RoadVitals

2011 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.
148
Latest May 13, 2026
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.
3
Latest Feb 5, 2021
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
1 currently open
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.
3
10 injuries, 0 deaths reported

Overview

Our database contains 148 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2011 Chevrolet Suburban, most frequently naming the airbags, body & structure and driver assistance categories. 3 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; 1 NHTSA investigation names it; and 1,580 manufacturer communications are 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

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

3 campaigns cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

Feb 5, 2021
1,778,128 units potentially affected
The defect: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2014 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 2500, Sierra 3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of AL, CA, FL, GA, HI, LA, MS, SC, TX, PR, AS, GU, the MP, and VI or "Zone A." Additionally GM is recalling certain 2011-2014 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 2500, Sierra 3500, Yukon, Yukon XL and 2011-2013 Cadillac Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of AZ, AR, DE, DC, IL, IN, KS, KY, MD, MO, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NC, OH, OK, PA, TN, VA, and WV or "Zone B." Additionally, GM is recalling certain 2010-2014 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 2500, Sierra 3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL and 2010-2013 Cadillac Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of AK, CO, CT, ID, IA, ME, MA, MI, MN, MT, NH, NY, ND, OR, RI, SD, UT, VT, WA, WI, and WY or "Zone C." These vehicles are equipped with non-desiccated passenger frontal inflators containing phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant. These inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.
The risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
The remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on February 25, 2021. Second notification letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owner notification letters were mailed to 40 VIN owners on May 11, 2021. A second owner notification letter was mailed to all other owners on January 24, 2022. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020; Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006; and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212328800.
General Motors, LLCManufacturer number N212328800View on NHTSA.gov

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

Feb 5, 2021
2,641,272 units potentially affected
The defect: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2007-2011 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, Yukon XL, and 2009-2011 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, GMC Sierra 2500 and Sierra 3500 vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." Additionally, GM is recalling certain 2007-2008 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." These vehicles are equipped with non-desiccated passenger frontal inflators containing phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant. These inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.
The risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
The remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on February 22, 2021. Second notification letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 1, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020; Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006; and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212328760.
General Motors, LLCManufacturer number N212328760View on NHTSA.gov

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION

Dec 30, 2014
84,192 units potentially affected
The defect: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado HD, Silverado LD, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra LD, Sierra HD, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the ignition lock actuator may bind, making turning the key difficult or causing the ignition to get stuck in the "Start" position.
The risk: If stuck in the "Start" position, the ignition may suddenly snap back into the "Accessory" position, causing a loss of engine, steering, and braking power, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash. If the vehicle is in a crash, the air bags may not deploy, increasing the risk of occupant injury.
The remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the ignition lock housing, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on February 12, 2015. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-458-8006 (Cadillac), 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), or 1-800-462-8782 (GMC). GM's number for this recall is 14696 for the original equipment, and 14912 for the service replacement parts.
General Motors LLCManufacturer number 14696 and 14912View on NHTSA.gov

Safety investigations

NHTSA inquiries naming this vehicle. An investigation is not a finding of a defect.

EA21002OpenEngineering Analysis

Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture

Opened Sep 17, 2021

From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf.Consequently, all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substance that traps and holds moisture) in US vehicles are under recall. These "non-desiccated" inflators either have been or are required to be replaced.In some cases, the remedy part for these recalled inflators was, or will be, an inflator using either propellant 2004 or 2004L that does contain a desiccant. None of these "desiccated" remedy parts (which were installed in older model year vehicles) are currently under recall for a degradation concern. Certain subsets of desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004 for use as original equipment, however, have been recalled for a degradation concern. All Takata inflators produced with propellant 2004L contain desiccant, and none of these desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L are under recall for a degradation concern. There have been no reported field ruptures in any non-recalled desiccated PSAN inflators.It is understood that desiccants fully saturate at some threshold, at which point any additional moisture will not be captured. This means the degradation process observed in non-desiccated inflators using propellant 2004 may also occur in non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004, assuming additional moisture enters the inflator and high temperature cycling occurs. Based on available information, desiccant saturation can occur within the first five years in the worst environments, and the time required for full saturation is affected by multiple factors. While no present safety risk has been identified, further work is needed to evaluate the future risk of non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004.Three entities -- Takata (now known as TK Global), the Independent Testing Coalition, and Exponent -- have been studying the long-term behavior of Takata desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004L (as well as 2004) in the presence of moisture and temperature cycling. The research efforts, which include development of predictive modeling techniques and field sample analysis, are ongoing. To date, none of the researchers have identified field evidence showing that propellant 2004L is undergoing a degradation process that leads to aggressive deployment and potential rupture. However, the time in service of such inflators remains short compared to that of the inflators using propellant 2004. Further study is needed to assess the long-term safety of desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L.The Office of Defects Investigation is opening this investigation to examine whether a safety defect related to propellant degradation exists in non-recalled desiccated PSAN frontal inflators manufactured by Takata. This investigation will require extensive information on Takata production processes and surveys of inflators in the field. Lists of recall actions that may have used desiccated PSAN inflators as remedy parts, as well as the makes and models originally manufactured with them, is available with the downloadable version of this document (see nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=EA21002 -- note this information is subject to change/revision as the investigation proceeds). This investigation does not supersede EA15-001, which remains open.

