CHEVROLET SUBURBAN · model year

1983 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN

4 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1983CHEVROLETSUBURBAN carries 4 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 2 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. 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 1983 SUBURBAN is tires:tread/belt with 2 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline (2). 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.

NHTSA currently has 57 investigation files overlapping the 1983 SUBURBAN, 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.

4
Complaints
0
Crashes
2
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

4 filings

Crashes Reported

0 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
TIRES:TREAD/BELT2
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE2

Recent Complaints

20020516TIRES:TREAD/BELT

CONSUMER STATES HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE TREAD SEPARATION ON THE TIRE. GOOD YEAR #LT23585R.*JB

20020514FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

WHILE DRIVING, VEHICLE BEGAN TO CHUG, CONSUMER NOTICED WHITE SMOKE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE SO HE PULLED OVER AND VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE, POSSIBLE ENGINE FAILURE, OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT. *SLC

20020131FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

WHILE DRIVING, VEHICLE BEGAN TO CHUG, CONSUMER NOTICED WHITE SMOKE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE SO HE PULLED OVER AND VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE, POSSIBLE ENGINE FAILURE, OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT. *SLC

20001129TIRES:TREAD/BELT

REAR RIGHT TIRE PROBLEM. TREAD SEPARATED FROM TIRE WHILE DRIVING ON FREEWAY AT 65 MPH. TREAD HIT SIDE OF CHEVROLET SUBURBAN CAUSING BODY DAMAGE. TIRES HAVE APPROXIMATELY 28,000 MILES OF NON-COMMERCIAL USE, AND ARE WARRANTED FOR 50,000 MILES.*AK (TIRESIZE: 235/85 R16)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 235/85 R16 )

Compare 1983CHEVROLETSUBURBAN to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 2 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1983 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN have?
The 1983 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN has 4 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 2 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1983 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN?
The most-complained component for the 1983 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN is TIRES:TREAD/BELT with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE.
Is the 1983 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 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.