FaultScore

FaultScore report

2026 Chevrolet Suburban 1500 problems

Owners have filed 14 complaints about the 2026 Chevrolet Suburban 1500 with NHTSA between 2026 and 2026. The largest single group is the engine & cooling. Across this model's run it ranks 21 of 21 worst.

A

FaultScore 5/100

Higher is worse. Measured against the other years of the Chevrolet Suburban 1500.

How this is worked out

The numbers

14

Complaints

0

Crashes reported

0

Fires reported

0

Injuries reported

What kind of bad

The letter says how bad. This says what kind — whether this year drew an unusual number of complaints, unusually dangerous ones, or failures that arrived unusually early.

Complaint volume 8 vs 50 Severity 0 vs 50 Early failure not reported
The dashed ring is 50 — the national norm. Further out is worse.
Complaint volume — 8
Against the median year of the Chevrolet Suburban 1500. 50 means typical for this model; 100 means roughly double.
Severity — 0
0% of these complaints involved a crash, fire, injury or death, against a national rate of 9.7%.
Early failure — not reported
Too few complaints recorded a mileage to measure this.

How 2026 compares with every other Chevrolet Suburban 1500

Click any bar to open that year's report.

Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade: A B C D F ungraded

What breaks on a 2026 Chevrolet Suburban 1500

Every complaint is filed against a part. Follow any row for the complaints about that part alone.

Engine & Cooling 7 50.0%

Median failure at 1,700 miles

Body & Structure 2 14.3%
Other & Unspecified 1 7.1%
Lights 1 7.1%
Acceleration & Cruise Control 1 7.1%
Electrical System 1 7.1%
Transmission & Drivetrain 1 7.1%

When owners complained

A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single owner can see from inside their own car.

Feb 2026 peak 4 Aug 2026

NHTSA investigations into the 2026 Chevrolet Suburban 1500

An investigation is the step before a recall: the agency has seen enough complaints to look into a pattern itself. An open one means it thinks something may be wrong and nothing has been fixed yet.

1 investigation is still open.

EA26005 Opened 20 Aug 2026 Still open ENGINE

Loss of motive power due to engine failure post recall remedy

On January 16, 2026, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Recall Query RQ26001.  This investigation was opened to assess the remedy effectiveness of Recall 25V-274. ODI has received complaints alleging engine failure in vehicles after the recall remedy had been completed, whether that remedy involved an oil viscosity change or a complete engine replacement. General Motors (GM) issued Recall 25V-274 to address concerns of engine failure in the L87 engines produced between March 1, 2021 and May 31, 2024. GM cited the root cause as a supplier manufacturing and quality issue. GM’s reca...

The most recent complaints

In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.

Olton, TX

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

1) Both screens (driver display and infotainment) go black intermittently. Sometimes the infotainment comes back on, however, you cannot use all the buttons. The hard buttons under the screen for climate control (aside from the on/off ) wont work. The climate will automatically go to 76 degrees on Max Defrost. The rear climate will shut off when this happens. It also causes the radio controls on the back of the steering wheel to not work. 2) It is extremely dangerous to not have a visual indicator for the speed at which I am driving. It is also dangerous to be driving with no AC and instead 76 max defrost, in triple digit temperatures. Especially with small children and a newborn baby. 3) The car has had several repair attempts by a Chevrolet Service department. 4) When it happens its sudden. No warnings. After it happens the Check Engine Light comes on sometimes. This started a week after the car was purchased in March 2026. It is still occurring now in August 2026.

NHTSA complaint #11758024 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Olton, TX

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

1) Both screens (driver display and infotainment) go black intermittently. Sometimes the infotainment comes back on, however, you cannot use all the buttons. The hard buttons under the screen for climate control (aside from the on/off ) wont work. The climate will automatically go to 76 degrees on Max Defrost. The rear climate will shut off when this happens. It also causes the radio controls on the back of the steering wheel to not work. 2) It is extremely dangerous to not have a visual indicator for the speed at which I am driving. It is also dangerous to be driving with no AC and instead 76 max defrost, in triple digit temperatures. Especially with small children and a newborn baby. 3) The car has had several repair attempts by a Chevrolet Service department. 4) When it happens its sudden. No warnings. After it happens the Check Engine Light comes on sometimes. This started a week after the car was purchased in March 2026. It is still occurring now in August 2026.

