Owner-reported complaints naming the brake system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1997 Chevrolet Suburban submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 96 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.
The 25 most recent of 96, in the owner's own words
THE PREVIOUS OWNER SAID THE BRAKES WORE QUICKLY BUT WE DIDN'T REALIZE HOW QUICKLY UNTIL WE HAD ISSUES AND GOT THE REPAIR INFORMATION. NEW BRAKES ABOUT EVERY 4 MONTHS ARE NEEDED. ONCE THEY START WEARING THE PADS AND ROTORS ARE GONE WITHIN A DAY. THIS TIME I NEARLY RAN INTO SOMEONE THEY DETERIORATED SO FAST. I'VE READ THIS SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEM WITH MANY MORE OF THE SAME VEHICLES
DECEMBER 2009, REPLACED RUPTURED BRAKE LINES ABOVE THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL. SEVERELY RUSTED. JULY 15, 2012, RUPTURED BRAKE LINE BY THE DRIVER SIDE FLOOR BOARD AND FIRE WALL. SEVERELY RUSTED. FUEL LINES UNDER THE VEHICLE IS ALSO SEVERELY RUSTED. LEAK CAN CAUSE FIRE. BRAKE FAILURE OCCURRED DURING DRIVING ON ROAD. *TR
I HAVE A 1997 CHEVY SUBURBAN WITH A 7.4 ENGINE. FOR THE MOST PART ITS BEEN A GOOD VEHICLE, BUT THE BRAKES ARE ANOTHER STORY. THE SUBURBAN HAS BEEN THROUGH 2 SETS OF FRONT BRAKES, AND NONE IN THE REAR. BEING CONCERNED, THE 3RD MECHANIC TO REALLY SPEND TIME FIGURING OUT THE PROBLEM, FOUND OUT THE BRAKE PRESSURE MODULATOR VALVE HAS MALFUNCTIONED. $800 FOR REPLACEMENT. DOING A LITTLE RESEARCH, GM HAD RECALLED THIS PART ON SEVERAL OF THERE 2000 SUV MODELS. CONTACTED THE GM CUSTOMER SERVICE LINE, AND THEY TOLD ME THAT IT IS AN "OLD VEHICLE" AND GM WILL NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. SO I GUESS GM'S SAFETY SYSTEMS ARE ONLY GOOD FOR 10 YEARS. THIS WILL BE MY LAST GM VEHICLE I WILL EVER OWN. *JB
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WAS HAVING ABS PROBLEMS. WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKE PEDAL TO STOP AT SLOWER SPEEDS THE ABS ACTIVATED CAUSING GREATER STOPPING DISTANCES. THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL, # 05V379000, REGARDING THE ABS. THE VEHICLE HAS THE SAME PROBLEMS AS INDICATED IN THE RECALL; HOWEVER IT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE YEAR OF THE VEHICLE. REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE AND THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN ALERTED.
CONSUMER COMPLAINT REGARDING 1997 SUBURBAN BRAKING MALFUNCTIONS. *TS THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DETERMINED THAT TWO SENSORS WERE NEEDED BECAUSE THE CURRENT ONES WERE CORRODED. THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED THE SAME SYMPTOM AS DESCRIBED IN THE RECALL FOR THE 1998-2002 VEHICLES. *NM
IN JULY/AUGUST 2005 I BEGAN EXPERIENCING ACTIVATION OF THE ABS AT VERY LOW SPEEDS OF 5-10 MPH IN 1997 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN. I TOOK THE CAR TO REPAIR SHOP AND FOUND OUT THAT THE FRONT BRAKE UNITS, CALIPERS, ETC., WERE CORRODED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I DID THIS. ALSO ,FOUND OUT THAT THE ABS UNITS WERE NOT READING THE SPEED CORRECTLY AND THIS WAS CAUSING THE ABS BUMPING AT LOW SPEEDS. ADVISED THEY SHOULD BE REPLACED AT COST OF $1200! IN JANUARY 2006 I READ ABOUT THE SUBURBAN RECALL FOR MALFUNCTIONING ABS AND UNUSUAL CORROSION OF BRAKES. UNFORTUNATELY, THE RECALL STARTED FOR 1999 MODELS. I BELIEVE MY 1997 VEHICLE HAS THE SAME PROBLEM. I CONTACTED THE LOCAL CHEVROLET DEALER WHERE I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE, BUT