Engine, powertrain and steering problems issues among the top complaints received by the NHTSA from vehicle owners
When it comes to people haulers, none is more notorious than the 2019 Chevy Suburban. This large SUV claims to be “ready for just about everything,” except driving the family safely. From defective seat belts to a malfunctioning engine and failing powertrain to an uncertain steering system, this vehicle puts people in danger.
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The first patent on a seat belt occurred in 1885. Since then, the design has been perfected and rarely causes any trouble, until the 2019 Chevy Suburban came along.
One NHTSA user states, “Seatbelt would not release and I was stuck in driver seat and forced to cut the seat belt to free myself.”
While this is a scary situation, there’s something worse occurring inside the Suburban. NHTSA Campaign Number 18V673000 states that over 15,000 vehicles could have rear seatbelts that don’t lock in the event of an accident. Considering children are the main occupants of the back seat, this puts lots of kids in danger. What’s even worse is NHTSA Campaign Number 19V761000, which talks about how more than 650,000 vehicles could contain a failing wheel speed sensor that might trigger the Electronic-Brake Control Module to begin unintended braking. This causes the vehicle to pull to one side unexpectedly and puts occupants in danger of an accident. If both this and the seat belts fail, there could be injuries or death. Basically, the Suburban is “ready for just about everything” except driving safely.
| Complaint Category | Number of Complaints |
|---|---|
| Power Train | |
| Engine | |
| Steering | |
| Unknown Or Other | |
| Electrical System | |
| Seat Belts | |
| Service Brakes | |
| Air Bags | |
| Electronic Stability Control | |
| Engine And Engine Cooling |
If a vehicle is equipped to carry seven people, it better have a strong engine for all of that weight. The Suburban struggles on this front as well.
Here is another NHTSA comment worth reading. “Driving our newly purchased 4 week old Suburban down I95. Following a bathroom break at a rest stop, we loaded up in the car, started it via the push ignition and drove down the ramp onto the highway. Within seconds, smoke began billowing from the hood. A fire under the hood ensued. We were traveling at approximately 30-40 mph, when the smoke became so heavy. We pulled over and parked the car on the shoulder and attempted to turn it off. For 30-40 seconds, the car would not turn off, rather, it shook and sputtered. We evacuated the car and called the state police who arrive shortly thereafter. The Suburban was towed to [dealer]. About a week later, we were told that the push ignition in the car caused an electrical fire. Chevrolet still has the car is working to repair, but we have concerns about taking possession of a 4 week old car that caught fire.”
It turns out that this isn’t the only engine-related concern to be aware of. Service Bulletin #19NA212 discusses reasons that the camshaft alignment pin might already be sheared away in newer models. For the price families pay to get behind the wheel of a Suburban, one would think it would be equipped with more durable equipment. Maybe the tagline should be “ready to sit and wait for repairs” instead.
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Just like the engine, the powertrain must be in good operational order for the vehicle to get anywhere, but that’s not what’s happening with the Suburban.
Read this NHTSA complaint. “2019 Chevrolet Suburban 4×4. When starting the vehicle, the transmission selector is in the Park position and the emergency brake is set. On Monday, February 10, 2019, I started the vehicle and it lurched forward while the emergency brake was set and the vehicle was parked. Additionally, my foot was on the brake pedal. The vehicle was on a slight incline and facing forward when this happened.”
Again, Chevrolet is aware of transmission problems. Service Bulletin #PIP5504C states that the transmission could suffer from chugging and torque converter vibrations. What it doesn’t talk about is the Suburban attempting to drive itself away. Maybe it secretly hopes it is an autonomous vehicle that can haul big families.
Keeping the Suburban under control seems to be another struggle that owners are facing.
Just read this NHTSA complaint. “The vehicle doesn’t drive straight or drifts to either side at highway speed on straight line causing small correction to be applied all the time.”
It turns out there are many other steering issues present. Service Bulletin #N182190820 states that the power steering belt could slip because the gear fit is incorrect. Without proper attention, there could be squealing sounds, audible clicking and a change in the effort needed to steer. Instead of issuing a recall so owners are aware of the problem, Chevy is hoping that nothing dangerous occurs. The Suburban is “ready for just about everything” except steering, driving and keeping occupants safe. What more is there?
Think you have a lemon? Sit back and let the experts work out your lemon case at no cost to you. The law makes Chevrolet pay legal fees. You may be able to get your lemon out of your life. Every year, auto manufacturers buy back, replace or pay cash settlements to thousands of ‘lemon’ owners like you.
Brian Jones spent more than 30 years working as an ASE Certified Master Tech and Parts Specialist at multiple dealerships. Brian has become an authority in the industry, traveling across the country to consult for car dealerships and contributing his expertise as a writer for several major automotive publications. In his spare time, Brian enjoys working on pickup trucks, muscle cars, Jeeps and anything related to motorsports.
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