I had a recall serviced on a Friday which was completed by the dealership. My car sat all weekend and was not driven until Monday AM which was fine. After work, there were several warning lights that popped up and it was making a terrible noise. I was unable to drive home and had to have my car towed to the dealership. Following there inspection, my engine had to be replaced due to a known issue with this engine and GM. Cylinder #2 misfire, lost compression - lifter had spun in guide, camshaft is damaged - engine needs to be replaced. Unfortunately, I was just out of warranty so it was either pay $12,000+ for a new engine or walk away from a car that I love. I just don't understand why if GM knows this is an issue, why there is not some sort of recall on it.
Chevrolet Suburban warning lights comes on
19 of the 8,048 owner complaints about the Chevrolet Suburban describe multiple warning lights, most of them for the 2015 model year.
- owner complaints
- 19
- worst model year
- 2015
- typical mileage
- 89,603
By model year
- 20222
- 20213
- 20181
- 20162
- 20154
- 20141
- 20131
- 20021
- 20012
- 20002
Often reported together
Misfire 3Loss of power 3Engine failure 3Check engine light 3Stalling 2Seat belt 2Power steering loss 2ABS 2
What owners say
The transmission of the 2021 Suburban failed. While operating the vehicle down a state highway, out of nowhere the power was reduced significantly while in traffic. It would not go over 30 MPH after forcing itself to 30 MPH while driving down the busy highway. After struggling to find a safe place to park, the vehicle would not, and still will not, go into reverse. There were no warning lights of any sort prior to this incident. Now there are several warning lights. The vehicle has been towed and taken to a repair shop with current unknown diagnostics as we are waiting our turn for the vehicle to be diagnosed. This vehicle has a transmission that is currently under Class Action for GM knowingly selling defective transmissions.
The contact owned a 2016 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated that while driving 30-35 MPH, the vehicle crashed into a concrete pole, and the front end of the vehicle was significantly damaged. The contact stated that the pole was 12-18 inches into the hood, and 1.5 ft. up into the engine bay. The concrete pole was damaged. The air bags and the seat belt pretensioners failed to deploy. Several warning lights, including the check engine, the ABS, the TPMS, the air bag, the StabiliTrak, and the traction control warning lights, were illuminated after the crash. The contact noticed he had sustained bumps on the head and neck from hitting the steering wheel, but did not feel sore at the time. The contact woke up dizzy the next day and sought medical assistance. The contact underwent X-rays and was informed that he had also sustained torn chest muscles. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot. The insurance company towed the vehicle to another lot the following day, and the vehicle was totaled. The contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number:Â 16V651000(Air Bags, Seat Belts), which was previously performed on the vehicle. Additionally, the contact stated that the manufacturer had also issued the federal safety agency Campaign Number:Â 17V437000(Air Bags, Seat Belts) for vehicles repaired under the previous recall, and the recall information stated that the affected vehicles may not have received the complete software update necessary to remedy the recall condition. However, the second recall had not been performed on the vehicle. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was filed, but the case manager was unreachable. The failure mileage was 192,252.
When driving down the road, all gauges drop to 0, car continues to drive. When I pull over and try to turn the car off it turns everything off except the engine. I can’t put it into gear or restart the car. Battery has to be unplugged to get it to turn off. All lights will start flash across the dash. Service air bags, service trailer brake, service side detection, etc
My wife was driving the vehicle and was pulling into a parking lot. The brakes failed and would not stop the vehicle. She pressed on the brakes very hard, multiple times, for several seconds, before the vehicle finally came to stop. She then proceeded into a parking spot where the brakes again failed to stop the vehicle promptly. Several lights illuminated and a “System Brake Failure 43 MPH Top Speed” message appeared, alternating with several other messages appearing. The vehicle is in for service at Classic Chevrolet in Granbury, Texas. They are telling me that they reset the codes and that the codes are not returning. I am extremely concerned that if I pick up the vehicle at this point, the brakes could fail again and cause an accident with serious injury.
