22 of the
361 complaints about the 2003 Chevrolet Suburban are about the
transmission — 6% of everything
reported for this model year.
Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before
19,375 miles.
D
22
Complaints
4
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
Exactly what failed
Automatic Transmission
1254.5%
Transfer Case (4-WHEEL Drive)
522.7%
Differential Unit
29.1%
Gear Position Indication (Prndl)
14.5%
Axle Assembly
14.5%
Column Shift
14.5%
Transmission & Drivetrain across every Chevrolet Suburban year
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY WITH THE KEY IN THE IGNITION WHILE SHE AND HER TWO SMALL CHILDREN, AGES 2 AND 4, WERE WATCHING A MOVIE. THE BATTERY DIED DURING THE MOVIE AND THE CONTACT MOMENTARILY LEFT BOTH CHILDREN IN THE VEHICLE WHILE SHE WENT TO RETRIEVE JUMPER CABLES. THE YOUNGEST CHILD WAS ABLE TO MOVE THE SHIFTER OUT OF GEAR AND THE VEHICLE PROCEEDED TO MOVE, KNOCKING THE YOUNGEST CHILD OUT OF THE VEHICLE. THE CHILD BECAME LODGED BETWEEN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE AND A GRILL. THE CONTACT HEARD THE CRASH AND DISCOVERED THE CHILD PINNED BENEATH THE VEHICLE. SHE ATTEMPTED TO REMOVE THE CHILD BUT TO NO AVAIL. SHE SHIFTED THE VEHICLE INTO NEUTRAL AND ATTEMPTED TO MOVE THE VEHICLE BUT SHE WAS UNABLE TO MOVE THE VEHICLE. THE POLICE ARRIVED AND THE CHILD WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL VIA AMBULANCE. THE CHILD SUFFERED BLUNT FORCE TRAUMA, SMOKE INHALATION, CARDIAC ARREST AND SEVERE 2ND AND 3RD DEGREE BURNS TO THE LOWER HALF OF HIS BODY. THE CHILD DID NOT SURVIVE. THE POLICE STATED THEY TOO WERE ABLE TO MOVE THE SHIFTER OUT OF PLACE WITHOUT ENGAGING THE BRAKES. A POLICE REPORT WAS AVAILABLE. THE POLICE STATED THEY WERE DOING A SUPPLEMENTAL REPORT TO SHOW THE VEHICLE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE UNKNOWN. LAWYER WROTE IN ON BEHALF OF CLIENT STATING THAT ALL FUTURE CORRESPONDENCE REGARDING THE INCIDENT SHOULD BE DIRECT TOWARD THE LAW FIRM. UPDATED 12/03/10 UPDATED 12/22/10
NHTSA complaint #10339510 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Fort Wayne, IN
POWER TRAIN:TRANSFER CASE (4-WHEEL DRIVE)
2003 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN. CONSUMER STATED THE TRANSFER CASE DEVELOPED A LEAK. *TGW
NHTSA complaint #10329654 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 88,000 milesBattle Creek, MICrash
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
REVVING OF ENGINE TO POINT OF SCREECHING TIRES. SOMETIMES FEELING OF BEING IN NEUTRAL FOR A SECOND THEN CLUNK IN TRANNY/REAR END? ACTS AS ENGAGEMENT OF CRUISE CONTROL INCREASING SPEED, NOT ABLE TO DISENGAGE BY HITTING BRAKE. COMPUTER DID NOT SHOW ANYTHING. NEXT TIME PUTTER "LOCKED OUT" TECH'S. PUTER REPLACED. WORKED GOOD FOR TWO WEEKS. ENGINE REVVED, HIT PATCH OF ICE, TOTALED OUT Z-71. THANK GOD, NO INJURIES. FIGHTING IT FOR APPX 16000 MILES. 72000 TO 88000.
NHTSA complaint #10252711 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 48,173 milesChino, CA
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
NO EVENT LEADING TO FAILURE. HEARD CLUNK - TRANMISSION WENT OUT 48,000 MILES. VEHICLE HAS NEVER TOWED ANYTHING. REPLACED TRANSMISSION - SHOP NOW SAYS REAR DIFFERNTIAL ALSO BAD.
NHTSA complaint #10179123 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 48,173 milesChino, CA
POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY
NO EVENT LEADING TO FAILURE. HEARD CLUNK - TRANMISSION WENT OUT 48,000 MILES. VEHICLE HAS NEVER TOWED ANYTHING. REPLACED TRANSMISSION - SHOP NOW SAYS REAR DIFFERNTIAL ALSO BAD.
NHTSA complaint #10179123 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 53,000 milesSand Springs, OK
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DIFFERENTIAL UNIT
POWER TRAIN, LOUD WHINING REGARDLESS OF SPEED COMING FROM REAR Z71 4X4 SUBURBAN, TOOK TO POWER TRAIN SPECIALIST, REPLACED DIFFERENTIAL 552.00.
NHTSA complaint #10151605 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Blytheville, AR
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:COLUMN SHIFT
THIS CONDITION WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION BY THE TRAGEDY DETAILED BY THE PARENTS OF LITTLE MILAN HEDMARK. WWW.KIDSANDCARS.ORG . THE TRANSMISSION WILL SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL WITHOUT HAVING TO PRESS THE BRAKE IF THE KEY MOVED FORWARD JUST ONE POSITION FROM LOCK. A CHILD COULD EASILY ACCOMPLISH THIS JUST BY BEING CURIOUS AND LEFT ALONE FOR ONLY A SECOND. PLEASE MAKE FOLKS AWARE OF THIS. 96' AND LATER MODEL CHEVROLET.
NHTSA complaint #10150697 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 6,000 milesChesterfield, MI
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AFTER 300 MILES TRAVEL. HARD SHIFT FROM FIRST TO SECOND (FELT LIKE TRANSMISSION DROPPED FROM VEHICLE. THIS FIRST OCCURRED SIX MONTHS AFTER PURCHASE OF 2003 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN (NEW). DEALER RE-PROGRAMMED TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE. SAME PROBLEM ON RETURN TRIP FOUR DAYS LATER, AND SIX MORE TIMES IN THE PAST 2 1/2 YEARS. FOUR SEPARATE GM DEALERS, IN TWO STATES, HAVE ATTEMPTED FIX VIA: 1. RE-PROGRAM TCM, 2. REPLACE TRANSMISSION SOLENOID, 3. REPLACE TRANSMISSION VALVE BODY AND RE-PROGRAM TCM. STILL NOT FIXED.
NHTSA complaint #10136980 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 48,095 milesMontclair, NJ
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
I PURCHASED A NEW 2003 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN IN DECEMBER OF 2003. ON MAY 13, 2005, THE TRANSMISSION BEGAN TO FAIL RAPIDLY. THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WILL NOT EASILY SHIFT INTO SECOND GEAR AND REVERSE GEAR DOES NOT FUNCTION AT ALL. THE CAR CAME WITH A 3 YEAR 36,000 MILE POWER TRAIN WARRANTY AND I HAVE PUT 48,000 MILES ON IT IN THE EIGHTEEN MONTHS THAT I'VE OWNED IT. 98% OF THE MILES ON THE ODOMETER ARE HIGHWAY MILES. I HAVE TOWED A BOAT EXACTLY 4 TIMES. I TOOK THE CAR TO A CHEVROLET DEALER WHO INDICATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $2452.00 CHEVROLET HAS OFFERED TO PAY FOR THE PARTS & WANTS ME TO PAY FOR THE LABOR-$900.00 THERE ARE TWO TECHNICAL SAFETY BULLETINS RELATING TO THIS PROBLEM- #030730028 "DRIVETRAIN "CLUNKS" WHEN STOPPING" AND 00822B, "NO SECOND & FOUTH GEARS AND NO REVERSE"
NHTSA complaint #10122054 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 32,000 milesTrabuco, CACrash
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)
WHILE PARKED WITH THE KEY IN THE IGNITION VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO SWITCH GEARS WITHOUT APPLYING THE BRAKES. AS A RESULT, VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE GARAGE. NO INJURIES REPORTED.
