On August 7, 2026, while driving a rental vehicle in the Denver, Colorado area with my family, including two young children, the vehicle unexpectedly lost engine power while traveling downhill. The engine shut off, resulting in a significant reduction in brake assistance and creating an extremely dangerous situation. We were able to bring the vehicle to a stop without a collision or injury. After restarting the vehicle, the check-engine light illuminated. The vehicle was no longer considered safe to operate and ultimately required towing by the rental operator. The exact mechanical cause is UNKNOWN. I do not know whether the vehicle was subsequently inspected or repaired by a qualified service center, and I do not have access to its diagnostic or maintenance records. After the incident, I discovered that another renter had reported a substantially similar failure involving the same vehicle approximately one week earlier, including engine problems and a check-engine warning. I have since discovered an additional report of an engine-related issue involving this vehicle after my rental. Despite these recurring reports, the vehicle appears to remain available for rental to the public. I am concerned that this vehicle has a recurring, potentially unresolved defect involving engine shutdown or loss of power while driving. Such a failure creates a serious collision risk, particularly on hills, at highway speeds, or in traffic. I request that the federal safety agency investigate whether this vehicle's repeated failures indicate a broader engine, electrical, or powertrain safety defect. The vehicle remains in the possession or control of the rental operator and may be available for inspection. I can provide supporting documentation of the reported incidents.
The worst 2018 Chevrolet Suburban problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Engine19
- Transmission19
- Electrical17
- Brakes15
- Steering8
- Seat belts5
- Airbags4
- Driver assistance4
- Fuel system4
- Wheels4
- Acceleration3
- Suspension2
- Body1
Specific symptoms reported on the 2018 Chevrolet Suburban
Check engine light 7Loss of power 6Transmission failure 6ABS 5
Recalls 4
Power train: transfer case (4-wheel drive)
- What is wrong
- General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2026 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Suburban, and Tahoe, and GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles with four-wheel (4WD) or all-wheel drive (AWD), and certain 2015-2020 Suburban, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Yukon, Yukon XL, and Tahoe vehicles. A component missing from the drivetrain transfer case may cause the front and/or rear wheels to lock up without warning to the driver.
- Risk
- Front or rear wheel lockup increases the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Owners are advised not to drive their vehicle until the remedy is completed. Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the transfer case assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 18, 2026. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1‑800‑462‑8782, Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1‑800‑333‑4223. GM's number for this recall is N262557620. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on on May 7, 2026.
Recall number 26V289000 · Recall details
Service brakes
- What is wrong
- General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2020 Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, and GMC Yukon, and 2014-2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles equipped with a 5.3-liter engine, a 3.08-ratio rear axle and four-wheel drive. If a wheel-speed sensor fails, while the vehicle is traveling between 41 and 60 mph in four-wheel or automatic mode, the Electronic-Brake Control Module (EBCM) software may activate the driveline-protection system.
- Risk
- Unintended activation of the driveline-protection system will cause unintended braking on the wheel on the opposite side of the failed sensor, causing the vehicle to pull to one side unexpectedly, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the EBCM, free of charge. The recall began December 11, 2019. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑630‑2438 or GMC customer service at 1‑800‑462‑8782. GM's number for this recall is N192261050.
Recall number 19V761000 · Recall details
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
Seat belts: rear/other
- What is wrong
- General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Cadillac CT6, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Volt, and GMC Yukon XL vehicles. Certain second-row or third-row rear seatbelts retractor assemblies may not automatically lock when the seatbelt is fully pulled out of the retractor, possibly preventing a child seat from being properly secured. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
- Risk
- If the child seat is not properly secured in the event of a crash, it can increase the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rear seatbelt retractors and replace them if necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 7, 2018. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1‑800‑458‑8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020 or GMC customer service at 1‑800‑462‑8782. GM's number for this recall is 18315.
Recall number 18V673000 · Recall details
Technical service bulletins for the 2018 Chevrolet Suburban 1,256
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- This service bulletin provides information about GM Accessories
- Unknown or other
- This PI provides Diagnostics tips on how the LIN bus works and how to diagnosis it.
- Unknown or other
- This PI provides diagnostic tips for diagnosing electric trailer brakes issues.
- PI to help diagnose A/C concern
- Unknown or other
- Unknown or other
- Unknown or other
- This PI Communications information on an alternative product dealers can use to perform 19-NA-255: Wax...
2018 Chevrolet Suburban fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5.3L 8‑cyl | RWD | 16 | 23 | 19 |
| 5.3L 8‑cyl | 4WD | 15 | 22 | 18 |
What 2018 Chevrolet Suburban owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
My 2018 Chevrolet Suburban is experiencing transmission problems that raise serious concerns about the reliability and potential safety of General Motors transmissions used in trucks and SUVs from this period. When I contacted an independent transmission repair shop to describe the problems, the employee immediately asked whether my vehicle was a 2014–2018 model. When I confirmed it was a 2018 Suburban, she explained that the shop encounters transmission problems in these vehicles regularly. Her familiarity with the issue, before even inspecting my vehicle, was particularly concerning. This is now the second 2018 General Motors vehicle in my household to experience significant transmission problems. My 2018 GMC Sierra previously suffered a complete transmission failure despite remaining substantially below its warranty mileage threshold. General Motors declined financial assistance because the warranty's time limitation had expired. I recognize that these are two separate vehicles and that the mechanical cause of the Suburban's current symptoms has not yet been independently confirmed. However, the recurrence of transmission problems, the repair shop's observations, and publicly reported complaints involving GM trucks and SUVs from this period warrant further investigation. I am concerned that transmission defects could cause unexpected hesitation, slipping, loss of propulsion, or unpredictable shifting, potentially creating dangerous driving conditions. I am not claiming that all these conditions have occurred in my Suburban, but I believe the potential safety implications deserve examination. I request that the federal safety agency investigate whether these vehicles exhibit recurring transmission defects, review relevant manufacturer technical service bulletins and consumer complaints, and determine whether additional corrective action or a safety recall is warranted.
My suburban shut off 5 times while turning. Very unsafe given I have 4 children and it could have been while we were driving on the freeway, which could have been fatal.
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated while the contact's husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed, however the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. In addition, the contact's husband noticed an abnormal sound and the vehicle independently stopped. The contact stated that the instrument cluster displayed a blank screen. The contact's husband attempted to shift the gear shifter, however the gear shifter failed to shift as intended. The contact stated after several attempts, the gear shifter shifted as intended. The vehicle was driven to the residence. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a failed transmission. The contact's husband was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced or rebuilt. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not associated with a recall related to the failure. In addition, the contact was informed that the failure was a known failure with the vehicle. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact was informed that the failure was not covered under the unknown recall. The failure mileage was approximately 108,000.
My husband was driving our 2018 Chevy Suburban when it suddenly stopped accelerating and he could no longer shift gears. Luckily, this happened while he was driving down a gravel road (approx 25-30mph). If he would have been driving at highway speeds, it is likely that he could have lost control of the vehicle. Our Suburban had no issues to this point and had always run well. We take it in for routine maintenance. We had it towed to a local repair shop, and they informed us that something had happened with the transmission and that it would need to be replaced. I have found several GM transmission recalls and our situation sounds similar to reference N252536750. Again we had no warning signs and had been experiencing no issues with our vehicle. If this had been something that we had been noticing problems and hadn't gotten it looked at, I can understand that maybe this had been something on going for a while that we had just missed maintenance on. However, for the transmission to stop so suddenly, I believe there must be some sort of larger failure in the transmission system.
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2018 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated that while purchasing an aftermarket warranty coverage, the warranty company informed the contact that there was a mileage discrepancy based on the Carfax report. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the mileage was 123,959; however, the Carfax report listed the mileage at 129,000 one month prior to the purchase.
Transmission problems 124,994 miles . It's the same defects as the 2019-2025 defects.
The transmission just stopped working no warning just wouldn’t go into gear. Then I turned it off and back on and was able to limp home it’s slipping bad .
My 2018 LT Chevy suburban with 110000 miles has been giving me transmission and motor problems. I took it to chevy vannuys and they took 3 days and did nothing. I saw a recall on line for the same year. Explaining about transmission problems. Where can I go to have it fixed.
I am reporting a safety issue involving a Cybex Eternis S child car seat. The seat was manufactured on 02/28/2020 and has a printed expiration date of 02/25/2030, indicating a 10 year usable life. At approximately five years of use, the head impact foam failed and is broken into two separate pieces. The foam pieces are detached. This foam is a required safety component. Cybex customer service confirmed in writing that if the head impact foam is detached or broken into separate pieces, the seat does not meet safety requirements and should not be used. Cybex also confirmed that no replacement part is available and no repair or remedy is offered. As a result, the seat is unsafe and unusable halfway through its stated usable life, with no ability to repair or replace the failed safety component. This raises concerns about product safety support for child restraint systems marketed with extended usable lifespans.
Compare the 2018 Chevrolet Suburban
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Other model years
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Questions about the 2018 Chevrolet Suburban
Is the 2018 Chevrolet Suburban reliable?
Owners have filed 84 complaints about the 2018 Chevrolet Suburban, fewer than a typical Suburban model year.
What is the 2018 Chevrolet Suburban year score?
The 2018 Chevrolet Suburban scores 81 out of 100 (good). The score compares it with the other model years of the Chevrolet Suburban: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.
What is the most common problem with the 2018 Chevrolet Suburban?
Engine and cooling, with 19 complaints, typically around 88,000 miles. Next is transmission (19).
How many recalls does the 2018 Chevrolet Suburban have?
4 recalls, covering power train, service brakes and service brakes, hydraulic.
What year does the Chevrolet Suburban have bad engine?
The Chevrolet Suburban model years with the most engine complaints are 2021 (102 complaints), 2023 (77 complaints) and 2022 (69 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 2018 Chevrolet Suburban get?
Official estimates for the 2018 Chevrolet Suburban range from 18 to 19 mpg combined. The most efficient version (5.3L 8-cyl, RWD) gets 16 city and 23 highway.
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