Most common 2001 Chevrolet Suburban problems
Share of the 440 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Chevrolet Suburban complaints by model year
Best Suburban years: 2014, 2009, 2020. Years to avoid: 2015, 2021, 2023, 2022, 2024. Compare all years →
2001 Chevrolet Suburban recalls (6)
Engine and engine cooling
On certain pickup trucks equipped with an 8.1l v8 engine, the crankshaft position can operate intermittently or fail completely. If the sensor operates intermittently, the ses light May illuminate and the vehicle May run rough. The engine May stall, and if so, May re-start immediately or after a cool down period.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the crankshaft position sensor free of charge. The recall began on December 18, 2007. Owners May contact Chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438 and GMC at 1-866-996-9463.
Service brakes, hydraulic › Antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip
Certain pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles May experience unwanted antilock brake system (ABS) activation. This condition is more likely to occur in environmentally corrosive areas.
Remedy: Dealers are to remove the wheel speed sensor and thoroughly clean the wheel speed sensor mounting surface on the bearing, apply rust inhibitor to the cleaned surface, grease the mounting surface, reinstall the wheel…
Fuel system, gasoline › Delivery › Fuel pump
Certain trucks and sport utility vehicles were built with fuel module reservoir assemblies that contain fuel pump wires connectors May overheat under certain operating conditions.
Remedy: Dealers will remove the fuel tank, and remove the module reservoir assemblies from the tank, and install a new service kit free of charge. An interim letter to owners was mailed on May 25, 2005.
Structure
Certain pickup truck, van, and Mini van conversions equipped with southern comfort built running boards that contain certain courtesy lights manufactured by American technology components, inc. These units contain a courtesy light or lights that might overheat when the wire harness is exposed to excessive moisture and road salt.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the wiring harness on these running boards. Owner notification began March 7, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free…
Seat belts › Front › Retractor
Vehicle description: pickup and utility trucks. Some of these vehicles have an internal component in the outboard seat belt retractors for the 2nd and 3rd row of seats that could be cracked. With repeated actuation of the locking mechanism, the crack could spread to the point such that the seat belt would no longer lock.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the outboard seat belts for specific lot numbers and replace the belts if necessary. GM is enclosing an inspection procedure for the owners to use or they can have their dealers do the inspections.
Structure › Body
Vehicle description: light duty pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles. Some of these vehicles have loose or missing rear wheelhouse plugs. Under certain vehicle operating conditions, exhaust gases can flow forward and accumulate in the rear wheelhouse.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the vehicle for loose or missing wheelhouse plugs and install new plugs if necessary.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 11 possible defects involving the 2001 Chevrolet Suburban:
Brake line corrosion failure
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) received Defect Petition DP10-003 on March 2, 2010, requesting the investigation of model year (MY) 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD 4WD pickup trucks for corrosion failures of the vehicle brake lines.DP10-003 was granted and on March 30, 2010, Preliminary Evaluation PE10-010 was opened on more than six million model year 1999 through 2003 light trucks and sport utility…
Crank position sensor failure - stall
The office of defects investigation (odi) opened a preliminary evaluation (pe06-016) on May 4, 2006 based on eleven vehicle owner questionnaires (voqs) and early warning (ewr) data alleging sudden engine shutdown while driving as a result of crank position sensor failures in my 2001-2002 general motors c/k platform vehicles equipped with 8.1l engines.in response to an information request letter sent by odi, general…
Unwanted low-speed ABS activation
In a letter dated August 29, 2005, GM notified odi that it was recalling certain model year 1999 through 2002 c/k pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles to correct a problem with anti-lock brake system (ABS) wheel speed sensor corrosion that May result in unwanted ABS activation and extended stopping distances during low-speed braking (recall 05v-379).GM's recall covers approximately 804,000 vehicles currently…
Overheated fuel pump wiring
The fuel pump wiring and connector May overheat and melt a hole in the top of the fuel pump module.possible consequences include fuel tank leakage and engine stall with no restart.fourteen of the 20 complaints to odi allege fuel tank leakage, including one that reported that a fire department was called to the scene after a pool of gasoline was discovered beneath the vehicle.most of the odi complaints report…
Steel wheel rim fracture
There have been less than 2 complaints per 100,000 subject vehicles related to the alleged defect.the oldest vehicles (my 1999) have only 2 complaints in over 140 thousand vehicles after over 4 years in service.the rate of warranty claims potentially related to the alleged defect is less than 0.1%.there are no known incidents involving rapid loss of tire pressure or loss of vehicle control.
