2022 Chevrolet Suburban, 3.0L Duramax diesel, 10-speed automatic, purchased March 2022, approx. 122,000 miles. In early August 2026 the transmission began shuddering at low speeds. Reported to the selling and servicing Chevrolet dealer on 08/11/2026 at 118,892 miles. No transmission diagnosis was performed; the dealer's written estimate recommended spark plugs on a diesel engine. The condition worsened. On 09/17/2026 the dealer verified the concern and documented a "very harsh shift which would continue until 5th gear" when accelerating, and found the transmission fluid "heavily contaminated with metal and clutch material." The dealer recommended transmission replacement at customer expense and stated GM Special Coverage N242454441 (transmission control valve wear, companion to Safety Recall 24V‑797 / GM N242454440) does not apply because DTC P0747 is not set, although that bulletin lists harsh shifting as an effect of the worn control valve. The control valve body has not been inspected. GM's recall filing states this wear can cause harsh shifting and in rare cases momentary rear wheel lock-up. No warning lamps or messages appeared before the harsh shifting. No crash, fire or injury. The vehicle and transmission are at the dealer and available for inspection; a GM TAC/FSE inspection has been requested. Filing so the federal safety agency has a record of a 2022 Suburban diesel showing the recall symptom and being denied inspection on the basis of the P0747 code alone.
Chevrolet Suburban harsh shifting problems
57 of the 8,048 owner complaints about the Chevrolet Suburban describe harsh or hard shifting, most of them for the 2003 model year.
- owner complaints
- 57
- worst model year
- 2003
- typical mileage
- 48,095
By model year
Often reported together
Transmission failure 9Check engine light 9Jerking 8Steering noise 4Shudder 4Hesitation 4Grinding brakes 4Won't shift 3
Trouble codes mentioned
P0747 2
What owners say
Transmission faulty, loud, clunky and hard shifting! Service transmission now alert and code P0747
I own a 2022 Chevrolet Suburban with approximately 115,000 miles. While driving, the check engine light illuminated and the vehicle suddenly entered limp mode. The transmission lost normal operation, including reverse gear, significantly limiting the vehicle’s ability to operate. The failure occurred without warning and created a potential safety concern because the vehicle could no longer respond normally to driving conditions. The vehicle was inspected by a Chevrolet dealership, where technicians diagnosed a failed transmission control valve body and confirmed the valve body required replacement. I paid to have the repair completed. After the repair, I learned that GM issued Special Coverage N242454441 for certain 2021-2022 Chevrolet Suburban vehicles equipped with the same transmission. The bulletin describes premature transmission control valve wear that can cause a service engine light, reduced engine performance, harsh shifting, and requires replacement of the transmission control valve body. My vehicle experienced the same failure and required the same repair, but my VIN was not included in the covered population. I contacted GM before authorizing the repair and requested assistance, but my request was denied because my VIN was not included in the special coverage. I am submitting this complaint because my vehicle experienced the same transmission valve body failure identified by GM despite not being included. I request that the federal safety agency document this failure and determine whether additional vehicles equipped with the same transmission should be included in any current or future safety investigation.
2021 Chevy Suburban started to have harsh shifting particularly on acceleration and shuddering at higher rates of speed (feeling like you are driving over a rumble strip). I took it to the dealer, and they confirmed the torque converter was in the process of failing. It's currently in the shop getting a new torque converter. No warning messages/lights had yet appeared. Technician at dealer stated that this was a common failure with this model.
