CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1500 · model year

2002 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1500

144 NHTSA complaints, 3 crash reports, and 1 active recall for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2002CHEVROLETSUBURBAN 1500 carries 144 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 3 crashes, 1 fire, 6 injuries, and 1 fatality. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2002 SUBURBAN 1500 is service brakes with 33 filings, followed by service brakes, hydraulic (21) and parking brake (8). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 1 active recall campaign, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.

NHTSA currently has 57 investigation files overlapping the 2002 SUBURBAN 1500, and 2 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

144
Complaints
3
Crashes
1
Fires
6
Injuries
1
Deaths

Total Complaints

144 filings

Crashes Reported

3 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
SERVICE BRAKES33
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC21
PARKING BRAKE8
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM8
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE5
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP5
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING5
ENGINE5
STEERING4
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP3
TIRES3
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE3
POWER TRAIN3
TRAILER HITCHES2
VISIBILITY2

Recalls (1)

07E10600017/12/2007

WHEELS:HUB

CERTAIN FEDERAL-MOGUL REPLACEMENT WHEEL HUB ASSEMBLIES WITH THE BRAND NAMES: NATIONAL, CARQUEST P/NOS. 515020, 515021, 515025, 515053, 515054, 515059, AND 515060, SHIPPED BETWEEN JANUARY 23, 2006, AND DECEMBER 20, 2007, SOLD FOR LIGHT DUTY AND MEDIUM DUTY TRUCKS. THE INBOARD RETENTION NUT USED TO M

Recent Complaints

20190416FireSERVICE BRAKES

PASSENGER FRONT BRAKE IS LOCKING UP WHILE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. HAS CAUSED NUMEROUS BRAKE PAD REPLACEMENTS AND CALIPER AND ROTOR REPLACEMENT. HAS CAUSE SMALL FIRE.

Mileage: 302,000

20180510SERVICE BRAKES

NO WARNING LIGHTS ON THE DASH, BUT UPON BREAKING AT SLOW SPEED THE PEDAL EITHER PUSHES BACK OR THE BRAKES SLOW THE VEHICLE AT A FRIGHTENINGLY SLOW PACE, ALL WHILE THE ABS SYSTEM IS ON AS IF SLIDING ON ICE, BUT IT WAS AND IS DRY PAVEMENT. THIS HAPPENS 95 -100% OF EVERY BRAKING ATTEMPT. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO A LOCAL MECHANIC HE COULDN'T FIGURE OUT WHAT TO FIX SINCE THE COMPUTER CODES WERE BOUNCING ALL OVER THE PLACE. I SEE THIS IS A PROBLEM AFTER I HAVE DONE RESEARCH ON THE WEB. I PULLED THE MAIN ABS 60 FUSE UNDER THE HOOD TO TURN OFF THE SYSTEM. THIS CAUSES THE BREAK WARNING FAILURE LIGHT TO COME ON BUT I CAN AT LEAST STOP THE VEHICLE. THIS IS A FAILURE ON A SAFETY SYSTEM (ABS) THAT ACTUALLY CAUSES A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE...AS EACH STOP IS A POTENTIAL CRASH.

Mileage: 60,000

20180210ENGINE

WHETHER IT'S IDLING OR DRIVING SHUTS OFF I REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP AND THE WIRING HARNESSES THAT COME WITH THE FUEL PUMP AND STILL NO AVAIL IT'S CAUSED A LOT OF TIME OFF OF WORK AND A LOT OF HEADACHE I WORK FOR A REPUTABLE DEALERSHIP I WORKED ON VEHICLES FOR OVER 40 YEARS

20180210FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

WHETHER IT'S IDLING OR DRIVING SHUTS OFF I REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP AND THE WIRING HARNESSES THAT COME WITH THE FUEL PUMP AND STILL NO AVAIL IT'S CAUSED A LOT OF TIME OFF OF WORK AND A LOT OF HEADACHE I WORK FOR A REPUTABLE DEALERSHIP I WORKED ON VEHICLES FOR OVER 40 YEARS

20180210UNKNOWN OR OTHER

WHETHER IT'S IDLING OR DRIVING SHUTS OFF I REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP AND THE WIRING HARNESSES THAT COME WITH THE FUEL PUMP AND STILL NO AVAIL IT'S CAUSED A LOT OF TIME OFF OF WORK AND A LOT OF HEADACHE I WORK FOR A REPUTABLE DEALERSHIP I WORKED ON VEHICLES FOR OVER 40 YEARS

20180204FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

WHILE REPLACING THE RUSTED BRAKE LINES ON MY SUBURBAN (SEE TRACKING NUMBER 11066863), I NOTICED THE FUEL LINES GOING TO THE FUEL FILTER WERE ALSO TERRIBLY RUSTED. IT APPEARS THE RUST EMANATES FROM THE PLASTIC CLAMP THAT SECURES THE FUEL LINE TO THE FRAME. THE TUBE NUT THAT GOES INTO THE FILTER APPEARS TO BE FROZEN WITH RUST. SALT AND DIRT ARE TRAPPED IN THE PLASTIC CLAMP AND NUT, WHICH IS IMPOSSIBLE TO WASH OUT. THE FUEL LINES ON TOP OF THE FUEL TANK ARE LIKELY TO BE RUSTED, TOO.

Mileage: 215,000

20171010SERVICE BRAKES

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1500. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, MAKING LEFT AND RIGHT TURNS AT LOW SPEEDS, THE CONTACT EXPERIENCED UNWANTED ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM ACTIVATION WITHOUT WARNING. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT DIAGNOSED THE VEHICLE AND STATED THAT THE WHEEL SPEED SENSOR MOUNTING SURFACE ON THE BEARING NEEDED TO BE CLEANED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 05V379000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000.

Mileage: 160,000

20171010SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:WHEEL SPEED SENSOR/TONE RING

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1500. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, MAKING LEFT AND RIGHT TURNS AT LOW SPEEDS, THE CONTACT EXPERIENCED UNWANTED ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM ACTIVATION WITHOUT WARNING. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT DIAGNOSED THE VEHICLE AND STATED THAT THE WHEEL SPEED SENSOR MOUNTING SURFACE ON THE BEARING NEEDED TO BE CLEANED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 05V379000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000.

Mileage: 160,000

20170709SERVICE BRAKES

CORRODED AND LEAKING BRAKE LINES. ABS ACTIVATING DURING LOW SPEED BRAKING.

Mileage: 98,000

20170113SERVICE BRAKES

WHEN I APPLY THE BRAKES AT LOW SPEED I FEEL A CHATTERING LIKE THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES ARE ACTIVATED AND THE CAR WON'T STOP UNTIL I LET UP AND RE-APPLY PRESSURE TO THE PEDAL. I'VE COME CLOSE TO AN ACCIDENT MORE THAN ONCE.

Mileage: 263,000

20161031TIRES

TIRE SIZE P265/70R17DOT4BT6DYWR THE FOLLOWING NUMBERS SET OF 3 0611 ODD TIRE1711 THE OTHER ODD NUMBER 1711. PURCHASED TIRES IN 2012 ONLY 24000 MILES NOW THEY ARE CRACKED FOUND OUT THESE TIRES WERE MANUFACTURED IN 2011.I DRIVE TO THE AROLINAS AT THE MINIMUM OF ONCE A YEAR AND I DON'T APPRECIATE DRIVING THE MOUNTAINS WITH DEFECTIVE TIRES. NOW GOODYEAR WANTS ME TO TAKE TIRES OFF AND SEND BACK TO THEM BUT IN THE MEAN TIME I HAVE TO PURCHASE ANOTHER AT MY COST. THESE TIRE WERE PURCHASED IN HOLLY SPRINGS NORTH CAROLINA,TIRES WERE MANUFACTURES IN FAYETTEVILLE N.C. WOULD APPRECIATE ANY HELP YOU CAN OFFER. *TR

20160706SERVICE BRAKES

WHILE DRIVING HOME, ON A HIGHWAY, I APPROACHED A TRAFFIC LIGHT THAT CHANGED AND I HAD TO HIT THE BRAKES TO STOP. THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. AFTER GETTING IT HOME I CHECKED THE BRAKES AND THEY LOOKED AS THOUGHT THEY SHOULD WORK (NOTE IT WAS INSPECTED IN DEC 2015 AND PASSED). AFTER MORE CHECKING I FOUND THAT THE BRAKE LINES ON THE DRIVERS SIDE FRAME RAIL WERE RUSTED AND HAD FAILED AS THAT AREA WAS COVERED IN BRAKE FLUID. I PURCHASED MY 2002 Z71 SUBURBAN NEW THAT YEAR AND IT HAS LESS THAN 66,000 MILES ON IT NOW.

Mileage: 65,883

20160615SERVICE BRAKES

ALL BRAKE WARNING LIGHTS LIGHT UP INTERMITTENTLY, I CAN MAKE THEM GO OFF SOMETIMES BY SHUTTING DOWN AND RESTARTING ENGINE, BUT NOT ALWAYS. RECALL # 05V379000 COVERS SAME MODEL YEAR VEHICLES IN THE "SALT BELT" STATES, CORROSION ISSUE! MY LOCAL DEALER SAYS THERE IS NO RECALL ON THIS VEHICLE FOR BRAKE SENSOR PROBLEMS. BRAKES STILL FUNCTION NORMALLY EVEN WITH ALL WARNING LIGHTS "ON". I WANT THIS PROBLEM REPAIRED UNDER A SAFETY RECALL! I CAN'T ALLOW ANYONE ELSE IN THE FAMILY TO DRIVE THIS VEHICLE UNDER THESE CONDITIONS. I AM A MECHANIC, NO ONE ELSE IN THE FAMILY WOULD KNOW WHAT TO DO IF THE BRAKES ACTUALLY DO FAIL WHILE DRIVING.

Mileage: 190,000

20160509SERVICE BRAKES

WIFE WAS DRIVING THE TRUCK WITH HER MOTHER, WENT TO STOP AND THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR - LIMPED THE TRUCK HOME - CHECKED MASTER CYLINDER, ADDED FLUID AND WHEN WE PUSHED THE PEDAL, FLUID CAME POURING OUT THE CORRODED REAR BRAKE LINE - WHILE NO ONE WAS HURT THIS TIME, IT IS EASY TO IMAGINE HOW IT COULD OTHERWISE BEEN A DISASTER.

Mileage: 180,000

20160404FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

SOME DAYS MY TRUCK WILL NOT START SOME DAYS IT DOES FOR INSTANCE IT WILL START FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS CONSECUTIVELY AND THEN IT WONT START FOR 2-3 DAYS AFTER A COUPLE OF DAYS OF JUST SITTING. I HAVE REPLACED THE BATTERY, THE ALTERNATOR , STARTER , FUEL PUMP AND I'M STILL EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM.THIS HAPPENS ALL THE TIME HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR THE PAST COUPLE YEARS, LOST MY JOB BECAUSE OF NON RELIABLE TRANSPORTATION.

20160321ENGINE

ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS, MY FAMILY AND I WERE COMING HOME FROM TWO DIFFERENT TRIPS. THE FIRST TRIP WAS TO NEW ORLEANS FROM SOUTH TEXAS. ON OUR WAY HOME, WHILE DRIVING ON THE EXPRESSWAY, OUR SUBURBAN SUDDENLY TURNED OFF. WE WERE DRIVING ABOUT 70 MPH. THE DRIVER IMMEDIATELY PUT THE VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL AND STARTED THE VEHICLE AGAIN. IT TURNED ON. WE PULLED OVER TO A RESTING AREA AND OPENED THE HOOD, BUT WE WERE UNABLE TO DETERMINE WHAT CAUSED THE MALFUNCTION. IT HAPPENED ONCE MORE WHEN WE GOT HOME. THIS TRIP WAS DURING THE WEEK OF JULY 20TH, 2015. THIS PAST WEEKEND (MARCH 12-14, 2016), WE DROVE UP TO SAN ANTONIO FROM SOUTH TEXAS. WHILE WE WERE IN SAN ANTONIO ON THE EXPRESSWAY, THE VEHICLE TURNED OFF AGAIN. AGAIN, THE DRIVER PUT THE VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL AND TURNED ON THE VEHICLE AGAIN. WE WERE ABLE TO SAFELY PULL OVER AND CHECK THE VEHICLE. AGAIN, WE WERE UNABLE TO DETERMINE WHAT WAS CAUSING THE MALFUNCTION. I HAD RESEARCHED THIS PROBLEM ONLINE AND HAVE READ THAT THIS HAS HAPP

Mileage: 220,000

20160321FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS, MY FAMILY AND I WERE COMING HOME FROM TWO DIFFERENT TRIPS. THE FIRST TRIP WAS TO NEW ORLEANS FROM SOUTH TEXAS. ON OUR WAY HOME, WHILE DRIVING ON THE EXPRESSWAY, OUR SUBURBAN SUDDENLY TURNED OFF. WE WERE DRIVING ABOUT 70 MPH. THE DRIVER IMMEDIATELY PUT THE VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL AND STARTED THE VEHICLE AGAIN. IT TURNED ON. WE PULLED OVER TO A RESTING AREA AND OPENED THE HOOD, BUT WE WERE UNABLE TO DETERMINE WHAT CAUSED THE MALFUNCTION. IT HAPPENED ONCE MORE WHEN WE GOT HOME. THIS TRIP WAS DURING THE WEEK OF JULY 20TH, 2015. THIS PAST WEEKEND (MARCH 12-14, 2016), WE DROVE UP TO SAN ANTONIO FROM SOUTH TEXAS. WHILE WE WERE IN SAN ANTONIO ON THE EXPRESSWAY, THE VEHICLE TURNED OFF AGAIN. AGAIN, THE DRIVER PUT THE VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL AND TURNED ON THE VEHICLE AGAIN. WE WERE ABLE TO SAFELY PULL OVER AND CHECK THE VEHICLE. AGAIN, WE WERE UNABLE TO DETERMINE WHAT WAS CAUSING THE MALFUNCTION. I HAD RESEARCHED THIS PROBLEM ONLINE AND HAVE READ THAT THIS HAS HAPP

Mileage: 220,000

20150929SERVICE BRAKES

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE ANTI LOCK BRAKE ACTIVATED WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 86,000.

Mileage: 86,000

20150915SERVICE BRAKES

DRIVING IN CLOSE TRAFFIC (BUMPER TO BUMPER) UPHILL ON TWO LANE BRIDGE, BRAKE PEDAL JUST WENT TO THE FLOOR, AND NO BRAKES! FRANTICALLY, I WORKED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO THE TOP OF THE BRIDGE. GOING DOWN THE BRIDGE I COASTED (NO AREA TO PULL OFF), ONCE OFF THE BRIDGE AND SAFE TO PULL OVER I DID SO. NOTHING APPEARED WRONG, SO I TRIED THE BRAKES A NUMBER OF TIMES, AND DECIDED I COULD MAKE THE .5 MILE REST OF WAY HOME. ONCE THERE, I FOUND FLUID LEVEL DOWN OVER HALF WAY. AFTER SEARCHING FOUND HARD BAKE LINE HAD HOLDS IN IT. AFTER SEARCHING MY BRAKE LINES, THEY APPEAR TO ALL BE RUSTED BADLY. IN ALL THE VEHICLES I'VE OWNED, I'VE NEVER HAD BRAKE LINES FAIL LIKE THIS. IN SEARCHING THE WEB SITES I FIND THAT CHEVY MAY HAVE USED INFERIOR METALS FOR THEIR BRAKE LINES DURING THIS TIME FRAME. IF THIS IS TRUE, WHY HAVE THEY NOT TAKEN CARE OF CORRECTING THIS ISSUE? THANKS, CONCERNED.

Mileage: 217,000

20150806SERVICE BRAKES

DRIVING DOWN L STREET IN OMAHA, NEBRASKA APPROACHING 96TH STREET. BRAKE PEDAL GOES ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR AND VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP. I WAS ABLE TO PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD JUST BEFORE LIGHT AT 96TH ST ON A SLIGHT HILL WHICH ASSISTED VEHICLE STOPPING. THE BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER WAS LOW. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO YECK'S AUTO IN BELLEVUE, NE. HAD I BEEN FOLLOWING OTHER VEHICLES CLOSELY OR APPROACHED A QUICK CHANGING YELLOW LIGHT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT HAVE STOPPED. YECK'S AUTO HAS SINCE DETERMINED THE BRAKE LINES FAILED. AFTER INTERNET INVESTIGATION YIELDS THAT GM HAS KNOWN ABOUT THIS DEFECT. NO WARNING LIGHTS, NO INDICATION OF A PROBLEM. THIS VEHICLE NEEDS TO BE RECALLED. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN SERVICED AT BEARDMORE CHEVROLET IN BELLEVUE, NE AT PRESCRIBED INTERVALS SINCE DAY 1. GM SAYING THIS IS NORMAL IS FRANKLY UNACCEPTABLE. HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE NOT BEEN AS LUCKY AS I WAS ON THIS DAY.

Mileage: 91

Compare 2002CHEVROLETSUBURBAN 1500 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 2 Open

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2002 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1500 have?
The 2002 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1500 has 144 NHTSA complaints, 3 crashes, 1 fires, 6 injuries, and 1 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2002 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1500?
Yes, the 2002 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1500 has 1 recall(s). The most common affected component is WHEELS:HUB. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2002 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1500?
The most-complained component for the 2002 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1500 is SERVICE BRAKES with 33 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC and PARKING BRAKE.
Is the 2002 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1500 safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.