The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated that while driving at 55 MPH, the vehicle shuddered and shut off completely without warning. An attempt was made to restart the vehicle, but the engine failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, where a diagnostic inspection revealed a lifter failure, and the engine was replaced. The contact stated that three months after the engine replacement, the engine was leaking oil and the transmission failed. The failure mileage was 160,000.
Chevrolet Suburban transmission failure problems
161 of the 8,048 owner complaints about the Chevrolet Suburban describe complete transmission failure, most of them for the 2017 model year.
- owner complaints
- 161
- worst model year
- 2017
- typical repair cost reported
- $5,300
- typical mileage
- 84,478
Is there a fix? There are 12 recalls for this area of the car. See below
By model year
Often reported together
Check engine light 13Slipping 12Shudder 9Jerking 9Harsh shifting 9Won't shift 8Overheating 6Loss of power 6
Trouble codes mentioned
P0747 2P2732 1P1870 1P0796 1P0750 1P0700 1
What owners say
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.
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.
The contact owns a 2023 Chevrolet Suburban. While the contact’s husband was driving 70-75 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond, but the RPMs became elevated. The driver shifted transmission into neutral(N), coasted to the side of the road, and the vehicle stalled. A message to “Start Vehicle” was displayed; however, while on the side of the road, the vehicle failed to turn off. The driver was able to shift into park(P) and had the vehicle towed to the dealer, where the transmission failed to shift out of park(P). The dealer determined that a spark plug was burned. The spark plug was replaced; however, before returning the vehicle, the new spark plug was also burned. The dealer then diagnosed the vehicle with engine failur. The dealer informed the manufacturer of the safety issue. The failure mileage was approximately 42,600.
Just for information purposes, I have been an ASE certified Master automotive technician for 30 years. As I was accelerating onto the highway, my transmission downshifted hard, throwing everything forward. It then went into limp mode with “ses” light on. I was able to drive it home stuck in one gear. The next morning I tried to drive the truck. It had reverse but when trying to go forward, the transmission was stuck in between gears and fighting itself. I manually shifted into low gear and it seemed to clear up the binding. I drove the truck up and down my driveway which is about a half mile long. No more “ses” light but when I went to park it, there was no movement in reverse. As I researched the problem I found the recall information on the valve body. I called several dealerships to find a service writer that had experience with these transmission issues. The truck was towed to a dealership that knew about this recall. Their technician checked for codes but there were none. It seems these trucks reset or “lose” codes when the ignition is turned off. He checked the fluid and decided that the reverse clutch must be burned up. They quoted a transmission replacement at $6500. I asked if they had driven the truck forward at all to reset any trouble codes. The truck was “unsafe” to drive due to the random harsh downshift and erratic behavior. I went there(putting myself in danger) to drive the truck to reset any trouble codes. Within a mile the truck did the same thing. It stored a code P2732. I was informed that GM would not do anything for me unless there was a P747. After reasoning with the service manager and also GM, it was obvious I was out of luck. I had the truck towed home and removed the transmission pan. The fluid was clean and there was no debris. The problem is in the defective valve body from GM but since it didn’t have the code P0747 I’m stuck having to repair it myself. The truck has 126k miles still well within the extended service range.
The transmission failed suddenly and without warning. When I Went to pull out from a stop sign with cross traffic doing 55 mph, the vehicle shuddered and stopped pulling. We barely had enough momentum to get out of the way of oncoming traffic at the last second. The oncoming traffic had to brake and honked. After reading online, this is a common issue with the 6l80 transmission torque converters being a failure point and the fluid temperature being too high. Gm has a service bulletin for a lower temp bypass valve but there is no recall and these units are failing by the tens of thousands.
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission overheating warning light illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the road and waited for the engine to cool down. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred. The failure reoccurred every 15–20 miles while driving. In addition, the contact stated that eventually the vehicle stopped driving forward. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The failure reoccurred almost two years later. The vehicle was towed back to the dealer where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that an unknown part was not replaced during the transmission repair. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. In addition, the contact stated that the dealer was the dealer who completed all three of the repairs. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was informed that the failure was not due to a manufacturing defect. The failure mileage was approximately 84,478.
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.
Since December 2020, our Suburban has been in for seven extended, documented dealership repair events at Guaranty Chevrolet and Simpson Chevrolet of Garden Grove, totaling 192 cumulative days out of service and $47,560.86 in documented repair invoices — approximately 71% of what we paid for the vehicle. Those repairs have included a complete transmission replacement (58,861 miles), a recurrence of the same active-lifter defect only ten days later, an ignition coil failure, fuel injector and air conditioning failures, an oil pump failure, and, most seriously, a complete engine replacement (66,854 miles) after the dealership documented metal in the oil and filter and engine end play. The situation has continued to worsen. We picked up the vehicle on XXX following the complete engine replacement. Only six days later, on July 6, 2026, the check-engine light returned and we brought the vehicle back to the dealership. We were initially told the issue was a sensor; the following day, we were informed that the replacement engine — which the dealership had disclosed to us at the time was a refurbished unit — was itself defective and would need to be replaced a second time. As of this writing, that repair remains open. In other words, the remedy provided for this vehicle's most serious failure did not resolve the problem, and we are once again without our vehicle. This pattern of failures has caused real, ongoing hardship for our family. We specifically purchased a full-size, top-trim Suburban for its seating and cargo capacity: we have two teenagers at home who depend on us for transportation to school and activities, we regularly care for grandchildren, and our [XXX] daughter has Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), a debilitating condition that often requires her to use a wheelchair. The Suburban's cargo space is what allows us to transport her together with her wheelchair. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
COMPONENT: The 10-speed automatic transmission failed on 6/29/26, locking the vehicle completely in neutral. The neutral override could not be disengaged even by dealership technicians. Vehicle is currently at [XXX] Chevrolet, [XXX] and is available for inspection. SAFETY RISK: I have 3 young children who are regular passengers. The failure occurred without warning. Had it happened at highway speed in oncoming traffic, I would have had no ability to move the car — creating a direct risk of a serious or fatal collision. CONFIRMED BY DEALER: Yes. Don Hewlett Chevrolet received the vehicle on 6/30/26 and confirmed the failure is directly related to two active federal recalls: the federal safety agency #24V‑797 (10-speed transmission valve body failure/wheel lockup) and the federal safety agency #22V‑036 (driveshaft assembly/loss of propulsion). Vehicle has been unrepaired for 13 days with no timeline provided. OTHER INSPECTIONS: Vehicle has been in possession of Don Hewlett Chevrolet since 6/30/26. No manufacturer representative, police, or insurance inspection has occurred. WARNING SIGNS: None. No warning lamps, messages, or symptoms appeared before the failure. The power train locked suddenly and completely without any prior indication on 6/29/26. Despite the dealer confirming this is recall-related, they have indicated I may owe partial repair costs. Under 49 U.S.C. § 30120, GM must remedy recalls at no charge regardless of mileage or warranty. I am requesting the federal safety agency investigate both the failure and GM's attempt to charge the owner for federally mandated recall repairs. 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 transmission failure
Which Chevrolet Suburban years have complete transmission failure problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2017 (23 complaints), 2016 (22 complaints) and 2019 (15 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix complete transmission failure on the Chevrolet Suburban?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $5,300 (median of 23 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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