GMC Suburban
Owners filed 1,772 complaints across 15 model years of the GMC Suburban. The 1994 drew the most (411).
Model years15
Complaints1,772
Recalls41
Fires27
Deaths8
Which GMC Suburban years should you avoid?
Going by 1,772 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the GMC Suburban years to avoid are 1996 and 1994.
- 19962.6× the usual share of fires, crashes and deaths for a car of its age (2 fires, 12 crashes, 4 deaths).
- 1994411 complaints, 2.1× a typical Suburban year, most often about the brakes.
How this is worked out: each year is compared with a typical year of the same model, which takes most of the difference in sales out of it, and its share of serious failures is compared with every other car of the same model year, because older cars were complained about differently. A year needs 25 complaints to be judged at all. Complaints are unverified owner reports. Full method →
Every GMC Suburban model year compared
Complaints per year| Year | Complaints | Relative volume | Recalls | Fires | Crashes | Most reported | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 1 | 0 | — | — | Suspension › Front | Routine | |
| 2003 | 5 | 1 | — | 1 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip | Routine | |
| 2002 | 7 | 1 | — | 1 | Tires › Tread/Belt | Routine | |
| 2001 | 5 | 2 | — | 1 | Seats | Routine | |
| 2000 | 15 | 2 | — | 1 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip | Routine | |
| 1999 | 285 | 2 | 6 | 25 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip | Above average | |
| 1998 | 100 | 3 | 3 | 9 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip | Fatalities reported | |
| 1997 | 200 | 3 | 4 | 15 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip | Above average | |
| 1996Avoid | 172 | 4 | 2 | 12 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip | Fatalities reported | |
| 1995 | 227 | 7 | 2 | 18 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip | Fatalities reported | |
| 1994Avoid | 411 | 6 | 4 | 65 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip | High concern | |
| 1993 | 212 | 2 | 4 | 31 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip | Above average | |
| 1992 | 80 | 4 | 2 | 21 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip | Routine | |
| 1991 | 30 | 2 | — | 2 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip | Routine | |
| 1990 | 22 | 2 | — | 3 | Parking Brake › Conventional › Mechanical › Linkage and Cable | Routine |
Data: NHTSA complaint and recall files, October 2026. Complaints are unverified owner reports.