2016 Chevrolet Suburban

On November 20, 2018, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened PE18-012 to investigate instances of sudden onset of a hard brake pedal that could result in extended stopping distance due to an issue with the brake assist vacuum pump in model year (MY) 2014 through 2016 GMC Sierra 1500 and Chevrolet Silverado 1500 series pickup trucks and MY 2015 through 2016 Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Suburban, Chevrolet Tahoe, and GMC Yukon SUVs.If the brake assist vacuum pump fails to operate as intended, the amount of brake power assist supplied to the driver can be significantly reduced, extending the subject vehicle stopping distance. GM stated that the root cause of pump failures was due to foreign debris such as oil sludge in the engine oil. GM stated that this debris can become trapped by the oil inlet filter screen. Under normal operation, this screen allows a small amount of oil into the brake vacuum pump. The foreign debris can, over time, clog the pump which can cause a loss of lubrication and a reduction in the amount of vacuum produced leading to a hard pedal and extended stopping distance.On December 13, 2018, GM issued a Special Coverage (N182202780) for the brake vacuum pump issue in MY 2014-2017 trucks and 2015-2017 SUVs on the K2XX platform for 6 years or 72,000 miles. Special Coverage repair includes the replacement of the vacuum pump and vacuum pump belt. Consumers received notification of the coverage via mail. On September 6, 2019, GM notified NHTSA that it was conducting safety recall 19V-645 which reprograms the electronic brake control module (EBCM) and included approximately 3.5 million trucks and SUVs. In October 2019, GM extended the terms of special coverage N182202780 to 10 years or 150,000 miles as well as now including the entire scope of recall 19V-645. In October 2020, GM expanded the scope of coverage N182202780 to include the MY 2018 Escalade and 2019 Tahoe.The remedy implemented in GM recall 19V-645 appears to be sufficient in addressing the safety-related concerns of this issue. Loss of vacuum assist now occurs at a progressive rate as well as there being a more timely warning of a brake problem to the driver through the driver information center (DIC). In view of the recall action and revision to the special coverage, this Preliminary Evaluation is closed. The agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by new circumstances. The ODI reports cited above are available for review online at NHTSA.gov under the identification numbers in the attached document.

While in the parking lot or stopping at the stop light the brakes will get hard and won’t brake .

NHTSA ID

11754919

Incident

Jul 20, 2026

Hood and roof of Suburban has discolored and lost its shine coat. The door and panels are fine

NHTSA ID

11746400

Incident

Jan 2, 2024

As I was driving 75 mph down the highway my collision alert flashed all my lights turned off, including my headlights and all interior lights as it was dark time and they flashed back on a couple of times until they finally stayed on. I pulled over and as I came to zero, speed, the vehicle completely shut down. It did start back up, but this is not the first time I get a light on my dash that says stability track and then everything resets and I don’t have any lights on at all after that this has been happening off and on I also have three coworkers that have the same make, and year that experienced the same problems ! My situation on the highway was very dangerous. It was pitched dark outside and I lost vision due to my lights going off at 75 mph and my steering wheel also locking up. The next time the vehicle does it I will take a video for proof. I have heard that this problem is very common in these vehicles and believe something should be done because that is a dangerous situation if I was going around a corner and my steering wheel locked up, I could easily flip my car. I have small children that’s why I have the big space but we need safety for our family.

NHTSA ID

11743382

Incident

Jun 9, 2026

The contact owned a 2016 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated that while driving 30-35 MPH, the vehicle crashed into a concrete pole, and the front end of the vehicle was significantly damaged. The contact stated that the pole was 12-18 inches into the hood, and 1.5 ft. up into the engine bay. The concrete pole was damaged. The air bags and the seat belt pretensioners failed to deploy. Several warning lights, including the check engine, the ABS, the TPMS, the air bag, the StabiliTrak, and the traction control warning lights, were illuminated after the crash. The contact noticed he had sustained bumps on the head and neck from hitting the steering wheel, but did not feel sore at the time. The contact woke up dizzy the next day and sought medical assistance. The contact underwent X-rays and was informed that he had also sustained torn chest muscles. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot. The insurance company towed the vehicle to another lot the following day, and the vehicle was totaled. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V651000(Air Bags, Seat Belts), which was previously performed on the vehicle. Additionally, the contact stated that the manufacturer had also issued NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V437000(Air Bags, Seat Belts) for vehicles repaired under the previous recall, and the recall information stated that the affected vehicles may not have received the complete software update necessary to remedy the recall condition. However, the second recall had not been performed on the vehicle. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was filed, but the case manager was unreachable. The failure mileage was 192,252.

NHTSA ID

11731042

Incident

Mar 6, 2026

Mileage

192,252 mi

Per AAA—Front Airbag/Seatbelt and Increase break pedal

NHTSA ID

11729162

Incident

Apr 4, 2026

While driving home vehicle slid on black ice and spun out. While spinning curtain airbags and driver seat deployed and battery died. Sis not hit anything

NHTSA ID

11721229

Incident

Jan 26, 2026

I have read reports online of the two thousand sixteen chevy suburban turning off completely while driving.I have experienced this not once not twice.But three times now, with my chevy, suburban. This is a severe safety issue and can lead to death or major financial loss

NHTSA ID

11719978

Incident

Feb 23, 2026

Just purchased this vehicle used from a business in Moyock, NC. The mileage at purchase was 92,860. We checked Carfax and it showed two previous owners and had a steady maintenance history. On the way home (2 hour drive) and after the vehicle had warmed up it started showing signs of transmission problems. This was not noticeable on the test drive. The RPMs skyrocketed, the car went into neutral, once we got it back into gear it would hardly accelerate. It was a long long drive home! We took it to our local mechanic and must replace the transmission at a cost of $7,000. We will not use the manufacturer's transmission product as a replacement after reading all the complaints that are so similar to ours. Definitely not what we were expecting to have to do within a week of the purchase. There could have been injuries if my wife had not been following me and knew something was wrong when the vehicle slowed down significantly. No one was injured, except for our pride and wallet.

NHTSA ID

11719948

Incident

Feb 18, 2026

PI to help diagnose A/C concern

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