What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The fuel delivery system has failed. Specifically, the fuel lines are leaking at the connection point on the top of the fuel tank. The vehicle and the affected components are currently available for inspection upon request. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? This defect poses an immediate fire and life-safety hazard. Because the fuel leaks while the vehicle is powered on, any spark or heat source could ignite the fuel tank, leading to a vehicle fire or explosion. Additionally, the cabin environment has become toxic; the concentration of gasoline vapors is so high that it causes physical illness. One of my children vomited due to the fumes. The vehicle is currently undrivable because the vapors are intoxicating and hazardous to the health of all occupants. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes, the leak has been inspected, reproduced, and confirmed by an independent service center. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? No, the vehicle has not yet been inspected by the manufacturer, law enforcement, or insurance representatives. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? There were no warning lamps or dashboard messages (such as a Check Engine Light) prior to or during the failure. The symptoms—specifically a strong odor of raw gasoline—first appeared four days ago. The intensity of the odor and the rate of the leak have increased significantly since the initial onset.
Chevrolet Suburban fuel leak problems
36 of the 8,048 owner complaints about the Chevrolet Suburban describe fuel leak, most of them for the 2015 model year.
- owner complaints
- 36
- worst model year
- 2015
- typical mileage
- 86,009
By model year
Often reported together
Fuel pump 9Fuel smell 5Check engine light 4Stalling 2Fuel gauge 2Pulling 1Seat belt 1Overheating 1
What owners say
Fuel line leak caused by design flaw in which line plastic fuel feed line (GM part #84200271) is installed too close to the undercarriage, causing it to rub against the frame due to vibration and wear a pinhole. This is known by gm in service bulletin Service Bulletin 17-NA-304. This is a fuel leak, that can causes significant fire danger to people, property, and nature. Eventually putting first responders at risk. Also the environmental risk of continuous leaking fuel. Luckily, I could smell it before anything bad happened. But if GM knows about this issue, it’s big enough they should do something about it and so should the federal safety agency.
The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 MPH, there was an abnormal scraping sound coming from under the vehicle. After stopping to inspect the vehicle, the contact discovered that the fuel tank had partially detached from the subframe and fuel was leaking from the fuel tank. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, who replaced the fuel tank. No further information was available. The cause of the failure was unknown. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 40,000.
Gas leak on top of tank from fuel line strong gas odor in vehicle
The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated that the odor of fuel was present inside and outside the vehicle. The contact stated that upon investigation, it was discovered that fuel was leaking under the front of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who determined that the fuel line had ruptured due to excessive rubbing against other components. The fuel line was replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 155,000.
When ignition Suv, a gas leak starts coming out of the bottom of the gas tank Strong smell of gas as well. Large amount of gas is seen. Lose of power when driving. Fuel feed hose is seems to be the problem. This may cause a fire or explosion. Putting in risk my family.
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated while operating the vehicle, there was an abnormal gasoline odor inside and outside the vehicle. The vehicle was examined by an independent mechanic who determined that while the engine was turned on fuel was leaking from the fuel line connected to the fuel pump and that the fuel line needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but no assistance was offered. The local dealer was not notified. The failure mileage was 120,000.
Leaking fuel line from pump to engine. Rubbed on frame and wore a hole in it.
We smelled gas inside and outside of the car. Upon inspection, I found gas leaking from the fuel line under the vehicle that comes from the fuel tank. This created a dangerous situation as noxious fumes were introduced to the cabin of the vehicle, and the leaking gas created a fire hazard. We took the vehicle to the dealer, and they confirmed that the frame rubbing on the fuel line created a dangerous leak. They confirmed this is a common problem for this model and a redesign of the replacement fuel line would prevent the problem in the future, but no recall has been issued. We paid $1180.20 to have the fuel line replaced. No inspections other than the dealer and myself have been performed. No warning lights or messages indicated the problem.
The contact owns a 1999 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled inadvertently. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle. The contact was able to push the vehicle to the side of the road with the assistance of Police Officers. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that fuel was leaking onto the ground and the fuel pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred two more times while driving. The vehicle was then towed to the independent mechanic, who replaced the fuel pump two more times. The contact referenced the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 06E043000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle was bouncing while sitting in the seats and while driving. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who replaced the tires and aligned the vehicle several times; however, the failure had been reoccurring. The contact also stated that the dashboard was fractured. The contact also stated that water was leaking through the top of the windshield whenever it rained. The windshield was replaced twice. The contact stated that the rear driver’s side seat belt and passenger’s seat belt failed to operate as needed. The contact stated that the seat belts would fail to come out of the housing or they would be twisted whenever they came out of the housing. The contact also stated that the seat belt latches were not working. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.
Related recalls
Fuel system, gasoline: delivery: fuel pump: control/drive module
- What is wrong
- General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles. The fuel pump power control module may cause the fuel pump to fail or operate intermittently, which can interrupt fuel flow to the engine, and cause an unexpected engine stall.
