My 2018 Chevrolet Suburban is experiencing transmission problems that raise serious concerns about the reliability and potential safety of General Motors transmissions used in trucks and SUVs from this period. When I contacted an independent transmission repair shop to describe the problems, the employee immediately asked whether my vehicle was a 2014–2018 model. When I confirmed it was a 2018 Suburban, she explained that the shop encounters transmission problems in these vehicles regularly. Her familiarity with the issue, before even inspecting my vehicle, was particularly concerning. This is now the second 2018 General Motors vehicle in my household to experience significant transmission problems. My 2018 GMC Sierra previously suffered a complete transmission failure despite remaining substantially below its warranty mileage threshold. General Motors declined financial assistance because the warranty's time limitation had expired. I recognize that these are two separate vehicles and that the mechanical cause of the Suburban's current symptoms has not yet been independently confirmed. However, the recurrence of transmission problems, the repair shop's observations, and publicly reported complaints involving GM trucks and SUVs from this period warrant further investigation. I am concerned that transmission defects could cause unexpected hesitation, slipping, loss of propulsion, or unpredictable shifting, potentially creating dangerous driving conditions. I am not claiming that all these conditions have occurred in my Suburban, but I believe the potential safety implications deserve examination. I request that the federal safety agency investigate whether these vehicles exhibit recurring transmission defects, review relevant manufacturer technical service bulletins and consumer complaints, and determine whether additional corrective action or a safety recall is warranted.
Chevrolet Suburban slipping problems
50 of the 8,048 owner complaints about the Chevrolet Suburban describe transmission slipping, most of them for the 2019 model year.
- owner complaints
- 50
- worst model year
- 2019
- typical repair cost reported
- $5,500
- typical mileage
- 77,619
By model year
Often reported together
Transmission failure 12Check engine light 6Grinding brakes 4ABS 4Overheating 3Jerking 3Harsh shifting 3Won't shift 2
Trouble codes mentioned
P1870 1
What owners say
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.
The transmission just stopped working no warning just wouldn’t go into gear. Then I turned it off and back on and was able to limp home it’s slipping bad .
Two years ago, we had to have the transmission rebuilt after it kept slipping. Yesterday, as I was driving on I-95, I was passing a vehicle and pressed on the gas. There was a loud crunching noise and I lost acceleration. The check engine light came on right away and I couldn’t press on the gas without a noise and limited forward momentum. I then had to maneuver the car across four lanes of traffic with limited control over speed. There was no warnings an issue was going to occur. We had it towed to our mechanic who said there was low compression in cylinder 1. Less than 90 psi. Again, we had already had the transmission replaced and now this major engine issue. We are in the process of getting it to a Chevy dealer.
Transmission is not functioning properly at 74,300 miles. Engine kept slipping while driving uphill and the RPMs were not matching vehicle speed. Could not go above 50mph while merging onto freeway which was very dangerous. Whirring noise occurred every time I accelerated which was also noted By dealer and transmission shop. No check engine lights on. Took to dealer, but the misdiagnosed it since no lights were on. Took to Transmission shop, and they found that the transmission had several issues that were not displayed. Besides the shop running specific tests, there are still no warning lamps or messages displayed on the vehicle dashboard or using an OBD2 sensor.
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!!!!!!!!
Driving through residential area and noticed loud noise from under hood. Went to pull out onto state highway and wasn’t able to get up to speed almost causing an accident because I could not accelerate. Had to maintain speed at or below 40mph. Brought vehicle to dealership and they confirmed that the transmission was shot. Also went to a local transmission repair shop and he stated that he sees 1-2 of this same transmission weekly. That 2016-2020 Chevrolet transmissions are no good and that Chevrolet knows this. This is a $7000 repair on a vehicle that just hit 100,000 miles. Vehicle has always been well maintained. Just wondering how GM doesn’t have a recall on this particular transmission if there are so many reported problems with it. I was fortunate to be able to pull off of the highway and take back roads to get to the dealership. There was no slipping, no warning signs whatsoever. It just made the loud noise and then boom. Done.
The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Suburban LTZ. The contact stated that while driving on a neighborhood street at 25 MPH her transmission slipped into neutral. No warning lights were illuminated, and the contact proceeded to bring her vehicle to a complete stop, put the transmission into park, attempted to get into drive again however the vehicle remained in neutral and the RPM's shot up significantly. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed and the contact was advised that the transmission had failed and that it would need to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 80,000.
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The transmission failed due to transmission oil that went bad and subsequently damaged the transmission. The failed transmission is available for inspection upon request. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The transmission failure created unsafe driving conditions by reducing vehicle control, particularly in situations requiring acceleration or deceleration. This could have resulted in a collision if the vehicle lost power while in motion. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes, the problem has been confirmed by an independent service center, which diagnosed the transmission failure as a result of degraded transmission oil. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives, or others? The vehicle has not yet been inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance representatives. It has only been inspected by an independent service center. Were there any warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? Yes, there were symptoms prior to the failure. These included occasional transmission slipping and delayed gear shifts, which began several months before the complete transmission failure. No warning lamps or dashboard messages appeared. This issue is of significant concern as the vehicle was purchased as a Certified Pre-Owned vehicle in 2022 and the transmission should not have failed this early. I am requesting an investigation into this issue to determine if it warrants a recall to prevent future safety risks for other drivers.
Vehicle was slipping and losing power. Vehicle was loosing power every time I slowed down on a traffic light and/or stop signs. Vehicle was taken to a local shop and it was determined that vehicle had serious transmission issues. Vehicle was then taken to Richard K Chevrolet. Their report (attached here) states “Found code for pressure control solenoid stuck on. Found large metal debris in fluid. Found transmission suffered mass internal failure. Recommend replacement”. Chevrolet will not take any responsibility for this massive failure and I ended up having to pay $5,500 to fix the issue (documents attached). I’m looking for Chevrolet to reimburse my expenses given that a vehicle just a bit over 100,000 miles underwent such a massive failure. My number is [XXX] . INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
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 slipping
Which Chevrolet Suburban years have transmission slipping problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2019 (9 complaints), 1997 (5 complaints) and 1999 (4 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix transmission slipping on the Chevrolet Suburban?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $5,500 (median of 6 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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