1993 GMC Suburban

Above average

Owners filed 212 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the service brakes, hydraulic › antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip. It has been recalled 2 times.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip134
2515
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components10
100
Visibility › Windshield Wiper/Washer › Motor8
000
Visibility › Windshield Wiper/Washer7
000
Seats6
100
Service Brakes, Hydraulic4
002
Seat Belts › Front › Retractor4
000
Engine and Engine Cooling › Cooling System › Radiator Assembly4
000
Vehicle Speed Control3
200
Power Train › Axle Assembly3
000

2 safety recalls

Part 573 reports
Fuel System, Gasoline06E043000
Filed May 19, 200688,303 vehiclesHoneywell International, Inc.

Defect. CERTAIN REPLACEMENT FUEL FILTERS, FRAM BRAND NAME P/N G3727, WITH DATE CODES X52911 THROUGH X60801 SEQUENTIALLY OR X600141 AND A MEXICO COUNTRY OR ORIGIN MARKING ON THE FUEL FILTER HOUSING MANUFACTURED FROM OCTOBER 18, 2005, THROUGH MARCH 21, 2006, SOLD FOR USE ON THE VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE AND ON CERTAIN SCHOOL BUSES. (TO SEE THE SCHOOL BUS ENGINE SIZES, CLICK ON "DOCUMENT SEARCH" AND THEN "BUS APPLICATIONS"). THE CONNECTOR ON THE FUEL FILTER WAS NOT MANUFACTURED TO HONEYWELL'S SPECIFICATION. AS A RESULT, THE O-RING MAY NOT SEAT CORRECTLY ON THE FUEL LINE.

Risk. THIS CONDITION MAY CAUSE AN INADEQUATE SEAL AT THE CONNECTION, POTENTIALLY LEADING TO A FUEL LEAK. IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, A FIRE COULD OCCUR.

Remedy. HONEYWELL WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE FUEL FILTERS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 18, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FRAM CUSTOMER SERVICE AT 1-800-890-2075 (OPTION 1).

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Pedals and Linkages01I006000
Filed Jul 2, 2001255,770 vehiclesGeneral Motors Corp.

Defect. THIS IS NOT A SAFETY RECALL IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SAFETY ACT. HOWEVER, IT IS DEEMED A SAFETY IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN BY THE AGENCY. VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: 1992-1994 CHEVROLET AND GMC SUBURBANS EQUIPPED WITH VACUUM POWER-BRAKE ASSIST AND EBC4 ANTI-LOCK BRAKE (ABS) MODULES. THESE VEHICLES EXHIBIT POOR BRAKE SYSTEM PERFORMANCE.

Risk. THIS COULD BE ATTRIBUTED TO BRAKE PEDAL FEEL.

Remedy. DEALERS WILL INSTALL A NEW BRAKE PEDAL PAD. IN ADDITION, DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE BRAKE-BOOSTER OUTPUT ROD AND REPLACE IT IF NECESSARY.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Fuel System, Gasoline
Filed Sep 10, 2007148,000 milesMD

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

Seat Belts › Front › Retractor
Filed Mar 24, 2004OK

THE PASSENGER SIDE SHOULDER STRAP DOES NOT TIGHTEN UP. *NM

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip › Control Unit/ModuleCrash2 injured
Filed Feb 12, 200470,000 milesNJ

REAR ENDED SOMEONE DUE TO THE INABILITY TO STOP IN TIME DUE TO THE POOR PERFORMANCE OF THE 1993 GMC SUBURBAN BRAKING SYSTEM. BRAKES ARE A VERY BIG PROBLEM ON THIS TRUCK

Power Train › Driveline › Differential Unit
Filed Feb 12, 2004165,000 milesCA

REAR DIFFERENTIAL CARRIER ON MY 1993 SUBURBAN K1500 BROKE AND LOCKED THE REAR WHEELS, FORM MY UNDERSTANDING THIS IS A COMMON OCCURANCE ON THESE TRUCKS AND GM SHOULD BE AWARE OF HOW OFTEN THESE THINSG BREAK AND THE POTENTIAL FOR LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL OF THIS HAPPENED AT HIGH SPEED.

Visibility › Windshield Wiper/Washer
Filed Sep 24, 2003AR

PRESSURE MUST BE APPLIED TO THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS IN ORDER FOR THEM TO OPERATE. THIS CAUSES POOR VISIBILITY DURING INCLEMENT WEATHER. *AK

Seats
Filed Sep 13, 2003SC

THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT FRAME BROKE ON THE FRONT LEFT CORNER. SEAT NOW ROCKS BACK 8-10 INCHES. UPON INVESTIGATION, CAUSE WAS DUE TO VERY THIN MATERIAL. *JB

Visibility › Windshield Wiper/Washer › Motor
Filed Aug 25, 2003KY

WHILE USING WINDSHIELD WIPERS AND WITHOUT ANY INDICATION WIPERS WOULD STOP WORKING INTERMITTENTLY. *AK

Visibility › Windshield Wiper/Washer › Motor
Filed Jun 26, 2003TX

THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS NOT COMING ON WHEN TURNED ON. RECALL WAS FOR LATER YEAR MODELS, BUT THIS YEAR MODEL HAS THE SAME PROBLEM. WHY SHOULD I HAVE TO PAY FOR A DEFECT WHEN SOMEONE WHO BOUGHT THEIR VEHICLE A FEW MONTHS LATER WITH THE SAME PROBLEM DOES NOT? *AK

