2018 Chevrolet Suburban problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Power Train (17) · Engine (9) · Steering (7)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Chevrolet Suburban model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
🛣️ Complaints by mileage
27 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (4)
Power Train:transfer Case (4-Wheel Drive) 2026-05-07 · campaign 26V289000 · 66 vehicles ⚠ DO NOT DRIVE
Defect: 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. A component missing from the drivetrain transfer case may cause the front and/or rear wheels to lock up without warning to the driver.
Risk: Front or rear wheel lockup increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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. Owner notification letters were mailed May 18, 2026. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-333-4223. GM's number for this recall is N262557620. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on
Service Brakes 2019-10-24 · campaign 19V761000 · 652,967 vehicles
Defect: 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. If a wheel-speed sensor fails, while the vehicle is traveling between 41 and 60 mph in four-wheel or automatic mode, the Electronic-Brake Control Module (EBCM) software may activate the driveline-protection system.
Risk: Unintended activation of the driveline-protection system will cause unintended braking on the wheel on the opposite side of the failed sensor, causing the vehicle to pull to one side unexpectedly, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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. GM's number for this recall is N192261050.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:power Assist:vacuum 2019-09-06 · campaign 19V645000 · 3,456,719 vehicles
Defect: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Cadillac Escalade, 2014-2018 Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra, 2015-2018 Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Yukon vehicles. The amount of vacuum created by the vacuum pump may decrease over time.
Risk: As the vacuum level drops, the brake assist decreases, increasing braking effort, extending the distance required to stop the vehicle, thereby increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the Electronic Brake Control Module, free of charge. The recall began October 8, 2019. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N192268490.
Seat Belts:rear/Other 2018-09-26 · campaign 18V673000 · 15,800 vehicles
Defect: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Cadillac CT6, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Volt, and GMC Yukon XL vehicles. Certain second-row or third-row rear seatbelts retractor assemblies may not automatically lock when the seatbelt is fully pulled out of the retractor, possibly preventing a child seat from being properly secured. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection.
Risk: If the child seat is not properly secured in the event of a crash, it can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rear seatbelt retractors and replace them if necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 7, 2018. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 18315.
Service bulletins (1,255)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-26 · PIT5698F · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this pi provides diagnostics tips on how the lin bus works and how to diagnosis it.
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-04 · PIP4902W · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email gds2 session logs into technical assistance.
Unknown Or Other 2026-07-21 · PIT5099J · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
pi to help diagnose a/c concern
Unknown Or Other 2026-07-21 · PIT5509N · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this pi provides diagnostic tips for diagnosing electric trailer brakes issues.
Unknown Or Other 2026-05-14 · PIT5509M · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this pi provides diagnostic tips for diagnosing electric trailer brakes issues.
Unknown Or Other 2026-04-01 · PIT3271Q · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this preliminary information communicates information about how to determine if a wheel and tires size change is available.
Showing the 6 most recent of 1,255 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-10-14 · Service Brakes“on august 7, 2026, while driving a rental vehicle in the denver, colorado area with my family, including two young children, the vehicle unexpectedly lost engine power while traveling downhill. the engine shut off, resulting in a significant reduction in brake assistance and creating an extremely dangerous situation. we were able to bring the vehic…”
2026-10-09 · Power Train“my 2018 chevrolet suburban is experiencing transmission problems that raise serious concerns about the reliability and potential safety of general motors transmissions used in trucks and suvs from this period. when i contacted an independent transmission repair shop to describe the problems, the employee immediately asked whether my vehicle was a …”
2026-10-08 · Power Train“my suburban shut off 5 times while turning. very unsafe given i have 4 children and it could have been while we were driving on the freeway, which could have been fatal. …”
2026-06-01 · Power Train · 108,000 mi“the contact owns a 2018 chevrolet suburban. the contact stated while the contact's husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed, however the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. in addition, the contact's husband noticed an abnormal sound and the vehicle independently stopped. the contact stated that the ins…”
2026-05-15 · Power Train“my husband was driving our 2018 chevy suburban when it suddenly stopped accelerating and he could no longer shift gears. luckily, this happened while he was driving down a gravel road (approx 25-30mph). if he would have been driving at highway speeds, it is likely that he could have lost control of the vehicle. our suburban had no issues to this …”
2026-04-13 · Electrical System:instrument Panel:speedometer/Odometer · 129,000 mi“odometer fraud. the contact purchased a 2018 chevrolet suburban. the contact stated that while purchasing an aftermarket warranty coverage, the warranty company informed the contact that there was a mileage discrepancy based on the carfax report. the vehicle was a dealer sale. at the time of purchase, the mileage was 123,959; however, the carfax re…”
2026-03-20 · Unknown Or Other“transmission problems 124,994 miles . it's the same defects as the 2019-2025 defects. …”
2026-03-18 · Power Train“the transmission just stopped working no warning just wouldn’t go into gear. then i turned it off and back on and was able to limp home it’s slipping bad . …”
2026-03-12 · Power Train“my 2018 lt chevy suburban with 110000 miles has been giving me transmission and motor problems. i took it to chevy vannuys and they took 3 days and did nothing. i saw a recall on line for the same year. explaining about transmission problems. where can i go to have it fixed.…”
2026-02-05 · Other/I Am Not Sure“i am reporting a safety issue involving a cybex eternis s child car seat. the seat was manufactured on 02/28/2020 and has a printed expiration date of 02/25/2030, indicating a 10 year usable life. at approximately five years of use, the head impact foam failed and is broken into two separate pieces. the foam pieces are detached. this foam is a req…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.