Worried about the safety of driving this vehicle due to the numerous reports of the engine seizing while driving. I have read about there being hundreds of thousand vehicles with the same engine having this problem. Thanks
2021 Chevrolet Suburban engine complaints
Page 4 of 5: complaints 71 to 100 of 102, newest first, as owners wrote them.
While attempting to regain entry onto a major highway, our engine had a major system failure and the entire vehicle started to violently shake. We were able to reexit the highway and get to safety. We were then able to slowly drive it to a service station where it was determined after two days, that it was a major engine failure and would need a full engine rebuild. We were in Missouri when this occurred, driving back from Christmas vacation with family, on our way home to Texas. We had to find a hotel and stay two nights there, then had to rent two cars- as there were no cars available large enough for our family of 6 and our luggage, to then drive back to Houston. We then had to have our car transported down here to our mechanic. The repairs that our mechanic completed: BTR Gen V DOD/AFM Conversion Kit $1301.75 Full synthetic oil change and oil filter $110.00 Prestone Dex-Cool 50/50 prediluted antifreeze/coolant 2@$33.23 ACDelco GM Original Spark Plug 8@$20.32 GM Spark Plug Wire Set $142.44 GM Camshaft $200.04 Cloyes Engine Timing chain tensioner $44.54 Standard Ignition Manifold Absolute Pressure Sensor $47.85 Head Gasket, R&R $5010.00 Labor Oil Change $110.00 Labor Computer Programming $2000.00 Labor (reprogramming needed to shut off the Fuel Economy Management system that caused the camshaft to ultimately break) Total $9434.29 We were without our car for 4 months while this repair was conducted and the subsequent computer programming was problem solved. We learned there was a case already with your department, but waited to file out claim until we had the full repair and receipt from our mechanic. We could not afford to just sell the car as we would have gotten so little for it. Thus we didn't have much of a choice but to get it repaired. This week we are hearing of the massive recall of many GM vehicles, ours included, for this same problem. We are hopeful that we will get some sort of financial return to cover what we paid to fix their issue.
While driving cross-country, my 2021 Chevrolet Suburban Z71 (5.3L V8) experienced several progressive symptoms leading to total engine failure. For months prior, there was a noticeable coolant smell from the engine bay despite no visible leaks. Multiple Chevy/GM shops noted the smell, and pressure tests showed no external coolant loss. On the trip to Colorado, the engine ran normally, but at idle, the temperature would steadily rise to ~235°F before fans would engage. Upon arrival in Colorado, I found the coolant reservoir was low again. The final time the vehicle started, it shook violently at idle for nearly a minute before settling. The next day, it would crank but failed to start, and has not started since. There were no check engine lights or warning messages at the time of failure. A GM dealership has since diagnosed the engine as “locked up” and quoted a $14,500 remanufactured engine replacement (GM Part 19420610). I’ve been told my engine is the 5.3L V8 (RPO L84), which is currently not included in GM’s safety recall 25V‑274 affecting similar failures in the 6.2L L87 engines. Right before this occurred, I had a NC inspection (passed), a fresh oil change the same day, and had coolant added. This failure happened without warning, while traveling out of state, leaving the vehicle stranded in a garage and requiring towing. The situation presented a safety risk and significant financial burden. Given the similarities in symptoms and failure type to the recalled L87 engines, I believe this may be a related manufacturing issue.
My sub starting making an unusual banging noise when shifting. I reported it once to the dealer and they chucked it up as cause by the vechioe being driving in auto and not set to 2 wheel drive or 4 but instead auto. Was odd, but it still happens and now there a recall but the site does not include my vin even though maybe this is my problem.
Chevrolet is telling me my engine has failed at 75,000 miles. While driving on the highway recently I lost all power. I had my 3 kids in the car and was driving at highway speeds on a crowded highway and lost all power. I had to move over to the side of the road while in neutral with no power. Once I was on the side of the road, I was able to then turn the car off and turn it back on. I then drove to the nearest exit to get myself and family out of harms way. The car then began making a significant loud screeching/knocking noise. I have video of this noise. Ultimately was towed to a dealership where I am now told that the car needs a new motor. Additionally, I regularly service my vehicle at the Chevrolet dealerships with on time oil changes as soon as the car says I am due. Twice since owning, my car has been so low on oil that I have to immediately add oil in between oil changes. Car is currently at the Chevrolet dealership and has not been fixed at this point. The vehicle has only been inspected by Chevrolet service tech at the dealership. No warning lights or other symptoms, besides the oil issue have ever occured with this vehicle. Please help!
