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.
2018 Chevrolet Suburban brakes problems
15 complaints (18% of all complaints for this car).
- owner complaints
- 15
- of this car's complaints
- 18%
- crashes
- 0
- recalls
- 1
Which part fails
Owners did not name a specific part.
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
Chevrolet Suburban brakes problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2018 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
What 2018 Chevrolet Suburban owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
No official incident has happened yet, but the brake assist kicks in, yet does not work until it's revving engine to over 4000rpm, which causes a sudden jerk and scary sounds from engine. I have had a few instances where the vehicle did not want to stop almost causing an accident, and these have happened without anything in the car other than my daughter who is 2 and myself. The most recent problem is a weird rattling sound while going uphill. Before this going uphill is extremely sluggish, where I have the gas peddle almost to the floor, but nothing happens other than decrease in speed until it finally, about 30 seconds-1 minute, where it kicks into overdrive. Even then, speed does not increase by more than 5-10 mph depending on the incline. I have not brought it to get looked at yet, as I've seen these issues have been reported by numerous consumers without any recalls being sent out other than the breaking system update.
The Trailor brake system, engine light, stabilitrak control system and antilock brake system is on due to the wiring of this vehicle.
Vehicle starts dinging with warning - Service Trailer Brake System - and warning - Action Required Steering Assist is Reduced Drive with Care - ABS Light - Traction Control. Power steering goes out and assumedly ABS and Traction Control stop working.
My rear left tire locks when I’m doing sharp turns and I don’t see any traction control lights come on when that happens
My car was acting weird, brake pedal was extremely tough to decompress, speed then was affected, and ultimately the brakes failed.
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact initially stated that while in reverse(R), the brake pedal became firm as the brake assist message appeared on the instrument panel. The contact stated that she had to stand on the brake pedal to stop the vehicle while in reverse(R). The contact then stated that the failure would occur while driving at various speed. The contact had taken the vehicle to a dealer where the mechanic was eventually able to duplicate the failure. The contact had the vacuum pump replaced; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where she was then informed that the brake booster needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and offered to pay a portion towards the cost of the repair. Upon investigation, the contact discovered the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 19V645000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) which she linked to the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 80,000.
When placing the car in reverse, the car started to go backwards quickly and I had to put all my weight on the brakes and it took about 40 feet for the car to stop.
The vehicle began to shake as if it would shut down. Then, the engine light came on. Then I received three text message alerts. We were shown paperwork regarding the service history that was done at Philips Chevrolet. Now we’re getting alerts regarding work that has to be completed within 7 days.
My wife and son were traveling on the interstate in Indianapolis and the brakes began to fail in our 2018 Chevy Suburban. The brake pedal was almost impossible to depress to get the vehicle to even slow down. She was afraid that she was not going to be able to stop and get in a crash. Fortunately, she was able to maneuver the vehicle to the shoulder as it finally slowed down enough. She was afraid to go any farther to an exit for fear of not being able to stop down a sloping exit. So she was able to come to a stop on the shoulder of the interstate. Their was a warning light that came on as this was happening, which was the ABS warning light. It was towed to Andy Mohr Speedway Chevrolet and they have diagnosed it as a failed vacuum pump. After doing research, I found that there is a recall on 2018 Chevrolet Suburban for the vacuum pump. However, the VIN on my vehicle wasn't included. The recall number is N192268490. The information listed in this recall sounds exactly was happened to our vehicle causing the very dangerous condition that could have resulted in a tragic crash.
Questions about the 2018 Chevrolet Suburban brakes
Does the 2018 Chevrolet Suburban have brakes problems?
Owners have filed 15 complaints about the brakes of the 2018 Chevrolet Suburban, 18% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 2018 Chevrolet Suburban brakes problems start?
Not enough complaints include the mileage to tell.
Was there a recall on the 2018 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 2018 Chevrolet Suburban problems
Engine 19Transmission 19Electrical 17Steering 8Seat belts 5Airbags 4Driver assistance 4Fuel system 4Wheels 4Acceleration 3Suspension 2Body 1
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