While driving home vehicle slid on black ice and spun out. While spinning curtain airbags and driver seat deployed and battery died. Sis not hit anything
Chevrolet Suburban battery drain problems
13 of the 8,048 owner complaints about the Chevrolet Suburban describe battery drain or dead battery, most of them for the 2007 model year.
- owner complaints
- 13
- worst model year
- 2007
- typical mileage
- 60,000
Is there a fix? There are 5 recalls for this area of the car. See below
By model year
- 20222
- 20161
- 20151
- 20123
- 20073
- 20032
- 19991
Often reported together
Won't start 3Steering noise 1Seat belt 1Headlights 1Harsh shifting 1Knocking 1Engine failure 1Door locks 1
What owners say
- Truck makes a sizzling sound when parked - Car wouldnt start and needed battery jump, unknown source draining the battery - Truck has engine issues , started shaking and died in the middle of the highway, GM replaced engine - Engine replaced after less than a week, truck would not start, Gm replaced starter - After 2 days and using the vehicle once, truck would not start again. GM is trying to root cause issue but cant find a resolution Since the car stopped when we were on the highway and none of the fixes seem to be working I am worried that the car will abruptly stop again and put my life and others at risk
When I started up the vehicle with the key fab button I noticed the cabin air blower came on as normal however when we went to the cockpit we noticed the engine was not running. When we went to start the vehicle (holding break and pressing start button) the dashboard started the Z71 launch sequence and then went to a dashboard as if I was in the normal drive mode however the dashboard was extremely dimly lit as if the backlight was not on and the engine still was not running. After several attempts to start using the brake+start button method we noticed a clicking sound that seemed to be coming from the engine cabin just in front of the passenger cabin however it would never ignite/start the engine. After several attempts to start the engine through the brake+button, we tried to just press the start button, which would sometimes be prompted on the dashboard, and get some feedback from the dashboard through better backlighting and messages I now cannot recall but never ignited the engine. When we tried again with the key fab x2 button (hoping it would either start or "cancel" the current vehicle state), we received no response from the vehicle. When we attempted to shift, it stated the "conditions were not met", which I perceived as the correct response. The vehicle was stuck in this "mode" with the air blower still running and exterior lights still on and it was only a matter of time until the battery ran out. When it ran out later that day (though not completely ded) in rebooted in the same tweener mode. However, when we came the next day with a tow truck and a fully dead battery in the Suburban, the vehicle booted right up as normal. The tow truck driver indicated several new Tahoe drivers experiencing the same issue. To me, this is a software launch issue. While the vehicle was not perceived to be in danger, it left us stranded in what could be a dangerous location. Several episodes as reported by tow truck. Unsure if inspected. No symptoms before problem.
Blind spot detectors failed and shorted out entire vehicle. Caused battery drain and vehicle completely dead had to be flat bedded to dealer Cost of repair 1800$
While just starting to accelerate, the radio shut off, the automatic locks started to go up and down, then the engine light came on and the engine stopped running. I put the truck in park, shut of the engine and restarted without issue 5 minutes later. Two days later, the same thing happened, only this time, when we went to restart the truck, it seemed as though the battery was dead as no dome lights would come on and the fob would not work the door locks. 3 hours later when the tow truck operator showed up, the truck started right up. This has happened 5 times since april 6th. The last time, the engine shut off as I was crossing a four lane highway. Luckily, we were not hit. Seeing multiple reports of the same issue make me think it is not unique to my vehicle. "dead battery" that isn't dead... "locks going up and down", "sudden deceleration". Does someone have to have an accident and be killed for anyone to take action on this issue?? Why not be proactive and start investigation before someone gets killed??
Wire harness underneath vehicle rubbing on drive shaft causing electrical issues. Battery drain, compressor for air ride burning out, stability control warning light coming on and various other electrical issues.
Low miles owner, garage kept, after several days of non-use, ie-parked in garage, vehicle will not start due to a dead battery. Baytown (craft) dealer could find nothing wrong. Current mileage 24k, still does same thing, if vehicle is not driven almost daily, the battery will go dead for zero reason and no one a chevy know why or what. Have had vehicle at dealer several times and nothing ever fixed.
On two recent occasions my suburban has failed to start (battery dead). I went to an auto parts store, they tested the battery and said it was good. Why is my battery going dead? Both instances are the vehicle is set on accessories and the radio was working. In both instances the battery would not turn over the engine.
The vehicle intermittently exhibits a dead battery. This happens regardless of whether the vehicle has been driven for hundreds of miles or none at all. At seemingly random times, we go to start the vehicle and the battery is dead. We have had the battery, alternator and cables tested. All tested good. We also notice that around the same time this problem started occurring, that engine noise could be heard through the vehicle speakers regardless of whether the stereo is on. This also occurs at intermittent intervals. We have taken to the dealership and they cannot reproduce the problem in shop in order to troubleshoot. Parasitic draw test is negative due to the fact that the problem is intermittent and not constant.
Battery drains regularly requiring jump start. Vehicle will be fine for a period time (days/weeks) and then be dead again.
