My engine was initially part of the 6.2L v8 engine recall. The dealer cleared my engine after inspecting it and told me my engine was not affected, but that I had to use corvette engine oil. After my 3rd corvette engine oil change, and two days after having it serviced and getting an all clear inspection from Chevy, the engine blew while going 70 mph on the highway. No warning lights. I looked down at my dash and there was a gray box that said “engine oil pressure low, turn engine off”. By the time I checked my side and rear view mirror I could see clouds of white smoke and other cars flashing me with their headlamps. I was traveling by myself with 4 small children through a very bad part of town. It was frightening. Thankfully we were able to safely pull over and have it towed to Chevy where they confirmed that the engine was blown. Chevy gave me a false sense of security when they told me my engine was not affected. I would never have put my family at risk had I known it was a ticking time bomb.
Chevrolet Suburban headlights problems
62 of the 8,047 owner complaints about the Chevrolet Suburban describe headlights failing or too dim, most of them for the 1999 model year.
- owner complaints
- 62
- worst model year
- 1999
- typical mileage
- 41,000
By model year
Often reported together
Loss of power 3Engine failure 3Collision warning 3ABS 3Wipers 2Stalling 2Power steering loss 2Adaptive cruise 2
What owners say
2021 SUBURBAN LT. Driver side headlamp adjuster failed while driving. Wife struggles to see at night so when the adjuster failed the driver side headlamp faced right to the ground causing no projected illuminating light. We attempted to adjust the light when she arrived home but it would not adjust due to the leveler failing and breaking. Looking into the matter we found out that numerous people with those, suburban's and even Silverado's that share the same parts have also reported the part failing due to the leveling being so thin and driving over bumpy roads will cause the weight of the lamp to snap and break. Its a growing concern yet dealerships are charging customers over 1400 to replace the whole assembly as it is one seal piece. There was no indication of it starting to fail just the moment it went from fine to facing the ground. We tried to run through extended warranty but claimed denied stating us touching the leveler to adjust it is what caused it to break. We tried to prove our case that doing research they would find to be common but no luck. its a safey matte.r
As I was driving 75 mph down the highway my collision alert flashed all my lights turned off, including my headlights and all interior lights as it was dark time and they flashed back on a couple of times until they finally stayed on. I pulled over and as I came to zero, speed, the vehicle completely shut down. It did start back up, but this is not the first time I get a light on my dash that says stability track and then everything resets and I don’t have any lights on at all after that this has been happening off and on I also have three coworkers that have the same make, and year that experienced the same problems ! My situation on the highway was very dangerous. It was pitched dark outside and I lost vision due to my lights going off at 75 mph and my steering wheel also locking up. The next time the vehicle does it I will take a video for proof. I have heard that this problem is very common in these vehicles and believe something should be done because that is a dangerous situation if I was going around a corner and my steering wheel locked up, I could easily flip my car. I have small children that’s why I have the big space but we need safety for our family.
The front headlight leaks water which pools inside the led front headlight bezel causing the headlamp to blow/fail. This is a known GM issue and TSB's have been initiated. Concern was confirmed by the dealership who reported that the seal on the headlamp had failed causing the water leak and full replacement of the headlamp/headlight bezel needed to be replaced.
Lane departure assist, adaptive cruise control, auto emergency braking, adaptive high beam, forward collision warning system became unresponsive while driving on highway during trip. Had to take vehicle into GM dealership for ADAS camera replacement.
The lights flash high beam, low beam, high beam, low beam, while I’m driving. Nothing seems to keep them from doing that.
The Day Light Running Lights will not go off preventing the low beam light from lighting properly. 08/21/2025
The headlight adjustment screw is broken. Was never used or adjusted and now the headlights point to the ground. GM does not offer a replacement part for the adjustment screw, the only fix is to purchase a whole new headlight assembly which is roughly $1,000 before installation costs. This causes a dangerous situation since the drivers side headlight points to the ground and it is hard to see in front of you at night.
The contact owns a 2024 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated that upon brushing snow off the vehicle, the contact noticed that there was snow inside the headlights, which later turned into ice and dimmed the headlights. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the failure recurred, causing the contact to pull over to the side of the road to clean the headlights. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 360.
The headlamps are defective and unexpectedly break causing them to aim basically straight down towards the pavement making it unsafe to drive at night. In February of this year I took the vehicle to Cox Chevrolet in Bradenton and they said the headlamps would need to be replaced and it would cost several thousand dollars. I rarely need to drive at night and have been taking our son's car since then. There is a chance one broke and I didn't notice at first then the second one but, at this point, it is unsafe to drive the vehicle at night. I have found several posts on online forums where owners of other GM/Chevrolet vehicles with the same headlamps have had the same experience. Some have mentioned that an adjuster pin breaks and is not repairable (which I have confirmed with a service advisor at another Chevrolet dealership). I am [XXX] who drives responsibly (i.e. not going off road in my Suburban) so having an issue like this is of concern as it makes the vehicle suddenly unsafe to drive at night. This is not a defect that is noticeable during the day so anyone purchasing a used vehicle with this problem wouldn't know they essentially don't have headlamps (I can see maybe 10 feet in front of the car) until they get on the road at nighttime. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Related recalls
Exterior lighting: lighting control module: software
- What is wrong
- General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Cadillac CT4 and CT5; 2021-2023 Buick Envision; and 2022-2023 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles. The daytime running lights (DRLs) may not deactivate when the headlights are on. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
- Risk
- DRLs that do not deactivate as intended may result in a glare, reducing visibility, and increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- The body control module software will be updated by a dealer, or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 23, 2023. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1‑888‑988‑7267, Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020, or Cadillac customer service at 1‑800‑458‑8006. GM's number for this recall is N222386380. This recall expands previous recall number 22V‑827.
Recall number 22V903000 · Recall details
Exterior lighting: lighting control module: software
- What is wrong
- General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 Yukon, Yukon XL, Chevrolet Tahoe, Chevrolet Suburban, Cadillac Escalade, and Cadillac Escalade ESV vehicles. The daytime running lights (DRLs) may not deactivate when the headlights are on. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
- Risk
- Daytime Running Lights that do not deactivate as intended may cause a glare, reducing visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will provide an over-the-air (OTA) update for the Body Control Module software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 15, 2022. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1‑888‑988‑7267, Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020, or Cadillac customer service at 1‑800‑458‑8006. GM's number for this recall is N222382220.
Recall number 22V827000 · Recall details
Exterior lighting: brake lights: switch
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: pickup trucks, crew cabs, utility trucks and sport utility vehicles. These vehicles were built with the polarity of the wiring for the zero adjust brake switch reversed from what was specified on the switch drawing. With the reversed polarity, the contacts in the brake switch can wear out prematurely. The brake switch will perform normally until the brake switch contacts wear out, resulting in loss of the brake lamps without any warning to the driver.
- Risk
- This would fail to warn a following driver that the vehicle is braking and could lead to a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the brake switch and reverse the wiring.
Recall number 99V025000 · Recall details
Questions about the Chevrolet Suburban headlights
Which Chevrolet Suburban years have headlights failing or too dim problems?
The model years with the most reports are 1999 (11 complaints), 2021 (10 complaints) and 2015 (7 complaints).
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used Chevrolet Suburban?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history