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Chevrolet · NHTSA safety record

2016 Chevrolet Suburban

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

Owners have filed 220 safety complaints about the 2016 Chevrolet Suburban with the US government. Of those, 9 describe a crash, 1 mentions a fire, 8 people were injured and no death is recorded. 6 recall campaigns are open against it.

The most complained-about system is the brakes, named in 78 complaints, 35% of the total. The typical failure was reported at 59,963 miles, the median across the 131 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files · Covers January 2016 to September 2026 · How this is counted

What is on file

220 complaints on file

220

Complaints

9

Describe a crash

1

Mention fire

8

People injured

0

Deaths

A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.

A recall is the manufacturer conceding a defect, and the repair is free. Whether one covers your particular car is a question only its VIN can answer, because a campaign covers a production range rather than a model year.

Which system owners named

Complaints naming each system
SERVICE BRAKES 78 · 35%
POWER TRAIN 45 · 20%
ENGINE 27 · 12%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 26 · 12%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 26 · 12%
STEERING 23 · 10%
STRUCTURE 12 · 5%
SUSPENSION 11 · 5%
WHEELS 7 · 3%
AIR BAGS 6 · 3%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 5 · 2%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 4 · 2%
0 35 69

Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it. One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 220.

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2019 at 50.

56 42 28 14
16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure happened. The range runs from 2016 to 2026, the last of them a part year, which is why its column is drawn faint.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program

NHTSA has not crash tested the 2016 Chevrolet Suburban. Its New Car Assessment Program tests a selection of each year's vehicles and does not reach motorcycles, heavy trucks, motorhomes or most low-volume models, so an absence here says nothing about how the vehicle would perform. It is not a low score.

What owners have reported about this vehicle is below, and it is a different question: a crash test measures what happens to the people inside in a controlled impact, while a complaint records what broke during ordinary use.

Recall campaigns

6 on file

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:WHEEL SPEED SENSOR/TONE RING

19V761000 · October 24, 2019

The defect
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2020 Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, and GMC Yukon, and 2014-2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles equipped with a 5.3-liter engine, a 3.08-ratio rear axle and four-wheel drive. If a wheel-speed sensor fails, while the vehicle is traveling between 41 and 60 mph in four-wheel or automatic mode, the Electronic-Brake Control Module (EBCM) software may activate the driveline-protection system.
The risk
Unintended activation of the driveline-protection system will cause unintended braking on the wheel on the opposite side of the failed sensor, causing the vehicle to pull to one side unexpectedly, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the EBCM, free of charge. The recall began December 11, 2019. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N192261050.

General Motors LLC · up to 652,967 vehicles across all model years covered

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST:VACUUM

19V645000 · September 6, 2019

The defect
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Cadillac Escalade, 2014-2018 Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra, 2015-2018 Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Yukon vehicles. The amount of vacuum created by the vacuum pump may decrease over time.
The risk
As the vacuum level drops, the brake assist decreases, increasing braking effort, extending the distance required to stop the vehicle, thereby increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the Electronic Brake Control Module, free of charge. The recall began October 8, 2019. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N192268490.

General Motors LLC · up to 3,456,719 vehicles across all model years covered

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

17V437000 · July 10, 2017

The defect
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014-2016 Buick Lacrosse and Chevrolet Spark EV, Caprice PPV and SS vehicles, 2014-2017 Buick Encore and Chevrolet Corvette, Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles, 2015-2016 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Tahoe, Trax, Suburban and Silverado 2500 and 3500 and GMC Yukon and Yukon XL vehicles, and 2015-2017 GMC Sierra HD 2500 and 3500 vehicles. While being previously remedied for recall 16V-651, the affected vehicles may not have received the complete software update necessary to remedy the recall condition. Without the update, certain driving conditions may cause the air bag sensing and diagnostic module (SDM) software to activate a diagnostic test. During this test, deployment of the frontal air bags and the seat belt pretensioners would not occur in the event of a crash.
The risk
A failure of the front air bags or seat belt pretensioners to deploy in the event of a crash necessitating deployment increases the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger.
The remedy
GM will notify owners, and dealers will reflash the SDM software. Vehicles that have had a previous air bag deployment will have the SDM replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on August 4, 2017. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 17287.

General Motors LLC · up to 40,683 vehicles across all model years covered

VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES:EXTERIOR

17V033000 · January 12, 2017

The defect
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Chevrolet Suburban HD vehicles. These vehicles were assembled with a convex right-hand outside mirror, instead of with a non-convex (flat) right-hand outside mirror. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rearview Mirrors."
The risk
If equipped with the incorrect right-side rear-view mirror, the driver may misjudge the distance of other vehicles, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the convex mirror with a non-convex mirror and provide a new page for the owner's manual with the customer notification letter, free of charge. The recall began February 7, 2017. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 17017.