Lifter failure. At 30,000 miles the engine had lifter failure and was diagnosed and repaired by Donaldson Chevrolet in Silsbee Texas. This was covered under the original manufacturer warranty. Lifter failed occurred again approximately 13 months later and at 63,000 miles. There was no initials warning lights prior to the failure. The failure was sudden. Loud ticking/ knocking sounds and loss of power. At ideal vehicle would severely shake. Check engine light did come at time of failure. Both times the failure occurred during acceleration from a stop to approximately 40mph.
With no warnings from the vehicle, I noticed a loud knocking sound while driving home. I was able to make it home and have the vehicle towed to the dealer where it was found to be in engine failure due to failure of engine bearing. I had to have a complete engine replacement. My car only had 65k miles and was purchased brand new and had all regular maintenance completed at the local chevy dealership.
My wife, [XXX] , was running some errands last night before taking our oldest daughter to dance practice and the check engine light appeared and the Suburban lost all power immediately. The engine wouldn’t restart and thank God she wasn’t on the highway. She called AAA roadside assistance who came out and checked the battery which was fine but ultimately had to get the vehicle towed to Bowman Chevrolet in Clarkston, MI. Vehicle is a 2022 Chevrolet Suburban and this is a serious situation that could have been catastrophic if this occurred on the highway that my wife was just on. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
My car has 118,000 miles. The engine cam shaft just came apart, mechanic ordered new engine end of December and I’m told I’m still on a waiting list. I had to replace both sets of lifters when I had very few miles on car..of course the engine is now out of warranty. Thanks
While driving, a message appeared on the dash that stated 'reduced acceleration'. My car was not able to accelerate over 40mph. The engine was much louder than normal and sounded like a loud fan was running. The check engine light came on as well.
We were driving our Suburban and out of no where the check engine light starts flashing. Mind you we had no problems leading up to this very moment. We took it to a mechanic the very next day and were told we needed a new engine.
Loud ticking noise coming from the engine bay and extreme shaking. All happened after dropping off clients and getting on the highway on September 5, 2023. Took vehicle to two different mechanics and they said the camshaft and lifters had to be replaced. They recommended it would be cheaper and better if I replace the whole engine, which I did and had to pay out of pocket.
I was driving our 2021 Chevy Suburban, which had ~107,000 miles on it, at approximately 75 miles per hour. With no other indication, the low oil pressure light came on, then within two seconds I lost all power (motor shut off) and lost electronics in the car. I had to man-handle the vehicle to get it off the road without power or dash controls. Our family was stranded near the California/Nevada border with no cell reception in the middle of the night for over seven hours. I spent a fortune having the vehicle towed to a Chevy dealership (Wild West Chevrolet in Yerington, NV) where they indicated that there was a main bearing failure which caused the engine to seize. A full L87 motor replacement is required. The motor is currently on backorder with GM due to the high number of L87 engine failures. GM has not provided an estimated date of when they plan to have the motor replaced.
Driving at 65MPH on a three-lane highway with heavy traffic, there was a sudden loss of motive power without any prior warning. As the motive loss occurred, the check engine repair light illuminated. I immediately illuminated my hazard lights. Luckily I had enough momentum to safely glide the vehicle over three lanes to the breakdown lane. I was fortunate that other vehicles gave way to me or that I was not on an incline, otherwise the vehicle would have been stopped in the middle of the highway. After repeated attempts, the vehicle would not restart and had to be towed to a dealership. The dealership confirmed the problem and repair was covered under warranty.
Hi, my name is [XXX] . I have two major issues with my 2021 Chevrolet Suburban: The value body failed for the 2021 Suburban in December, causing engine power reduction and the engine transmission was not shifting properly. This was covered by my extended warranty, which I paid $2500 extra for at the time of purchase. Also, this VIN is for a Chevy Suburban Duramax Diesel. The Emissions Control Module ( ECM ) light has come on several times, starting from about 20K miles to now 61K miles. I noticed the ECM light comes on at about a 8K mile interval. I take it into the dealership and they have told me this is due to a software issue and then they reset the light. This has happened on at least 4 occasions since about 20K miles. However, now at 61K miles, they are telling me that the exhaust system has a leak and it may not be a covered repair under even my extended warranty. Basically, General Motors has kicked the can down the road on the ECM issue until it is no longer under warranty, and now they want me to pay for this expensive repair. This is wrong, I hope you can protect me and other Duramax owners from GM's unscrupulous business practices. You can reach me at [XXX] for more details. Thank you, I am considering legal action against GM for this issue. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
My wife was driving the car witb our kids when the check engine light came on and it started struggling and smoking. We got it to autozone to be scanned. The scan showed that it was a misfire on cylinder 3. After a mechanic trying to troubleshoot the problem he found that there was no compression. We towed the vehicle to a Chevrolet dealership where the found that the lifters in 1 bank needs to be replaced. This a known issue and a letter of coverage has been issued. However I'm being told that my vin number is not covered even though it is the exact same issue.
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the vehicle shut off unexpectedly and failed to restart. The transmission was in park(P) and failed to shift to neutral(N). The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 21V739000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who determined that the failure was due to the fuel pump module. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the failure was due to the module and a battery replacement was needed. The dealer jumpstarted the vehicle. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.
my car was hit on the side passenger back door in a parking lot while parked and nobody inside- had it look at by the chevrolet dealer- diagnosis is it needs a new engine??? make this make sense??? super disappointed with this car from the very beginning! will never buy chevrolet again
Same like my other 2 claims for livery vehicles Vehicle started losing RPMs and jerking while clients on board. Excessive fumes from exhausts started Diagnostics- misfire on a cylinder cause by faulty engine lifters. They all start like that. That also caused a cam shaft damage. Repairs paid out of pocket $14,000 for new engine. Incident happened around first week of December 2023. 200,000 miles Forums can tip you that there are many other similar cases with engine lifters issues from GM. Escalades and Suburbans and pick up trucks I will do my best to make other limo drivers from Chicago to submit same report. From my investigation problems occur between 30,000 and 200,000 miles.
Originally we had an engine light come on upon the engine chugging and the vehicle lunging forward at times. The diagnostic showed a bad lifter on the passenger side. They then replaced the passenger side lifters. We asked them to replace both sides since this was a known problem with our year, make, and model. They said they weren't replacing both sides of the lifters. Luckily we were still under the warranty for this repair. Now, a little over a year later on the day we were taking it to trade in, the engine light came on and the engine started chugging again. I knew immediately what the problem was. I took it to the same dealership and they quickly diagnosed it with a lifter failure on the driver side. Unfortunately we are out of warranty at 80,200 miles. The vehicle is only 2 years old. We have been advised not to drive the vehicle until it is repaired. I should not be responsible for the cost of the repair when this is obviously a known defect with the lifters for my year, make, and model. They should have replaced all lifters when the vehicle was originally brought in for the passenger side lifter failure. This should already be a recall by GM for the amount of vehicles that have and will experience this lifter failure. There is actually a class action lawsuit filed against GM for the lifter failure.
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the engine started to misfire, and the vehicle lost motive power. The contact stated that the check engine and other unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to a dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the lifters had collapsed. The lifters were replaced on only one side of the engine. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the failure recurred one week after the repair. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 36,126.
Engine stalled while driving on middle of the highway, lucky i was able to pull over to the breakdown lane by putting vehicle in neutral. I had reported the issue to the Chevrolet Onstar roadside assistance but while trying to get tow truck I had tried to start the engine multiple times and finally it started and left the engine light on dashboard. It was really scary with my kids in vehicle. Chevrolet should really look into this issue. My vehicle less than couple of year old and has only 16k miles.
Multiple issues with transmission since owned. It randomly goes into "limp" mode and everything will blink and it won't start back. The transmission has always shifted hard and sounded funny they told me if was normal for the vehicle. Leaking transmission fluid when owned for 4 months. I have had to the dealer multiple times, several repairs, told it is safe to keep driving by GM. The inverter is bad and told me it was ok to drive until they can repair. GM will not give me a fair response or answer. The dealership won't buyback, and offered to purchase for nearly 30k less than I bought it for 18 months ago brand new. The engine light comes on and off randomly told me it was ok with a diesel it may do that when it gets cold.
2nd time in less than a year it has had lifter failure. we travel almost every weekend and this puts my family in danger being broken down on a highway, especially at night. yes it has been confirmed and have been told that it is a wide spread problem no notice before it happened
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated while driving 80 MPH, the vehicle started shuddering and the engine was misfiring. The traction control, adaptive cruise control, and check engine warning lights illuminated. The vehicle then downshifted to 40 MPH independently. The contact turned the hazard lights on and continued to drive approximately 35-40 MPH. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that two sets of engine lifters were bent and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and covered the replacement of one set of engine lifters under warranty while the other set was replaced at the owner’s expense. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 12,800.
This vehicle has a problem with their lifters in the motor. It breaks down and you cause your engine to start shaking and makes a click sound like if its rubbing to something in the motor to cause a future problem in the motor and Engine light comes on. Many people have experienced this same problem with this make and model. My left lifter when out and they fixed it but what about my right lifter why didn't they replace the right lifter. This is a problem that Chev knows, and they have not recalled the lifters. Chev going after the company that made these lifters, so they know it's a problem why hasn't this been recalled? What if I was on a long road trip when this happens. This could blow out the motor and I could be stranded in the middle of now where if this happens.
Came to a stoplight and the car came to a stop. The car then automatically shifted into park on its own. The car would not shift out of park an the engine would not start. The car just died. Police showed up as I was in the middle of traffic and no one could even get the car to shift into neutral to push it out of the road. Very dangerous situation. Tow truck came and they could not even get the car in neutral. So they had to drag the car onto a flat bed. Dealer has examined the car. The starter was bad, the fuse box was bad but the major issue was in the engine where the lifters went out. To have the lifters go out at less than miles is unacceptable. The dealer commented that they are seeing this issue constantly from 2021 Chevy SUVs. This is a major safety issue in that there is no was to put my 2021 suburban in neutral when this happens to clear the vehicle from a busy highway. Please investigate this.
Car suddenly swerved, loud knocking started. Multiple system failures started flashing. Forward collision, ECS, traction control, the car was vibrating, jerky. I have multiple videos as well. The dealership literally told me they’d seen a ton of these when I called immediately and then told me to keep driving because the damage was done and if the engine died well then it’s under warranty. I have 3 children under 5 and that is NOT an appropriate answer when I asked about it being safe to drive considering it’s jerky/shaking/knocking, and has multiple systems down. I’ve also googled and joined forums and this is apparently a common issue in the 2021 V8s and Chevy refuses to issue a recall. Would be more than happy to provide videos as well it won’t let me upload them with the photos. Was told it could be weeks before they even have parts
After getting it serviced for airbag issue at the blasius chevrolet dealership in waterbury, ct. A week later, the car was was shaking while driving back home for work, the ESC message came up, forward collision came up, and traction control message also came up. Dropped it off at the dealership and said it was bad gas. Two days later, I was told that the misfire is caused by the lifter and pushrod was broken and that another 2021 suburban came in with the same issue but was suggesting it was our fault. There has been alot issues L84 engine that the misfire is due to a collapse lifter with less than 20K miles.
We have had several incidents of issues with the engine and electrical system. There are as follows: - NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS and engine failed. - Engine continues to be sluggish and hesitant. Headlights do not come on when in "auto" and it is dark outside. - Doors lock with the keys inside and the engine is off. - Keys are showing in sleep mode or not present when they are present. The engine went down on May 6, 2021 and I was on the highway with 2 of my children. I could not accelerate. There was traffic and could not keep up. I was able to get the truck to the delearship to have inspected and repair attempted. NO check engine lights.
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