Chevrolet
Chevrolet Suburban years to avoid
Years to avoid: 2015, 2021 and 2023. Best years: 2018 and 2020.
The 2015, 2021 and 2023 Chevrolet Suburban draw the most owner complaints for their age: 2015 has 426 complaints (36 for each year on the road), 2021 has 198 complaints (33 for each year on the road) and 2023 has 125 complaints (31 for each year on the road), against a median of 14 a year across the 11 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2015 is brake wear (152 reports).
- 1,233complaints
- 28recall campaigns
- 6model years with a page
Newest report Sep 29, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
Pick your model year
Owner complaints on file for each year.
Years to avoid
2015
Most reported: brake wear (152 reports, median 67,000 miles) and A/C failure (40 reports, median 56,000 miles).
2021
Most reported: stalling (43 reports, median 45,500 miles) and engine failure (43 reports, median 75,000 miles).
2023
Most reported: engine failure (34 reports, median 42,600 miles) and stalling (26 reports, median 33,190 miles).
Best years
2018
Too few complaints for a page of its own.
2020
Too few complaints for a page of its own.
Complaints for each year on the road
Each model year's NHTSA complaints divided by the calendar years it has been on sale, counting this one (a 2018 model has had 9). Older cars have had longer to collect complaints, so raw totals flatter the new ones. Blue bars are the years to avoid.
Within one model, sales change less from year to year than they do between models, so a jump here is mostly a jump in problems. The call: the years to avoid are the (up to three) highest at 1.5 times the model's median rate or more, and the best are the (up to three) lowest at two thirds of it or less, from 2016 on.
Guide How much should a years-to-avoid list decide? What these lists get wrong
At a glance
- Where the complaints sit
- The 2015 alone holds 426 of the 1,233 complaints across the 6 model years with a page here (35%).
- Problem across the years
- The top problem changes over time: brake wear from 2015 to 2017; stalling in 2021; engine failure from 2022 to 2023. Pooled across the years, half of the 195 owners who gave a mileage for brake wear were under about 62,000 miles.
- Crash, fire and injury reports
- 6% of Chevrolet Suburban complaints report a crash, a fire or an injury, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The highest share is on the 2015, 35 of its 426 complaints.
- Recalls on the top problem
- 3 of the 5 model years where owners report brake wear have a recall on the same system. The 2021 and 2023 have none. A recall on the same system doesn't always cover the failure owners describe, so compare its summary with the complaints.
- When owners filed
- Complaints are still climbing. 2025 brought 230, the most of any year so far. So far in 2026, 189 more have come in. Filings on record start in 2015.
Photo: Kevauto, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Kevauto, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Model years with too few complaints for a page of their own: 2014 (57), 2018 (81), 2019 (78), 2020 (44), 2024 (42).
Year by year
2023 Chevrolet Suburban avoid
125 owner complaints, 31 for each year on the road (2.2 times the model median). Most reported: engine failure (34 reports, median 42,600 miles), stalling (26 reports, median 33,190 miles) and misfire (17 reports, median 54,000 miles). 1 report involved a crash and 4 people were hurt. 3 recalls, including 25V-274 on the engine and 23V-642 on the suspension system.
2022 Chevrolet Suburban
123 owner complaints, 25 for each year on the road (1.7 times the model median). Most reported: engine failure (35 reports, median 55,000 miles), stalling (30 reports, median 58,166 miles) and misfire (14 reports, median 55,000 miles). 4 reports involved a crash and 4 people were hurt. 4 recalls, including 25V-274 on the engine and 26V-085 on the transmission and drivetrain.
2021 Chevrolet Suburban avoid
198 owner complaints, 33 for each year on the road (2.3 times the model median). Most reported: stalling (43 reports, median 45,500 miles), engine failure (43 reports, median 75,000 miles) and misfire (39 reports, median 62,000 miles). 6 reports involved a crash and 5 people were hurt. 12 recalls, including 25V-274 on the engine and 24V-797 on the transmission and drivetrain.
2017 Chevrolet Suburban
141 owner complaints, 14 for each year on the road (1.0 times the model median). Most reported: brake wear (44 reports, median 55,000 miles), transmission failure (19 reports, median 84,478 miles) and stalling (15 reports, median 57,556 miles). 7 reports involved a crash and 6 people were hurt. 5 recalls, including 26V-289 on the transmission and drivetrain (do not drive) and 19V-761 on the brakes.
2016 Chevrolet Suburban
220 owner complaints, 20 for each year on the road (1.4 times the model median). Most reported: brake wear (82 reports, median 64,000 miles), transmission failure (18 reports, median 85,000 miles) and stalling (15 reports, median 114,000 miles). 9 reports involved a crash and 8 people were hurt. 6 recalls, including 16V-256 on the suspension system (do not drive) and 19V-761 on the brakes.
2015 Chevrolet Suburban avoid
426 owner complaints, 36 for each year on the road (2.5 times the model median). Most reported: brake wear (152 reports, median 67,000 miles), A/C failure (40 reports, median 56,000 miles) and power steering loss (32 reports, median 89,000 miles). 21 reports involved a crash and 34 people were hurt. 11 recalls, including 26V-289 on the transmission and drivetrain (do not drive) and 19V-761 on the brakes.
Recalls that cover several model years
The connecting rod and/or crankshaft engine components may have manufacturing defects that can lead to engine damage and engine failure.
The amount of vacuum created by the vacuum pump may decrease over time.
If a wheel-speed sensor fails, while the vehicle is traveling between 41 and 60 mph in four-wheel or automatic mode, the Electronic-Brake Control Module (EBCM) software may activate the driveline-protection system.
In the affected vehicles, certain driving conditions may cause the air bag sensing and diagnostic module (SDM) software to activate a diagnostic test.
A component missing from the drivetrain transfer case may cause the front and/or rear wheels to lock up without warning to the driver.
The rivet that retains the buckle to the mounting bracket in the left or right side third-row seat belt buckle assembly may have been improperly formed.
Compare the Suburban with its rivals
Side by side over the model years both have on file: what owners complain about, the mileage problems start at, recalls, investigations and crash reports.
- Suburban vs Ford Expedition2015 to 2022
- Suburban vs Chevrolet Tahoe2015 to 2023
Questions
What Chevrolet Suburban years should you avoid?
The 2015, 2021 and 2023 Chevrolet Suburban draw the most owner complaints for their age: 2015 has 426 complaints (36 for each year on the road), 2021 has 198 complaints (33 for each year on the road) and 2023 has 125 complaints (31 for each year on the road), against a median of 14 a year across the 11 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2015 is brake wear (152 reports).
What are the best years for the Chevrolet Suburban?
The 2018 and 2020 draw the fewest complaints for their age: 2018 has 81 (9 a year) and 2020 has 44 (6 a year). Model years before 2016 aren't called best, because complaints filed before 2015 aren't in the files this site reads and their counts run short.
What is the most common problem on the Chevrolet Suburban?
Brake wear, with 292 reports across the 6 model years that have a page here. It's the single most reported problem on the 2015, 2016 and 2017.
How many recalls does the Chevrolet Suburban have?
28 recall campaigns cover the Chevrolet Suburban model years 2015 to 2023 on this site. The widest, 16V-651 on the airbags, covers 3 model years.
How many Chevrolet Suburban complaints involve a crash, fire or injury?
6% of them, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The 2015 has the highest share.
Is there a recall for brake wear on the Chevrolet Suburban?
On 3 of the 5 model years where owners report it: 2015, 2016 and 2017.