NHTSA complaint #11758024 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Olton, TX

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

1) Both screens (driver display and infotainment) go black intermittently. Sometimes the infotainment comes back on, however, you cannot use all the buttons. The hard buttons under the screen for climate control (aside from the on/off ) wont work. The climate will automatically go to 76 degrees on Max Defrost. The rear climate will shut off when this happens. It also causes the radio controls on the back of the steering wheel to not work. 2) It is extremely dangerous to not have a visual indicator for the speed at which I am driving. It is also dangerous to be driving with no AC and instead 76 max defrost, in triple digit temperatures. Especially with small children and a newborn baby. 3) The car has had several repair attempts by a Chevrolet Service department. 4) When it happens its sudden. No warnings. After it happens the Check Engine Light comes on sometimes. This started a week after the car was purchased in March 2026. It is still occurring now in August 2026.

NHTSA complaint #11758024 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 1,700 miles Jackson Township, NJ

ENGINE

The contact owns a 2026 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 MPH, there was a popping sound coming from the vehicle and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 1,700.

NHTSA complaint #11749935 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Hayward, CA

STRUCTURE:BODY

The driver-side front door and related body fit/sealing system appear to be defective. The door is visibly uneven and misaligned with the surrounding body panels, resulting in excessive door gaps and significant air intrusion into the cabin while driving. The condition is available for inspection upon request, and photographs and videos documenting the issue are available. The excessive air intrusion creates substantial wind noise and driver distraction while operating the vehicle at highway speeds. The misaligned door also raises concerns regarding proper door sealing, structural fit, weather protection, and occupant safety in the event of an accident. A vehicle of this age and condition should not exhibit such defects. The condition is consistently reproducible during normal driving, particularly at highway speeds where excessive air enters the cabin through the driver-side door area. (If applicable, add: "The vehicle has been presented to an authorized Chevrolet dealer for inspection.in FH dailey chevrolet San leandro, they replaced weather strip, but air is more then what it was before, they declined my service and told me to take the vehicle where I purchased from in epic chevrolet Sacramento. No vehicle is not inspected by anyone. No warning lamps or diagnostic messages were displayed. The primary symptoms were visibly uneven door alignment, inconsistent door gap measurements, and noticeable air intrusion and wind noise while driving. These symptoms were first observed shortly after taking delivery of the vehicle and have persisted since that time.

NHTSA complaint #11744376 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Chehalis, WA

ENGINE

Car shut off in the middle of the road while driving and auto braked. Had to get a tow. Dealership said engine is bad now.

NHTSA complaint #11741941 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Lewis Center, OH

ENGINE

Today, 5/2/26 in Lewis Center, OH- My daughter and I were returning home from her Soccer game. The time was about 11am. We were in my brand new Chevy Z71 Suburban, with 4,100 miles. As we were slowing , approaching the roundabout, i noticed no power as i was preparing to enter the roundabout. I then see that the car powered off. It would not restart and i had no way to put into N. I had to call [XXX] to have the Sheriff direct traffic. I used Onstar, only to find out the tow was 216 min out. So the Sheriff called a tow and it was there in 30 min and towed to local Chevy dealership, thankfully before the closed for the weekend. I will find out Monday what the issue is- but it for sure seized up. So sad. I paid $100k for this truck. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11735312 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Stafford, VA

ENGINE

8,305 miles the engine failed. Had to have it towed to the dealership. New engine on order, but on backorder and have no idea when it will come in.

NHTSA complaint #11731956 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Hoover, AL

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

The 2026 suburban has a loud wind noise coming from the driver window and door side and the passenger side . The wind noise in abnormal and very high and it could be the weatherstripping and the door stripping and latch because the driver door needs a hard push to close completely but there is wind noise coming from the driver and passenger windows and doors . This create a safety issue that the doors if not sealed properly and the could open while driving on the highway . Also for a vehicle that has a price tag of 100,000 dollars the door seals and window seals should work up to standard and not be loose or defective and cause a very high wind noise . The safety issue is the driver door or passenger door can open while driving and cause an accident . This is a manufacturing defect that GM NEEDS TO ADDRESS urgently

NHTSA complaint #11724305 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Hoover, AL

