CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 2500 · model year

2001 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 2500

35 NHTSA complaints, 3 crash reports for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2001CHEVROLETSUBURBAN 2500 carries 35 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 3 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injury, 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 2001 SUBURBAN 2500 is engine and engine cooling with 7 filings, followed by service brakes (5) and fuel system, gasoline (4). 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 2001 SUBURBAN 2500, 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.

35
Complaints
3
Crashes
0
Fires
1
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

35 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
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING7
SERVICE BRAKES5
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE4
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC4
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE3
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP3
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM3
STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE1
VISIBILITY:REAR WINDOW WIPER/WASHER1
AIR BAGS1
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM1
UNKNOWN OR OTHER1

Recent Complaints

20170908UNKNOWN OR OTHER

THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR DOOR WINDOW BREAKS WHEN THE WINDOW IS DOWN FOR NO REASON. I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE IT 4 TIMES IN THE LAST 60 DAYS. THERE APPEARS TO BE NO DAMMAGE TO ANY OF THE INSIDE OF WINDOW OR THE WINDOW REGULATOR. THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY AND MY DAUGHTER OPENED THE DOOR AND THE WINDOW BROKE.

Mileage: 200,000

20140824SERVICE BRAKES

DRIVING APPROX 50 MPH ON 4 LANE HIGHWAY. WHEN SLOWING FOR RED LIGHT AHEAD, NOTICED BRAKE PEDAL GOING CLOSER TO FLOOR THAN NORMAL. VEHICLE WAS NOT SLOWING AS NORMAL, AND BRAKE PEDAL WAS STAYING CLOSE TO THE FLOOR. GOT STOPPED AND PULLED TO SIDE OF ROAD. CHECK OF MASTER CYLINDER REVEALED BRAKE FLUID LEVEL TO BE APPROX. HALF FULL. UPON CHECKING UNDER VEHICLE, I SAW BRAKE FLUID POURING OUT FROM THE GAS TANK SHIELD. *TR

Mileage: 67,105

20140515SERVICE BRAKES

COMING TO A STOP LIGHT THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. ONLY WAY I COULD STOP WAS BY USING THE ELECTRIC BRAKES ON MY TRAILER TO STOP THE COMBINED VEHICLE. EXAMINATION REVEALED A RUSTED BRAKE LINE COMING FROM THE BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER TO THE ABS MODULE AT THE ABS MODULE UNDER THE VEHICLE. FURTHER EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT THE 4 BRAKE LINES FROM THE ABS MODULE TO THE WHEELS WERE ALL RUSTED/PITTED AND ABOUT READY TO RUST THROUGH. *TR

Mileage: 125,000

20130615SERVICE BRAKES

REAR BRAKE LINES RUSTED AND BROKE. *TR

Mileage: 124,600

20130329FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

I HAVE OWNED MY 2001 CHEVY SUBURBAN SINCE JANUARY OF 2008. I HAVE REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP 3 TIMES AND TODAY WILL BE MY 4TH. I HAVE SPENT THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS ON THE SAME PART OVER AND OVER. THE LAST TIME IT WAS REPLACED MY MECHANIC ADVISED US TO KEEP AT LEAST 1/4 TANK OF GAS IN THE TANK WHICH I HAVE TRIED TO DO. BUT EVEN DOING THIS THE FUEL PUMP SEEMS TO GO ABOUT EVERY 15 MONTHS, JUST OUTSIDE THE WARRANTY. ITS RIDICULOUS, THERE IS NO WAY I SHOULD BE REPLACING FUEL PUMPS AT THIS RATE. *TR

Mileage: 190,000

20130312SERVICE BRAKES

STARTED TO LEAVE DRIVEWAY AND EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE BRAKE LOSS. *TR

Mileage: 122,000

20130112SERVICE BRAKES

BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR. WAS ABLE TO STOP WITH EMERG BRAKE. DEALER SAYS ALL BRAKE LINES ARE RUSTED OUT AND MUST BE REPLACED $2000. *TR

Mileage: 120,000

20120629ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

WIFE WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY IN OUR SUBURBAN AND THE ENGINE SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING. SHE HAD TO COAST OVER 5 LANES OF TRAFFIC AND GET INTO THE EMERGENCY LANE. TRUCK STARTED AFTER 4 ATTEMPTS AND WORKED FINE FOR 2 MORE DAYS. IT THEN DIED 2 MORE TIMES IN ONE DAY WITHOUT WARNING. IT AGAIN STARTED FINE AFTER 4 TO 5 ATTEMPTS. THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR IS DEFECTIVE AND THERE WAS A RECALL OF OTHER 2001 MODELS WITH THE 8.1L BUT IT DID NOT INCLUDE MY SEQUENCE. THIS PART IS FAULTY AND PUT MY WIFE'S LIFE IN DANGER. THEY SHOULD RECALL ALL 8.1L CRANKSHAFT SENSORS. THIS IS A ISSUE AND THERE ARE TONS OF THREADS ON MESSAGE BOARDS ABOUT THIS ISSUE. *TR

Mileage: 65,870

20120108CrashAIR BAGS

MY SON WAS DRIVING MY 2001 SUBURBAN AT 45 MPH. A CAR RAN THE RED LIGHT AND CLIPPED THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE OF MY SUBURBAN CAUSING MY TRUCK TO FLIP, SKID A 1/2 MILE ON IT'S SIDE DOWN THE STREET AND THEN HIT A ELECTRIC POLE BEFORE IT CAME TO REST. NONE OF MY AIR BAGS DEPLOYED!!! *TR

20110816ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 2500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STALLED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED THREE DIFFERENT TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTICS, WHERE THE TECHNICIANS STATED THAT THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THERE WAS A RECALL UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 07V521000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) THAT MAY BE RELATED TO THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 88,000. UPDATED 11/17/11 *BF UPDATED 11/23/11. *JB

Mileage: 88,000

20110331SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

WHILE TOWING MY TRAVEL TRAILER BACK FROM A TRAILER INSPECTION I NOTICED THE BRAKE ON MY 2001 CHEVY 2500 SUBURBAN FOR UNCOMFORTABLY CLOSE TO THE FLOOR. UPON ARRIVAL AFTER SLOWLY LIMPING HOME USING MOSTLY THE TRAILER BRAKES I FOUND THAT A REAR BRAKE LINE HAD RUPTURED AND THE REAR MASTER CYLINDER TANK WAS EMPTY. A LOCAL AUTO SHOP CUT THE LINE AND ADDED A NEW SECTION. PER THE MECHANIC THE RUPTURED LINE IS RUSTED ALONG WITH THE ADJACENT LINES. THE CUT OUT SECTION WAS THROWN OUT BEFORE I COULD SAVE IT. *TR

Mileage: 70,775

20101005CrashELECTRICAL SYSTEM

WIPER MOTOR FAIL. 2001 SUBURBAN 6.0L V8. WIPER MOTOR FAIL. THE WIPER MOTOR IN MY TRUCK ALWAYS FAILS. THE LAST TIME IT FAILED WAS SEPTEMBER 27TH 2010 DURING A HEAVY RAIN STORM. TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT I ALMOST RAN OVER A PEDESTRIAN, AND ENDED UP ON THE SIDEWALK. (TECHNICALLY THAT IS A CRASH) THE WIPER MOTOR JUST STOPPED WHILE IT WAS RAINING. LAST YEAR DURING HEAVY SNOW THE MOTOR FAILED AGAIN. I HAD TO PULL OVER FOR AN HOUR UNTIL THE STORM WAS OVER. NOT TO MENTION NUMEROUS OTHER TIMES AS WELL. THIS MOTOR FAILS A LOT I LOST COUNT. THE EVENTS THAT LEAD UP TO THE FAILED WIPER MOTOR ARE RAIN , SNOW, SLEET, SOMETIME THE MOTOR FAILS DURING A SUNNY DAY AND NO MOISTURE IN THE AIR OR FAILED JUST TO CLEAN YOUR WINDOW. NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO CORRECT THE WIPER MOTOR FAILURE BECAUSE IT'S TOO EXPENSIVE FOR ME; GENERAL MOTORS SHOULD FIX THIS SERIOUS PROBLEM BEFORE SOMEONE GET KILLED. *TR

Mileage: 102,000

20101005CrashVISIBILITY:REAR WINDOW WIPER/WASHER

WIPER MOTOR FAIL. 2001 SUBURBAN 6.0L V8. WIPER MOTOR FAIL. THE WIPER MOTOR IN MY TRUCK ALWAYS FAILS. THE LAST TIME IT FAILED WAS SEPTEMBER 27TH 2010 DURING A HEAVY RAIN STORM. TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT I ALMOST RAN OVER A PEDESTRIAN, AND ENDED UP ON THE SIDEWALK. (TECHNICALLY THAT IS A CRASH) THE WIPER MOTOR JUST STOPPED WHILE IT WAS RAINING. LAST YEAR DURING HEAVY SNOW THE MOTOR FAILED AGAIN. I HAD TO PULL OVER FOR AN HOUR UNTIL THE STORM WAS OVER. NOT TO MENTION NUMEROUS OTHER TIMES AS WELL. THIS MOTOR FAILS A LOT I LOST COUNT. THE EVENTS THAT LEAD UP TO THE FAILED WIPER MOTOR ARE RAIN , SNOW, SLEET, SOMETIME THE MOTOR FAILS DURING A SUNNY DAY AND NO MOISTURE IN THE AIR OR FAILED JUST TO CLEAN YOUR WINDOW. NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO CORRECT THE WIPER MOTOR FAILURE BECAUSE IT'S TOO EXPENSIVE FOR ME; GENERAL MOTORS SHOULD FIX THIS SERIOUS PROBLEM BEFORE SOMEONE GET KILLED. *TR

Mileage: 102,000

20100917ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

PER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID#07V521000, THE 2001 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 2500 IS SUBJECT TO THIS RECALL BY GM. I HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME DESCRIBED PROBLEM OF VEHICLE ENGINE STALLING AND NOT OPERATIVE WHILE TRAVELING ON THE ROAD. I HAVE CONTACTED BOTH GM AND GM'S LOCAL AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIP IN CONCORD, CALIFORNIA. BOTH REFUSED TO HONOR THIS RECALL. PLEASE HELP BEFORE AN ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THANK YOU. *TR

Mileage: 74,000

20100713SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

2001 SUBURBAN K2500 COMPLETE LOSS OF BRAKING DUE TO CORROSION AND RUPTURE OF BRAKE LINES FROM MASTER CYLINDER TO ABS UNIT AND FROM ABS UNIT TO RIGHT FRONT WHEEL. THIS IS THE SAME PROBLEM AS CURRENT INVESTIGATION PE10010. *TR

Mileage: 104,000

20100524STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 2500. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH AND THE TRAILER HITCH BEGAN TO DRAG ON THE ROADWAY. THE VEHICLE WAS MANEUVERED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND INSPECTED. THE FRAME WAS CRACKED AND BENT SIGNIFICANTLY WHERE THE TRAILER HITCH WAS ATTACHED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESUME OPERATION WITH CAUTION. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 121,000.

Mileage: 121,000

20100408SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 2500. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO SLOW DOWN ON AN OFF RAMP BUT THE BRAKES DID NOT RESPOND. THE CONTACT USED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE WHO STATED THAT THE REAR BRAKE LINE LOCATED OVER THE AXLE HAD RUST ON IT. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 108,000.

Mileage: 108,000

20100109ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

BEGINNING IN AUGUST 2009 MY 01 CHEVY SUBURBAN WOULD STALL WHILE I WAS DRIVING. AFTER THE FIRST TIME, A NEW BATTERY WAS INSTALLED. THIS HAPPENED 2 MORE TIMES FROM MID AUGUST 09 TO 9/15/09 AT WHICH TIME WE BROUGHT THE TRUCK IN FOR SERVICE. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM AND WE BROUGHT THE TRUCK HOME. ABOUT A WEEK LATER, IT HAPPENED AGAIN AND THEN 3 MORE TIMES BETWEEN 9/15 AND 10/15/09. DURING THIS PERIOD WE FOUND A RECALL NOTICE (GM RECALL NO. 06083) FOR A CRANKSHAFT SENSOR COVERING 2001 SUBURBANS, BUT NOT MY PARTICULAR VEHICLE. THE RECALL DETAILED THE EXACT PROBLEM I WAS HAVING. THE TRUCK WAS BROUGHT INTO THE DEALER ON 10/15/09 AND I INSISTED THAT THE CRANKSHAFT SENSOR BE REPLACED. TO DATE, THERE HAVE BEEN NO FURTHER PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE AND I BELIEVE THAT THE CRANKSHAFT SENSOR WAS THE CAUSE OF THE STALLING. *TR

Mileage: 134,000

20091118FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 2500. FOR SEVERAL DAYS, HE SMELLED FUEL AND AFTER HE ADDED FUEL TO TANK HE WAS RECEIVING AND INACCURATE FUEL LEVEL READING. THE DEALER STATED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS RELATED TO THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THERE WERE NOT ENOUGH COMPLAINTS TO ISSUE A RECALL FOR HIS YEAR, MAKE AND MODEL VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND THE FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 88,000.

Mileage: 88,000

20091108SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

I HAVE A 2001 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 2500 THAT HAS A BAD ABS MODULE THAT I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO GET REPLACED SINCE JULY, SO THAT MY ABS BREAKING SYSTEM WILL WORK. THE MODULE HAS BEEN BACK ORDERED AT THE FACTORY SINCE JULY. THIS MAKES FOR AN UNSAFE VEHICLE FOR MY WIFE & FAMILY ON A DAILY BASIS. THIS WEEK WAS A VERY SCARY WEEK BECAUSE WE WERE DRIVING THROUGH COLORADO SPRINGS AND HAD TO STOP FAST BECAUSE OF TRAFFIC AND THE BREAKS LOCKED UP AND THE SUBURBAN STARTED TO TURN SIDEWAYS, MY WHOLE FAMILY OF 6 WAS IN THE CAR. THIS IS FRUSTRATING BECAUSE THERE IS NOTHING I CAN DO TO GET THE PARTS OR FIX THE CAR. *TR

Mileage: 98,000

Compare 2001CHEVROLETSUBURBAN 2500 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 2 Open

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2001 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 2500 have?
The 2001 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 2500 has 35 NHTSA complaints, 3 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2001 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 2500?
The most-complained component for the 2001 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 2500 is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING with 7 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SERVICE BRAKES and FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE.
Is the 2001 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 2500 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.