GMC SUBURBAN · model year

1992 GMC SUBURBAN

105 NHTSA complaints, 25 crash reports for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1992GMCSUBURBAN carries 105 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 25 crashes, 2 fires, 9 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 1992 SUBURBAN is service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip with 62 filings, followed by service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components (6) and visibility:windshield wiper/washer (6). 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 1992 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.

105
Complaints
25
Crashes
2
Fires
9
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

105 filings

Crashes Reported

25 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 BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP62
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS6
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER6
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER3
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC3
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR3
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION2
TRAILER HITCHES2
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST1
VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:WINDSHIELD:ELECTRICAL HEATING ELEMENT1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE1
EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC.1
SUSPENSION:FRONT:WHEEL BEARING1

Recent Complaints

20090310FirePOWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

TRANSMISSION CAUGHT FIRE UNDERNEATH MY 1992 GMC K2500 SUBURBAN IT BURNED TRANNY UP IF I DIDN'T HAVE A FIRE EXTINGUISHER VEHICLE WOULD HAVE BEEN FULLY ENGULFED 1 PERSON RECEIVED A NON SUTURED LACERATION ON FOR HEAD FELL WHEN TRYING TO GET OUT OF VEHICLE TO GET AWAY FROM FIRE AND SMOKE COMING FROM UNDERNEATH VEHICLE NOTHING YET HAS BEEN DONE ON TRANNY PROBLEM THE ONLY THING THAT GOT DAMAGED WAS MY SUBURBAN TRANSMISSION I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE IT DID TO THE UNDERNEATH I HAVE TO CHECK. *TR

Mileage: 194,236

20030131VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR

WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR WORKS ONLY OCCASIONALLY AND USUALLY FAILS WHEN IT IS WET OR HUMID. HAS HAPPENED NUMEROUS TIMES IN THE SHORT TIME I'VE HAD IT. ALSO WAS A CONSISTANT PROBLEM ON THE 89 SHEVY 1 TON PICKUP I HAD BEFORE.

Mileage: 146,000

20020514TRAILER HITCHES

THE WBCCI, A CONSUMER ASSOCIATION STATED THAT THE OEM TRAILER TOWING HITCH PLATFORMS HAD FAILED AND CONSUMER HAS AN REQUESTED INVESTIGATION. (OEM TRAILER TOWING HITCH PLATFORMS ON 1992-1999) *YH

20020207TRAILER HITCHES

THE WBCCI, A CONSUMER ASSOCIATION STATED THAT THE OEM TRAILER TOWING HITCH PLATFORMS HAD FAILED AND CONSUMER HAS AN REQUESTED INVESTIGATION. (OEM TRAILER TOWING HITCH PLATFORMS ON 1992-1999) *YH

20010416SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

BRAKE PEDAL GOES ALWAY DOWN TO FLOOR, AND VEHICLE MAKES NOISES. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM. *AK

20010312STRUCTURE

CONSUMER DISCOVERED THAT 'HITCH PLATFORM' WHICH IS USED TO PULL AN AIRSTREAM TRAILER, 8900 LBS, IS CRACKED IN SEVERAL PLACES. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS.*AK

20010309SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS

BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR WHILE MAKING A STOP, AND ALL BRAKE WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON.*AK

20010209SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

I HAVE HAD BRAKE FAILURE ON THIS VEHICLE SINCE I BOUGHT IT. THE BRAKES WOULD LOSE HOLD AND THE VEHICLE WOULD LURCH FORWARD AS IF IT WERE ON ICE. I WAS ABLE TO AVOID COLLISIONS THROUGH LUCK AND ALSO BY BEING VERY AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND LEAVING EXTRA SPACE BETWEEN THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. VARIOUS DEALERS MISDIAGNOSED THIS PROBLEM SEVERAL TIMES. FIRST TIME, FRONT BRAKE JOB, SECOND TIME, REAR BRAKE ADJUSTMENT. THIRD TIME, THEY SAID THE PUMP WAS BAD. MIRACULOUSLY THE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME IN THE DEALERSHIP. $900 LATER I HAVE A NEW ABS PUMP. NOW THE TRUCK PULLS TO THE RIGHT. IT DID NOT DO THIS BEFORE. DEALER SUSPECTED THAT THE ABS PUMP WAS DEFECTIVE. UPON REPLACEMENT, THE TRUCK STILL PULLS TO THE RIGHT. THEY NOW SUSPECT THAT THE LEFT FRONT BRAKE HOSE IS BREAKING DOWN INTERNALLY AND CAUSING UNEVEN PRESSURE TO THE FRONT CALIPERS CAUSING THE PULLING SENSATION. THEY ARE NOT SURE, SO THIS WILL BE MORE $ OUT OF MY POCKET FOR A TRIAL AND ERROR THAT MAY OR M

