2005 Chevrolet Suburban 2500 Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2005 Chevrolet Suburban 2500, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Electrical233.3%
- Tires & wheels233.3%
- Engine116.7%
- Steering116.7%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 2500. THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND DETECTED A SHORTAGE WITHIN THE CIRCUITS UNDER THE DRIVER'S SIDE DASHBOARD, WHICH RESULTED IN THE WIRES BECOMING MELTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND RECOMMENDED THE VEHICLE BE TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 107,000.
THE SPEEDOMETER READS ERRONEOUSLY HIGH AND OFTEN EXCEEDS 100 MPH READINGS WHILE MY GPS READS AT 70MPH. THERE IS NO TIME AT WHICH INDICATED SPEED READINGS CAN BE TRUSTED. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
UNIROYAL LIBERATOR . THE TREAD SEPARATION OCCURRED ABOUT 11AM ON SATURDAY JULY 15, 2013 ON EAST BOUND I-10 JUST EAST OF OZONA, TEXAS. SPEED WAS ~79 MPH AS PART OF A BOY SCOUT CONVOY RETURNING FROM A HIGH ADVENTURE OUTING. VEHICLE WAS A 2005 K2500 SUBURBAN, LIGHTLY LOADED WITH MYSELF, 4 SCOUTS AND TWO BACK PACKS. WEATHER WAS OVERCAST AND 76 DEGREES F. NOT TOWING. TIRE PRESSURE WAS CHECKED AT 80 PSI BEFORE THE TRIP STARTED AND THE TIRE CASING WAS STILL INFLATED WHEN REMOVED TO PUT ON THE SPARE. *TR
ROLLOVER ACCIDENT OF 2005 CHEVY SUBURBAN. RIGHT REAR TIRE SEPARATED TREAD AT HIGHWAY SPEED. TIRES WERE BIG O PATHMAX LT245/75R16. TIRES HAD 10,465 MILES OF USE AT TIME OF ACCIDENT. THE TREAD ON REMAINING INFLATED TIRES SHOWED BELTS BETWEEN TREAD EVEN THOUGH THE TREAD ITSELF LOOKED OK. DRIVER WAS INJURED, VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
EXHAUST MANIFOLD BOLT HEAD BROKE OFF. 1ST BOLT INITIALLY THEN SECOND BOLT NEXT TO IT BROKE AS WELL. NO WORK HAS BEEN DONE TO MOTOR OR AFTERMARKET PARTS ADDED THAT WOULD AFFECT THIS PART AND CREATE FAILURE. EXHAUST GAS ENTERS THE UNDERHOOD AREA . THE EXHAUST MAKES A BLACK PLUME UP SIDE OF MOTOR. CONCERNED THAT THE LEAK COULD WORSEN LEADING TO EXHAUST FUMES ENTERING PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. I DO NOT KNOW IF THE ESCAPING HOT EXHAUST GAS COULD LEAD TO FIRE. IN ADDITION, I WOULD THINK THE EPA WOULD BE CONCERNED ABOUT EFFECTS ON VEHICLE EMISSIONS. THE LEAKING EXHAUST GAS IS NOT PASSED THROUGH THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. THE LEAKING GAS IS ALSO NOT SAMPLED BY THE OXYGEN SENSOR AND COULD EFFECT THE SENSORS INPUT TO THE VEHICLE COMPUTER. I SEE BY DOING SIMPLE INTERNET SEARCHES ON THIS TOPIC THAT THE BOLT FAILURE AND LEAKING EXHAUST MANIFOLD PROBLEM IS WIDESPREAD. I HAVE NOT REPAIRED THE BROKEN BOLTS YET. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Steering
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.
From owner reports, verbatim
2005 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN STEERING GEAR FAILURE X5. THE STEERING GEAR AND INTERMEDIATE DRIVE SHAFT HAS FAILED 5 TIMES SINCE 2006. VEHICLE HAS 85K MILES ON IT. *LN
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
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.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .