POOR BRAKING ON PANIC STOP
Opened Oct 23, 1987
Closed Feb 20, 1988
POOR BRAKING ON PANIC STOP
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
1985 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.
9
Latest Dec 6, 2000
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.
1
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.
2
1 injuries, 0 deaths reported
Overview
Our database contains 9 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1985 Chevrolet Suburban, most frequently naming the engine, interior & seats and tires & wheels categories. 1 NHTSA investigation names it; and 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.
Complaint activity over time
When owners filed reports about this model year
View as table
| Month | Complaints filed | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 1995 | 1 | 1 |
| Nov 1995 | 1 | 2 |
| Mar 1996 | 1 | 3 |
| Apr 1996 | 1 | 4 |
| May 1996 | 1 | 5 |
| Oct 1997 | 1 | 6 |
| Dec 1997 | 1 | 7 |
| Aug 2000 | 1 | 8 |
| Dec 2000 | 1 | 9 |
What owners report
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
- Engine216.7%
- Interior & seats216.7%
- Tires & wheels216.7%
- Transmission216.7%
- Steering18.3%
- Driver assistance18.3%
- Brakes18.3%
- Suspension18.3%
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.
Safety investigations
NHTSA inquiries naming this vehicle. An investigation is not a finding of a defect.
Recent owner complaints
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
Tires & wheels
Filed Dec 6, 2000
GOODYEAR DEALER OVERINFLATED TIRES (G159 UNISTEEL P235/85R16), THE DEALER ALSO REPLACED TIRES WITH A DEFECTED BENT RIM AND ANOTHER TIRE APPEARS TO BE A RECAP, THE JOINT WHERE THE TREAD CAP CONNECTS TO THE SIDEWALL, WHEN THE TIRES ARE OVERINFLATED IT CAUSES TIRES TO FEEL HARD AND ALSO CAUSES STEERING PROBLEMS. *SLC
- NHTSA ID
- 558307
Tires & wheels
Filed Aug 28, 2000
Crash reported1 injury reported
PE00 020; WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 60MPH ON HIGHWAY AND HAD A BLOWOUT ON THE REAR TIRE. CONSUMER LOST CONTROL. VEHICLE SPRUNG AROUND AND WENT INTO FOUR LANE TRAFFIC, AND A GASOLINE TRUCK RAN INTO IT. TIRES WERE FIRESTONE #AT STEEL MS/RADIAL R4S .*AK TIRE SIZE IS (P235 85 R16), AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT THE DRIVER AND THE PASSENGERS CLAIMED NO INJURIES, HOWEVER SINCE THEN THE DRIVER HAS HAD SEVERE SHOULDER PAIN DUE TO THE ACCIDENT. *SLC
- NHTSA ID
- 868962
- Incident
- Feb 12, 1994
Interior & seats
Filed Dec 4, 1997
SEAT ANCHORS BROKE, CAUSING SEAT TO COLLAPSE. RECALL ON MODELS 1987-1991 (#93V187000), HOWEVER CONSUMERS VEHICLE DOES NOT QUALIFY.
- NHTSA ID
- 525687
- Incident
- Jan 1, 1986
Steering
Filed Oct 10, 1997
LOOSE STEERING COLUMN.
- NHTSA ID
- 523661
Driver assistanceEngineSuspension+1 more
Filed May 29, 1996
STRUT ROD LOOSE. *SD
- NHTSA ID
- 505180
- Incident
- May 29, 1996
Brakes
Filed Apr 2, 1996
EA95-026 ACTIVE, BRAKE FAILURE, PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR, AFTER IN FOR REPAIR LEFT FRONT LOCKED UP IN WET CONDITIONS. *AK
- NHTSA ID
- 982223
- Incident
- Dec 1, 1995
Engine
Filed Mar 16, 1996
ENGINE FIRE. (OHIO STATE POLICE REPORT) *DSH
- NHTSA ID
- 503369
- Incident
- Mar 16, 1996
Transmission
Filed Nov 22, 1995
Fire reported
FIRE STARTED IN THE TRANSMISSION AND TOTALED THE VEHICLE. PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT
- NHTSA ID
- 975298
- Incident
- Nov 5, 1995
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
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Investigations | Issue Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 37 | 1 | 3 | 58.1 |
| 2023 | 114 | 3 | 3 | 64.8 |
| 2022 | 106 | 4 | 3 | 65.9 |
| 2021 | 184 | 12 | 4 | 68.5 |
| 2020 | 42 | 4 | 0 | 60.2 |
| 2019 | 76 | 3 | 0 | 58.4 |
| 2018 | 81 | 4 | 0 | 55.0 |
| 2017 | 141 | 5 | 0 | 58.2 |
| 2016 | 217 | 6 | 1 | 59.1 |
| 2015 | 428 | 11 | 1 | 59.8 |
| 2014 | 59 | 3 | 1 | 51.2 |
| 2013 | 118 | 4 | 1 | 51.9 |
| 2012 | 101 | 4 | 1 | 51.9 |
| 2011 | 148 | 3 | 1 | 52.3 |
| 2010 | 117 | 3 | 1 | 50.1 |
| 2009 | 106 | 5 | 1 | 49.6 |
| 2008 | 213 | 4 | 1 | 50.9 |
| 2007 | 291 | 4 | 1 | 57.5 |
| 2006 | 23 | 1 | 0 | 34.1 |
| 2005 | 129 | 7 | 0 | 46.7 |
| 2004 | 204 | 6 | 1 | 58.1 |
| 2003 | 301 | 7 | 6 | 63.8 |
| 2002 | 286 | 4 | 8 | 62.9 |
| 2001 | 440 | 8 | 11 | 63.3 |
| 2000 | 282 | 11 | 10 | 63.5 |
| 1999 | 634 | 2 | 6 | 60.4 |
| 1998 | 201 | 3 | 1 | 53.3 |
| 1997 | 414 | 3 | 5 | 59.7 |
| 1996 | 360 | 4 | 7 | 62.6 |
| 1995 | 457 | 7 | 8 | 65.9 |
| 1994 | 858 | 6 | 4 | 69.4 |
| 1993 | 499 | 2 | 3 | 67.2 |
| 1992 | 189 | 5 | 2 | 69.6 |
| 1991 | 52 | 4 | 1 | 60.8 |
| 1990 | 54 | 4 | 1 | 62.0 |
| 1989 | 62 | 4 | 1 | 62.9 |
| 1988 | 30 | 4 | 0 | 49.0 |
| 1987 | 18 | 1 | 0 | 50.7 |
| 1986 | 7 | 0 | 1 | — |
| 1985Viewing | 9 | 0 | 1 | — |
| 1984 | 6 | 0 | 1 | — |
| 1983 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1982 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 1981 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 1979 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1978 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1977 | 2 | 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.