RoadVitals

1983 Chevrolet Suburban

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.
3
Latest May 16, 2002
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.
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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 3 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1983 Chevrolet Suburban, most frequently naming the tires & wheels and engine categories. 1 manufacturer communication is on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Tires & wheels266.7%
  • Engine133.3%

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

Tires & wheels
Filed May 16, 2002

CONSUMER STATES HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE TREAD SEPARATION ON THE TIRE. GOOD YEAR #LT23585R.*JB

NHTSA ID
8010008
Incident
Mar 12, 2002
Engine
Filed Jan 18, 2002
Fire reported

WHILE DRIVING, VEHICLE BEGAN TO CHUG, CONSUMER NOTICED WHITE SMOKE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE SO HE PULLED OVER AND VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE, POSSIBLE ENGINE FAILURE, OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT. *SLC

NHTSA ID
564042
Incident
Sep 1, 2001
Tires & wheels
Filed Nov 27, 2000

REAR RIGHT TIRE PROBLEM. TREAD SEPARATED FROM TIRE WHILE DRIVING ON FREEWAY AT 65 MPH. TREAD HIT SIDE OF CHEVROLET SUBURBAN CAUSING BODY DAMAGE. TIRES HAVE APPROXIMATELY 28,000 MILES OF NON-COMMERCIAL USE, AND ARE WARRANTED FOR 50,000 MILES.*AK (TIRESIZE: 235/85 R16)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 235/85 R16 )

NHTSA ID
736938
Incident
Nov 24, 2000

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

376602A

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE

NEW CAST IRON EXHAUST MANIFOLD AND STAINLESS STEEL GASKET TO CORRECT ENGINE NOISE CONDITION. *TW

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

Chevrolet Suburban by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2024371358.1
20231143364.8
20221064365.9
202118412468.5
2020424060.2
2019763058.4
2018814055.0
20171415058.2
20162176159.1
201542811159.8
2014593151.2
20131184151.9
20121014151.9
20111483152.3
20101173150.1
20091065149.6
20082134150.9
20072914157.5
2006231034.1
20051297046.7
20042046158.1
20033017663.8
20022864862.9
200144081163.3
2000282111063.5
19996342660.4
19982013153.3
19974143559.7
19963604762.6
19954577865.9
19948586469.4
19934992367.2
19921895269.6
1991524160.8
1990544162.0
1989624162.9
1988304049.0
1987181050.7
1986701
1985901
1984601
1983Viewing300
1982110
1981110
1979100
1978300
1977200

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.