2026 Chevrolet Suburban 1500 Engine Problems

On XXX As I was driving after picking my kids up from school the vehicle started jerking and different lights came on in the dash.When I got home I told my husband and he called the dealership we bought it from and he was told for us to take them the truck so they can take a look at it. We are almost an hour away from the dealership.As we was driving in the highway about 40-45 mins into driving the truck started loosing power and a loud boom noise happened after the truck just cut off and my husband was able to safely pull over on the side of highway.When he opened the hood smoke was coming out and a weird smell started, he called [XXX] and fighter fighters checked it to disregard a fire.After we contacted the dealer again and they sent a tow truck to get the truck. They took the truck to the dealer but it was their closing time already by the time the tow truck was able to get to us. The truck is at the dealership Phillips Chevrolet at [XXX], at the moment we are still waiting. And now I have my [XXX] really scared of getting in vehicles and she’s scared of that truck because she says the truck almost caught on fire and she keeps saying she’s scared of us driving that truck again. That we are not safe anymore in the truck. And we as parent are concerned of her feelings and the way she doesn’t want to go in the truck again if it gets fixed. We are having a hard time trying to change her thoughts. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11775761

Incident

Oct 21, 2026

While exiting the highway my vehicle suddenly lost power and could not move. I could not put the vehicle in neutral. The engine had completely seized. As a result, my car got hit by a Semi-truck.

NHTSA ID

11764097

Incident

Aug 21, 2026

While driving, suddenly began hearing loud knocking noise and lost most power. Was able to get vehicle off road, where it stopped, and had trouble starting again. Towed to dealer. Diagnosed issue as spun rod bearing.

NHTSA ID

11760416

Incident

Aug 10, 2026

The contact owns a 2026 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, an abnormal knocking sound was heard coming from the engine compartment, and the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the contact's residence and parked. While reversing out of the driveway the following day, the engine seized, and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer, where the cause of the failure was not yet determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 14,800.

NHTSA ID

11760000

Incident

Aug 25, 2026

Mileage

14,800 mi

The contact owns a 2026 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 MPH, there was a popping sound coming from the vehicle and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 1,700.

NHTSA ID

11749935

Incident

Jun 26, 2026

Mileage

1,700 mi

Car shut off in the middle of the road while driving and auto braked. Had to get a tow. Dealership said engine is bad now.

NHTSA ID

11741941

Incident

May 30, 2026

Today, 5/2/26 in Lewis Center, OH- My daughter and I were returning home from her Soccer game. The time was about 11am. We were in my brand new Chevy Z71 Suburban, with 4,100 miles. As we were slowing , approaching the roundabout, i noticed no power as i was preparing to enter the roundabout. I then see that the car powered off. It would not restart and i had no way to put into N. I had to call [XXX] to have the Sheriff direct traffic. I used Onstar, only to find out the tow was 216 min out. So the Sheriff called a tow and it was there in 30 min and towed to local Chevy dealership, thankfully before the closed for the weekend. I will find out Monday what the issue is- but it for sure seized up. So sad. I paid $100k for this truck. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11735312

Incident

May 2, 2026

8,305 miles the engine failed. Had to have it towed to the dealership. New engine on order, but on backorder and have no idea when it will come in.

NHTSA ID

11731956

Incident

Apr 10, 2026

While driving home from Costco with my entire family in the vehicle (4 children and my pregnant wife), I noticed the engine misfiring while traveling on Interstate 80 and mentioned to my wife that something felt off with the vehicle. After exiting I-80 onto Route 46 East at the Denville exit, the truck reached the first traffic light where the vehicle rumbled violently, shook, and completely shut off. The engine would not restart. Dashboard lights illuminated but the engine would not turn over, and the hazard lights would not activate. This created a dangerous roadside situation with traffic approaching from behind at approximately 50 MPH. I exited the vehicle and stood in the roadway directing traffic to prevent an accident while my wife attempted to restart the vehicle and called 911. Police arrived and a tow truck was dispatched. The tow truck driver attempted to jump start the vehicle, but it would not start. The vehicle had to be winched onto a flatbed tow truck.

NHTSA ID

11724105

Incident

Mar 8, 2026

On February 21st at approximately 9:30 AM, I was driving my brand-new 2026 Chevy Suburban High Country when I began hearing an unusual noise from the engine. There were zero dashboard warnings — no check engine light, no alerts, nothing indicating a failure. Out of caution, I immediately headed to the dealership so they could inspect it. I was driving slowly and carefully when, without any warning whatsoever, the engine suddenly and completely seized. The vehicle locked up abruptly. I barely had enough time to try to move toward the shoulder, and I was unable to fully clear the roadway — the rear half of the vehicle remained partially in traffic. It was an extremely dangerous situation. What is especially alarming is that I was not on the highway at the time. Had this occurred while traveling 80–85 mph on SH-130 in Texas — which is a normal speed limit there — the outcome could have been catastrophic. A complete engine seizure at highway speeds could have caused a major accident involving multiple vehicles. Even more concerning, my Chevrolet app (connected through OnStar) still shows no issues or alerts with the vehicle. The attached pictures are from the My Chevrolet app on Sunday, 02/22/2026, around 11:13 AM. This is a brand-new vehicle, and I was informed yesterday that the dealership has requested a full engine replacement. I have no timeline for the repair. For a vehicle of this price point, a sudden engine seizure with zero warnings is deeply concerning from both a safety and reliability standpoint.

NHTSA ID

11720068

Incident

Feb 21, 2026

Car started making weird noises when being driven or accelerating on 2/14. Took it to the dealership on 2/16 first thing when they opened. After 5 hours, it was determined the engine had a catastrophic failure and needed to be replaced. This car has less than 6,000 miles and was purchased brand new.

NHTSA ID

11718363

Incident

Feb 16, 2026