Your vehicle report
2002 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
- 286
- Received Dec 2001 to Nov 2023
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines39 complaints · 14% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up34 complaints · 12% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Tires blow out or tread separates18 complaints · 6.3% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #05V379000Certain pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles may experience unwanted antilock brake system (ABS) activation. This condition is more likely to occur in environmentally corrosive areas. This recall will be launched in the "salt belt" states of connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, maryland, massachusetts, maine, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin and the district of columbia only.
- Recall #03V094000Certain 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.
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: 24 crashes, 5 fires, 24 people injured, 0 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
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
- Tires blow out or tread separates
- Power steering cuts out while driving
- Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly
1 more problem
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
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
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 |
|---|---|
| 2001 | 1 |
| 2002 | 26 |
| 2003 | 47 |
| 2004 | 28 |
| 2005 | 60 |
| 2006 | 24 |
| 2007 | 6 |
| 2008 | 8 |
| 2009 | 3 |
| 2010 | 10 |
| 2011 | 8 |
| 2012 | 18 |
| 2013 | 9 |
| 2014 | 9 |
| 2015 | 9 |
| 2016 | 4 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 3 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 4 |
| 2022 | 2 |
| 2023 | 2 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 286 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 39 | 14% | – | |
| Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up | 34 | 12% | – | NHTSA recall #05V379000 |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 18 | 6.3% | – | |
| Parking brake fails to hold or release | 18 | 6.3% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 13 | 4.5% | – | |
| Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline | 10 | 3.5% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 8 | 2.8% | – | |
| Power steering cuts out while driving | 8 | 2.8% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 7 | 2.5% | – | |
| Transmission fails or loses power while driving | 7 | 2.5% | – | |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 6 | 2.1% | – | |
| Fuel pump fails and engine stalls | 6 | 2.1% | – | |
| Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly | 5 | 1.8% | – | |
| Fuel gauge reads erratically or incorrectly | 5 | 1.8% | – | |
| Brakes fail intermittently or repeatedly | 5 | 1.8% | – | |
| Brakes make grinding or squealing noise | 5 | 1.8% | – | |
| Glass shatters or cracks without impact | 4 | 1.4% | – | |
| Suspension clunking or rattling noise over bumps | 4 | 1.4% | – | |
| Transfer case shifts into 4-wheel drive unexpectedly | 3 | 1.1% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 3 | 1.1% | – |
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 #05V379000August 29, 20051,353,718 vehicles affected
service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip
Certain pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles may experience unwanted antilock brake system (ABS) activation. This condition is more likely to occur in environmentally corrosive areas. This recall will be launched in the "salt belt" states of connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, maryland, massachusetts, maine, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin and the district of columbia only.
This Can cause increased stopping distances during low-speed brake applications, which could result in a crash.
Remedy
Dealers are to remove the wheel speed sensor and thoroughly clean the wheel speed sensor mounting surface on the bearing, apply rust inhibitor to the cleaned surface, grease the mounting surface, reinstall the wheel speed sensor, and check the peak-to-peak output voltage to ensure the wheel speed signal is within specifications. The recall began september 22, 2005. Owners may contact Chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438 or Gmc at 1-866-996-9463.
NHTSA recall #03V094000March 7, 20033,674 vehicles affected
structure
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.
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.
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 2002 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