Owner-reported complaints naming the engine system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2002 Chevrolet Suburban 1500 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 15 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
WHETHER IT'S IDLING OR DRIVING SHUTS OFF I REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP AND THE WIRING HARNESSES THAT COME WITH THE FUEL PUMP AND STILL NO AVAIL IT'S CAUSED A LOT OF TIME OFF OF WORK AND A LOT OF HEADACHE I WORK FOR A REPUTABLE DEALERSHIP I WORKED ON VEHICLES FOR OVER 40 YEARS
ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS, MY FAMILY AND I WERE COMING HOME FROM TWO DIFFERENT TRIPS. THE FIRST TRIP WAS TO NEW ORLEANS FROM SOUTH TEXAS. ON OUR WAY HOME, WHILE DRIVING ON THE EXPRESSWAY, OUR SUBURBAN SUDDENLY TURNED OFF. WE WERE DRIVING ABOUT 70 MPH. THE DRIVER IMMEDIATELY PUT THE VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL AND STARTED THE VEHICLE AGAIN. IT TURNED ON. WE PULLED OVER TO A RESTING AREA AND OPENED THE HOOD, BUT WE WERE UNABLE TO DETERMINE WHAT CAUSED THE MALFUNCTION. IT HAPPENED ONCE MORE WHEN WE GOT HOME. THIS TRIP WAS DURING THE WEEK OF JULY 20TH, 2015. THIS PAST WEEKEND (MARCH 12-14, 2016), WE DROVE UP TO SAN ANTONIO FROM SOUTH TEXAS. WHILE WE WERE IN SAN ANTONIO ON THE EXPRESSWAY, THE VEHICLE TURNED OFF AGAIN. AGAIN, THE DRIVER PUT THE VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL AND TURNED ON THE VEHICLE AGAIN. WE WERE ABLE TO SAFELY PULL OVER AND CHECK THE VEHICLE. AGAIN, WE WERE UNABLE TO DETERMINE WHAT WAS CAUSING THE MALFUNCTION. I HAD RESEARCHED THIS PROBLEM ONLINE AND HAVE READ THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED TO SEVERAL PEOPLE WHO OWN A 2002 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN.
TRAVELING ON HWY 35 IN DALLAS TEXAS AND MESSAGE APPEARED ON INSTRUMENT CLUSTER "REDUCED POWER MODE". VEHICLE SPEED DROPPED TO 20 MPH (POSTED SPEED WAS 70 MPH). HAD TO HAVE VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALERSHIP AND A FIX HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED. THE DEALER SO FAR HAS CHARGED ME $900 AND IT DID NOT FIX IT.THIS SAME PROBLEMS BEEN POSTED ON GM FORUMS, GM TRUCK FORUMS WITH THESE SAME RESULTS. THERE ARE HUNDREDS OR MAYBE THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS FOR THIS ISSUE. IT IS VERY UNSAFE. *TR
VARIOUS INCIDENTS OF VEHICLE DYING WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY WHEN TEMPERATURES ARE HIGH. DOES NOT DO IT WHEN COLD. HAS FAILED TO START ALSO. AFTER WAITING 10-20 MINUTES ENGINE MAY START AND CONTINUE WITHOUT PROBLEM TO DESTINATION. HAVE CHANGED SENSOR WITHOUT IMPROVEMENT OF PROBLEM. LOCAL GARAGE HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO LOCATE SOLUTION AS IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO GET IT INTO SERVICE WHEN PROBLEM OCCURS. MANY PROBLEMS GETTING OFF THE ROAD WHEN INCIDENT OCCURS. HAVE HAD 4-5 OCCURRENCES AND BECOMING MORE FREQUENT. *TR
WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, THE ENGINE JUST DIED. IT DOES IT ON EXTREMELY HOT DAYS AND AFTER DRIVING FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME. THERE ARE NO WARNINGS FOR THE ENGINE CUTTING OFF AND IT IS AN EXTREME SAFETY HAZARD WHEN IT SUDDENLY LOSES POWER. IT LOOKS LIKE THIS SHOULD BE A SAFETY RECALL ISSUE AS IT IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE ON THIS VEHICLE. *TR
HAVE 2002 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1500 4WD 5.3 ENGINE A/T. WAS DRIVING 45 MPH WHEN VEHICLE SUDDENLY STALLED OUT & LOST ALL STEERING/BRAKES. 131,589 MILES ON ODOMETER AT TIME. MANAGED TO COAST VEHICLE ONTO SHOULDER, WAITED 2 MINUTES, STARTED VEHICLE AGAIN, PULLED OUT INTO BUSY TRAFFIC JUST TO MAKE IT 2 BLOCKS BEFORE STALL OUT AGAIN. REPEATED THIS PROCESS SEVERAL MORE TIMES BEFORE I FOUND A GAS STATION. SUSPECTING WATER IN GAS, ADDED 1 BOTTLE OF GAS LINE ANTI-FREEZE. DROVE REST OF WAY HOME WITHOUT INCIDENT. REPLACED FUEL FILTER, PCV VALVE, AIR FILTER, SPARK PLUGS, AND CLEANED THROTTLE BODY JUST TO HAVE STALL OUT THE VERY NEXT DAY. NO CODES ARE DISPLAYED IN MESSAGE CENTER IN DASH BOARD. STALLS OUT RANDOMLY WITHOUT A PATTERN. WAIT 1-2 MINUTES THEN WILL START AGAIN. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL WITHOUT WARNING WHEN DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE FAILURE RECURRED OVER A SPAN OF SEVERAL MONTHS UNTIL THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AFTER EACH FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED OR REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 121,988.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1500 LT. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN ONTO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. HE WAITED A FEW MINUTES AND WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 114,346.
WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY MY 2002 SUBURBAN WITH A 5.3L FLEX FUEL EQUIPPED VEHICLE JUST WOULD STALL WITH OUT WARNING AND CAUSE ME TO LOSE ALL POWER STEERING AND OTHER ITEM RELATED TO THE ENGINE RUNNING. I HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE VEHICLE TO COOL DOWN BEFORE BEING ABLE TO RESTART IT. NO CODE WOULD SHOW ON THE ON BOARD COMPUTER AND AFTER LOOKING AT OTHER RECALLS IT POINTED TO THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR GOING BAD. I AM GOING TO CHANGE IT OUT IN THE MORNING. I HAVE READ OTHERS HAVING THIS SAME ISSUE IN THIS YEAR MODEL AND THINK CHEVY SHOULD DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. *TR
WHILE DRIVING SUBURBAN ON A LONG TRIP OVER 2 HOT DAYS, ENGINE QUIT WITHOUT WARNING ONCE EACH DAY AFTER MANY HOURS OF DRIVING (5 PEOPLE WITH LUGGAGE, NO TRAILER). FIRST DAY OCCURRENCE WAS AFTER DRIVING IN CITY TRAFFIC WITH MANY STOPLIGHTS BUT SPEED WAS ABOUT 60 MPH AT THE TIME AND QUICKLY LOST POWER AND DIED. SECOND DAY WAS AT SUSTAINED 70+MPH AND QUIT SUDDENLY. BOTH TIMES NEEDED TO PULL OVER AND TURNED OFF FOR A MINUTE AFTER FAILURES AND RESTARTED ON 2ND TRY AND CONTINUED ON FOR ANOTHER 20+ MILES BEFORE STOPPING FOR THE DAY (FIRST DAY) AND STOPPING FOR DINNER (2ND DAY). FUEL IN GAS TANK WAS HALF FULL ON FIRST DAY AND 3/4 ON SECOND DAY. THIS VEHICLE EXHIBITED SAME FAILURE NUMEROUS TIMES 2 YEARS PREVIOUSLY ON HOT DAY PULLING TRAILER. *TR
WHILE TRAVELING ON BUSY STREET, OUR 2002 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN SUDDENLY WAS WITHOUT POWER. PRESSING ON ACCELERATOR DID NOTHING AND VEHICLE COMPLETELY STALLED WHEN BRAKE WAS APPLIED. THIS LEFT US ATTEMPTING TO NAVIGATE FROM BUSY STREET WITH OUR THREE KIDS IN THE CAR WITH NO POWER STEERING OR BRAKES! WE WERE 140 MILES FROM HOME AND WHEN WE ATTEMPTED TO DRIVE BACK HOME, THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED AGAIN. THIS TIME ON BUSY FOUR LANE ROAD WITH LOTS OF TRAFFIC. THE VEHICLE STALLED OUT AGAIN LEAVING US ON SIDE OF BUSY ROAD AT ON RAMP LOCATION. THIS WAS NOT FIRST TIME THAT THIS HAS OCCURRED. WE HAVE HAD 5 OTHER INCIDENCES WITH THIS VEHICLE. GM IS NO HELP. THEY ACT LIKE THEY HAVE NEVER HAD ANY REPORTS OF SUCH PROBLEMS, YET MANY CAN BE FOUND ONLINE. WE HAD OUR VEHICLE TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR CENTER SINCE THE GM DEALERSHIP REPAIR SHOP WAS MORE INTERESTED IN TELLING US THAT THEY COULDN'T FIX IT ON THAT DAY BUT THEY DID HAVE A RENTAL CAR SERVICE ON LOT. I HOPE THAT SOON ATTENTION WILL BE GIVEN TO THIS OBVIOUS DEFECT IN THIS VEHICLE BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED. BUT THEN AGAIN THAT IS WHAT IT TOOK FOR ATTENTION TO BE GIVEN TO TOYOTA PROBLEMS. PLEASE TAKE ACTION FOR THIS MATTER BEFORE LIVES ARE LOST!!!! *TR
2002 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1500 LOSES ACCELERATION POWER ON HIGHWAY. VEHICLE DOES NOT RESPOND TO ACCELERATION ATTEMPTS. ONCE BRAKE IS APPLIED VEHICLE COMPLETELY STALLS AND HAS NO POWER STEERING OR BRAKES. THIS HAS OCCURRED IN HIGHWAY DRIVING AT 70 MPH IN HEAVY TRAFFIC AREAS. THERE IS NO CONSISTENCY IN OCCURRENCES. HAPPENED AUGUST 2007 , AND DEC. 2007, SEPT. 2009 AND NOVEMBER 2009. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT DOES NOT COME ON. CAN NOT BE DIAGNOSED ON COMPUTER. GM MECHANICS CAN NOT FIGURE OUT PROBLEM UNLESS IT HAPPENS TO THEM. GM REFERS US TO DEALERSHIP FOR DIAGNOSING AND REPAIRS UNDER THESE CONDITIONS. DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO PUT IN REPAIRS THAT MAY OR MAY NOT CORRECT PROBLEM. HAVE FOUND MANY COMPLAINTS ON INTERNET DETAILING THIS PROBLEM BUT GM DENIES ANY KNOWLEDGE OF THIS PROBLEM. NOTICED THAT 2001 CHEVY SUBURBANS HAVE HAD A RECALL OF CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR AND THAT SYMPTOMS ARE SIMILAR TO MY VEHICLE. THIS PROBLEM POSES A TREMENDOUS LIFE AND DEATH SAFETY CONCERN FOR ME AND MY FAMILY ESPECIALLY WHEN WE ARE TRAVELING IN HIGH TRAFFIC AREAS OR IN MOUNTAIN AREAS. *TR
WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS WITH MY 2002 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN LS WITH 45,000 MILES ON IT, I ENCOUNTERED A COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WOULD COAST UNTIL I REACHED A SPEED OF 30MPH., I WOULD PLACE THE VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL AND ATTEMPT TO RE-START THE ENGINE. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS, THE VEHICLE WOULD RE-START, ACCELERATE TO 70 MPS. THIS WOULD OCCUR INTERMITTENT OVER AND OVER THROUGH MY TWO DRIVING TRIP. THE ACTUAL NUMBER OF TIME THE ENGINE FAILED WAS 14. THIS CAUSED A VERY SERIOUS SITUATION, BECAUSE WITHOUT ENGINE POWER, I HAD NO POWER BRAKES, STEERING OR THE ABILITY TO MAINTAIN SPEED, WHICH RESULTED IN ME LOCATING THE ROAD SHOULDER IMMEDIATELY! I CONTACTED THE DEALER I USE REGULARLY AND THEY INFORMED ME THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THEY HAVE EVER HEARD OF THIS. HOWEVER, AFTER RESEARCHING THE INTERNET I DISCOVERED THROUGH FORUMS THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT MANY PEOPLE ARE EXPERIENCING. I CONTACTED THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP AT MY DESTINATION AT 1000 US HIGHWAY 1 PH: (772) 567-8371 , VERO BEACH, FL 32960 MADE AN APPOINTMENT FOR MONDAY JULY 14, 2008 AT 8:30AM. AGAIN I WAS TOLD BY THE SERVICE WRITER THEY HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM. I ALSO LOCATED A DOCUMENT CALLED,"NHTSA DEFECT INVESTIGATION # PE06016 CLOSED. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THE 2002 VEHICLE AND HAVE NOT MOVED FROM 1997-2008. HOW DO I GET THIS RESOLVED AND AT NO COST TO ME? JUST MAYBE THE DEALERSHIP WILL FIX THE PROBLEM WITHOUT ANY PROBLEMS, HOWEVER FROM MY MANY PAST EXPERIENCES WITH DEALERSHIPS, THE LAST IS NOT THE USUAL. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME TO HELP ASSIST ME IN FIXING THE VEHICLE AND THE COST TERMS IF NEED. THANK YOU. MARK DEEHL *TR
ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS MY 2002 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN STALLED WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY. AFTER SEVERAL MINUTES THE TRUCK WOULD RESTART. THE CHEVY DEALER SAID THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO SINCE THEY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE CONDITION. IT DOES NOT TRIGGER A CHECK ENGINE SIGNAL. IT USUALLY HAPPENS AFTER LONG PERIODS OF FREEWAY DRIVING WITH NO WARNING. THIS IS NOT A LOW FUEL ISSUE. I SUSPECT IT IS A CRANK POSITION SENSOR FAILING AFTER RESEARCHING THE ISSUE ON THE INTERNET. *JB
#5 CYLINDER 1164 MISFIRES. COLLAPSED LIFTER, BROKEN RINGS. THE DEALERSHIP WENT ON FISHING EXPEDITION, CHARGING ME $271.82 FOR UNNECESSARY WORK (NEW SPARK PLUG AND WIRES). WENT FOR SECOND DIAGNOSES, CORRECTLY DIAGNOSED THIS TIME INDICATING THE ABOVE. MECHANIC CONTACTED GMPP (EXTENDED WARRANTY),TOLD GMPP THAT THE ENGINE SHOULD BE REPLACED. THE MECHANIC WAS ADVISED TO TELL ME TO RETURN TO DEALERSHIP FOR SERVICE. *NM
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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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