Brakes
Filed Feb 10, 2018
ANTI-LOCK SYSTEMS OVERRIDES AT LOW SPEED ON DRY PAVEMENT INCREASING STOPPING DISTANCES.
- NHTSA ID
- 11072098
- Incident
- Feb 2, 2018
- Mileage
- 350,000 mi
1997 Chevrolet Suburban 1500
Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
16
Latest Feb 10, 2018
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
0
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
1
Overview
Our database contains 16 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1997 Chevrolet Suburban 1500, most frequently naming the brakes, visibility and exterior lighting categories. 4 manufacturer communications are on file.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Complaint activity over time
When owners filed reports about this model year
View as table
| Month | Complaints filed | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 2006 | 1 | 1 |
| Nov 2006 | 1 | 2 |
| Jun 2007 | 2 | 4 |
| Feb 2008 | 1 | 5 |
| Mar 2008 | 1 | 6 |
| May 2008 | 1 | 7 |
| Nov 2008 | 1 | 8 |
| May 2009 | 3 | 11 |
| Jun 2010 | 1 | 12 |
| Feb 2011 | 1 | 13 |
| Jul 2011 | 1 | 14 |
| Aug 2012 | 1 | 15 |
| Feb 2018 | 1 | 16 |
What owners report
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
- Brakes630.0%
- Visibility525.0%
- Exterior lighting210.0%
- Steering210.0%
- Electrical210.0%
- Engine15.0%
- Fuel system15.0%
- Interior & seats15.0%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Safety recalls
No recalls in our database for this model year
That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.
Recent owner complaints
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
Brakes
Filed Aug 6, 2012
BRAKE FAILURE DUE TO RUSTED BRAKE LINES ON 2 SEPARATE OCCASIONS. AROUND MARCH 2008 I WAS TRAVELING ON THE SOUTHERN STATE PARKWAY IN LONG ISLAND, NY WHEN I DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND IT WENT TO THE FLOOR AND A LARGE CLOUD OF SMOKE CAME OUT OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WHICH WAS CAUSED BY BRAKE FLUID HITTING THE HOT EXHAUST MANIFOLD. THE BRAKE LINE HAD RUSTED THROUGH AND CAUSED A HOLE IN THE LINE WHICH CAUSED THE BRAKES TO FAIL. ONLY THAT PARTICULAR LINE WAS REPLACED DUE TO THE HIGH COST OF REPLACING ALL LINES FROM FRONT TO BACK. TODAY AUGUST 6, 2012 I WAS LEAVING MY HOUSE WHEN I DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND ONCE AGAIN IT WENT TO THE FLOOR AND A LARGE CLOUD OF SMOKE CAME OUT DUE TO THE BRAKE FLUID HITTING THE HOT EXHAUST MANIFOLD. UPON INSPECTION I FOUND ANOTHER BRAKE LINE THAT HAD RUSTED THROUGH AND CAUSED A HOLE IN THE LINE WHICH CAUSED THE BRAKES TO FAIL. AT THE TIME OF THE SECOND INCIDENT THE TRUCK HAD 141,000 MILES ON IT. *TR
- NHTSA ID
- 10469450
- Incident
- Mar 15, 2008
- Mileage
- 132,000 mi
Electrical
Filed Jul 26, 2011
Fire reported
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE, HE HEARD A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO VIBRATE. THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED BURNED WIRES NEAR THE FUEL PUMP. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 197,000.
- NHTSA ID
- 10415209
- Incident
- Jul 22, 2011
- Mileage
- 197,000 mi
Visibility
Filed Feb 1, 2011
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR WOULD INTERMITTENTLY FUNCTION WHEN IN ACTIVATION; AND OVER A PERIOD OF TIME THE FAILURE BECAME PROGRESSIVELY WORSE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 03V159000 (VISIBILITY: WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER) WAS ASSOCIATED WITH THE FAILURE. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED AND STATED THAT THE RECALL WAS CLOSED. THEY ALSO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT HAVE QUALIFIED DUE TO THE MODEL YEAR, EXCESSIVE MILEAGE; AND BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED USED. THE CONTACT DISAGREED WITH THE MANUFACTURER AND THE DEALER AND STATED THAT THE RECALL SUMMARY DID NOT MENTION THOSE FACTORS AS A REQUIREMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 80,000.