While driving my vehicle, it suddenly shook, a vibration started, and then the car began misfiring. It wouldn’t accelerate, kept shaking, and several warning lights appeared on the dashboard, such as Engine, Traction, and ESC. At that time, I was with my two sons, aged [XXX] and [XXX] . We were turning onto an empty and quiet street, so our safety was not at risk. However, if this had happened in heavy traffic, it could have posed a significant danger, as the vehicle’s power dropped dramatically, and it all happened very suddenly. I took the car to a mechanic. Initially, the fuel injector was replaced, but the problem persisted, and the mechanic recommended an engine replacement. After that, I went to an authorized service center, and they also recommended an engine replacement. I purchased a new engine from Chevrolet and had the mechanic install it. The mechanic told me that this is a common issue and mentioned that two other Suburban engines were replaced this year. My next complaint will also be related to my second vehicle, which is the same model Suburban, experiencing similar issues. I own two 2022 Suburbans, and both have had their engines replaced in the past two months. The removed engines were sent to Chevrolet, but I have not received any information regarding their condition or the cause of the failure. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
While driving my vehicle, it suddenly shook, a vibration started, and then the car began misfiring. I own two Chevrolet Suburbans, and since the same issue had happened before with the other one, I was more experienced this time. However, this time, there were also unusual noises coming from the vehicle. It wouldn’t accelerate, kept shaking, and multiple warning lights appeared on the dashboard, such as Engine, Traction, and ESC. The issue occurred as I tried to move forward after waiting at a red light. Since I had experienced this problem before, I immediately pulled over to a safe spot, ensuring our safety. I took the car to a different nearby mechanic. The mechanic stated that this is a common problem with these vehicles and that they encounter it quite often. I explained the previous incident I had experienced. The mechanic confirmed that the engine needed to be replaced. I purchased a new engine from Chevrolet and had it installed by the mechanic. I have already submitted a complaint to you regarding my other vehicle, which is the same model and year. I own two 2022 Suburbans, and both had their engines replaced within the past two months. The removed engines were sent to Chevrolet, but I have not received any information regarding the condition or cause of failure.
It started with a glitch with the radio/navigation system flashing back and forth and not working. The cooling fan on the vehicle would run for about 10 minutes. The blind spot warning would blink on and off and there was no one else on the road. Then two days later the check engine light came on for about 5 days. Then three days later there was a loss of battery power and the indication light came on stating the car was in battery save mode. Then two days later the power steering system was lost on the highway and all the warning lights on the dash were flashing. The car stalled and refused to start. The tow truck driver tried to jump the vehicle with a battery pack that would jump a diesel and he only got enough power to put the car in neutral.
Hello, To whom it may concern, My vehicle is a 2018 Chevy Suburban with a 5.3 motor. GM produced these motors made from inferior metal and defective lifters. My engine began failing in May 2022, I've taking my vehicle to several shops for work but the problem has not been resolved. I have links below explaining the problems with these motors. There are tens of thousands of individuals with families struggle with this same problem I'm having as well. This is world wide news, I'm asking for help for myself and so many other people in these challenging times. I've contacted GM headquarters. [XXX] and [XXX] with no success, just the run around. I went to a GMC dealer here in Clarksville, TN where I reside this month. [XXX] with GMC told me he was hearing my lifters and I need not drive my vehicle. Called me in his office and told me he couldn't get my vehicle in to be looked at, but gave me another dealership contact information. I called and spoke with a gentleman by the name of [XXX] he also informed me that they were backed up and couldn't see me until October 5th. All warning lights came on in May of 2022, engine and steering and traction. Please view these links below that explain in further detail. Thank you for your time and help! My Contact information [XXX] https://youtu.be/EwOQbnFcAOc https://pickuptrucktalk.com/2021/12/are-there-new-problems-with-gm-v-8-engine-lifters-lurking/ INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Driving today in snow, increased electrical demand on vehicle while accelerating. Smelled burning wires and all dash lights flickered then died. Engine turned off and had to be restarted with the push button. Happened within 30 minutes later while accelerating onto a main road with traffic, lost control of vehicle and had to force the steering wheel to turn the vehicle off the road to avoid being hit by oncoming traffic.
Related recalls
Electrical system: ignition
- What is wrong
- General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra trucks manufactured January 24, 2014, to February 26, 2014, 2015 Chevrolet Suburban vehicles manufactured February 12, 2014 and Chevrolet Tahoe vehicles manufactured February 6, 2014, to February 13, 2014. In the affected vehicles, the ignition lock actuator may bind, making turning the key difficult or causing the ignition to get stuck in the "Start" position.
- Risk
- If stuck in the "Start" position, the ignition may suddenly snap back into the "Accessory" position, causing a loss of engine, steering, and braking power, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash. If the vehicle is in a crash, the air bags may not deploy, increasing the risk of occupant injury.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ignition lock housing, free of charge. The recall began on November 20, 2015. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020 or GMC customer service at 1‑800‑462‑8782. GM's number for this recall is 15573.
Recall number 15V640000 · Recall details
Electrical system: ignition
- What is wrong
- General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado HD, Silverado LD, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra LD, Sierra HD, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the ignition lock actuator may bind, making turning the key difficult or causing the ignition to get stuck in the "Start" position.
- Risk
- If stuck in the "Start" position, the ignition may suddenly snap back into the "Accessory" position, causing a loss of engine, steering, and braking power, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash. If the vehicle is in a crash, the air bags may not deploy, increasing the risk of occupant injury.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the ignition lock housing, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on February 12, 2015. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1‑800‑458‑8006 (Cadillac), 1‑800‑222‑1020 (Chevrolet), or 1‑800‑462‑8782 (GMC). GM's number for this recall is 14696 for the original equipment, and 14912 for the service replacement parts.
Recall number 14V827000 · Recall details
Electrical system
- What is wrong
- General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Cadillac CTS, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Yukon, and Yukon XL, and 2014 Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Express, Impala, Silverado HD, Traverse, GMC Acadia, Savana, and Sierra HD vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the chassis electronic module may be internally contaminated, resulting in an electrical short.
- Risk
- If the module experiences an electrical short, the vehicle could stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the chassis electronic module, free of charge. The recall began on December 26, 2014. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1‑800‑521‑7300 (Buick), 1-800-458-006 (Cadillac), 1‑800‑222‑1020 (Chevrolet), and 1‑800‑462‑8782 (GMC). GMs number for this recall is 14515.
Recall number 14V614000 · Recall details
Electrical system
- What is wrong
- Gm is recalling certain model year 2006-2009 buick, lucerne; cadillac dts; hummer h2; model year 2008-2009 buick enclave; cadillac cts; model year 2007-2009 cadillac escalade, escalade esv, escalade ext; chevrolet avalanche, silverado, suburban, tahoe; gmc acadia, sierra, yukon, yukon xl; saturn outlook; and model year 2009 chevrolet traverse vehicles equipped with a heated washer fluid system (hwfs). A recall was implemented in 2008 to add a fuse to the control circuit harness to address the potential consequences of a printed circuit board (pcb) electrical short. However, there have been new reports of thermal incidents on hwfs modules after this improvement was installed. These incidents resulted from a new failure mode attributed to the device's thermal protection feature. The significance varies from minor distortion to considerable melting of the plastic around the hwfs fluid chamber.
- Risk
- It is possible for the heated washer module to ignite and a fire may occur.
- Remedy
- Dealers will permanently disable and remove the heated washer fluid module. An updated page for the owner manual will be provided and inserted in the owner manual to document that the feature has been permanently disabled and removed from the vehicle. The safety recall began on june 11, 2010. Owners may contact buick at 1‑866‑608‑8080, cadillac at 1‑866‑982‑2339, chevrolet at 1‑800‑630‑2438, saturn at 1‑800‑972‑8876, gmc at 1‑866‑996‑9463 and hummer at 1‑800‑732‑5493 or at the owner center at www.gmownercenter.com.
Recall number 10V240000 · Recall details
Electrical system
- What is wrong
- Gm is recalling 857,735 my 2006-2008 buick lucerne; cadillac dts; hummer h2; my 2007-2008 cadillac escalade, escalade esv, escalade ext; chevrolet avalanche, silverado, suburban, tahoe; gmc acadia, sierra, yukon, yukon xl, saturn outlook; and my 2008 buick enclave vehicles equipped with a heated wiper washer fluid system. A short circuit on the printed circuit board for the washer fluid heater may overheat the control-circuit ground wire.
- Risk
- This may cause other electrical features to malfunction, create an odor, or cause smoke increasing the risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install a wire harness with an in-line fuse free of charge. The recall began on september 12, 2008. Owners may contact buick at 1‑866‑608‑8080; cadillac at 1‑800‑982‑2339 or http://www.cadillac.com; chevrolet at 1‑800‑630‑2438; saturn at 1‑800‑972‑8876 or http://www.saturn.com, gmc at 1‑866‑996‑9436; or hummer at 1‑800‑732‑5493; or through their website at http://www.gmownercenter.com .
Recall number 08V441000 · Recall details
Questions about the Chevrolet Suburban warning lights
Why does the warning lights come on in the Chevrolet Suburban?
Owners who report it most often also describe misfire or rough idle, sudden loss of power and engine failure.
Which Chevrolet Suburban years have multiple warning lights problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2015 (4 complaints), 2021 (3 complaints) and 2000 (2 complaints).
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