Alleged failure of 2nd row seatbelt alr
The automatic locking retractor (alr) is a feature incorporated in the subject vehicle for locking the webbing to properly secure a child safety seat into a vehicle.this pe was opened based on a GM technical service bulletin stating that with certain child safety seats the webbing May not remain locked.there are no complaints in the odi database and only two complaints to GM.GM's instructions state for the final…
Brake line corrosion failure
On January 11, 2011, ODI opened EA11-001 to investigate allegations of premature brake line corrosion failure in model year (MY) 1999 through 2003 General Motors (GM) full-size pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles sold or registered in the following region of the United States that NHTSA has viewed as salt states for investigations of corrosion related issues:Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia,…
Overheated fuel pump wiring
In a letter dated April 14, 2005, general motors (GM) notified odi that it had identified a defect related to motor vehicle safety in approximately 316,508 model year (my) 2000-01 1500 series Chevrolet suburban and GMC yukon xl vehicles (recall 05v-155).GM determined that some of these vehicles were equipped with fuel module reservoir assemblies (mras) that contain fuel pump wires and/or connectors that May overheat…
Hydraulic pump failres
GM is conducting a recall on all subject vehicles build between May 1999 and October 14, 1999.significant changes were incorporated into production in early October 1999, and vehicles built after that date have lower warranty failure rates.the complaint and warranty data appear to support the effectiveness of these changes.
Throttle sticking closed
This investigation involves the general motors corporation (GM)throttle body (tb) utilized in model year (my) 1999-2002 silverado, sierra, tahoe, suburban, avalanche and yukon (subject vehicle(s)) with 4.8l, 5.3l, and 6.0l engines. The tb valve May intermittently stick in a closed position.in such a situation, an operator May apply additional accelerator pedal force to increase engine speed.the application of…
Parking brake failure
Odi's review of complaint data received since the close of ea04-011 revealed no indication that the investigation should be re-opened.more details can be found in the federal register notice enclosed in the dp05-009 public file.odi reserves the right to reopen the investigation in the future should conditions warrant.
What 2001 Chevrolet Suburban owners say
Brakes all 178 →
The ABS and Brake lights illuminate as per GM recall 05v379000. This occurs each time the vehicle is driven. I purchased this vehicle on 12/6/2023 from Kyle's Kars which is a used car dealership in Slatington, PA. A warranty was not offered due to the age, however I did purchase a warranty from Car Shield. This repair would not fall under the warranty guidelines.
this vehicle has a non-functioning parking brake. There was a recall in 2004 for 880,000 trucks and suv's. I have taken it to my garage twice but they cannot fix this problem because it is not fixable
Fuel & propulsion system all 60 →
I stopped to get gas 1 mile from my house on the way to work. I filled the tank and got back in the car. When I tried to start the engine it continued to turn over but would not start. I tried 3 times. A person behind my 2001 Suburban noticed gasoline leaking beneath the car. It initially was leaking about a 1/4 gallon per minute. The fire department and hazard response team was called. The spill was limited to 2 gallons. A toe truck took the car to the dealer. The dealer determined that a short had occurred inside the fuel tank which caused the fuel pump to melt and leak to the atmosphere. The service rep (trent) told me he had not seen this before. I was also told that it was unlikely to cause a fire because it is in a low oxygen environment. …
Significant fuel leak from gas tank of 2001 Chevrolet Suburban. Will leak at approx. 1/2 gal per hour. Will leak when running at idle, running at speed, and stopped, engine off. Please take note - the vehicle would still run with the fuel tank leaking significantly. No error message was displayed in the vehicle message display. No fire occurred, but with close proximity to exhaust system, risk for fire would appear to be extreme. Delivered vehicle to dealer to inspect. Upon pressure test, dealer found leak at top of tank in pass-through connector. Leak was occurring because wire inside tank (fuel pump lead) melted, and created hole in pass through connector. Entire internal tank fuel pump and fuel level sender assembly replaced. Dealer technician reported he had seen this before, but usually the vehicle would not run, or a check engine light would be displayed. …
Engine & cooling all 37 →
Tl* the contact owned a 2001 Chevrolet Suburban. While driving at an unknown speed, smoke emitted from the engine compartment of the vehicle. The contact pulled over and discovered that the front end and front wheels were on fire. The fire department extinguished the fire. Fire and police reports were filed. There were no injuries. The vehicle was towed to a salvage yard and deemed destroyed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 204,654.
Tl* the contact owned a 2001 Chevrolet Suburban. While driving the vehicle, smoke emitted under the hood of the vehicle. The contact coasted the vehicle to the side of the road and exited the vehicle. The vehicle caught on fire, which was extinguished by the fire department. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed and destroyed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 200,000. The VIN was not available.
2001 Chevrolet Suburban engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5.3L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 13 / 16 / 14 |
| 5.3L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 12 / 15 / 13 |
EPA ratings. Class: SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2001 Chevrolet Suburban a good car?
Based on 440 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2001 Suburban rates avoid: 2.5× as many complaints as a typical year of the Suburban at the same age. It is one of the Suburban years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2001 Chevrolet Suburban?
The brakes — 178 complaints, 40% of all complaints for this model year, most often about antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip. Next are the fuel & propulsion system (60) and engine & cooling (37).
How many recalls does the 2001 Chevrolet Suburban have?
There are 6 recalls for the 2001 Chevrolet Suburban, the most recent from November 7, 2007 (engine and engine cooling). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Chevrolet Suburban?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2014, 2009 and 2020. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2015, 2021, 2023, 2022 and 2024. See the full Chevrolet Suburban years comparison.
At what mileage do 2001 Chevrolet Suburban problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 61,000 miles; 35% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
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.