2020 Chevrolet Suburban Problems & Complaints

Better than average58% fewer complaints than a typical year of the Suburban at the same age

Owners have filed 44 complaints about the 2020 Chevrolet Suburban with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. That is 58% fewer than a typical Suburban model year at the same age, making the 2020 one of the better Suburban years. The most reported problem area is the engine & cooling (18 complaints, typically around 90,000 miles). 4 recalls cover this model year, including one with a do-not-drive or park-outside warning.

44complaints
4recalls
2crashes
1fires
0injuries
0deaths

Most common 2020 Chevrolet Suburban problems

  • Engine & cooling~90,000 miles
    1841%
  • Transmission & drivetrain~93,000 miles
    1023%
  • Electrical system~90,000 miles
    818%
  • Steering~55,000 miles
    49%
  • Other / not specified
    49%
  • Speed control & acceleration~0 miles
    37%
  • Brakes
    37%
  • Fuel & propulsion system
    37%
  • Stability & traction control~1,000 miles
    25%
  • Air bags~2,000 miles
    25%
  • Suspension~0 miles
    25%
  • Wheels & tires~5,000 miles
    25%
  • Windows, wipers & sunroof
    12%
  • Seats
    12%
  • Driver assistance
    12%

Share of the 44 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.

Chevrolet Suburban complaints by model year

’95’96’97’98’99’00’01’02’03’04’05’06’07’08’09’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24457360414201634282440286301204129232922131061171481011185943122014284784420012413144
Owner complaints per model year, Chevrolet Suburban. Colour = our verdict for that year (red: avoid, orange: caution, green: better than average, blue: too new).

Best Suburban years: 2014, 2009, 2020. Years to avoid: 2015, 2021, 2023, 2022, 2024. Compare all years →

2020 Chevrolet Suburban recalls (4)

Power train › Transfer case (4-wheel drive)

NHTSA recall 26V-289 · May 7, 2026 · 66 vehiclesDo not drive

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2026 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Suburban, and Tahoe, and GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles with four-wheel (4WD) or all-wheel drive (AWD), and certain 2015-2020 Suburban, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Yukon, Yukon XL, and Tahoe vehicles.

Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicle until the remedy is completed. Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the transfer case assembly, free of charge.

Tires

NHTSA recall 21V-115 · Feb 25, 2021 · 33,838 vehicles

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT4, XT5, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, Traverse, GMC Yukon, Yukon XL, 2018-2021 Chevrolet Express, GMC Savana, 2019-2020 Chevrolet Blazer, Silverado 1500, GMC Acadia, Sierra 1500, and certain Continental tires sold to the aftermarket…

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the tires, replacing them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 22, 2021.

Fuel system, gasoline › Delivery › Fuel pump

NHTSA recall 19V-837 · Nov 21, 2019 · 502 vehicles

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Camaro, Silverado 1500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles. The fuel pump may be missing a pressure regulator, allowing for over-pressurization of the fuel system.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump, free of charge. The recall began December 18, 2019. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-333-4223, Chevrolet customer service at…

Service brakes

NHTSA recall 19V-761 · Oct 24, 2019 · 652,967 vehicles

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2020 Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, and GMC Yukon, and 2014-2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles equipped with a 5.3-liter engine, a 3.08-ratio rear axle and four-wheel drive.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the EBCM, free of charge. The recall began December 11, 2019. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782.

