 through 2016 Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Suburban, Chevrolet Tahoe, and GMC Yukon SUVs.If the brake assist vacuum pump fails to operate as intended, the amount of brake power assist supplied to the driver can be significantly reduced, extending the subject vehicle stopping distance. GM stated that the root cause of pump failures was due to foreign debris such as oil sludge in the engine oil. GM stated that this debris can become trapped by the oil inlet filter screen. Under normal operation, this screen allows a small amount of oil into the brake vacuum pump. The foreign debris can, over time, clog the pump which can cause a loss of lubrication and a reduction in the amount of vacuum produced leading to a hard pedal and extended stopping distance.On December 13, 2018, GM issued a Special Coverage (N182202780) for the brake vacuum pump issue in MY 2014-2017 trucks and 2015-2017 SUVs on the K2XX platform for 6 years or 72,000 miles. Special Coverage repair includes the replacement of the vacuum pump and vacuum pump belt. Consumers received notification of the coverage via mail. On September 6, 2019, GM notified the federal safety agency that it was conducting safety recall 19V‑645 which reprograms the electronic brake control module (EBCM) and included approximately 3.5 million trucks and SUVs. In October 2019, GM extended the terms of special coverage N182202780 to 10 years or 150,000 miles as well as now including the entire scope of recall 19V‑645. In October 2020, GM expanded the scope of coverage N182202780 to include the MY 2018 Escalade and 2019 Tahoe.The remedy implemented in GM recall 19V‑645 appears to be sufficient in addressing the safety-related concerns of this issue. Loss of vacuum assist now occurs at a progressive rate as well as there being a more timely warning of a brake problem to the driver through the driver information center (DIC). In view of the recall action and revision to the special coverage, this Preliminary Evaluation is closed. The agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by new circumstances. The ODI reports cited above are available for review online at under the identification numbers in the attached document.
PE18012
What 2015 Chevrolet Suburban owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
When coming to a stop or backing from my inclined driveway the foot brake requires a hard push because it seems to lock up. I couldn't stop when braking. The problem is recurring. It has not been inspected for this recurring problem and no lights or warning signal appears on the dashboard.
When our new mechanic was checking over the car, he and his other mechanic both noticed that there was an increased brake pedal effort even though the brakes were in ok condition. Every time I’ve had the car serviced I have them check the brakes because they feel off. The car stops and the brakes check out with previous mechanics but something doesn’t feel right. Our new mechanic then gave me a recall bulletin from GM N192268490 and said he thinks our car is experiencing this issue. The recall was attached to our VIN when the mechanic pulled it up but when we called the dealer and checked the federal safety agency website, my VIN number was apparently not part of the recall. I am writing to state that I believe my car may be experiencing the issue stated in the recall bulletin as per my mechanic’s findings. Attached is a copy of the recall bulletin given to us by our mechanic. Please advise.
The braking system on my 2015 Chevy Suburban LTZ failed at slow speeds in a parking lot. I have replicated the issue in both forward and reverse. My family's safety was put at risk in that while backing up out of a parking spot the brakes failed completely and I had to push extremely hard on the brake to get the vehicle to stop. That same behavior occurred while pulling forward into a parking spot, almost hitting the car in front of me. I took the vehicle into a Chevrolet dealer today indicating the symptoms and they said there was no recall attached to my VIN. This exact same behavior in my vehicle is described in [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
If I pull up to a parking spot and I’m slowly creeping into the spot, say at a popular supermarket, and slowing down the brake pedal stiffens up and it’s almost impossible to press. I feel like my truck may not stop. If I’m on a slight incline and in a line behind another vehicle, I’ve noticed the brake pedal stiffens up then as well. Awhile ago I thought there was a recall for this for my truck and it was something about the vacuum in the brake pedal. This is a super problem. I have five kids and we are on the road a lot. This has been happening a lot but most recently would be today.
Often the brake pedal becomes very hard to push and braking is extremely hindered. There is a recall for this issue that has been done but the vehicle is experiencing the exact same problem again. Dealership says that the vehicle time has expired for anything to be done again. Recall was performed only 5 years ago.
While driving approximately 70 miles an hour and trying to switch lanes, we got a stabilitrack warning and the car shut off for a second and then came back on. the weather was nice and there was no snow or any other adverse conditions. This happened a couple more times on the ride and then when we tried to turn into a parking spot it shut off completely and we had to restart it. We turned stabilitrack off and the car was ok for a couple of short drives. Then driving late at late and we passed another car the same thing happened. Then when we tried to turn our brights on we got the same message. Then we got a brake assist message and then we got a collision alert. The headlights were flickering the rest of the drive and we couldnt use our brights. We had our 4 children in the car and it was shutting down at high speeds and very scary. I looked up our vin and it said that the recalls had been worked on but I dont remember this being done. This has never happended before this. our car would be available for inspection if needed.
The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated that upon coming to a complete stop, he observed that the brake pedal briefly depressed all the way to the floorboard. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The contact stated that the failure only occurred upon coming to a complete stop. The power assist brake warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 19V645000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 126,000.
When driving through city traffic basically stop and go the brake pedal gets very hard and the car does not stop as smooth or almost not at all. It gets very dangerous.
Continuous "Trailer Brake System" alarm makes the vehicle undrivable due to to distraction
Questions about the 2015 Chevrolet Suburban brakes
Does the 2015 Chevrolet Suburban have brakes problems?
Owners have filed 153 complaints about the brakes of the 2015 Chevrolet Suburban, 35% of all its complaints, more than any other problem.
At what mileage do 2015 Chevrolet Suburban brakes problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 65,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2015 Chevrolet Suburban brakes?
Yes, 1 recall: 19V645000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Chevrolet Suburban have bad brakes?
The Chevrolet Suburban model years with the most brakes complaints are 1994 (581 complaints), 1993 (382 complaints) and 1999 (246 complaints).
Other 2015 Chevrolet Suburban problems
Steering 61Electrical 58Transmission 49Engine 40Body 34Driver assistance 33Suspension 29Fuel system 27Airbags 11Lights 10Seat belts 8Seats 6Visibility 6Acceleration 4Wheels 4Tires 1
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