- NHTSA ID
- 10379801
- Incident
- Apr 16, 2008
- Mileage
- 80,000 mi
ElectricalExterior lighting
Filed Jun 8, 2010
WHEN IT BEGAN TO RAIN, I TURNED ON THE WIPER SWITCH TO HAVE NOTHING HAPPEN BUT A SOFT BUZZING NOISE. THIS HAS BEEN ONGOING AND INTERMITTENT, SINCE IT BEGAN SHORTLY AFTER I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE IN MAY OF 2003. I NOW FIND THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THIS, BUT I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED AND NOW WILL HAVE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR OUT OF POCKET. GM RECALL NO. 03023. GM REFUSES TO HELP AS THE RECALL HAS BEEN "CLOSED", AND THEIR RECORDS INDICATE THE REPAIR WAS MADE. I OWNED THE VEHICLE DURING THAT ENTIRE TIME. IT WAS NOT REPAIRED! *TR
- NHTSA ID
- 10335282
- Incident
- Jun 15, 2003
- Mileage
- 139,000 mi
Visibility
Filed May 28, 2009
SIDE REARVIEW MIRRORS.....ELECTRONIC CONTROLLER ONLY MOVES THE EITHER MIRROR DOWNWARD. WILL NOT MOVE EITHER MIRROR LEFT, RIGHT, OR UP. HAVE REPLACED THIS CONTROLLER TWICE BEFORE FOR THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. ONE WITH THE DEALER AND ONE ON MY OWN. BOTH TIMES BRAND NEW PARTS. THERE IS ANOTHER RECALL FOR THIS ITEM BUT APPARENTLY DOES NOT INCLUDE MY VIN. !!!! *TR
- NHTSA ID
- 10270193
- Incident
- Jul 1, 2003
- Mileage
- 100,000 mi
Visibility
Filed May 28, 2009
WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORK ONLY SOMETIMES. SOMETIMES HAVE TO SPIN THE CONTROLLER A FEW TIMES TO GET THEM WORKING. EVEN THEN THEY MAY NOT WORK. FRUSTRATING! *TR
- NHTSA ID
- 10270189
- Incident
- Jul 1, 2006
- Mileage
- 120,000 mi
Fuel system
Filed May 7, 2009
1997 SUBURBAN - FUEL GAUGE PEGS AT PAST FULL. FUEL PUMP FAILS. I AM NOT SURE OF THE REASON FOR THESE THINGS TO HAPPEN ABUT IT KEEP RECURRING AND I DO NOT HAVE THE CASH TO BE GOING TO A MECHANIC EVERY 2 TO 3 MONTHS. I HAVE LOOKED THIS PROBLEM UP ON THE NET MANY TIMES AND THE LIST OF PEOPLE WITH THIS AND SIMILAR PROBLEMS APPEARS TO BE GROWING. *TR
- NHTSA ID
- 10267912
- Incident
- May 6, 2009
- Mileage
- 165,000 mi
Manufacturer communications
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
17-NA-073
EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL
This warranty administration bulletin provides information regarding the field action courtesy transportation policy.
16NA260
EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC.
THIS TECHNICAL BULLETIN PROVIDES A PROCEDURE TO REPROGRAM THE MEDIA DISC PLAYER WITH THE LATEST CALIBRATIONS TO CORRECT A CONDITION OF THE REAR ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM NOT OPERATING AS INTENDED IN COLDER AMBIENT TEMPERATURE AREAS DUE TO CALIBRATION CONCERNS.
Recalls
EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL
Vehicle Recalls
130089009
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECU/ECM)
Expanded Availability for Remanufacture and Return (R&R) Electronic Control Modules
Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.
Compare model years
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Investigations | Issue Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 52.6 |
| 2025 | 27 | 1 | 0 | 43.9 |
| 2024 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 2023 | 17 | 1 | 1 | 37.6 |
| 2022 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2021 | 1 | 0 | 1 | — |
| 2011 | 80 | 2 | 0 | 43.2 |
| 2010 | 53 | 1 | 0 | 35.3 |
| 2009 | 55 | 0 | 0 | 30.0 |
| 2008 | 101 | 0 | 2 | 40.3 |
| 2007 | 190 | 0 | 2 | 46.6 |
| 2006 | 31 | 2 | 0 | 45.9 |
| 2005 | 94 | 1 | 0 | 37.1 |
| 2004 | 182 | 1 | 0 | 36.7 |
| 2003 | 175 | 1 | 0 | 37.8 |
| 2002 | 120 | 1 | 0 | 38.7 |
| 2001 | 92 | 1 | 0 | 45.8 |
| 2000 | 67 | 1 | 0 | 46.8 |
| 1999 | 74 | 0 | 0 | 38.2 |
| 1998 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 27.1 |
| 1997Viewing | 16 | 0 | 0 | 32.3 |
| 1996 | 9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1995 | 8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1994 | 9 | 0 | 0 | — |
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.