WAS TOLD IT WAS NOT COVERED BY THE RECALL AND THEY RECOMMENDED THE ABS UNITS BE CLEANED AND THAT THEY WILL FUNCTION PROPERLY. THE OTHER REPAIR SHOP (WHO DID THE BRAKE REPAIRS) RECOMMENDED AGAINST CLEANING"AND SAID IN THEIR EXPERIENCE THIS DOESN'T WORK. SUBURBAN HAS ONLY 61,000 MILES, SO IT HAS NOT BEEN OVER USED. I PUT ABOUT 6,000 MILES A YEAR ON IT, MOSTLY FOR PULLING A HORSE TRAILER AND FOR THIS I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT SAFE BRAKING. I BELIEVE THAT THIS 1997 SUBURBAN HAS THE SAME PROBLEM AS THE 199S. I'VE SPENT ABOUT $500 ON THE BRAKE REPAIRS SO FAR AND THE ABS WILL COST ME ANOTHER $1200. FOR A VEHICLE THAT GETS SO LITTLE USE BY ME, THIS IS A LOT OF MONEY. I WOULD LIKE THE 1997 TO BE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. I AM UPSET BY THE EXPENSE OF REPAIRING THESE APPARENT MANUFACTURING FLAWS. *AK
DT: THE CONTACT STATES THERE IS NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN 05V379000 CONCERNING THE ANTI- LOCK BRAKES. THIS VEHICLE HAS THE SAME PROBLEMS AS INDICATED IN THE RECALL, BUT IT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. THE CONTACT REPAIRED THE VEHICLE AT HIS OWN EXPENSE. *AK THE CONSUMER STATED DUE TO THE DEFECTIVE PART, HE CRASHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. UPDATED 11/29/05. *JB
DT: THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING AT A LOW SPEED AND APPLIED BRAKE PRESSURE AND THE ABS PULSATED. THERE WAS EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE AS INDICATED IN A CURRENT RECALL ON THE ANTI LOCK BRAKES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHO REPLACED BOTH WHEEL SPEED SENSORS ON THE FRONT BRAKES. THAT CORRECTED THE PROBLEM ,HOWEVER, IN AUGUST OF THIS YEAR THE PROBLEM RECURRED TWO YEARS LATER. THE VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO A DEALER. THE DEALER DID REPLACE ONE OF THE WHEEL SPEED SENSORS, BUT THE OTHER ONE WAS CLEANED AND KEPT ON THE BRAKES. SINCE THIS REPAIR THERE HAVE BEEN NO FURTHER PROBLEMS. THE CONTACT CONTACTED GM, AND FILED A COMPLAINT. THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN AND THE MODEL. *AK UPDATED 11/29/05. *JB
DT: THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN. SHE RECEIVED RECALL 05V379000 NOTICE FOR A 2001 CHEVROLET SILVERADO REGARDING THE ABS SYSTEM. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE 1997 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN IS EXPERIENCED THE SAME ABS BRAKE PROBLEM AS INDICATED IN THE RECALL. WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED IT SEEMED AS IF THE ABS SYSTEM WAS KICKING IN, AND THERE WAS EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. IT DID NOT MATTER WHAT THE ROAD CONDITIONS WERE THIS WOULD HAPPEN EVEN ON DRY ROADS. THE SERVICE DEALER DID STATED THAT THE SENSOR IN THE VEHICLE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED.*AK
ABS BRAKES PROBLEMS ON MY 1997 CHEVY TAHOE 4DR 4-WHEEL DRIVE. THE BRAKES HAVE BEEN TERRIBLE SINCE I OBTAINED THIS VEHICLE WHEN IT WAS BRAND NEW. THEY WOULD GRUNT & GROAN, SKIP AND ACT ERRATIC. ON ICE AND SNOW, I WOULD ACTUALLY GO FASTER WHEN I WOULD APPLY THE BRAKES AND SLIDE MUCH FASTER THAN A CAR WITH REGULAR BRAKES. ON DRY ROADS AT SLOW SPEEDS IN TOWN DRIVING, THE BRAKES DIDN'T SEEM TO TAKE HOLD ALL THE TIME. THERE WOULD BE A DELAY ACTION WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES. I ALMOST REAR-ENDED OTHER VEHICLES THREE TIMES, THROUGH NO FAULT OF MY OWN. I HATE ABS BRAKES AND WOULD LIKE