What 2020 Chevrolet Suburban owners say

Engine & cooling

I put vehicle in Chevy dealership 7/8/24 for cold start knocking sound. Dealers called 2 days later said it was defective lifter issue on the 6.2 liter GM engine.Dealer ordered new engine.on 8/23/24 while test driving vehicle with new engine in it while driving on the highway a fire started under the engine. I was told by dealer that people were telling the driver the vehicle was on fire. He abandoned the vehicle on the highway as it burned up inside and outside. Fire trucks put the fire out.Vehicle is total loss. Waiting two weeks for GM to tell me what they will do to help me. No reply to phone calls or emails unless I call them to check and find out what is going on. I wrote email to GM CEO and no reply. Insurance for me offered me pay out of current value. GMis supposedly going to investigate the vehicle and the cause of fire. Lifter issue is widespread on these engines. …

Aug 2024 · fire

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal, and the vehicle stalled. A passerby helped the contact to push the vehicle into a parking lot. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact left the vehicle in the parking lot. The following day, the vehicle restarted as intended. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, the vehicle failed to start. The Push to Start button occasionally became stuck, and the contact continuously pressed the button to release it. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, but no cause for the failure was found. The vehicle was taken back to the residence, and upon exiting the vehicle, the contact noticed loose cables. The contact's husband plugged the cables back into place. …

90,000 miles · Nov 2025

Transmission & drivetrain

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated while driving 10 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond as needed. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact pulled over and turned off and restarted the vehicle however, the failure persisted. The contact stated that the dealer was contacted. The vehicle was towed to a dealer and was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V797000 (POWER TRAIN). The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 93,000.

93,000 miles · Jan 2025

On October 27, coming back from a family trip at 10 PM at night on a major highway, the suburban all of a sudden quit. Traveling at 70 miles per hour, all of a sudden, when pressing the gas pedal, the car would not accelerate and the RPM gauge was erratically moving. The car started to slow down till it eventually just quit and it would not go anymore. We were stranded in the middle of the highway with cars coming and going both ways. It was scary, it was dark, and dangerous. A tow truck was called and they told the suburban to a Chevrolet dealership 60 miles away. The following day, the dealership informed us that the transmission was not repairable and that they had found metal pieces in the transmission. They informed us that the only way to repair was to replace with a new transmission. …

Oct 2024

Electrical system

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal, and the vehicle stalled. A passerby helped the contact to push the vehicle into a parking lot. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact left the vehicle in the parking lot. The following day, the vehicle restarted as intended. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, the vehicle failed to start. The Push to Start button occasionally became stuck, and the contact continuously pressed the button to release it. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, but no cause for the failure was found. The vehicle was taken back to the residence, and upon exiting the vehicle, the contact noticed loose cables. The contact's husband plugged the cables back into place. …

90,000 miles · Nov 2025

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated that the vehicle experienced electrical failures that caused several safety and powered components to turn off and on. The contact stated that the vehicle occasionally lost power steering or windshield wiper functionality and would start functioning without having been engaged manually. The contact stated that the instrument cluster occasionally went black. The contact took the vehicle to a local dealer, who diagnosed the vehicle and advised the contact of Technical Service Bulletin: 18-NA-161, which addressed the electrical failure. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The contact stated that the electrical failure described in TSB: 18-NA-161 should have been a national recall due to the safety factors of the systems affected. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.

85,000 miles · Dec 2025

2020 Chevrolet Suburban engines & fuel economy

EngineTransmissionDriveMPG city / hwy / combined
5.3L 8-cyl6-speed automaticRWD15 / 22 / 18
6.2L 8-cyl10-speed automaticRWD14 / 23 / 17
5.3L 8-cyl6-speed automatic4WD14 / 21 / 16
6.2L 8-cyl10-speed automatic4WD14 / 20 / 16

EPA ratings. Class: SUV.

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2020 Chevrolet Suburban a good car?

Based on 44 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2020 Suburban rates better than average: 58% fewer complaints than a typical year of the Suburban at the same age. It is one of the best Suburban years by this measure. 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 2020 Chevrolet Suburban?

The engine & cooling — 18 complaints, 41% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the transmission & drivetrain (10) and electrical system (8).

How many recalls does the 2020 Chevrolet Suburban have?

There are 4 recalls for the 2020 Chevrolet Suburban, the most recent from May 7, 2026 (transfer case (4-wheel drive)). 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 2020 Chevrolet Suburban problems happen?

The median mileage reported in complaints is about 30,000 miles; 54% 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.