General Motors LLC · up to 214 vehicles across all model years covered

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

16V651000 · September 8, 2016

The defect
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015-2017 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD, 3500 HD, Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Sierra 2500 HD and 3500 HD, GMC Yukon, GMC Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade and Cadillac Escalade ESV vehicles and 2014-2017 Chevrolet Corvette, Silverado 1500, Trax, Caprice Police Pursuit Vehicle, GMC Sierra 1500, Buick Encore, and 2014-2016 Buick Lacrosse, Chevrolet Spark EV and SS vehicles. In the affected vehicles, certain driving conditions may cause the air bag sensing and diagnostic module (SDM) software to activate a diagnostic test. During this test, deployment of the frontal air bags and the seat belt pretensioners would not occur in the event of a crash.
The risk
A failure of the front air bags or seat belt pretensioners to deploy in the event of a crash necessitating deployment increases the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger.
The remedy
GM will notify owners, and dealers will reflash the SDM software. Vehicles that have had a previous air bag deployment will have the SDM replaced. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on October 13, 2016. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 16007.

General Motors LLC · up to 3,640,162 vehicles across all model years covered

SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM

16V256000 · April 28, 2016

Do not drive until repaired

The defect
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and 2016 Cadillac Escalade, Cadillac Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Sierra, GMC Yukon and GMC Yukon XL vehicles. The front upper control arms may have inadequate welds near the control arm bushing.
The risk
Inadequate welds may allow the control arm to separate from the bushing, compromising steering and increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the left and right front upper control arms and realign the vehicle, free of charge. The recall began on May 18, 2016. Until the repairs have been made, owners are advised not to drive their vehicles. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 42190.

General Motors LLC · up to 3,738 vehicles across all model years covered

Defect investigations

1 on file

An investigation means NHTSA has decided a pattern is worth examining. A preliminary evaluation is often closed with no action; an engineering analysis is the stage that usually precedes a recall.

Brake Vacuum Pump Failure

PE18012

Closed preliminary evaluation · opened November 20, 2018 · closed April 10, 2022 · led to recall 19V645000

the brakes, the hydraulic brakes

On November 20, 2018, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened PE18-012 to investigate instances of sudden onset of a hard brake pedal that could result in extended stopping distance due to an issue with the brake assist vacuum pump in model year (MY) 2014 through 2016 GMC Sierra 1500 and Chevrolet Silverado 1500 series pickup trucks and MY 2015 through 2016 Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Suburban, Chevrolet Tahoe, and GMC Yukon SUVs.If the brake assist vacuum pump fails to operate as intended, the amount of brake power assist supplied to the driver can be significantly reduced, extending the subject vehicle stopping distance. GM stated that the root cause of pump failures was due to foreign debris such as oil sludge in the engine oil. GM stated that this debris can become trapped by the oil inlet filter screen. Under normal operation, this screen allows a small amount of oil into the brake vacuum pump. The foreign debris can, over time, clog the pump which can cause a loss of lubrication and a reduction in the amount of vacuum produced leading to a hard pedal and extended stopping distance.On December 13, 2018, GM issued a Special Coverage (N182202780) for the brake vacuum pump issue in MY 2014-2017 trucks and 2015-2017 SUVs on the K2XX platform for 6 years or 72,000 miles. Special Coverage repair includes the replacement of the vacuum pump and vacuum pump belt. Consumers received notification of the coverage via mail. On September 6, 2019, GM notified NHTSA that it was conducting safety recall 19V-645 which reprograms the electronic brake control module (EBCM) and included approximately 3.5 million trucks and SUVs. In October 2019, GM extended the terms of special coverage N182202780 to 10 years or 150,000 miles as well as now including the entire scope of recall 19V-645. In October 2020, GM expanded the scope of coverage N182202780 to include the MY 2018 Escalade and 2019 Tahoe.The remedy implemented in GM recall 19V-645 appears to be sufficient in addressing the safety-related concerns of this issue. Loss of vacuum assist now occurs at a progressive rate as well as there being a more timely warning of a brake problem to the driver through the driver information center (DIC). In view of the recall action and revision to the special coverage, this Preliminary Evaluation is closed. The agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by new circumstances. The ODI reports cited above are available for review online at NHTSA.gov under the identification numbers in the attached document.

