Chevrolet Suburban engine problems

865 of the 10,610 complaints filed about the Chevrolet Suburban are about the engine — 100% of everything owners reported. The worst model year for it is 2021.

865

Complaints

100%

Share of all complaints

12

Crashes

38

Fires

Engine & Cooling complaints by model year

1978 Suburban 1 0.1%
1983 Suburban 2 0.2%
1985 Suburban 2 0.2%
1987 Suburban 2 0.2%
1988 Suburban 2 0.2%
1989 Suburban 6 0.7%
1990 Suburban 2 0.2%
1991 Suburban 5 0.6%
1992 Suburban 8 0.9%
1993 Suburban 29 3.4%

Median failure at 101,000 miles

1994 Suburban 24 2.8%

Median failure at 243,640 miles

1995 Suburban 13 1.5%
1996 Suburban 44 5.1%

Median failure at 68,251 miles

1997 Suburban 23 2.7%

Median failure at 131,000 miles

1998 Suburban 22 2.5%

Median failure at 54,597 miles

1999 Suburban 36 4.2%

Median failure at 74,200 miles

2000 Suburban 14 1.6%

Median failure at 81,295 miles

2001 Suburban 39 4.5%

Median failure at 59,000 miles

2002 Suburban 18 2.1%

Median failure at 87,620 miles

2003 Suburban 14 1.6%

Median failure at 132,000 miles

2004 Suburban 18 2.1%

Median failure at 77,500 miles

2005 Suburban 9 1.0%

Median failure at 103,546 miles

2006 Suburban 1 0.1%

Median failure at 73,000 miles

2007 Suburban 33 3.8%

Median failure at 108,000 miles

2008 Suburban 27 3.1%

Median failure at 122,000 miles

2009 Suburban 12 1.4%

Median failure at 96,000 miles

2010 Suburban 7 0.8%

Median failure at 140,000 miles

2011 Suburban 10 1.2%

Median failure at 83,000 miles

2012 Suburban 12 1.4%

Median failure at 64,500 miles

2013 Suburban 16 1.8%

Median failure at 110,000 miles

2014 Suburban 1 0.1%

Median failure at 124,000 miles

2015 Suburban 40 4.6%

Median failure at 68,000 miles

2016 Suburban 27 3.1%

Median failure at 60,000 miles

2017 Suburban 25 2.9%

Median failure at 94,400 miles

2018 Suburban 18 2.1%

Median failure at 88,000 miles

2019 Suburban 27 3.1%

Median failure at 81,000 miles

2020 Suburban 18 2.1%

Median failure at 90,000 miles

2021 Suburban 92 10.6%

Median failure at 101,500 miles

2022 Suburban 64 7.4%

Median failure at 59,583 miles

2023 Suburban 74 8.6%

Median failure at 51,000 miles

2024 Suburban 28 3.2%

Median failure at 16,600 miles

What owners said

2021 Chevrolet Suburban Hialeah, FL

ENGINE

I am filing this complaint regarding a serious engine and safety issue with my 2021 Chevrolet Suburban equipped with the GM 6.2L engine, with approximately 45,500 miles. The vehicle has developed a noticeable and abnormal shaking/vibration coming from the engine. At the same time, the vehicle experiences a significant loss of power, at times becoming so severe that the engine feels as though it is going to shut off. This is a serious safety concern. A sudden loss of engine power could occur while driving in traffic, accelerating, merging, or traveling at higher speeds. The vehicle may become unable to accelerate properly or could potentially stall, creating a significant risk of a collision. I am concerned that this issue may be related to a defect affecting GM's 6.2L engines. The fact that this is occurring at approximately 45,500 miles is particularly concerning, as an engine should not experience this type of severe shaking and loss of power under normal operating conditions. I respectfully request that NHTSA investigate this issue and determine whether there is a safety-related defect affecting the GM 6.2L engine used in the 2021 Chevrolet Suburban and other GM vehicles. I am reporting this because I believe the sudden loss of power and potential for the engine to shut off could endanger the occupants of the vehicle as well as other motorists

NHTSA complaint #11763980 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2021 Chevrolet Suburban Hialeah, FL

ENGINE

I am filing this complaint regarding a serious engine and safety issue with my 2021 Chevrolet Suburban equipped with the GM 6.2L engine, with approximately 45,500 miles. The vehicle has developed a noticeable and abnormal shaking/vibration coming from the engine. At the same time, the vehicle experiences a significant loss of power, at times becoming so severe that the engine feels as though it is going to shut off. This is a serious safety concern. A sudden loss of engine power could occur while driving in traffic, accelerating, merging, or traveling at higher speeds. The vehicle may become unable to accelerate properly or could potentially stall, creating a significant risk of a collision. I am concerned that this issue may be related to a defect affecting GM's 6.2L engines. The fact that this is occurring at approximately 45,500 miles is particularly concerning, as an engine should not experience this type of severe shaking and loss of power under normal operating conditions. I respectfully request that NHTSA investigate this issue and determine whether there is a safety-related defect affecting the GM 6.2L engine used in the 2021 Chevrolet Suburban and other GM vehicles. I am reporting this because I believe the sudden loss of power and potential for the engine to shut off could endanger the occupants of the vehicle as well as other motorists

NHTSA complaint #11763981 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2021 Chevrolet Suburban Hialeah, FL

ENGINE

I am filing this complaint regarding a serious engine and safety issue with my 2021 Chevrolet Suburban equipped with the GM 6.2L engine, with approximately 45,000 miles. The vehicle has developed a noticeable and abnormal shaking/vibration coming from the engine. At the same time, the vehicle experiences a significant loss of power, at times becoming so severe that the engine feels as though it is going to shut off. This is a serious safety concern. A sudden loss of engine power could occur while driving in traffic, accelerating, merging, or traveling at higher speeds. The vehicle may become unable to accelerate properly or could potentially stall, creating a significant risk of a collision. I am concerned that this issue may be related to a defect affecting GM's 6.2L engines. The fact that this is occurring at approximately 45,000 miles is particularly concerning, as an engine should not experience this type of severe shaking and loss of power under normal operating conditions. I respectfully request that NHTSA investigate this issue and determine whether there is a safety-related defect affecting the GM 6.2L engine used in the 2021 Chevrolet Suburban and other GM vehicles. I am reporting this because I believe the sudden loss of power and potential for the engine to shut off could endanger the occupants of the vehicle as well as other motorists.

NHTSA complaint #11764013 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2024 Chevrolet Suburban Bozeman, MT

ENGINE

While driving down a two-lane blacktop road at 70 MPH (the posted speed limit) the engine, a 6.2 L L87 with a little over 15,000 miles, grenaded and seized. At the time I recall a warning message that said something like "engine shutdown". Fortunately the electronic transmission self-shifted into neutral so the car could coast to a stop. Had it not done this a loss of control would have been likely at this speed. The vehicle was towed to the local Chevrolet dealer in Bozeman, Montana (Resseler Chevrolet) where it was confirmed the next day the engine had seized. The dealer is currently replacing the seized engine with a replacement long block. The dealership currently has the engine and is planning to ship it back to Chevrolet or GM for tear down and inspection. They are also replacing the radiator and all coolant hoses as a precaution. Two weeks prior I took the vehicle to the same Chevrolet dealer complaining that on one day the engine shut off four times within 1 mile. Each time it displayed a warning message that said "restart engine", which it did each time. I also complained about a ticking noise that began in the engine at 12,000 mile. The dealer reported that the engine sounded fine and that they could not reproduce the engine shutting off on its own. This engine was NOT part of the large L87 recall. At time of purchase I was told by the selling dealer (Kendall Chevrolet in Maryville, Washington) and the local dealer (Resseler) that the engine was assembled after assembly line procedure were put in place to avoid the same issues as the recall engine. I've been and engineer for 46 years. The problem with this engine is not the assembly line, it is the never before used tight moving component tolerances and the water thin oil demanded by the manufacturer. The design shortcomings are compounded by systems such as cylinder deactivation and auto stop that significantly acceleration engine component wear.

NHTSA complaint #11764157 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2023 Chevrolet Suburban Iron Ridge, WI

ENGINE

Engine locked up, need engine replaced. We already satisfied the recall with the 0w-40 oil update.

NHTSA complaint #11763275 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2023 Chevrolet Suburban Summerville, SC

ENGINE

The vehicle experienced an initial incident of significant engine power loss while traveling at highway speeds approximately two weeks prior to the eventual complete engine failure. During that incident, the vehicle unexpectedly lost engine power while traveling at speeds exceeding 65 mph. On Thursday, September 3, 2026, a second incident occurred within approximately one-half mile of leaving my residence. The vehicle again experienced a significant loss of engine power. I had already notified the dealership of the this occurrence and had a scheduled appointment for repairs the following day. I was attempting to drive the vehicle to the dealership as planned. Shortly after leaving my neighborhood, I stopped at a nearby gas station after the vehicle displayed a "Low Oil Pressure" warning on the dashboard. I also subsequently received an email notification from OnStar identifying diagnostic trouble code (DTC) P0016. The vehicle was then driven again and subsequently experienced a catastrophic and complete loss of engine power while traveling at highway speeds above 65 mph. Following this failure, the engine would not turn over or crank and the vehicle could not be restarted. The sequence of events is significant because the vehicle had previously experienced engine power loss at highway speeds, the dealership had been notified of the initial incident, and the vehicle was being driven to the dealership for its scheduled repair appointment when the second power-loss event occurred. The vehicle subsequently suffered complete engine failure. I am documenting these events, including the dates, circumstances, dashboard warning, OnStar diagnostic notification, and sequence of failures, for purposes of establishing the history of the vehicle's mechanical problem and the circumstances leading to the catastrophic engine failure.

NHTSA complaint #11762574 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2023 Chevrolet Suburban Medina, OH

ENGINE

Complete engine failure on 2023 Chevrolet Suburban 6.2L. On October 31, 2024 while on the interstate. The truck shut off twice with no warning. I was able to make it to the side of the interstate twice to restart. The truck was taken to Serpentini Chevrolet and they stated no issues were found and send the vehicle back on the road. On December 13,2024 while on a state route, speed limit 55, 12,231 miles the Suburban abruptly slowed down and violently started to shake and knock. I pulled off to the side of the state route and waited approx 2 hours for the vehicle to be towed. The vehicle was towed to Serpentini Chevrolet and they stated the engine was blown and needed replaced. The vehicle was at the dealership until February 13, 2025 when the engine was replaced. The recall was released in April 2025 at which time the vehicle was taken in for the oil change “repair”. The truck now has 20,200 miles and is lacking power and starting to shake when accelerating from 0-50mph. I will be scheduling additional service in the coming week. While going through the blown engine, GM stopped responding to emails, did not compensate for months of payments I incurred while they had the vehicle and they are still selling unsafe vehicle.

NHTSA complaint #11762342 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2024 Chevrolet Suburban Aldie, VA

ENGINE

Vehicle brought to Chevrolet dealer for recall# N252494000 at 27,626 miles. Vehicle passed inspection and oil replaced per recall. Despite engine passing and recall complete the engine failed at 29,861 miles requiring an engine replacement which was provided under warranty. The failed engine was taken by GM.

NHTSA complaint #11761811 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2022 Chevrolet Suburban League City, TX

ENGINE

This problem isn’t just the 6.2L engine. My 22 Suburban has the 5.3L and had engine failure on the freeway going 70 mph in April 2026. Loud noises and loss of power. Towed to dealership and was confirmed that it was the same issues as the 6.2L. The dealership only replaced certain components (gears, rods, camshaft etc.) Parts replaced and vehicle returned a month later but still loss of power and bad idle. New dealership in May 2026, replaced same parts, said faulty parts were used at previous dealership. Vehicle repaired and returned in June2026, a day later new code for service transmission now code thrown and parking break not working. Returned to dealership and said it was a fuel pump module? failed. No vehicle for 3 months and lots of headaches. This recall needs to be extended to the 5.3L engine as well. Needs full replacement, not just repaired. My vehicle still doesn’t run great but Chevy will not honor anymore repairs.

NHTSA complaint #11761632 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2021 Chevrolet Suburban Grayson, KY

ENGINE

This vehicle has been towed approximately 7 times in the last year. For all instances in [XXX] in 2025, the dealership told us there were no issues. The completed the recall on the L87 and it 'passed'. The dealership then updated the oil to 40W and sent us on our way. We continued to have issues, but it was deemed to be the transmission. We had that relaced earlier this year. On XXX the car shut off again while driving on a highway. Upon this dealership taking a look at it, they have determined the engine has locked up for reasons under the L87 recall. I wanted to note this with the NHTSA as the recall was completed, but later found that it was not actually corrected through their guidance within the recall. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11761264 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2022 Chevrolet Suburban at 53,000 miles Cle Elum, WA

ENGINE

The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact received an unknown recall. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer, and while parked at the dealer, it was determined that there were metal shavings in the oil and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but a failure occurred 4,000 miles, two months later. The contact stated that while driving 55 MPH, the vehicle lost power and then stalled. The vehicle stopped in the middle of the highway and was inspected. The vehicle was then towed to a different dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The vehicle was towed back to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 53,000.

NHTSA complaint #11761352 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2022 Chevrolet Suburban Wasilla, AK

ENGINE

The engine seized as we were driving 65mph on the highway on a family trip. Had no warning sings or any dashboard lights come on. The vehicle just put itself in neutral and we coasted down the road until we came to a complete stop. Had the recall done a year ago for it. The dealer confirmed now that it was a catastrophic engine failure.

NHTSA complaint #11760833 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2022 Chevrolet Suburban at 61,000 miles Vail, CO

ENGINE

The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated that while driving at highway speeds, the vehicle shut off while displaying "Service Transmission Now Unable to Shift Soon" and "Engine Power is Reduced" warning messages. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was previously inspected under NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, no repairs were performed. After remaining at the dealer for nearly eight weeks, the engine was replaced under warranty. A few weeks after the replacement, the same warning messages were displayed on the instrument panel upon startup. The contact attempted to drive the vehicle; however, the vehicle failed to exceed 20 MPH and was towed back to the dealer. While attempting to drive the vehicle into the service bay, the technician experienced severe hesitation and engine stalling. During diagnostic testing, a large amount of metal shavings was discovered in the oil filter, and the vehicle was diagnosed with the same engine failure as before. The vehicle was repaired; however, the contact refused to take possession of the vehicle due to safety concerns. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was 61,000.

NHTSA complaint #11760906 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2022 Chevrolet Suburban Hebron, IN

ENGINE

I am submitting a safety complaint regarding our 2022 Chevrolet Suburban equipped with the 6.2L L87 engine. The vehicle is subject to GM Product Safety Recall N252494000 / NHTSA Recall 25V-274. Our Suburban underwent GM's required recall inspection, including the Picoscope inspection. The engine passed the inspection and the engine oil type was changed in accordance with GM's recall procedure. Since passing that recall inspection, we have experienced the following issues: On XXX, at approximately 40,527 miles, while we were in [XXX], the vehicle displayed a reduced-acceleration warning and check-engine light and experienced significant acceleration problems and loss of reverse. We took the vehicle to Essenlohr Motors, a Chevrolet dealer in [XXX]. The dealer diagnosed a P0700 condition/control solenoid stuck off and repaired the transmission valve body under GM warranty. I understand this incident was diagnosed as a transmission issue, and I am including it as part of the vehicle's recent history rather than asserting that it was caused by the L87 engine defect. The dealer's repair order documents both the check-engine condition and our report of the reduced-acceleration warning. On XXX, after we had returned home to [XXX] from our trip to [XXX], the Suburban had 41,798 miles on it. We drove approximately 2 miles from home when a “Low Engine Oil–Add Oil” warning appeared. We immediately returned home and parked the vehicle. After allowing it to sit for approximately 15 minutes, we checked the engine oil and there was no oil registering on the dipstick. We saw no evidence of an external oil leak on the garage floor or underneath the vehicle. Rather than continuing to drive it, we had the Suburban towed to Wiers Chevrolet in [XXX]. The dealer confirmed that the engine was approx. two quarts low on oil and indicated that there was no apparent leaks. They performed an oil change and started a 6,000 mile oil consumption test. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11761177 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2023 Chevrolet Suburban at 50,000 miles Spring Grove, PA

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

The contact owns a 2023 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated that while entering a parking lot at a low speed, the engine shut off without warning. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, where it was diagnosed with engine failure, which was associated with NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V274000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle remained at the dealer for approximately three months before the engine was repaired. The contact stated that while driving recently, the vehicle hesitated upon depressing the accelerator pedal. No warning light illuminated. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the recent failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

NHTSA complaint #11760861 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2022 Chevrolet Suburban Auburn, WA

ENGINE

Operating vehicle normally until one day I heard a rattling noise from the engine compartment. Car had limited speed and i had to pull over to check what the issue was and the car wont start. No check engine lights, no warning. Tried turning car on but only the car starter keeps rolling. Tried jumping and it doesnt start and had to have it towed to the dealership. Car is under 55,000miles and dealer diagnosis indicates there are metal particles in the new oil after replacing oil and a loose bearing. States i will need a new engine, which is on back order and GM will only cover $44/day until repair is complete. All maintenance and oil change invervals were kept up to date. Other days when I start the car, the main HUD with the speedometer does not turn on. Pitch black... I can drive but not know what my speed is. I had to disconnect battery and reconnect to clear the issue. It has happened several times.

NHTSA complaint #11760793 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2021 Chevrolet Suburban Giddings, TX

ENGINE

Another 6.2 Liter Engine Failure in a 2021 Chevrolet Suburban that is not included in the original Recall affecting 2021 Suburbans Starting March of 2021 this on was purchased in Dec. of 2020.

NHTSA complaint #11760677 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2007 Chevrolet Suburban Louisville, KY

ENGINE

The lifter rod associated with the DoD/AFM system failed, causing catastrophic failure in the engine. This isn't an age issue, this isn't a part that wore out and failed. This car would still be running and driving if that system was never installed. The lifters for these systems are known weakpoints that'll eventually fail. Because of this we lost immediate power in the vehicle and had to immediately pull off to the side of the road on a busy road. I had my local shop take a look and they confirmed that it was a lifter issue. No others have inspected this as this is chalked up to the age of the vehicle. There's no warning for this failure. One second you engine is running great, you apply for some more power, and it fails. Ruining the rest of the engine with it.

NHTSA complaint #11760274 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2021 Chevrolet Suburban Lake Saint Louis, MO

ENGINE

My engine was initially part of the 6.2L v8 engine recall. The dealer cleared my engine after inspecting it and told me my engine was not affected, but that I had to use corvette engine oil. After my 3rd corvette engine oil change, and two days after having it serviced and getting an all clear inspection from Chevy, the engine blew while going 70 mph on the highway. No warning lights. I looked down at my dash and there was a gray box that said “engine oil pressure low, turn engine off”. By the time I checked my side and rear view mirror I could see clouds of white smoke and other cars flashing me with their headlamps. I was traveling by myself with 4 small children through a very bad part of town. It was frightening. Thankfully we were able to safely pull over and have it towed to Chevy where they confirmed that the engine was blown. Chevy gave me a false sense of security when they told me my engine was not affected. I would never have put my family at risk had I known it was a ticking time bomb.

NHTSA complaint #11760200 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2022 Chevrolet Suburban Prior Lake, MN

ENGINE

Had the recall service done , where they change the oil weight, to the 6.2 L engine and just a few months later the engine died while driving on the highway . It just stopped running. The car is only 3.5 years old and the engine died. They took it apart and said it was a non effected part that failed but i find that crazy. No warning just complete shut down. I was luck and only going about 30 MPH on the highway due to heavy traffic. But then needed to sit on the highway for hours weighting for a tow. The kicker is the car would not go into neutral and made everything so much harder.

NHTSA complaint #11760269 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Other Chevrolet Suburban problems