Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2011 Chevrolet Suburban owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Driving with a travel trailer in tow in I-81 in ny on 6/15/16 we suddenly had extreme sway. My car/trailer had very good hitch/anti-sway devices. Without much notice, I lost control. I believe the frame supporting the hitch receiver failed causing a bad accident resulting in total loss of our tow vehicle and our airstream 25 foot travel trailer. I am a very experienced driver with this combination of tow vehicle, travel trailer, and hitch configuration. The onset and magnitude of the sway (violent) caused me to lose control as we were going 65 MPH on the interstate highway. I have towed this same configuration for tens of thousands of miles with no instances of problems. Something drastic happened! I was passing a slow moving car , so was in the right lane heading south when I started to sway. I reached for the brake controller in an attempt to apply the trailer brakes. …
In September 2014, I noticed my dash above the instrument cluster cracking. I purchased this car as a GM certified used car with original factory warrantee in April 2013 with 60081 miles on it. In less than 5 months of ownership it developed this crack while still under factory warrantee. I took it to my local dealer with all my paperwork and they said it was not covered, nor would they replace it. This crack has developed due to no fault of my own from neglect, excess wear and tear, excess sunlight or anything other than manufacture flaw. This crack has continued to spread and due to the thin and sharp nature of the plastic, if I were to get into an accident, this would splinter and act like shrapnel within the cabin. My family's life is danger due to this fact and GM refuses to acknowledge this is an issue. …
I have a large crack in the dashboard over top of the instrument cluster. I don't know how or when it occurred. I first noticed it in the beginning of October, 2014. Because of its location it is not easily visible and it's possible it May have been there for some time. I found this is a common problem with GM products and GM refuses to address the issue. I went to my local dealer about it and they told me it's not covered under the extended warranty I purchased. I feel this is a safety issue due to the potential further deterioration while operating the vehicle.
My 2011 Chevrolet Suburban with about 85,000 miles on it has recently developed cracks in the dash. One at the rear left corner of the passenger-side airbag section, and another behind the instrument cluster on the driver side. The car is in immaculate condition other than the dash. Its an eye-sore to see these cracks every day. Had these cracks been there a year ago when we bought the car, we probably would not have bought it. Its sad to see that this is a systemic problem on all vehicles of this make/model/year range.
Very concerned that the cracks on the dashboard started around the passenger airbag and now have spread all the way across to the dial area. From what I have read it seems this is a happening to a lot of the GM/Chevy vehicles and is a problem GM should really issue a recall to fix. Are they waiting for someone to die when a airbag deploys and the sharp plastic the cracks are making immediately deflates the airbag and it is useless? Step-up GM and issue the recall and fix the problem before it is too late and someone dies.
Tl* Takata recall. The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated that the dashboard was cracked on the driver and passenger sides where the air bags were located. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 16V381000 (air bags); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.
Dashboard cracked while parked and these cracks have spread to become very large over short period of time. Large crack is above instrument panel and another is near passenger airbag. The dashboard is unstable between these two points and this could be potential safety hazard as dash could crack or splinter if airbag deployed causing injury to the passengers. Dashboard has been protected in garage or with sun deflector during ownership so dashboard cracks would be defect vs. Element related.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated that the dashboard exhibited cracks that originated on the driver side and became progressively worse. In addition, the passenger side air bag seam was cracked. The vehicle was taken to two different dealers who stated that the entire dashboard would need to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 58,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet surbuban. The contact stated that the front section of the dashboard cracked in six places. Also, while driving at any speed, the steering wheel shook. The contact stated that there were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failures. The failure mileage was 72,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Suburban. Upon starting the vehicle, the dashboard started to shake independently. After inspecting the vehicle, the contact noticed that there were two cracks of significant size on the bottom part of the dashboard. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 43,300.
Body complaints in other Suburban years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2011 Chevrolet Suburban?
NHTSA has 26 complaints about the body & structure of the 2011 Chevrolet Suburban, 18% of the model year's 148 complaints. The component named most often is body (19 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2011 Chevrolet Suburban body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 2011 Chevrolet Suburban, though it has 3 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2011 Chevrolet Suburban body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 58,000 miles, and 4% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 1 injury to body & structure problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.