In owners’ own words

Quoted from the complaint file

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

AIR BAGS

2 injured · crash

I HAD A VERY BAD ACCIDENT IN DEC 05, 2017 TROUGHT THE HIT , THE HIT WAS SO STRONG , AND THE AIRBAGS DID NOT OPEN FOR ME AND MY FRIEND, SHE HIT HER HEAD AND KNIE ON THE BOARD I HAD CARDIAC CONTUSION HAD TO STAY AT THE HOSPITAL POLICE WAS SURPRISE THAT THE AIRBAG DID NOT GO ON, AND THE HOSPITAL

NHTSA complaint 11073452. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SUSPENSION:MULTIPLE AXLE

1 injured · crash · towed · 40,000 miles

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE FRONT PASSENGER WHEEL DETACHED FROM THE AXLE. THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND CRASHED INTO A TREE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES, THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS AWAITING DIAGNOSTIC TESTING AND REPAIRS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000. *TT I PASSENGER LATER WENT TO ER FOR WORKUP DUE TO HEAD INJURY. MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. UPDATED 10/15/18*JB

NHTSA complaint 11118725. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

1 injured · crash · towed · 111,572 miles

The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Suburban. The vehicle had previously been serviced under NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 19V761000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic, Service Brakes, Electronic Stability Control) and 19V645000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) at the dealer; however, the failure recurred after the recalls were repaired with a stiff brake pedal and increased braking effort while driving. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle went over a curve and the front passenger's side crashed into a tree, then came to a complete stop in a ditch. There were no air bags deployed. The contact's wife sustained neck and back injuries but did not receive medical

NHTSA complaint 11460857, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES

1 injured · crash · towed

On October 23, 2024, my 2016 Chevrolet Suburban was stopped in a line of traffic on a downhill. As traffic began to move forward, the brakes failed to hold, despite pressure on the brake pedal. This resulted in a low-speed collision with the vehicle in front, which then impacted another vehicle. Component/System: The braking system failed to engage despite pressure on the brake pedal. The vehicle is a total loss; however, documentation of the damage is available through my insurance company, New Jersey Manufacturers, claim number 2024-884575, and the police report from the accident scene. Safety Risk: This brake failure posed a significant safety risk to my family (who were occupants), and

NHTSA complaint 11637087, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STRUCTURE:BODY
There is a defective paint on my 2016 ltz suburban

NHTSA complaint 11765614. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY

202,000 miles

The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH, there was a loud booming sound coming from the vehicle, and the sunroof glass exploded. During the failure, the sunroof cover was closed. Upon inspection, the contact discovered shards of glass inside the sunroof location. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 202,000.

NHTSA complaint 11759630. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN
The transmission failed suddenly and without warning. When I Went to pull out from a stop sign with cross traffic doing 55 mph, the vehicle shuddered and stopped pulling. We barely had enough momentum to get out of the way of oncoming traffic at the last second. The oncoming traffic had to brake and honked. After reading online, this is a common issue with the 6l80 transmission torque converters being a failure point and the fluid temperature being too high. Gm has a service bulletin for a lower temp bypass valve but there is no recall and these units are failing by the tens of thousands.

NHTSA complaint 11758109. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES
While in the parking lot or stopping at the stop light the brakes will get hard and won’t brake .

NHTSA complaint 11754919. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STRUCTURE:BODY
Hood and roof of Suburban has discolored and lost its shine coat. The door and panels are fine

NHTSA complaint 11746400. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
As I was driving 75 mph down the highway my collision alert flashed all my lights turned off, including my headlights and all interior lights as it was dark time and they flashed back on a couple of times until they finally stayed on. I pulled over and as I came to zero, speed, the vehicle completely shut down. It did start back up, but this is not the first time I get a light on my dash that says stability track and then everything resets and I don’t have any lights on at all after that this has been happening off and on I also have three coworkers that have the same make, and year that experienced the same problems ! My situation on the highway was very dangerous. It was pitched dark

NHTSA complaint 11743382, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Chevrolet Suburban

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2024 42 1 —
2023 125 3 —
2022 124 4 —
2021 198 12 —
2020 44 4 —
2019 78 3 —
2018 81 4 —
2017 141 5 —
2015 429 11 2
2014 59 3 —
2013 118 4 —
2012 101 4 —
2011 148 3 —
2010 117 3 —

Other 2016 Chevrolet models

Malibu 837 Silverado 1500 794 Colorado 708 Equinox 396 Traverse 292 Tahoe 256 Cruze 250 Volt 169

Complaints on file, same model year.

Every Chevrolet on this site — 304 vehicles.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. How many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst