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.
Chevrolet Suburban water leak problems
16 of the 8,048 owner complaints about the Chevrolet Suburban describe water leaks into the cabin, most of them for the 2015 model year.
- owner complaints
- 16
- worst model year
- 2015
- typical mileage
- 50,000
Is there a fix? There are 3 recalls for this area of the car. See below
By model year
- 20231
- 20211
- 20163
- 20156
- 20091
- 20001
- 19991
- 19951
- 19941
Often reported together
Power steering loss 2Loss of power 2Knocking 2Stalling 1Headlights 1Engine failure 1Check engine light 1
What owners say
Sun Roof has leaked. The Sun roof leaked a considerable amount of water and it came through the head liner around the ceiling mounted control panel as well as the back of the car. This is the second time it has happened and I have been told it is not covered under warranty. Through online blogs and forums I have found that this is a common issue with 2021 and newer tahoes and suburbans. And that is a reoccurring problem that is commonly not fixed properly by the dealers This causes a safety and health issue as well as an unacceptable vehicle defect. 1.) From a safety standpoint, if I am driving down the highway and a large amount of water starts pouring out of the headliner on the driver it causes a major distraction that could lead to high speed accident. 2.) From a health issue, regular water leaks could lead to vehicle mold and water damage. I have children, if they become susceptible to the mold it could cause health issues for me or my children. 3.) The water that pours out of the ceiling lands on the dash electronics which could lead to more vehicle issues by damaging electronic controls. It is my opinion that this is a major vehicle defect and something should be done by the manufacturer to correct it. I have made a complaint to the Chevy Customer service under reference #890 780 85
While driving on the interstate in Nevada (speed limit of 80MPH) I had my 2016 Suburban throw a rod through the engine block as I was in the left lane passing a Uhual on an incline. The vehicle made a loud bang, lost all engine power and protruded smoke so thick I could not see cars behind me. I was thankfully able to coast to side of the road without being hit. I then exited vehicle and there was a fire in the engine bay which I put out with a gallon of water in the trunk. My mechanic confirmed the thrown rod and hole in the block and that the car needs a new engine now. I had a CEL a few minutes prior to throwing the rod for an engine knock.
My steering wheel pops or makes a cracking noise when turning the steering wheel. I believe this is usually occurring at low speed's. I mostly notice it when driving off or slowing down and making a turn.also my truck is leaking water from the top right corner of the vehicle
Tl* the contact owns a 2015 chevrolet suburban. The contact noticed water leaking down from the roof inside the vehicle each time the vehicle went through a car wash or when it rained. The vehicle was taken to conklin chevrolet salina (2700 s 9th st, salina, ks 67401, (785) 201-3517) where the contact was informed that the entire roof needed to be removed to find the origin of the leak. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired due to the repair fees. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided case number: 9-5410228962. The approximate failure mileage was 85,000.
1) intermittently when turning vehicle at slow speeds, there is sudden loss of steering and electric power steering violently bouncing the wheel back to neutral position when attempting to steer left or right. There is also sudden loss of electricity, engine turns off, requiring to shift to park and restart engine. This issue usually occurs after rain or after car wash (water entering shark fin antenna) 2) intermittent complete power loss throughout the vehicle (occurs especially after rain - when shark fin antenna gets filled with water) and feels like battery is suddenly completely dead. Sometimes it can not be jump started immediately, and after more than an hour, it may be jump started. 3) water leaking into the front left corner of roof (driver side) after rain - again due to shark fin anternna leak. There are many owners of chevy suburban/tahoe, silverado, gm truck reporting exactly same problems all over internet and on youtube. This problem still exists after the recent 09/07/2018 recall 18v586000 fix. This recall did not help solve this problem. In many youtube videos people report having fixed this issue by replacing battery positive and ground cables, as well as by removing the sound dampening material trapped under g218 ground on the driver side of dash (people have mentioned about increased resistance across g218 ground). Example video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwamophnxg8
Water leak inside cabin. Water build up in driver side floor board, either coming from on star/shark fin antenna, can trace water leak up under the dashboard to where all the electrical wirings are. Lost on star and GPS service due to this. Random dash light and interior light flickering. Two incidents so far where vehicle shuts off while driving. One on nearby street and other on the highway. Lost steering and braking ability. No electricity so could not turn on hazard lights to alert other drivers around me.
Tl* the contact owns a 2016 chevrolet suburban. The contact stated that there was a knocking sound in the engine compartment while driving at any speed. The sound occurred without warning. Also, water leaked into the vehicle via the external antenna when it rained. The vehicle was taken to peltier chevrolet (903‑705‑7933, located at 2700 w sw loop 323, tyler, tx 75701) where the technician stated that there was no recall and that the warranty expired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed what the dealer stated. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.
All of the window pillars have broken and/or come loose, dues to a manufacturing problem with the clips used. The roof rack rail also flies up while your driving and smacks the roof because of the faulty clips. I also noticed a water leak on the headliner (see attached picture) after it had rained one day. My suburban was parked outside and I noticed the leak when I got into the car. My seat belts were also wet from the leak. This seems to be a common occurrence and issue with other 2015 suburban owners and is a safety hazard, especially if the wiring sits in the water. I had taken it in to a chevy dealer to get it checked out, but I will have to pay to replace everything needed. If these issues are manufacturing errors and such a common occurrence, why should I have to pay to fix them? And more importantly, why is there no recall on them?
Onstar radio antenna leaks water causing not to function
Related recalls
Structure
- What is wrong
- Certain pickup truck, van, and mini van conversions equipped with southern comfort built running boards that contain certain courtesy lights manufactured by american technology components, inc. These units contain a courtesy light or lights that might overheat when the wire harness is exposed to excessive moisture and road salt.
- Risk
- This overheating condition can cause the running board to melt or cause a fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the wiring harness on these running boards. Owner notification began march 7, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact southern comfort at 1‑800‑745‑6096.
Recall number 03V094000 · Recall details
Structure: body: door: hinge and attachments
- What is wrong
- Certain sport utility vehicles fail to comply with requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 214, "side impact protection." these vehicles are built with four welds on the rear door upper hinge. On some of these vehicles, one or two of the welds may not be to specification.
- Risk
- As a result, the door strength may be degraded during a side impact vehicle crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the welds on the left rear door upper hinge. If a weld is found out-of-specification, a bolt will be installed to secure the hinge. Owner notification began february 17, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact cadillac at 1‑800‑458‑8006, chevrolet at 1‑800‑222‑1020, or gmc at 1‑800‑462‑8782.
Recall number 03V037000 · Recall details
Structure: body
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: light duty pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles. Some of these vehicles have loose or missing rear wheelhouse plugs. Under certain vehicle operating conditions, exhaust gases can flow forward and accumulate in the rear wheelhouse.
- Risk
- These gases could flow into the passenger compartment if the plug is missing or loose and could cause possible illness, unconsciousness, or death.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the vehicle for loose or missing wheelhouse plugs and install new plugs if necessary.
Recall number 00V343000 · Recall details
Questions about the Chevrolet Suburban water leak
Which Chevrolet Suburban years have water leaks into the cabin problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2015 (6 complaints), 2016 (3 complaints) and 1994 (1 complaints).
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