Suspension complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2 | 2% | — |
| 2022 | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2021 | 2 | 1% | — |
| 2020 | 2 | 5% | 0 miles |
| 2018 | 2 | 2% | 9,000 miles |
| 2017 | 2 | 1% | — |
| 2016 | 11 | 5% | 30,000 miles |
| 2015 | 29 | 7% | 62,000 miles |
| 2014 | 4 | 7% | 100,000 miles |
| 2013 | 2 | 2% | 7,000 miles |
| 2012 | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2011 | 1 | 1% | 71,000 miles |
| 2008 | 3 | 1% | 189,000 miles |
| 2007 | 3 | 1% | 32,000 miles |
| 2006 | 1 | 4% | 55,000 miles |
| 2005 | 2 | 2% | 55,000 miles |
| 2004 | 7 | 3% | 43,000 miles |
| 2003 | 9 | 3% | 0 miles |
| 2002 | 6 | 2% | 35,000 miles |
| 2001 | 11 | 3% | 36,000 miles |
| 2000 | 7 | 2% | 10,000 miles |
| 1999 | 33 | 5% | 49,000 miles |
| 1998 | 14 | 7% | 0 miles |
| 1997 | 19 | 5% | 40,000 miles |
| 1996 | 10 | 3% | — |
| 1995 | 11 | 2% | — |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (struts, shocks, control arms, ball joints, springs).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
Front passenger Spindle / Thimble that connects the lower ball joint sheared off. Suburban drops to ground, bolt end of lower ball joint hits and breaks through back of wheel that results in a deflated tier. Repair items listed by Chevy Service Center. Replace right lower ball joint Alignment Replace right front steering knuckle Replace right front wheel, monitor and stem, reprogram Replace broken front spoiler Replace RF fender liner With the low speed of travel , about 8mph there were no safety issues. Vehicle and broken steering knuckle has been inspected by Service Agent and Manager at Fred Bean Chevy, Doylestown, PM. Their position is normal wear, "We must have had impact at some time to cause initial fracture". Extended Warranty agrees with view stated from Fred Bean. Our insurance company is sending an agent to inspect. No warning lamps, messages, etc presented in driver display.
I replaced the shocks in Oct 2022 and paid for an alignment and now just over 2 years later the dealer said they needed replacing again. This front end has had constant problems, but now I see there was a recall on the 2016 Suburbans, but it is not listed under my VIN. I believe if they have had problems, possibly at another manufacturing, it should be considered that this is the problem. I have now paid for the repair of the upper control arm and both front shocks and a wheel alignment again. I paid more than double to have it repaired at the dealer because I believe my vehicle's VIN should be listed under NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID: 16V256000; REPORT DATE: APR 28, 2016.
Hello, While driving my Chevy suburban last week as I was pumping gas with my two year old son in the back seat. I saw smoke leaking and rolling out from the bottom of my vehicle. I had shift the vehicle off and inspected thoroughly. I couldn't see and understand where this was coming from. It wasn't the engine block and no check engine lights had come on. So I let the vehicle cool and started her up. No issue until I was a mile or two from my family summer rental and all of a sudden the vehicle felt as though it slipped out of gear. I was left without any power and realized I was smoking again. I pulled or what I would call drifted to the break down lane and pulled my little man out of the vehicle. This happened on Saturday and after almost a week in the shop, the dealership sprung me a nice $5200 price for a transmission. …
The drivers seat back is extremely lose. Moves forward and back with every brake and acceleration. The seat base also moves slightly, rocking left to right in turns. The suspension completely failed and had to be replaced. An unknown oily substance has been coating the inside of the windshield since the purchase of vehicle in 2015. Requires constant deep cleaning in order to see through windshield.
There is a technical service bulletin published (15-NA-082) that is the result of insufficient welds between the bracket and frame rail that hold the sway bar on the models listed in the TSB. Recently while on a road trip we experienced heavy (almost uncontrollable) truck swaying while on the high way. I now have to find someone with welding experience in order to fix this problem because I am concerned about the safety of my family driving this vehicle with this condition. Please consider a recall for this condition.
When turning on the vehicle the lights will power surge. One day the vehicle just didn't start. The next day it started and as I was driving down the road I lost thermostat control, the power locks were involuntarily going up and down, the radio shut off, and the speedometer and gauges all went to the left and were not working. When I finally parked the vehicle I could smell an electrical burning smell. The vehicle was in motion for all of this on a 2 lane road.
The dash board in the vehicle is cracked and none is able to fix problems. The engine misfire and to figure out the problem cost lost of money. The lifters goes bad on vehicle. Suspension works always need.
Stabilizer bar bushing broke loose for the frame mount causing stabilizer bar to hang on one side(passenger). Have to have it welded and fabricated to repair the issue.this happened while I was driving on the highway. I heard a noise then I ran over something which was the bushing an clamp.
Related recalls (2)
Suspension › Rear
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2023 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles. The rear suspension outer control arm bolts may not have been properly heat-treated, which can cause the bolts to break.
Remedy: Dealers will replace both rear suspension outer control arm bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 14, 2023.
Suspension › Front › Control arm
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and 2016 Cadillac Escalade, Cadillac Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Sierra, GMC Yukon and GMC Yukon XL vehicles. The front upper control arms may have inadequate welds near the control arm bushing.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the left and right front upper control arms and realign the vehicle, free of charge. The recall began on May 18, 2016.
Frequently asked questions
Which Chevrolet Suburban years have suspension problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 1999 (33), 2015 (29), 1997 (19), 1998 (14) and 1995 (11) model years. Suspension complaints make up 5% of all complaints for the 1999.
Is there a recall for Chevrolet Suburban suspension problems?
Yes — 2 recalls, including 23V-642 (rear, Sep 20, 2023); 16V-256 (control arm, Apr 28, 2016). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Chevrolet Suburban suspension problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 46,000 miles; 59% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the front (48 mentions), followed by the rear (9).
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.