- Risk
- An engine stall increases the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the fuel pump power control module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on October 14, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020; Cadillac customer service at 1‑800‑458‑8006; or GMC customer service at 1‑800‑462‑8782. GM's number for this recall is N212332040.
Recall number 21V739000 · Recall details
Fuel system, gasoline: delivery: fuel pump
- What is wrong
- General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Camaro, Silverado 1500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles. The fuel pump may be missing a pressure regulator, allowing for over-pressurization of the fuel system.
- Risk
- Over-pressurization can crack the fuel pump and cause leaks, increasing the risk of a fire in the presence of an ignition source.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump, free of charge. The recall began December 18, 2019. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1‑800‑333‑4223, Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020, or GMC customer service at 1‑888‑988‑7267. GM's number for this recall is N192283991.
Recall number 19V837000 · Recall details
Fuel system, gasoline
- What is wrong
- Gm is recalling 27,188 my 2009 cadillac escalade, escalade hybrid, escalade esv, and escalade ext; chevrolet avalanche, suburban, tahoe, tahoe hybrid, and colorado; and gmc yukon, yukon hybrid, yukon xl, and canyon vehicles. The fuel system control modules may have a condition in which an adhesive separation of the room temperature vulcanizing (rtv) seal between the seal and the housing may allow water to seep into the module.
- Risk
- Water in the module could cause a short or open circuit, illumination of the service engine soon lamp, setting of diagnostic trouble codes or the engine may be hard to start, may not start or may stall increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install a new fuel system control module free of charge. The recall began on may 18, 2009. Owners may contact cadillac at 1‑866‑982‑2339, chevrolet at 1‑800‑630‑2438 and gmc at 1‑866‑996‑9463 or at www.gmownercenter.com.
Recall number 09V154000 · Recall details
Fuel system, gasoline: delivery: fuel pump
- What is wrong
- Certain trucks and sport utility vehicles were built with fuel module reservoir assemblies that contain fuel pump wires connectors may overheat under certain operating conditions.
- Risk
- If the ignition circuit wire is exposed, the fuel pump fuse will blow, disabling the fuel pump and causing an engine stall or no-start condition. If sufficient heat is conducted to the pass-through connector, a hole in the connector may result, which may cause a 'service engine soon' light to be illuminated during the emission system diagnostic routine. Fuel vapor and in some cases liquid fuel may leak out of the fuel tank through the hole in the connector body. Fuel leakage, in the presence of an ignition source, could result in a fire. Also if the ignition circuit or ground wire is exposed and shorts to the fuel level sender card wires, inaccurate fuel level readings may result.
- Remedy
- Dealers will remove the fuel tank, and remove the module reservoir assemblies from the tank, and install a new service kit free of charge. An interim letter to owners was mailed on may 25, 2005. The owners were re-notified on october 19, 2005, since parts are now availabe. Owners may contact chevrolet at 1‑800‑630‑2438 and gmc at 1‑866‑996‑9463.
Recall number 05V155000 · Recall details
Fuel system, gasoline: delivery: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
- What is wrong
- On certain sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks equipped with 5.3l (rpo l59) v8 engines, the engine fuel rail crossover tube retainer screws were not manufactured to specifications and may break.
- Risk
- If the tube retainer screw breaks, fuel could leak from the fuel rail crossover joint, the engine may stall and, if an ignition source were present, an engine compartment fire could occur.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the fuel rail crossover tube and, if necessary, replace the retainer screws. Owners were notified by telephone on july 30, 2004, with a followup owner letter began august 5, 2004. Owners should contact chevrolet at 1‑800‑630‑2438 or gmc at 1‑866‑996‑9463. Note: the gm bulletin lists the tahoe and yukon models because canadian vehicles are included in the bulletin. No u.s. Tahoe or yukon vehicles are included in the u.s. Campaign.
Recall number 04V376000 · Recall details
Fuel system, gasoline: storage: tank assembly
- What is wrong
- On certain pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles, vehicles, during a 30 degree left angle frontal impact of sufficient severity, a tear could develop in the mid-frame cross member at its attachment to the left frame rail. If the mid-frame cross member tears during frontal impact and produces a sharp edge, contact of the sharp edge with the fuel tank could result in a puncture of the fuel tank and possible fuel leakage.
- Risk
- Fuel leakage, in the presence of an ignition source, could result in a fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install a fuel tank shield. Owner notification began february 20, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact chevrolet at 1‑800‑222‑1020 or gmc at 1‑800‑462‑8782.
Recall number 03V019000 · Recall details
Questions about the Chevrolet Suburban fuel leak
Which Chevrolet Suburban years have fuel leak problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2015 (11 complaints), 2001 (8 complaints) and 1995 (3 complaints).
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