STRUCTURE:BODY

The 2026 suburban has a loud wind noise coming from the driver window and door side and the passenger side . The wind noise in abnormal and very high and it could be the weatherstripping and the door stripping and latch because the driver door needs a hard push to close completely but there is wind noise coming from the driver and passenger windows and doors . This create a safety issue that the doors if not sealed properly and the could open while driving on the highway . Also for a vehicle that has a price tag of 100,000 dollars the door seals and window seals should work up to standard and not be loose or defective and cause a very high wind noise . The safety issue is the driver door or passenger door can open while driving and cause an accident . This is a manufacturing defect that GM NEEDS TO ADDRESS urgently

NHTSA complaint #11724305 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Denville, NJ

ENGINE

While driving home from Costco with my entire family in the vehicle (4 children and my pregnant wife), I noticed the engine misfiring while traveling on Interstate 80 and mentioned to my wife that something felt off with the vehicle. After exiting I-80 onto Route 46 East at the Denville exit, the truck reached the first traffic light where the vehicle rumbled violently, shook, and completely shut off. The engine would not restart. Dashboard lights illuminated but the engine would not turn over, and the hazard lights would not activate. This created a dangerous roadside situation with traffic approaching from behind at approximately 50 MPH. I exited the vehicle and stood in the roadway directing traffic to prevent an accident while my wife attempted to restart the vehicle and called 911. Police arrived and a tow truck was dispatched. The tow truck driver attempted to jump start the vehicle, but it would not start. The vehicle had to be winched onto a flatbed tow truck.

NHTSA complaint #11724105 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Burlington, NC

POWER TRAIN

On February 28, 2026 at approximately 6:08 PM, while traveling at approximately 40 mph on S. Third Street Extension near Route 119 in Mebane, NC, my 2026 Chevrolet Suburban High Country experienced a sudden catastrophic drivetrain failure at 2,010 miles with no prior warning symptoms. A loud bang was heard, and the vehicle decelerated sharply. Dashboard warnings appeared for transmission and steering service. The vehicle continued approximately 60 feet while producing severe grinding noises before all four wheels locked completely and the engine stalled. The vehicle was rendered completely inoperable and stranded in the roadway. My wife was a passenger. OnStar was contacted and dispatched local law enforcement to provide traffic control while the vehicle was disabled. OnStar also arranged emergency towing to Modern Chevrolet in Burlington, NC. This failure is consistent with the transmission control valve body defect covered under NHTSA Recalls 24V797 and 26V085 affecting GM 10-speed automatic transmissions (10L80). GM has been aware of this defect since at least 2024 yet vehicles continue to experience catastrophic wheel lockup.

NHTSA complaint #11721260 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Georegetown, TX

ENGINE

On February 21st at approximately 9:30 AM, I was driving my brand-new 2026 Chevy Suburban High Country when I began hearing an unusual noise from the engine. There were zero dashboard warnings — no check engine light, no alerts, nothing indicating a failure. Out of caution, I immediately headed to the dealership so they could inspect it. I was driving slowly and carefully when, without any warning whatsoever, the engine suddenly and completely seized. The vehicle locked up abruptly. I barely had enough time to try to move toward the shoulder, and I was unable to fully clear the roadway — the rear half of the vehicle remained partially in traffic. It was an extremely dangerous situation. What is especially alarming is that I was not on the highway at the time. Had this occurred while traveling 80–85 mph on SH-130 in Texas — which is a normal speed limit there — the outcome could have been catastrophic. A complete engine seizure at highway speeds could have caused a major accident involving multiple vehicles. Even more concerning, my Chevrolet app (connected through OnStar) still shows no issues or alerts with the vehicle. The attached pictures are from the My Chevrolet app on Sunday, 02/22/2026, around 11:13 AM. This is a brand-new vehicle, and I was informed yesterday that the dealership has requested a full engine replacement. I have no timeline for the repair. For a vehicle of this price point, a sudden engine seizure with zero warnings is deeply concerning from both a safety and reliability standpoint.

NHTSA complaint #11720068 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Braselton, GA

ENGINE

Car started making weird noises when being driven or accelerating on 2/14. Took it to the dealership on 2/16 first thing when they opened. After 5 hours, it was determined the engine had a catastrophic failure and needed to be replaced. This car has less than 6,000 miles and was purchased brand new.

NHTSA complaint #11718363 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.