Visibility › Windshield Wiper/Washer › Motor
Filed Mar 13, 200380,000 milesWI

WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR FAILURE. WIPERS WILL SUDDENLY QUIT WORKING DURING OPERATION. ** INCIDENT DATE LISTED BELOW INDICATES APPROXIMATELY DATE OF ONSET. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN ONGOING SINCE THIS DATE (TIME WE TOOK OWNERSHIP OF VEHICLE). *JB

Visibility › Windshield Wiper/Washer
Filed Sep 27, 2002AZ

CONSUMER STATES WIPERS WORK INTERMITTENLY. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *MR

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip
Filed Jul 9, 2002MI

WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED THEY GO DOWN TO THE FLOOR OF VEHICLE AND VEHICLE DOES NOT STOP.*AK

Seat Belts › Front › Anchorage
Filed Jun 16, 2002CA

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

Seats
Filed Apr 9, 2002NJ

WHILE PARKED DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BROKE, AND CONSUMER FELL BACKWARDS. CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER WAS NOT WILLING TO DO ANYTHING.*AK

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip
Filed Sep 7, 2001TX

DUE TO SEVERAL PAST ABS INCIDENTS, ONE RESULTING IN A COLLISION, VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER FOR COMPLIANCE WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 01I006000. SUBSEQUENTLY, PANIC STOP MAXIMUM BRAKING IS DELAYED. THERE IS EXCESSIVE RESISTANCE TO INITIAL BRAKE PEDDLE MOVEMENT AS IF THERE IS NO BOOST. AFTER APPROXIMATELY 1/2 SECOND, WITH HEAVY PRESSURE APPLIED TO THE PEDDLE, ACTUAL WHEEL BRAKING CAN BE FELT TO PROGRESSIVELY INCREASE AND RESISTANCE TO PEDDLE MOVEMENT REDUCES. AT THIS POINT BRAKING FEELS ABOUT NORMAL. DEALER TECHNICIAN ON TEST DRIVE CONFIRMED THIS DESCRIPTION OF PROBLEM. HOWEVER, TECHNICIANS HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO IDENTIFY ANY MALFUNCTIONING COMPONENTS.*AK

Engine and Engine Cooling › Cooling System › Radiator Assembly
Filed Aug 6, 2001TX

MY SUBURBAN HAS HAD 4 RADIATOR FAILURES SINCE NEW. ALL HAVE BEEN DUE TO ELECTRALISIS. GMC PAID FOR THE 1ST FAILURE (PART ONLY I PAID LABOR) EVEN THOUGH THE TRUCK WAS OVER 10000 MILES OUT OF WARENTY. THE 4 RADIATOR HAS NOW FAILED AND A 5TH IS REQUIRED. GMC IS WELL AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM BUT INSISTS THIERS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE COOLING SYSTEM. AS A SIDE NOTE THE HEATER CORE HAS NEVER BEEN REPLACED. THANKS FOR YOUR TIME, AL GREENFIELD. *AK

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip
Filed Jul 10, 2001GA

SAILED THROUGH A RED LIGHT WITH BRAKES APPLIED, BOTH ABS AND BRAKE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED.*AK

Vehicle Speed Control
Filed Apr 25, 2001IL

TROTTLE TO CRUISE CONTROL CONNECTING ROD WAS DISCONNECTED FROM THE PLATE AND FELL DOWN INTO THROTTLE CABLE BRACKET. THE HOOK ON THE ROD GOT STUCK IN THE BRACKET, HOLDING THE THROTTLE OPEN. THE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO FIX THE PROBLEM. *YH

Tires › Tread/Belt
Filed Apr 25, 2001TN

WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 75 MPH LEFT FRONT TIRE HAD A BLOWOUT. THEN, CONSUMER FOUND OUT THAT TIRE HAD A TREAD SEPARATION. BRIDGESTONE, P-265/75R16. *AK CONSUMER STATES TIRES HAD 65 PERCENT TREAD WEAR LEFT, THEY WERE PROPERLY INFLATED TO MANUFACTURER SPEC OF 50 PSI NO EXCESSIVE EDGE WEAR DUE TO POOR ALIGNMENT, BRIDGESTONE/FIRESTONE CUSTOMER SERVICE STATED THEY WOULD PRORATE THE BLOW OUT, CONSUMER DECLINED AND REPLACED ALL FOUR TIRES WITH ANOTHER BRAND.*JB

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip
Filed Mar 20, 2001MO

CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 30 TO 35 MPH, WENT TO APPLY BRAKES AND PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR, FAILED TO STOP VEHICLE. DEALERSHIP DID NOT HAVE ANY INFORMATION REGARDING A POSSIBLE DEFECT IN VEHICLE. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS.*AK

Engine and Engine Cooling › Cooling System › Radiator Assembly
Filed Mar 20, 2001MI

CONSUMER HAS HAD RADIATOR WORK DONE ON SEVERAL TIMES SINCE 1996. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING THIS ISSUE.*AK

20 of 212 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 1994
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20041000Routine
20035100Routine
20027100Routine
20015200Routine
200015200Routine
1999285260Above average
1998100331Fatalities reported
1997200340Above average
1996172424Fatalities reported
1995227723Fatalities reported
1994411640High concern
1993 — this page212240Above average
199280420Routine
199130200Routine
199022200Routine

Compare every Suburban year →

Reading this record

Complaint volume is well above typical for a single model year.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.

Most recent recall on file: May 19, 2006. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.