Your vehicle report
1994 Chevrolet Suburban
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 858
- Received Jan 1995 to Apr 2023
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up324 complaints · 38% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Windshield wipers work intermittently or fail137 complaints · 16% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines117 complaints · 14% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #03V159000On certain minivans, pickup trucks, and sport utility vehicles with certain model-engine combinations, the windshield wiper motor may fail due to cracked solder joints on the controller circuit board. The windshield wipers could work intermittently or not at all.
- Recall #99V025000Vehicle description: pickup trucks, crew cabs, utility trucks and sport utility vehicles. These vehicles were built with the polarity of the wiring for the zero adjust brake switch reversed from what was specified on the switch drawing. With the reversed polarity, the contacts in the brake switch can wear out prematurely. The brake switch will perform normally until the brake switch contacts wear out, resulting in loss of the brake lamps without any warning to the driver.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 147 crashes, 10 fires, 55 people injured, 2 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 20 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
- Engine suddenly shuts off while driving
- Unintended acceleration despite braking
- Vehicle rolls backward out of park
1 more problem
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 163 |
| 1996 | 109 |
| 1997 | 141 |
| 1998 | 99 |
| 1999 | 144 |
| 2000 | 83 |
| 2001 | 48 |
| 2002 | 16 |
| 2003 | 25 |
| 2004 | 10 |
| 2005 | 9 |
| 2006 | 2 |
| 2007 | 2 |
| 2008 | 2 |
| 2009 | 0 |
| 2010 | 1 |
| 2011 | 0 |
| 2012 | 1 |
| 2013 | 1 |
| 2014 | 0 |
| 2015 | 0 |
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 858 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up | 324 | 38% | – | |
| Windshield wipers work intermittently or fail | 137 | 16% | – | NHTSA recall #03V159000, #98V150001 |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 117 | 14% | – | |
| Brakes fail intermittently or repeatedly | 46 | 5.4% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 37 | 4.3% | – | |
| Brakes make grinding or squealing noise | 19 | 2.2% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 16 | 1.9% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 16 | 1.9% | – | |
| Front brake rotors warp and wear early | 11 | 1.3% | – | |
| Automatic emergency braking applies without reason | 9 | 1.1% | – | |
| Brake master cylinder leaks fluid and fails | 8 | 0.9% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 7 | 0.8% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 7 | 0.8% | – | |
| Vehicle rolls backward out of park | 7 | 0.8% | – | |
| Fuel pump fails and engine stalls | 6 | 0.7% | – | |
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 5 | 0.6% | – | |
| Air conditioner blows hot air or fails | 5 | 0.6% | – | |
| Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed | 5 | 0.6% | – | |
| Battery drains and dies when parked | 5 | 0.6% | – | |
| Trailer frame, axle, or hitch fails while towing | 4 | 0.5% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #03V159000April 28, 20031,755,876 vehicles affected
visibility: windshield wiper/washer
On certain minivans, pickup trucks, and sport utility vehicles with certain model-engine combinations, the windshield wiper motor may fail due to cracked solder joints on the controller circuit board. The windshield wipers could work intermittently or not at all.
If this were to occur during bad weather, driver visibility would be reduced, which could result in a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the wiper motor circuit board and cover. Owner notification began on june 19, 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 Chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020, Gmc at 1-800-462-8782, or Oldsmobile at 1-800-442-6537.
NHTSA recall #99V025000February 5, 1999988,587 vehicles affected
exterior lighting: brake lights: switch
Vehicle description: pickup trucks, crew cabs, utility trucks and sport utility vehicles. These vehicles were built with the polarity of the wiring for the zero adjust brake switch reversed from what was specified on the switch drawing. With the reversed polarity, the contacts in the brake switch Can wear out prematurely. The brake switch will perform normally until the brake switch contacts wear out, resulting in loss of the brake lamps without any warning to the driver.
This would fail to warn a following driver that the vehicle is braking and could lead to a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the brake switch and reverse the wiring.
NHTSA recall #98V150001July 1, 19981,557,585 vehicles affected
visibility: windshield wiper/washer
Vehicle description: light duty pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles, 2 and 4-WHEEL drive. Solder joints near the wiring harness connector Can crack causing the windshield wipers to work intermittently.
This condition Can result in inoperative wipers, reducing a driver's visibility, and increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the wiper motor circuit board and cover.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 1994 Chevrolet Suburban.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN