Total Complaints
4 filings
GMC SUBURBAN · model year
1986 GMC SUBURBAN
4 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1986GMCSUBURBAN 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, 0 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 1986 SUBURBAN is seat belts:front:retractor with 1 filings, followed by service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components (1) and unknown or other (1). 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 2 investigation files overlapping the 1986 SUBURBAN. 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
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
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
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS | 1 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 |
| TIRES:TREAD/BELT | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20040324TIRES:TREAD/BELT
I HAVE A FIRESTONE LT245 75R16 STEELTEX A/T THAT I USED ON MY SUBURBAN. I REMOVED IT TO INSTALL LARGER TIRES AND USED THE BEST TAKE-OFF FOR A SPARE KEPT INSIDE THE VEHICLE. I KEPT THAT SPARE TO USE ON MY TRUCK THAT I PURCHASED A FEW MONTHS AGO AND PUT THE SPARE IN THE BED OF THE TRUCK, KEPT INSIDE A GARAGE. WHILE THE TIRE DID NOT "BLOW" AND LOSE AIR, IT SEPARATED AND THREW OFF 1/3 OF THE CIRCUMFERENCE WORTH OF TREAD WHILE JUST SETTING THERE. I KEPT THE CARCUS TO HAND OVER IF YOUR INTERESTED. I DO HAVE A FEW DIGITAL PICTURES I COULD SEND YOU. THIS TIRE SHOULD ALSO BE OFF THE ROAD. *JB
19990819UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I CONTACTED THE GMC SUPPORT CENTER ATTEMTPING TO FIND OUT IF THE RECALLS LISTED FOR THIS VEHICLE HAD BEEN COMPLETED.THEIR RESPONSE TO MY WIFE TODAY WAS RUDE AND INAPPROPRIATE. THEY STATED "THAT IS A 14 YEAR OLD VEHICLE, WE HAVE NO INFORMATION ON IT". THEY RECOMMENDED CONTACTING A LOCAL DEALER (WHICH I DID, TO NO AVAIL). ALL I WANT TO KNOW IS IF THE SAFETY RECALLS FOR THE LIGHT SWITCH, THE FUEL TANK SHIELD, AND THE LOWER CONTROL ARM CRACKING HAVE BEEN COMPLETED. I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THE MANUFACTURERS RESPONSIBILITY TO CORRECT THESE PROBLEMS (IF THEY ARE APPLICABLE TO MY UNIT) ENDS JUST BECAUSE A CERTAIN TIME SPAN HAS ELAPSED. HOW CAN I DETERMINE IF THESE RECALL CAMPAIGNS HAVE BEEN PERFORMED ON MY VEHICLE, AND HOW DO I ENSURE THAT GMC WILL PERFORM THEM IF THEY HAVE NOT BEEN COMPLETED?
19970313SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
THE TRUCK IS EQUIPPED WITH REGULAR HYDRALUC BRAKES, THE FRONT RIGHT WHEEL SLID AND THE WHEELS CONTINUED TO SPIN AND THE TRUCK WOULD NOT STOP. *AK
19960214SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
FAILURE OF THE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR, BELT WILL NOT RETRACT. TT
Compare 1986GMCSUBURBAN to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1986 GMC SUBURBAN have?▼
The 1986 GMC SUBURBAN has 4 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1986 GMC SUBURBAN?▼
The most-complained component for the 1986 GMC SUBURBAN is SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS and UNKNOWN OR OTHER.
Is the 1986 GMC 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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.