The failure involved the transmission valve body control valve within the automatic transmission system of the 2021 Chevrolet Suburban, a critical component responsible for regulating hydraulic pressure and controlling gear shifting. The malfunction caused erratic and unreliable shifting behavior, including hesitation, harsh engagement, and loss of proper acceleration; the failed component is in the custody of Northside Chevy in San Antonio, TX. This issue created a significant safety risk, as the unpredictable transmission response impacted the driver’s ability to accelerate when necessary (merging onto high traffic roads) and increased the likelihood of dangerous situations like rear-end collisions or loss of control. The problem was confirmed by an authorized Chevrolet dealer, where diagnostic testing identified faults in the transmission control system and verified the failure through performance testing and fault codes. The vehicle has been inspected by the dealership service department, though it has not been directly examined by the manufacturer, law enforcement, or insurance representatives; however, documentation of the diagnosis is being withheld by the dealership. Prior to the failure there were no warning signs present. Only after failure did the check engine light illuminate, transmission-related warning messages, and noticeable symptoms such as hard shifting, delayed engagement, and slipping, which appeared shortly before the complete failure and significantly worsened over the three-mile drive to the dealership.
Check engine light with rough shifting and vehicle wouldn’t go in reverse. For safety reasons we had the vehicle towed to our local Chevy Dealership. Transmission needed a valve body rebuild. This is a known issue with this transmission but our VIN wasn’t under that recall.
Year: 2019 Make: GMC Model: Suburban Mileage: Approximately 125,000 miles (purchased under 90,000 miles) 1. Transmission Failure My vehicle is experiencing clear signs of transmission failure, including: •Hard downshifting/clunking •RPM fluctuations while cruising •Shuddering between approximately 30–50 mph •Vibrations while idling •Hesitation and irregular shifting These symptoms have progressively worsened and are consistent with widespread complaints I have found from other 2019 Suburban owners. This appears to be a known issue affecting multiple vehicles. 2. Rear Liftgate / Electrical Malfunction The rear trunk/liftgate has closed on its own without warning multiple times. I have personally been struck in the head several times as a result. This presents a serious injury risk, especially for families loading children or cargo. There is clearly an electrical or sensor malfunction causing this behavior. 3. Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) System Activating Randomly The most alarming issue is that the automatic emergency braking system has activated on its own multiple times while driving on the turnpike with no obstruction present. This has nearly caused accidents on several occasions. Unexpected braking at highway speeds creates an extremely dangerous situation for both my family and surrounding drivers. These issues are not minor inconveniences — they are serious safety hazards. Sudden braking, unintended liftgate closure, and transmission failure all create significant risk of injury or collision. Given the number of similar complaints publicly reported by other owners, I am requesting that the federal safety agency formally investigate these defects and determine whether a recall should be issued for affected 2019 GMC Suburban vehicles. I am extremely concerned for the safety of my family and others on the road. Please confirm receipt of this complaint and advise if additional information is needed. Sincerely, [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)
Transmission has to be replaced due to transmission slipping and delayed shifting under heat and prolonged highway driving. This issue also causes SUDDEN hard shifting, hard breaking, shaking of the steering wheel, along with grinding of gears!! This is a safety issue to to no warning signs at all along with a sudden drop in speed and power!! While driving on the interstate or highway this sudden change can cause the vehicles behind you to rear end you or cause a pile up!!! The driver has no control of vehicle when these issues happen!! A loss in control due to shaking of the steering wheel is a huge issue!!! Lack of shifting or hard shifting causes a SUDDEN stop of vehicle with no warning signs while driving!! It is going to cause a crash!!!! These are serious and dangerous issues that Gm will NOT do a recall for!! GM is aware of the issues due to Suburban, Tahoe and Silverado vehicles in the year models 2018-2023 having this reoccurring issue!!! I recall needs to be done to save someone’s life!!!!! I have only had my suburban for 8 months!! I was not made aware of this issue at all!!!!!! This also causes rough idle!!!!!!!!
I am submitting this complaint to report a recurring and potentially dangerous issue with the transmission in my 2018 Chevrolet Suburban, which I purchased brand new in 2018. At approximately 60,000 miles, I experienced severe transmission issues that led to a complete transmission replacement. Now, at around 133,000 miles, I am encountering the same symptoms once again. The transmission makes a loud clunking noise during acceleration and braking, and shifts gears abruptly and harshly. These symptoms appeared suddenly, with no warning lights or prior alerts. This problem poses a significant safety concern. The vehicle sometimes struggles to accelerate properly, making it dangerous to merge into traffic. Additionally, the forceful shifting makes the vehicle feel unstable and unpredictable, as though something beneath the car might fail while in motion. I transport my husband and our children in this vehicle, and this issue puts all of us at serious risk. I have scheduled another appointment with a GM dealership to inspect the vehicle. However, given that this is a recurring failure involving a critical system, I am requesting that the federal safety agency investigate this matter as a potential defect affecting other owners of the same model. Thank you for your attention to this serious concern.
The contact owns a 2024 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 25V274000(Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle intermittently failed to accelerate as intended before slamming into gear. The local dealer was contacted. No further information was available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 4,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Related recalls
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
Power train: automatic transmission: fluid/lubricant: valves/valve body
- What is wrong
- General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2022 Chevrolet Tahoe, Chevrolet Suburban, GMC Yukon, GMC Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade, and Cadillac Escalade ESV vehicles equipped with 10 Speed Transmission with ETRS (Electronic Transmission Range Select). The transmission control valve may fail and lock up the rear wheels.
- Risk
- Rear wheels that lock up while driving increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install new transmission control module (TCM) software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 7, 2026. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1‑888‑988‑7267, Cadillac customer service at 1‑800‑458‑8006, GMC customer service at GMC 1‑800‑462‑8782 or Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020. GM's number for this recall is N252536750. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on on February 12, 2026.
Recall number 26V085000 · Recall details
Power train: automatic transmission: fluid/lubricant: valves/valve body
- What is wrong
- General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 2500, 3500, GMC Sierra 1500, 2500, 3500, 2021 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles equipped with diesel engines. The transmission control valve may fail and cause the rear wheels to lock-up.
- Risk
- Rear wheel lock-up can increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install new transmission control module software, free of charge. GM will provide a special coverage program to cover the repair of transmissions that are identified by the remedy software as containing a defective control valve. Owner notification letters were mailed December 12, 2024. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1‑888‑988‑7267, Cadillac customer service at 1‑800‑458‑8006, GMC customer service at GMC 1‑800‑462‑8782 or Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020. GM's number for this recall is N242454440.
Recall number 24V797000 · Recall details
Power train: driveline: driveshaft
- What is wrong
- General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 GMC Yukon, Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, and Chevrolet Tahoe vehicles. The rear wheel driveshaft assemblies may have internal components that were not heat-treated properly, possibly resulting in driveshaft failure.
- Risk
- Driveshaft failure can cause a sudden loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the left and/or right rear driveshaft assemblies, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 14, 2022. 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 N212351030.
Recall number 22V036000 · Recall details
Power train: transfer case (4-wheel drive)
- What is wrong
- General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra vehicles, and model year 2015 GMC Yukon and Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe vehicles. In the affected vehicles, an electrical signal short may cause the transfer case to shift to neutral without the driver's input.
- Risk
- If the transfer case switches to neutral while the vehicle is parked and the parking brake is not in use, the vehicle may roll away increasing the risk of injury to bystanders. If the transfer case switches to neutral while the vehicle is being driven, the vehicle would lose drive power, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will re-program the software in the transfer case control module, free of charge. The recall began in early August 2014. Owners may contact General Motors customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020 (Chevrolet), or 1‑800‑462‑8782 (GMC). GM's number for this recall is 14192.
Recall number 14V374000 · Recall details
Power train: automatic transmission: cooling unit and lines
- What is wrong
- General Motors LLC (GM ) is recalling certain model year 2014 Chevrolet Silverado Light Duty Regular Cab, Double Cab, and Crew Cab 1500 series and model year 2015 Suburban and Tahoe; GMC model year 2014 Sierra Regular Cab, Double Cab, and Crew Cab 1500 Series and model year 2015 Yukon and Yukon XL vehicles equipped with a 6-Speed Automatic Transmission (feature code MYC). The subject vehicles may have a transmission oil cooler line that is not securely seated in the fitting.
- Risk
- If the line is not securely seated and transmission oil leaks from the fitting, the oil could contact a hot surface and cause a vehicle fire.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the transmission oil cooler line connection and repair the vehicles, as needed, free of charge. The recall began on May 19, 2014. Owners may contact Chevrolet at 1‑866‑694‑6546 or GMC owners may contact GMC at 1‑866‑996‑9463. GM's number for this recall is 14121.
Recall number 14V152000 · Recall details
Power train: automatic transmission
- What is wrong
- General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, and Escalade EXT; Chevrolet Avalanche, Express, Silverado HD, Silverado LD, Suburban, and Tahoe; and GMC Savana, Sierra HD, Sierra LD, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles, manufactured between November 7, 2012, through December 18, 2012, for failing to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 102, "Transmission Shift Lever Sequence, Starter Interlock, and Transmission Braking Effect", and FMVSS No. 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention." The vehicles may have been built with a fractured park lock cable or a malformed steering column lock actuator gear in the lock module assembly.
- Risk
- As a result, the vehicle may shift from Park with the ignition key removed or the ignition key in the OFF position. The vehicle may also shift out of Park without application of the brake pedal while the key is off. Either of these scenarios may cause the vehicle to roll away after the driver has exited the vehicle, resulting in a possible vehicle crash and/or injury.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the affected vehicles and replace the steering column as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on January 21, 2013. Chevrolet owners may call 1‑800‑630‑2438. Cadillac owners may call 1‑866‑982‑2339. GMC owners may call 1‑866‑996‑9463.
Recall number 13V001000 · Recall details
Power train: manual transmission: shift pattern indicator
- What is wrong
- Certain sport utility vehicles equipped with an automatic transmission, fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 102, "transmission shift lever sequence, starter interlock and transmission braking effect." under certain vehicle starting conditions, the shift lever position indicator located in the instrument panel cluster may not illuminate. If the shift lever position indicator does not illuminate, the driver may not know which gear the vehicle is in.
- Risk
- The vehicle may move in an unintended direction resulting in possible injury to others outside of the vehicle.
- Remedy
- Dealers will reprogram the instrument panel cluster free of charge. The recall began on february 14, 2005. Owners may contact cadillac at 1‑866‑982‑2339, chevrolet at 1‑800‑630‑2438, and gmc at 1‑866‑996‑9463.
Recall number 05V055000 · Recall details
Power train: driveline: driveshaft
- What is wrong
- Some pickup trucks, vans, and sport utility vehicles equipped with a hydraulic pump driveshaft that can fracture, resulting in immediate loss of hydraulic power steering assist. On certain vehicles equipped with hydro-boost power brakes, the same condition can result in loss of power assist for braking after the reserve pressure is depleted.
- Risk
- An inoperative pump can cause increased steering effort, and in hydro-boost equipped vehicles also increased braking effort, but does not completely eliminate the ability to steer or slow the vehicle.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the hydraulic pump. The campaign began on february 14, 2005. Owners may contact chevrolet at 1‑800‑630‑2438 or gmc at 1‑866‑996‑9463.
Recall number 05V005000 · Recall details
Power train: automatic transmission
- What is wrong
- The transmission shift-cable lock clip can back out of its installed position resulting in a loss of cable adjustment. When the shift lever is placed in the "park" position, the "park" indicator light may not illuminate.
- Risk
- The vehicle can move unintentionally if the driver does not notice that the indicator light is not on and does not apply the parking brake.
- Remedy
- Dealers will adjust the shift cable and install a lock clip.
Recall number 95V139000 · Recall details
Questions about the Chevrolet Suburban harsh shifting
Which Chevrolet Suburban years have harsh or hard shifting problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2003 (10 complaints), 1997 (7 complaints) and 2021 (4 complaints).
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