20001219VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR

WINDSHIELD WIPERS SOMETIMES WILL NOT TURN ON, THE CONSUMER TAPS ON THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR AND THIS WILL GET IT WORKING FOR A WHILE. *SLC

20000114VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR

DUE TO WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR FAILURE WIPERS CUT OF DURING RAIN STORMS OR LIGHT DRIZZLE. YH

19991204CrashSERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

IN DECEMBER OF 1993, I WAS INVOLVED IN A MULTI-CAR ACCIDENT. WHILE I DID NOT CREATE THE ACCIDENT, I DID CONTRIBUTE BY CRASHING INTO THE REAR OF ONE OF THE CARS. THE CAUSE - MY BRAKES SIMPLY WOULD NOT STOP THE VEHICLE IN A NORMAL AMOUNT OF TIME. THE ABS SYSTEM MADE ALL KINDS OF INTERESTING NOISES. HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP SIMILAR TO OTHER VEHICLES INCLUDING MY PREVIOUS SUBURBAN THAT I HAD OWNED AND DRIVEN. FOLLOWING REPAIRS, I TOOK THE SUBURBAN TO A GMC DEALER WHO REPLACED THE MASTER CYLINDER (AT MY COST) AND IDD A TEST DRIVEL THE MECHANIC SAID THE BRAKES WERE WORKING PROPERLY. THEY WERE NOT! AND STILL DO NOT WORK AS WELL AS OTHER VEHICLES WITH OR WITHOUT ANTI-LOCK BRAKES. RECENTLY I WAS MAKINA A RIGHT TURN WHEN A YOUNNSTER SHOT THRU THE INTERSECTION ON A BICYCLE. I JUMPED ON THE BRAKES AND AGAIN HEARD THAT SICKENING GROAN BUT NO BRAKE ACTION. FORTUNATELY THE BRAKES EVENTUALLY DID GRAB AND THE YOUNG MAN SWERVED TO AVOID A COLLISION. THIS RECENT INCIDENT CAUSED

19991101SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

WHILE DRIVING, WAS COMING TO A ROLLING STOP, ABS BRAKES WERE APPLIED & THEY WOULD LOCK UP ON THE 2-WD. BEEN TO DEALER & THE ABS BRAKES REPAIRED ON 3/16/98. THE LOCKING OF ABS BRAKES HAS RETURNED. MANUFACTURER SHOWS NO RECALL OF BRAKE PROBLEM. *AK

19990923SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

UPON APPLYING THE ABS BRAKES VEHICLE PULLED RIGHT. BRAKE PEDAL HAD GONE TO FLOOR IN AN EMERGENCY STOP OR WHILE JUST WATING AT LIGHT OR STOP SIGN. PRESSURE WOULD CAUSE PEDAL TO GO TO FLOOR. TAKING VEHICLE TO DEALER TO CHECK ABS SYSTEM. *AK

19990914VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER

WIPERS DO NOT COME ON WHEN CAR IS HOT, ONLY WHEN CAR HAS JUST BEEN STARTED, AND NOT ALL THE TIME THEN. THEY WILL STOP AT RANDOM AND VERY SELDOM WORK AT ALL. NEIGHBOR ALSO WITH 1992 SUBURBAN HAS SAME PROBLEM.

19990826SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

TOWING BRAKES WERE ERRACTIC. ABS LIGHT KEPT FLASHING AFTER ENTERING GAS STATION. WASN'T TOWING. ABS LIGHT CAME ON AFTER STARTING VEHICLE. WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLIED, RED LIGHT CAME ON FOR ABS. HAVE TAKEN TO DEALER NUMEROUS TIME ON ABS SYSTEM & EACH TIME WAS INFORMED OWNER'S PROBLEM DUE TO THE TOWING THAT WAS DONE. *AK

19990727CrashSERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLIED VEHICLE SHOT AHEAD AND THEN BEGAN TO STOP. ALL INCIDENCES OF FAILURE SEEMED TO OCCUR WHEN THE REAR WHEELS MOMENTARILY LOST CONTROL WITH PAVEMENT, I., GOING OVER A MANHOLE COVER THAT WAS RECESSED/PAVEMENT DEPRESSIONS AT EXPANSION JOINTS OR HEAVY CONCENTRATIONS OF WATER. IN THE ROADWAY. WHEN VEHICLE ENCOUNTERED ONE OF THESE CONDITIONS UNDER HEAVY BRAKE PRESSURE, THE ABS BRAKES WOU;LD EMIT A LOUD GROANING NOISE, AND VEHICLE WOULD ACCELERATE AHEAD. THEN AFTER ONE OR TWO CAR LENGTHS WOULD GRAB HOLD AND TRY TO STOP. IN ALL OF THESE CASES, THERE WERE NO INJURIES. *AK

19990723SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

ANTI-LOCK BRAKES FAIL WHEN IN A POTENTIAL SLIDING SITUATION (GOING ONTO A SLICK SURFACE, LIKE ICE OR WET PAVEMENT). THE ABS ACTUALLY ATTEMPTS TO WORK, AND THEN SHUTS OFF, LEAVING ONLY THE REGULAR BRAKES. THIS HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES. EACH TIME WE HAVE TO PAY TO HAVE SOMETHING RESET, OTHERWISE THE LIGHTS ON THE DASH , SAYING THERE IS A BRAKE PROBLEM, REMAIN ON. WE HAVE BEEN TOLD BY THE DEALER (SEVERAL TIMES) THAT IT DOESN'T HURT TO DRIVE IT LIKE THIS, BUT THE ABS ARE NOT WORKING AS LONG AS THOSE LIGHTS ARE ON. THIS IS VERY FRUSTRATING - AT THE TIME THE ABS ARE NEEDED, THEY FAIL, EVERY TIME. I'M TIRED OF THEM NOT WORKING, AND PAYING TO HAVE THEM RESET.

19990722SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

EA95026, POOR BRAKE PERFORMANCE; WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES HARDER THAN NORMAL THE ABS WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AND WOULD NOT GO OFF. THERE WAS SOME VIBRATION IN THE PEDAL. DRIVER HAD TO DRIVE SUBURBAN OFF THE ROAD TO AVOID A CRASH. THIS HAPPENED ON DRY PAVEMENT AND WET PAVEMENT. THE DEALER COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM WITH THE SYSTEM, AND RESET THE COMPUTER. THE COMPUTER WAS RESET TWICE FOR THIS REASON. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

19990603VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER

WINDSHIELD WIPERS TURN ON AND OFF INTERMITTENTLY, CAUSING LOSS OF VISIBILITY. THE VEHICLE IS NOT INCLUDED UNDER RECALL DUE TO VIN. *AK

19990505VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER

WHILE ENGINE COLD WIPERS WORK. WHEN HOT, WIPERS SIMPLY STOP AND WILL NOT RESTART UNTIL ENGINE COLD. LAST TIME WAS IN HEAVY TRAFFIC IN HEAVY RAIN ON INTERSTATE. ACCIDENT AVOIDED BY GETTING OFF ROAD QUICKLY. AM TOLD RECALL EXISTS BUT CANNOT FIND SAME. THANK YOU

Compare 1992GMCSUBURBAN to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1992 GMC SUBURBAN have?
The 1992 GMC SUBURBAN has 105 NHTSA complaints, 25 crashes, 2 fires, 9 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1992 GMC SUBURBAN?
The most-complained component for the 1992 GMC SUBURBAN is SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP with 62 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS and VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER.
Is the 1992 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.