NHTSA complaint #10095222 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 15,000 milesSavage, MN
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
REGULAR HARSH ENGAGEMENT ON MY 2003 CHEVROLET TAHOE TRANSMISSION. 1) HAD A HUGE CLUNK WHEN HAVING TO SUDDENTLY STOP ON ONE OCCASION - SOUNDED LIKE THE TRANSMISSION WAS GOING TO DROP/BAM. 2) ON AN UNPREDICTABLE BASIS THE TRANSMISSION HARSHLY ENGAGES WHEN GOING SHIFTING AT THE SLOWER SPDS. 3) BROUGHT TO SERVICE DEALOR AND THEY ACKNOWLEDGE PROBLEM DURING A TEST DRIVE "THAT NEEDS TO BE CK'D OUT". THEY SAID THEY FIXED. 4) PROBLEM WAS WORSE WHEN CAR WAS RECEIVED BACK (HAVE NO IDEA IF CAR WILL EVER BAM/CLUNK/WHAM/DROP AGAIN AS I NORMALLY DON'T SUDDENLY STOP BUT WHATEVER THAT WAS IT CERTAINLY WASN'T GOOD FOR THE TRANSMISSION). I REPORTED THE FREQUENCY OF THE HARSH ENGAGEMENTS ACTUALLY WERE MORE OFTEN AND THEY THEN CHANGED THERE TUNE CITING A SERVICE BULLETIN SAYING IT'S NORMAL ". 5) NOW 15,000 MILES LATER OF HARSH ENGAGEMENTS I'M SENSING SOME SLIPPAGE AND THOSE HARSH ENGAGEMENTS ARE NOW HARSHER. I'M VERY DISAPPOINTED IN THE PERFORMANCE OF MY TAHOE AND AM VERY CONCERNED OF THE FUTURE OF THE TRANSMISSION IN THAT GM & BELZERS ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM THEN SAID GM SAYS NOT TO DO ANYTHING. CAR STILL RUNS BUT IT VERY ANNOYING WHEN DRIVING IN THE CITIES STOP AND GO TRAFFICE...A CLUNK CLUNK HERE AND A CLUNK CLUNK THERE HERE A CLUNK THERE A CLUNK. THIS IS ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS!
NHTSA complaint #10092990 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Suttons BAY, MI
POWER TRAIN:TRANSFER CASE (4-WHEEL DRIVE)
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE SHIFTED INTO FOUR WHEEL DRIVE AT ANY SPEED. VEHICLE WAS SERVICED FIVE TIMES, AND TECHNICIAN COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM.
NHTSA complaint #10081991 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 15,750 milesArleta, CACrash
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
CONSUMER STATED THAT HIS 2 YR OLD SON WAS ABLE TO PULL HIS VEHICLE OUT OF PARK WITHOUT STEPPING ON THE BRAKES. HE STATED THAT THE CHILD WAS IN THE VEHICLE AND WAS APPARENTLY PLAYING WITH THE GEAR SHIFTER. HE THEN MOVED THE SHIFT LEVEL CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO ROLL BACKWARD HITTING A POLE AND BENDING HIS FRONT PASSENGER SIDE DOOR. HE STATED HE DOES NOT THINK THIS VEHICLE HAS A SHIFT INTERLOCK, WHICH WILL NOT ALLOW THE GEAR SHIFTER TO BE MOVED WITHOUT STEPPING ON THE BRAKES FIRST. HE STATED HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY DID NOT KNOW THIS EITHER. THE CONSUMER STATED THE INTERLOCK ONLY WORKS WHEN THE KEY IS IN THE IGNITION TO DRIVE.
NHTSA complaint #10073841 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 25,000 milesMount Sterling, KY
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
GEAR IS EASILY MOVED FROM DRIVE TO NEUTRAL WITHOUT DEPRESSING THE BUTTON ON GEAR SHIFT. DEALERSHIP AND MANUFACTURER WERE CALLED ABOUT THE PROBLEM.
NHTSA complaint #10073634 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 23,000 milesSelah, WA
POWER TRAIN:TRANSFER CASE (4-WHEEL DRIVE)
TRANSFER CASE MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING IT TO GO FROM 4-WHEEL DRIVE TO 2-WHEEL DRIVE BY ITSELF. THIS HAS OCCURRED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE MOST RECENT OCCURRENCE RESULTED IN LOSS OF CONTROL, AND ALMOST CAUSED A CRASH. DEALERSHIP SERVICED VEHICLE 3 TIMES, AND REPLACED THE SWITCH AND THE BOX, BUT THE PROBLEM RECURRED.
NHTSA complaint #10061699 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 9,000 milesChino Valley, AZ
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DIFFERENTIAL UNIT
WHEN VEHICLE'S SPEED REACHED BETWEEN 45-70 MPH THERE WAS A GRINDING NOISE IN THE FRONT END. THE DEALERSHIP FOUND METAL SHAVINGS IN THE FRONT DIFFERENTIAL FLUID. THE DEALERSHIP CHANGED ALL THE FRONT END COMPONENTS IN AN ATTEMPT TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM, BUT THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTED.
NHTSA complaint #10044689 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 330 milesFresno, CA
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION STOPPED SHIFTING. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER, WHO FOUND A SPLIT IN A TRANSMISSION GASKET WHICH CAUSED THE CLUTCH AND PISTON NOT TO FUNCTION.
NHTSA complaint #10042676 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
NEW City, NY
POWER TRAIN:TRANSFER CASE (4-WHEEL DRIVE)
WHILE DRIVING FOUR WHEEL DRIVE SHIFT STICKS, CAUSING THE VEHICLE NOT TO ACCELERATE PROPERLY. GENERAL MOTORS SAYS THIS IS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM, AND IS LOOKING INTO THE PROBLEM. *AK VEHICLE EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH FOUR WHEEL DRIVE SHIFT STICKING CAUSING THE VEHICLE NOT TO ACCELERATE PROPERLY. GENERAL MOTORS CLAIMS THAT THIS MAY BE AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. GENERAL MOTORS HAS FAILED TO FOLLOW UP ON REMEDY FOR PROBLEM.
NHTSA complaint #10042380 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 8,000 milesMonterey Park, CA
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH AND WOULD START TO SHIFT BETWEEN 2ND AND 3RD GEARS VEHICLE WOULD GIVE A STRONG JERKING MOTION. HAVE TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP, AND MECHANIC COULD NOT LOCATE CAUSE OF PROBLEM.
NHTSA complaint #10042188 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 8,600 milesMissouri City, TX
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, THE OVERDRIVE GEAR WOULD NOT HOLD AND CONSTANTLY SHIFTED IN AND OUT OF HIGH GEAR. PROBLEM HAS HAPPENED OCCASSIONALLY SINCE THE FIRST TIME. IN ADDITION, TRANSMISSION CONTINUES TO SHIFT AT HIGHER RPM THAN PREVIOUSLY.
NHTSA complaint #10028393 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 172 milesAnchorage, AK
POWER TRAIN:TRANSFER CASE (4-WHEEL DRIVE)
ON JAN 20, 2003 MY NEW 2003 CHEV SUBURBAN 4 WHEEL DRIVE SYSTEM FAILED AS I ATTEMPTED TO ENTER TRAFFIC. SERVICE 4WD SHOWED ON THE INFORMATION CENTER AND I WAS NEARLY INVOLVED IN A COLLISION DUE TO THIS. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER SVC DEPARTMENT, WHERE THE SVC PERSON TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF THEN ON AND THE PROBLEM WENT AWAY. THE MILAGE ON THE TRUCK WAS 172 MILES (ONEHUDREDSEVENTYTWO)
NHTSA complaint #10003509 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
West Brookfield, MA
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
WHILE SHIFTING THE VEHICLE INTO ANOTHER GEAR, THE VEHICLE WILL NOT MOVE AT ALL. THE GEAR SHIFT WILL GET STUCK. PLEASE FILL IN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. DEALER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. PH
NHTSA complaint #10004072 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.