Brake complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1 | 3% | — |
| 2023 | 2 | 12% | — |
| 2011 | 1 | 1% | 35,000 miles |
| 2010 | 2 | 4% | 93,000 miles |
| 2009 | 1 | 2% | — |
| 2008 | 3 | 3% | 150,000 miles |
| 2007 | 1 | 1% | 35,000 miles |
| 2006 | 6 | 19% | 97,000 miles |
| 2005 | 8 | 9% | 88,000 miles |
| 2004 | 38 | 21% | 112,000 miles |
| 2003 | 65 | 37% | 103,000 miles |
| 2002 | 66 | 55% | 100,000 miles |
| 2001 | 48 | 52% | 105,000 miles |
| 2000 | 47 | 70% | 135,000 miles |
| 1999 | 50 | 68% | 100,000 miles |
| 1998 | 4 | 29% | 126,000 miles |
| 1997 | 5 | 31% | 99,000 miles |
| 1996 | 5 | 56% | 150,000 miles |
| 1995 | 2 | 25% | 193,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Chevrolet Suburban 1500. While driving approximately 60 MPH, all the warning indicators illuminated and the check engine light kept flashing. The braking ability seized. The contact had to maneuver to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the power control module system malfunctioned. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The VIN was invalid. The approximate failure mileage was 150,000.
Tl contact owns a 2008 Chevrolet Suburban 1500. The contact stated that all four brake rotors have rotted, which causes the vehicle not to brake properly. Whenever he attempts to stop the vehicle, the brakes begin to pulsate and the vehicle fails to stop completely. He took the vehicle to the dealer on four occasions. During the first visit, the dealer stated that the rotors needed to be repaired, but that he needed to wait a little longer. The failure worsened and the vehicle was taken to the dealer a second time. The mechanic stated that they needed the manufacturer's approval to make repairs. During the third and fourth visits, a mechanic test drove the vehicle and stated that it was braking properly. The contact is scared to drive the vehicle due to the improper braking conditions. The failure mileage was 12,000 and current mileage was 18,000.
While towing the family boat on secondary roadways, I attempted to stop in heavy traffic, when I pressed on the brake pedal it went completely to the floor and both the truck and boat continued rolling towards stopped traffic. I was only able to stop the vehicle by manually operating the parking brake. Had I not had the presence of mind to utilize the parking brake I would have collided with the traffic stopped in front of me. Upon inspection I noticed a large mount of brake fluid under the driver's side front wheel. I transported the vehicle to my service station where they placed it on a lift and showed me the extensive corrosion on all of the brake lines and transmission cooling lines. The line which had failed resulted in no braking capabilities whatsoever. There is not one serviceable brake line left on the vehicle. …
Corrosion of hard brake line at driver / left side rear, partly hidden from view. Not seen during inspections. Condition discovered following surface roadway incident. Vehicle was stationary, in drive, pointed downhill at stoplight. Brake pedal slowly started going down. Pumping brake helped a bit, but soon the pedal started falling again and the vehicle started moving forward. Putting vehicle in park prevented vehicle from striking stopped vehicles in front. Got off the roadway shortly thereafter and discovered the corrosion and lead mentioned above. Vehicle is currently in repair shop with $1800 service bill. Body is required to be lifted off frame for replacement lines to be installed and that is *very* labor intensive. Researched online and found NHTSA has investigated these vehicles during their production run of 1999-2006 on c/k/Suburban/tahoe models. …
I had a rusted brake line (driver side front) fail June 25th, 2017. This truck is 12 years old and has less than 90,000 miles. Immediately all braking was lost and the pedal pushed to the floor. Repeated pressing the brake only pumped out all the brake fluid. This was a sudden and catastrophic loss of braking. The worst part is, braking is supposed to be split and independent between front and rear brakes, so if you lose the front, the rear brakes still work, and vice versa. Well I lost all braking, I had no front or rear braking! This should be a clear safety problem and a mandatory recall! I crashed into the car in front of me, because of course my emergency brake didn't work either. …
First incident eastern pa: 05/19/2014 aprox 119000 miles: after hitting the brakes hard to avoid a vehicle that pulled in front of me, the brakes failed (brake pedal would go to the floor with little braking action). Managed to safely stop. Found burst brake line in the rear end of vehicle. Two rear corroded rear brake lines replaced by local repair shop. Second incident milford ma: 09/17/2015 127336 miles: hit brakes going down driveway. Brakes were soft and sank to floor. Brake line going to front passenger wheel was burst. All the brake fluid drained quickly out of the master cylinder onto the driveway. Ordered acdelco 22932592 GM original equipment hydraulic brake pipe kit and am in the process of replacing all brake lines as all of them other than the two replaced in pa are very corroded. …
Steel brake lines: directly under drivers feet beneath vehicle is cluster of four brake lines held in place by a plastic bracket.these brake lines are hidden by a large corrugated black wiring harness. All four lines are extremely corroded at bracket and at least one of them failed completely and instantaneously. Unlike GM reports that it's a dual brake system and vehicle will retain braking capabilities in our case this is false . Word needs to go out about these vehicles but preferably a recall. My 15 year old newly issued permit holder was at the wheel and we were one left turn from descending a 200 foot tall 6% grade hill with a busy intersection and stop light at the bottom. Also living in minnesota knowing classic car owners with original steel brake lines with no issues I'm LED to believe design is a contributing factor in these brake failure issues. Thank you for your time.
Brakes failed under hard stop (highway, in motion). Intermediate steel brake line failed to rear brakes in a mode of rupture due to corrosion. All other steel lines were corroded and contacted GM. 2 other silverado line vehicles owned also failed this year due to corrosion. GM response was that no recall existed. Replaced all steel brake lines in vehicle with stainless aftermarket lines. After multiple contacts with GM customer service, I was told to save my receipts for repairs. This is an incorrect material specification, latent defect and GM needs to be held accountable. Saved brake lines from this vehicle for any potential use. 3 vehicles that I own with the same repair in 8 months. Inexcusable!
Related recalls (1)
Service brakes, hydraulic › Power assist › Electric › Control module › Software
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2023 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, GMC Sierra 1500, 2023-2024 Chevrolet Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Yukon, Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade, and Escalade ESV vehicles. The electronic brake control module software may fail to display a warning light when a loss of brake fluid occurs.
Remedy: The Electronic Brake Control Module (eBCM) software will be updated through an over-the-air (OTA) update or by a dealer, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 25, 2024.
Frequently asked questions
Which Chevrolet Suburban 1500 years have brake problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2002 (66), 2003 (65), 1999 (50), 2001 (48) and 2000 (47) model years. Brake complaints make up 55% of all complaints for the 2002.
Is there a recall for Chevrolet Suburban 1500 brake problems?
Yes — 1 recall, including 24V-674 (software, Sep 12, 2024). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Chevrolet Suburban 1500 brake problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 108,000 miles; 10% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (38 mentions), followed by the antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip › control unit/module (10).
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.