Related recalls
Electrical system: ignition
- What is wrong
- General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra trucks manufactured January 24, 2014, to February 26, 2014, 2015 Chevrolet Suburban vehicles manufactured February 12, 2014 and Chevrolet Tahoe vehicles manufactured February 6, 2014, to February 13, 2014. In the affected vehicles, the ignition lock actuator may bind, making turning the key difficult or causing the ignition to get stuck in the "Start" position.
- Risk
- If stuck in the "Start" position, the ignition may suddenly snap back into the "Accessory" position, causing a loss of engine, steering, and braking power, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash. If the vehicle is in a crash, the air bags may not deploy, increasing the risk of occupant injury.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ignition lock housing, free of charge. The recall began on November 20, 2015. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020 or GMC customer service at 1‑800‑462‑8782. GM's number for this recall is 15573.
Recall number 15V640000 · Recall details
Electrical system: ignition
- What is wrong
- General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado HD, Silverado LD, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra LD, Sierra HD, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the ignition lock actuator may bind, making turning the key difficult or causing the ignition to get stuck in the "Start" position.
- Risk
- If stuck in the "Start" position, the ignition may suddenly snap back into the "Accessory" position, causing a loss of engine, steering, and braking power, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash. If the vehicle is in a crash, the air bags may not deploy, increasing the risk of occupant injury.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the ignition lock housing, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on February 12, 2015. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1‑800‑458‑8006 (Cadillac), 1‑800‑222‑1020 (Chevrolet), or 1‑800‑462‑8782 (GMC). GM's number for this recall is 14696 for the original equipment, and 14912 for the service replacement parts.
Recall number 14V827000 · Recall details
Electrical system
- What is wrong
- General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Cadillac CTS, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Yukon, and Yukon XL, and 2014 Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Express, Impala, Silverado HD, Traverse, GMC Acadia, Savana, and Sierra HD vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the chassis electronic module may be internally contaminated, resulting in an electrical short.
- Risk
- If the module experiences an electrical short, the vehicle could stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the chassis electronic module, free of charge. The recall began on December 26, 2014. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1‑800‑521‑7300 (Buick), 1-800-458-006 (Cadillac), 1‑800‑222‑1020 (Chevrolet), and 1‑800‑462‑8782 (GMC). GMs number for this recall is 14515.
Recall number 14V614000 · Recall details
Electrical system
- What is wrong
- Gm is recalling certain model year 2006-2009 buick, lucerne; cadillac dts; hummer h2; model year 2008-2009 buick enclave; cadillac cts; model year 2007-2009 cadillac escalade, escalade esv, escalade ext; chevrolet avalanche, silverado, suburban, tahoe; gmc acadia, sierra, yukon, yukon xl; saturn outlook; and model year 2009 chevrolet traverse vehicles equipped with a heated washer fluid system (hwfs). A recall was implemented in 2008 to add a fuse to the control circuit harness to address the potential consequences of a printed circuit board (pcb) electrical short. However, there have been new reports of thermal incidents on hwfs modules after this improvement was installed. These incidents resulted from a new failure mode attributed to the device's thermal protection feature. The significance varies from minor distortion to considerable melting of the plastic around the hwfs fluid chamber.
- Risk
- It is possible for the heated washer module to ignite and a fire may occur.
- Remedy
- Dealers will permanently disable and remove the heated washer fluid module. An updated page for the owner manual will be provided and inserted in the owner manual to document that the feature has been permanently disabled and removed from the vehicle. The safety recall began on june 11, 2010. Owners may contact buick at 1‑866‑608‑8080, cadillac at 1‑866‑982‑2339, chevrolet at 1‑800‑630‑2438, saturn at 1‑800‑972‑8876, gmc at 1‑866‑996‑9463 and hummer at 1‑800‑732‑5493 or at the owner center at www.gmownercenter.com.
Recall number 10V240000 · Recall details
Electrical system
- What is wrong
- Gm is recalling 857,735 my 2006-2008 buick lucerne; cadillac dts; hummer h2; my 2007-2008 cadillac escalade, escalade esv, escalade ext; chevrolet avalanche, silverado, suburban, tahoe; gmc acadia, sierra, yukon, yukon xl, saturn outlook; and my 2008 buick enclave vehicles equipped with a heated wiper washer fluid system. A short circuit on the printed circuit board for the washer fluid heater may overheat the control-circuit ground wire.
- Risk
- This may cause other electrical features to malfunction, create an odor, or cause smoke increasing the risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install a wire harness with an in-line fuse free of charge. The recall began on september 12, 2008. Owners may contact buick at 1‑866‑608‑8080; cadillac at 1‑800‑982‑2339 or http://www.cadillac.com; chevrolet at 1‑800‑630‑2438; saturn at 1‑800‑972‑8876 or http://www.saturn.com, gmc at 1‑866‑996‑9436; or hummer at 1‑800‑732‑5493; or through their website at http://www.gmownercenter.com .
Recall number 08V441000 · Recall details
Questions about the Chevrolet Suburban battery drain
Which Chevrolet Suburban years have battery drain or dead battery problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2007 (3 complaints), 2012 (3 complaints) and 2003 (2 complaints).
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