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Filed May 13, 2026

I am experiencing the symptoms listed for the ignition coil recall listed 20011 suburban, but the recall is not on my vin. I've been experiencing the symptoms for quite some time now yrs even, but didn't know about the ignition recall. I've been replacing and fixing the parts and damage to the vehicle. Fortunately no accidents or injuries to report. I am currently experiencing my door locks cycling , brief losses of power while vehicle is in drive, on highway, My electrical components periodically work seat warmer, sensors oil, air, coil packs, cooling fans (the relays keeps burning out), Ac motor, water pump, cruise control, the main fuse, and 4 x4 engaging on its own.

NHTSA ID
11737613
Incident
May 15, 2023
Electrical
Filed Feb 3, 2026

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2011 Chevrolet Suburban. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the mileage was 133,000. The contact stated that at the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 233,793.

NHTSA ID
11715292
Incident
Feb 2, 2026
Mileage
233,793 mi
Airbags
Filed Mar 1, 2025

This is not connected with a specific crash in this vehicle. It is a defect with all vehicles with this seat. There is known common defect with the stitching on the side of the front seats covering the airbag. The stitching is designed to come apart if an airbag is deployed. The defective stitching deteriorates and falls apart. This exposes the airbag system in the seat. This occurs on all GM vehicles with the same leather seats. Models include Suburbans, Yukons, and pickup trucks. In this Suburban the stiching started to come apart about 6 years ago with a few loose threads. The entire side of the seat has now come apart. The rest of the seat is in relatively good repair without any holes, rips or torn stitching. GM claims this is cosmetic and not covered. The safety issues caused by this includes the potential deterioration of the airbag system interfering with deployment in a crash. Another safety issue is the potential for foreign objects to get lodged in this space and injuring someone if the airbag goes off. The third safety issue is the potential of a person, or child, to access the airbag and cause it to go off without warning.

NHTSA ID
11645734
Incident
Feb 28, 2025
Fuel system
Filed Jul 25, 2024

The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving with the cruise control feature activated, there was a clanking noise coming from under the vehicle, and the contact smelled a fuel odor. The vehicle was steered to the side of the road and inspected. The contact stated that the fuel tank was swollen. The vehicle was taken to the residence. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic who could not provide a cause for the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 191,000.

NHTSA ID
11604440
Incident
May 15, 2024
Mileage
191,000 mi
Suspension
Filed Apr 18, 2024

The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated that upon inspecting the vehicle, he noticed that the rear end of the vehicle was leaking. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was determined that the rear end pinion yoke needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The contact stated that the dealer had replaced the rear end pinion yoke several times; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 11V007000 (Suspension); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 71,333.

NHTSA ID
11583775
Incident
Mar 20, 2019
Mileage
71,333 mi
Fuel system
Filed Jun 27, 2023

The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, he heard an abnormal sound coming from underneath the vehicle. Upon visual inspection, the contact observed that the rear fuel tank had expanded abnormally and was resting on the driveshaft. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence and remained at the residence. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number 17V664000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 150,000.

NHTSA ID
11529199
Incident
Jun 26, 2023
Mileage
150,000 mi
Seat belts
Filed May 13, 2023

The ignition key is falling out of the ignition when it is in the run position similar to other vehicles that were recalled. I am concerned that we will not be able to turn off the engine in an emergency. We are also having problems with one of the seatbelts not latching.

NHTSA ID
11521791
Incident
May 5, 2023
Driver assistance
Filed Nov 24, 2022

Dash cracked and cruise control wont turn on when button pushed.

NHTSA ID
11494786
Incident
Nov 24, 2022

Manufacturer communications

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

PIT6247B

This Preliminary information communicates direction to find information at www.gmupfitter.com for Police and Special Service Vehicles.

PIT3271Q

This preliminary information communicates information about how to determine if a wheel and tires size change is available.

PIP4902V

This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance.

PIP6104

This Preliminary information communicates the steps on how to save a GDS2 Session Log and upload to a Technical Assistance Case in CX Connect.

PIT6400A

This PI Communications information on an alternative product dealers can use to perform 19-NA-255: Wax Coating on Frame Peeling, Metal Shows Corrosion/Rusting due to issue with getting product from current supplier listed in the bulletin.

PIP4902U

This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance.

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
2011Viewing1483152.3
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
1983300
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.