Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (fuel pump, injectors, fuel tank, hybrid and EV propulsion).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2001 Chevrolet Suburban owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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. …
First incident: veh. Would crank but not start. Turned out to be fuel delivery fuse. Replaced, and ran fine for several weeks. Second incident: driving at approx. 55 MPH, vehicle lost power, started sputtering as if out of gas although it was 1/4 full. Unable to exceed 25 MPH due to little/no power. Was towed to autoparts store, cleared codes, veh ran fine for about 2 days, then lost power. Towed home. Looked up info on internet, found recalls for fuel pump. Called local Chevy dealership, inquired about recall, was told that recall was only on half-ton suburbans and since mine is 3/4 ton, it was not covered by recall. I replaced fuel module myself and discovered the covering of the wires inside the fuel module assembly had melted, allowing the bare wires to rub against each other, shorting out the fuel delivery system (which likely caused the blown fuse to begin with). …
Fuel pump May falter or fail; fuel pump relay was non-functional, replaced it; other fuses passed testing with meter; vehicle started, would not run more than a few minutes. New fuel filter. Guy at service station banged on gas tank, and it would start then run great for a minute, then will not restart. Ordering a replacement fuel pump. Bought this vehicle in 2005 about the time of GM recall 05027. In doing online trouble-shooting today, I discovered the 2001 GM recall 05027. Have had this problem several times. Fuel filter was last changed in July 2009. Complete failure when in motion, backing out of service station onto main street (us 64 bus), just inches from lane of travel (6.14.19).what could be worse than fuel pump failure at a busy intersection during lunch hour? Grateful it didn't catch fire, or get hit. …
Dt: the contact noticed a very strong smell in garage that would almost burn the eyes, and leave a stain on the floor. He contacted the dealership, but since the vehicle was out of warranty they would not offer any assistance. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the main plastic fuel tank cracked. There is a hose that goes between the two tanks it was not cracked at the hose, but it was cracked at the top of the plastic tank. The main tank was replaced at contact's expense. The vehicle was never in an accident, and never was used as an off road vehicle. Also, the manufacturer was contacted , and they provided the contact with a case number and explained to him there was nothing they could do about it. This was always noticed after the vehicle was filled up. Updated 1/11/2006 - the consumer filed a complaint with the manufacturer.
Tl contact owns a 2001 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated that after receiving a recall notice in reference to NHTSA campaign id number 05V379000 (service brakes, hydraulic:antilock) and for 05V155000(fuel system, gasoline:delivery:fuel pump). The first recall repaired the failure that occurred seven months later when the ABS lights illuminated on the instrumental panel. The vehicle was inspected by the dealer who stated that he needed to replace the braking module and the ebcm. The vehicle was repaired. The second recall notice was issued the failure occurred later in 2010 when the vehicle stalled while driving at various speeds. The vehicle was inspected by a dealer who advised him that the fuel pump and the fuel filter needed to be replaced. The fuel pump and filter were repaired. The failure mileages was approximately 120,600. Updated 03/24/11 updated 04/28/11
Dt: the consumer owns a 2001 Chevrolet Suburban. In October 2004 the vehicle quit. A fuse was replaced at a cost of $137.75. This amount included the towing fee. On 12-07-04, the vehicle experienced the same problem. The consumer had to pay $306.00 to have another fuse replaced. This included diagnostic fees. On 12-14-04, the same problem occurred and the dealer replaced the fuel pump at a cost of $567.55. The contact received recall campaign# 05V155000 concerning the fuel pump about three-four months ago. The dealer and general motors refused to reimburse the consumer for the aforementioned work performed because the recall hadn't occurred. The recall stated that the consumer would be notified on 10-19-05 because the parts were available. The consumer thought that this was a very unusual amount of time for him to wait for reimbursement. (11/22/05)
I recently had the fuel pump unit replaced on my 2001 Suburban for the 2nd time. The vehicle is only 2.5 years old with 19,000 miles. This is a very dangerous problem because the vehicle just shuts down while driving and will not restart. This most recent time I was in the middle of rush hour traffic on the upslope of a hwy bridge. Luckily I was not rear ended while waiting for assistance. I feel there is some type defect in this product. I even asked the service advisor at the dealership if this is a common problem and he said yes. Please initiate an investigation into this issue. To have this problem 2x within 2.5 years is dangerous and unreasonable. I saw the warranty papers and it cost over $500 each time to replace the fuel pump. When is it going to go out next? Where will I be? And who is going to pay for it when the car is soon out of warranty?
Dt: the contact owns a 2001 Chevrolet Suburban that simply would not start. This happened without any prior incidents and without warning. The contact had the vehicle towed to a local mechanic shop. The mechanic noted there was an internal fuel pump leak. The contact paid out of pocket for the repairs for which the mechanic performed. After repairing the internal fuel pump leak there were no further problems. The contact later received a notification letter prior to a NHTSA recall being issued, when the contact tried to seek reimbursement GM denied his request citing that this vehicle did not qualify and the VIN was not included. GM will not reimburse for the repairs.
This is my 2nd complaint. First was odi # 10088120. Since posting that complaint, my fuel pump has failed 2 more times. I have been trying to research this on the web, and have found quite a number of similar complaints in automotive forums about fuel pumps failing in suburbans and Chevy trucks from many different years. These complaints don't seem to have made it to the NHTSA. It also seems that once the problem arises, it continues. There must be some underlying defect in the vehicle that is causing these pumps to fail. I think it is ridiculous that I will have to trade this car in because I can't keep it running, and it isn't even paid for yet.
Related recalls
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.
NHTSA investigations
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…
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…
Fuel System complaints in other Suburban years
Frequently asked questions
How common are fuel system problems on the 2001 Chevrolet Suburban?
NHTSA has 60 complaints about the fuel & propulsion system of the 2001 Chevrolet Suburban, 14% of the model year's 440 complaints. The component named most often is delivery › fuel pump (34 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2001 Chevrolet Suburban fuel system problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 05V-155 (fuel pump, Apr 14, 2005). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2001 Chevrolet Suburban fuel system problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 60,000 miles, and 9% before 25,000 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.