In the evening I was driving home locally and noticed a slight lurch in the car when coming to a complete stop at the stoplight. From there I proceeded into my neighborhood. There was a sudden and very loud bang sound like metal and an explosion. Immediately the engine failed and my vehicle stopped in the middle of the road. I also smelled a lot of gasoline. I was unable to shift the vehicle into neutral to move it off the road. I called a tow through AAA. Luckily I was not on the freeway or a busy road when this happened as it could have caused an accident. My vehicle is at a certified chevrolet service center where they confirmed their opinion is the timing chain snapped and destroyed my engine. They are recommending a complete motor replacement. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. This vehicle is the same year make and model as a previous recall in 2025 however I am curious as to why my VIN is not included in this recall.
Chevrolet Suburban jerking problems
124 of the 8,047 owner complaints about the Chevrolet Suburban describe jerking or lurching, most of them for the 1997 model year.
- owner complaints
- 124
- worst model year
- 1997
- typical mileage
- 63,000
By model year
Often reported together
Transmission failure 9Stalling 9Harsh shifting 8Check engine light 8Power steering loss 7ABS 7Wipers 5Loss of power 5
What owners say
Driving our 2024 Suburban, 6.2 L engine, on a 2-lane highway in southern Utah, traveling on cruise control at 70 mph, felt 2 hesitations (jerking movement), and turned off cruise control. Immediately after, heard knocking/thumping sound in the front of the vehicle, followed by a whining sound that got louder. Immediately found a turn-off from the highway, pulled in, and engine died while vehicle was still in motion. Attempted starting again and would not start. People stopped to help us and tried to jump vehicle without success. Suburban was towed to a Chevy dealership and we were told the Suburban's engine seized. In researching this issue, we came across the federal safety agency's investigation case EA26005. Our VIN does not fall in to this recall.
Intermittant slow, jerking when shifting gears. In 4wd rear wheels locked up on right hand turn, sliding through intersection. No warning or failure lights. Needs inspection and repair.
The contact owns a 2023 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced excessive oil consumption. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle chugged, jerked, and lunged forward. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the failure could not be duplicated. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where the spark plugs were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The dealer was notified of the failure and advised the contact that the spark plugs might need to be replaced. The contact stated that while driving and coming to a stop, the vehicle chugged, lunged forward, made an abnormal clicking sound, and almost struck another vehicle. The check engine warning light illuminated. The OnStar mobile APP displayed the messages "Engine and Transmission System - Please Schedule Service Now," "Transmission System Issue - Please Schedule Service Now," and "VVT Issue detected - Please Schedule Service Now". The contact was able to pull into a parking lot. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with engine lifter failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 63,000.
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that while the brake pedal was depressed, the vehicle jerked abnormally. The contact stated that the vehicle jerked abnormally hard. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to three dealers, and the vehicle was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not replaced. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 88,000.
transmission failed high speed jerking shifting ruined a set of tires yes has been confirmed by dealer but our vin is not covered under the recall no yes error codes appeared before we took the vehicle in for service 6-5-2025 we have had the vehicle in to 2 separate dealerships a total of 4 times for repair now that powertrain warranty is expired they are calling for a transmission replacement
The vehicle would jerk when changing gears and would have a rattle and vibration when accelerating.
While driving down the high way with the check engine light on, a message appeared on the screen and said “unable to shift soon. Service transmission immediately.” After driving a few more miles the vehicle shifted to neutral, and then as soon as I got on the shoulder of the highway and slowed to approximately 5 mph, the vehicles wheels locked up and the car jerked aggressively into park. This exact issue has occurred multiple times while driving. It is unsafe to drive the vehicle.
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle jerked abnormally while shifting into reverse(R) or drive(D). The contact stated that the vehicle lost motive power with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle; however, the failure persisted while attempting to drive. The contact also stated that the vehicle was put into LIMP Mode several times. The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 78,000.
Pulling off from a stop sign on a hill, the car wouldn't accelerate and rolled back hitting a pedestrian and then jerked forward aggressively burning rubber on the tires. I smell the transmission burning. Luckily the lady didn't want to press charges.
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 jerking
Which Chevrolet Suburban years have jerking or lurching problems?
The model years with the most reports are 1997 (14 complaints), 1994 (12 complaints) and 1999 (12 complaints).
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