TO BUY ONE WITHOUT IT. ABS BRAKES SYSTEMS ARE VERY DANGEROUS, ESPECIALLY ON THIS 1997 CHEV TAHOE 4-WHEEL DRIVE. I CHECKED WITH MECHANICS AND THEY ALL SAY THAT'S JUST ABS BRAKES, AND I HAVE TO PUT UP WITH IT. THIS IS WRONG AS THEY ARE A VERY REAL DANGER. I HAVE TO BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL ALLOWING SUBSTANTIAL DISTANCE BETWEEN VEHICLES AND THEN ITS NOT SAFE. I THINK I HAVE A LEMON AND KNOW THERE ARE LOTS OF OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT IT AROUND HERE. HOW ABOUT A LITTLE HELP WITH RECALLS AND A NEW VEHICLE?*JB
DT: THE CONSUMER STATES 1997 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN HAS BRAKE PROBLEMS. THIS RESULTED IN A CRASH, AND THERE WERE ONLY MINOR INJURIES. THE BRAKES JUST STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS. BEFORE THE CONSUMER COULD GET A CHANCE TO HAVE THE BRAKES CHECKED, HAD AN ACCIDENT. THE BRAKES WERE CHECKED AND FIXED AFTER THE ACCIDENT, AND THE MECHANIC AT THE DEALERSHIP TOLD THE CONSUMER THAT THIS WAS VERY COMMON WITH CORROSION BUILD UP. THE CONSUMER HAD TO PAY $1300.00 TO FIX THE BRAKING SYSTEM. PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT THE BRAKES WERE LOSING POWER, AND IT WAS DIFFICULT TO STOP. THIS WAS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED GM ABOUT THE PROBLEM WITH AN E-MAIL, WITH NO RESPONSE. THE CONSUMER LIVES IN A SALT-BELT STATE. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THERE WAS A CORROSION BUILD UP ON THE ABS SENSOR. A POLICE REPORT AND AN INSURANCE REPORT WERE TAKEN. THE SPEED WAS AROUND 20 MPH.*AK UPDATED 1/4/2006 - *NM
WHEN I APPLY THE BRAKES TO MY 1997 CHEVY SUBURBAN, THE ABS KICKS ON AND PULSATES EXTENDING THE STOPPING DISTANCE TREMENDOUSLY. THERE HAS BEEN A RECALL ON THIS FOR RECENT YEAR SUBURBANS, BUT NOT AS FAR BACK AS THE 1997 MODEL.
THE BRAKES VIBRATE EXCESSIVELY AND HESITATE WHEN THEY ARE APPLIED, MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO STOP VEHICLE. MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED BY OWNER.*AK
BRAKES HAD TO BE REPLACED EVERY THREE TO FOUR MONTHS. ALSO, POWER STEERING WAS DEFECTIVE, AND MADE THE STEERING WHEEL DIFFICULT TO TURN. CONSUMER WAS AWARE IF THE BRAKES MALFUNCTIONING IN CONJUGATION WITH THE STEERING PROBLEM.*AK
FIRST TIME APPLIED BRAKES AT INTERSECTION, EXTENTED STOPPING. BRAKES CHECKED OK, REPLACED BRAKES ANYWAY. SIX MO. LATTER, SECOND TIME, DRIVING 25 MPH. DRY, CLEAN PAVED ROAD. APPLIED BRAKES, ANTI-LOCK COMES ON, BRAKES FAILED, CAUSED ACCIDENT. TRAVELED AT LEAST 2 AN A HALF CAR LENGTH BEFORE INPACT. SUBURBAN CHECKED, ONLY THING FOUND WAS BRAKE OIL READ AT 190 DEGREES, AFTER DRIVING 1 MILE. *AK
BRAKES. *JB
FRONT BRAKES WORE OUT PREMATURELY AT 12,000 MILES. SINCE 1997 HAD BEEN REPLACED SEVEN TIMES. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE CONTACTED, BUT PROBLEM HAD NOT BEEN RESOLVED. ALSO, AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILURE. *AK
HEATER AND AC CONTROLS WENT OUT TWICE. FACTORY REPLACED THEM @ $125, THEN 9 MONTHS LATER IT WENT OUT AGAIN. FACTORY SAID IT WAS UNDER 12 MONTHS, BUT I HAD DRIVEN OVER 12,000 MILES SO IT WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY ANY LONGER. WINDSHEILD WIPER MODULE GOES BAD. WIPERS WILL SUDDENLY STOP OR WONT TURN ON. ON 3RD MODULE NOW. BRAKES, CONSTANT GRINDING AND WEAK STOPS. HAVE REPLACED ROTORS 4 TIMES. SAME RESULTS. STEERING LOSES TENSION WHEN STEERING TO THE LEFT. PROBLEM IS STILL ONGOING BUT HAS MADE ME ALMOST LOSE CONTROL SEVERAL TIMES.
FUEL PUMP WIRING INSIDE THE FUEL TANK SHORT CIRCUITED, AND COULD HAVE CAUSED MY SUBURBAN TO BLOW UP, SINCE I HAD JUST FILLED IT WITH OVER 30 GALLONS OF GAS THAT MORNING. MY FUEL PUMP HAD TO BE REPLACED, ALONG WITH A NEW WIRING ASSEMBLY AND FLOAT MECHANISM. MY MECHANIC SAID THE SHORT CIRCUIT WAS MORE THAN LIKELY DUE TO OVER AMPERAGE OF THE FUEL PUMP. THAT IN TURN, CAUSED THE WIRES INSIDE THE FUEL TANK TO MELT TOGETHER AND SHORT OUT THE ECM FUSE, TWICE. I BELIEVE CHEVROLET IS VERY LUCKY THAT NO ONE WAS HURT. I HOPE OTHERS ARE AS LUCKY AS I WAS! P.S. POWER STEERING AND BRAKES ARE ALSO VERY POOR!! BAD DESIGN...1997 WAS A LEMON SUBURBAN, AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED AND DESIGNED ALL OVER AGAIN!*AK
WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES THE BRAKE PEDAL WOULD GO TO THE FLOOR CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO HAVE EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. DEALER NOTIFIED. TS
ABS FAILURE, ELECTRICAL FAILURE AND FRONT AND REAR BRAKE FAILURE. THIS CORRESPONDENCE IS NOT AVAILABLE VIA .I BELIEVE THE LETTER MAY HAVE BEEN MISPLACED WHILE IN TRANSITION FROM DIMMS TO ARTEMIS VIA TRAN TECH EMPLOYEES. THE POWER WINDOWS AND AIR CONDITION FAILED. THERE WAS A VIOLENT GEAR CHANGE BETWEEN 2 WHEEL DRIVE AND 4 WHEEL DRIVE. THE BATTERY LEAKED AND ALSO THE CABLES WERE CORRODED, THERE WAS A LOUD NOISE FROM THE STEERING COLUMN, THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED COMPLETE STEERING FAILURE WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN. *JB
CONSUMER STATES THAT THE ANTI LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM ON THE VEHICLE WILL INTERMITTENLY COME ON WITH OUT APPLYING THE BRAKE. *MR
FAULTY ABS SYSTEM WITH SENSOR CAUSED LOSS OF BRAKING CAPABILITY AT SLOW SPEEDS RESULTING IN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. NLM
I HAD BRAKE TROUBLE ON THIS CAR FROM DAY ONE. MANY BRAKE PADS, TWO MASTER CYLINDERS, MANY SHOES AND DRUMS. THIS VEHICLE IS DEFECTIVE BECAUSE IT WEIGHT IS TOO GREAT FOR THE BRAKING SYSTEM. I WOULD LIKE SOME HELP. PLEASE CALL. MY ACCIDENT WAS CAUSED BY BRAKE FAILURE. DEALERSHIP WHERE I LIVE IN KINGS MTN, NOW DIAMOND CHEVROLET ADMITS. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER IN SHELBY, NC CARTER CHEVROLET EIGHT TIMES IN ONE YEAR FOR BRAKE PROBLEMS.
WHILE DRIVING WOULD STEP ON THE BRAKES PEDAL TO STOP OR JUST TO REDUCE THE SPEED ON VEHICLE, BUT BRAKES WOULD NOT ACTIVATE, RESULTING IN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. DEALER HAD BEEN CONTACTED. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION.*AK
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
Data on this page last refreshed .