Fuel System complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 3 | 18% | — |
| 2011 | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2009 | 2 | 4% | 260,000 miles |
| 2008 | 2 | 2% | 185,000 miles |
| 2007 | 7 | 4% | 48,000 miles |
| 2005 | 5 | 5% | 140,000 miles |
| 2004 | 6 | 3% | 93,000 miles |
| 2003 | 14 | 8% | 125,000 miles |
| 2002 | 16 | 13% | 150,000 miles |
| 2001 | 13 | 14% | 135,000 miles |
| 2000 | 4 | 6% | 109,000 miles |
| 1999 | 4 | 5% | 165,000 miles |
| 1997 | 1 | 6% | 165,000 miles |
| 1996 | 1 | 11% | 180,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (fuel pump, injectors, fuel tank, hybrid and EV propulsion).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
Wife is RN at a trauma hospital going to work in the morning on a busy highway. While in front of Hospital truck started to indicate to hit starter button. Truck was already running! Wife stopped at red light. Truck stopped running would not start. Stuck in middle of morning rush hour traffic had to have truck towed to dealership. At the dealership they indicated they found metal parts in the oil pan. They indicated a further look into the engine indicated it was beyond repair and had to be replaced. Truck only had 42k miles on it. They stated they had another one same situation in the shop as well and that it would take several weeks to repair. I have learned that this is a major problem with this make and model and engine. Engine quit with no warning in middle of major highway. Thank god not in an intersection or freeway.
The fitting on the fuel pressure regulator on the engine began to separate from the housing and started spraying fuel all over the firewall and the fuel ran down the firewall onto the exhaust pipes. No check engine light signaled. The only way I knew that it was spraying, was I started to smell raw fuel through the air conditioning vents. Luckily I was able to get it to a dealer before any fuel caught fire. The dealer repaired it but GM stuck me with half of the bill for the repair. I have pictures of the failed part if necessary. This is extremely dangerous to anyone that may not pay attention to car issues unless a check engine light comes on.
Fuel lines on fuel pump corroded and rusted due to design of fuel tank, allowing sediment and water to sit, causing raw fuel leak whenever engine is running. Poses extreme fire danger if not caught in time, as raw fuel dripping from vehicle onto ground.
Gas leaking from top of gas tank on Suburban. It has happened four times since June of 2007. Never know when it is going to happen, doesn't happen all of the time, about every 4 months. It isn't a little but a lot causing a puddle and a horrible gas smell for a couple of days in my vehicle. When this happens everyone around the station is astonished at how much it leaks and that I get in the vehicle and drive off. The service department claims to replace a valve when this happens, but then why does it happen again and again. Last weekend this happened to my family (3 kids under 4 are in the vehicle when this happens) while on vacation. Needless to say I was very scared and on the edge of my seat making sure we were not around anything hot or anybody smoking. As one cigarette would have put our vehicle into shooting flames. We were also all exposed to the fumes all weekend long.
2005 Chevrolet Suburban 1500 4x4 flex fuel, 5.3l. This vehicle's instrument cluster does not work. Tachometer pegs and sticks. The speedometer is stuck at zero. This is a very serious safety concern that general motors/GM should do a free recall for as many owners of this vehicle have the same problems. My ABS sensor light comes on and off numerous times a day, and cluster states service air bag. General motors should also fix this for free under a recall as others have the same issue with this vehicle. My third major complaint, is the vehicle starting problem/hard start. It takes two turns of the engine for the vehicle to turn on and stay running. I have researched this on various search engines, forums, and including recall.gov. General motors should address this issues as well under a recall. GM installed faulty fuel pumps or fuel pumps with faulty components in them. …
Tl contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Suburban 1500. While the contact was driving she smelled fuel. When she reached her destination, she noticed that fuel was spilling outside the vehicle onto the ground. Thirty seconds after turning the vehicle off, the fuel stopped leaking. The vehicle was taken to two repairs shops where the contact was informed that the fuel pressure line from the tank to the crossover and the motor had rubbed together which caused the failure to occur. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact called the manufacturer who advised her to report the problem to NHTSA. The current and failure mileages were approximately 140,000.
Vehicle gas gauge and odometer gauges clusters are not working this puts us in danger I did not know how much gas I need and how fast I was going this should be fixed by the manufacturer because it was a cluster defect
On Tuesday, January 29, 2008, I was driving my 2004 Chevrolet Suburban on I-285 in atlanta, ga. When the fuel pump failed. I-285 is an extremely congested , six lane wide, dangerous roadway. Sudden loss of power exposed me and 18 year old daughter to possible catastrophic vehicle collision. Although this vehicle has 130,000 miles, it is meticulously maintained to avoid just the very situation that happened. There was absolutely no warning of impending power loss. The vehicle was towed to dalton, ga. ( about 90 miles north of atlanta) and the fuel pump was replaced. I have had no drivability issues since. I have owned the vehicle since 2004 and purchased it with 4000 miles.
Frequently asked questions
Which Chevrolet Suburban 1500 years have fuel system problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2002 (16), 2003 (14), 2001 (13), 2007 (7) and 2004 (6) model years. Fuel System complaints make up 13% of all complaints for the 2002.
Is there a recall for Chevrolet Suburban 1500 fuel system problems?
No. NHTSA lists no fuel & propulsion system recall for any Chevrolet Suburban 1500 model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.
At what mileage do Chevrolet Suburban 1500 fuel system problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 129,000 miles; 9% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the delivery › fuel pump (11 mentions), followed by the delivery › hoses, lines/piping, and fittings (2).
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.