Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Our database contains 8 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1988 GMC Suburban, most frequently naming the seat belts, engine and interior & seats categories. 2 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; 5 NHTSA investigations name it; and 2 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.
When owners filed reports about this model year
| Month | Complaints filed | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 1995 | 1 | 1 |
| Nov 1995 | 1 | 2 |
| May 1996 | 2 | 4 |
| Nov 1997 | 1 | 5 |
| Oct 2000 | 1 | 6 |
| Dec 2002 | 1 | 7 |
| Jul 2005 | 1 | 8 |
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.
2 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.govPOWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WEBBING
NHTSA inquiries naming this vehicle. An investigation is not a finding of a defect.
SEAT BACK BOLT BREAKAGE
There is no summary currently available
SEAT BACK FAILURES
There is no summary currently available
INADEQUATE EXHAUST HEAT SHIELD
INADEQUATE EXHAUST HEAT SHIELD
IMPROPER SPEED CONTROL
There is no summary currently available
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
CONSUMER REQUEST ASSISTANCE IN GETTING GM TO REIMBURSE HER FOR THE DEFECTIVE PARTS INSTALLED IN HER 1988 SUBURBAN.*MR WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH THE VEHICLE VIBRATED SEVERELY. *NM
I JUST BOUGHT THE VEHICLE IN JUNE AND DIDN'T REALIZE THAT IT HAD TWO ATX TIRES ON IT UNTIL ONE WENT FLAT AND I WENT TO HAVE IT REPAIRED. THE TIRE DEALER SAID THE TREAD HAD SEPARATED AND THE TIRE WAS UNSAFE AND SHOULD BE REPLACED. HE ALSO SAID THE RECALL HAD EXPIRED. HOW CAN A RECALL EXPIRE? I DON'T KNOW IF THE PREVIOUS OWNER OF THE VEHICLE WAS NOTIFIED OF THE RECALL OR NOT. IS THERE ANYTHING THAT CAN BE DONE? DT
SHOULDER BELTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. DEALER DID NOT SEEM CONCERNED ABOUT SAFETY ASPECT OF PROBLEM. MANUFACTURER COULD ONLY SAY THAT IT WAS VERY POORLY PRODUCED. THEY COULD ONLY SAY IT WAS DISCONTINUED. CONSUMER WAS WILLING TO PAY FOR THE INSTALLATION & EQUIPMENT. *AK
DURING COLLISION CONSUMERS WERE EJECTED FROM VEHICLE. (ATTORNEY FOR CONSUMERS)
WHEN JACKING THE TRUCK UP THE GEARS, THE JACK LOCKS UP AND THE JACK WILL NOT LET THE TRUCK DOWN. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK
INTERMITTENT STALLING. *SD
FOUR SEAT BELTS IN VEHICLE, NONE OF THE BUCKLES WILL LOCK. *DSH
DRIVER'S SEAT BACK ANCHOR BOLT SHEARED OFF PRIOR TO RECALL (93V-187), CAUSING SEAT TO FALL BACKWARDS. (OTHER VEHICLE ON 480470). *SKD
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
POWER TRAIN
DIAGNOSTIC INFORMATION FOR INTERMITTENT TRANSMISSION DOWNSHIFT, SLIP, BUSY/CYCLING TCC OR NOISY COOLING FAN. *TT
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.
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Investigations | Issue Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2003 | 5 | 1 | 2 | — |
| 2002 | 7 | 1 | 1 | — |
| 2001 | 5 | 2 | 2 | — |
| 2000 | 15 | 2 | 1 | 48.1 |
| 1999 | 285 | 2 | 0 | 51.8 |
| 1998 | 100 | 3 | 0 | 52.7 |
| 1997 | 200 | 3 | 5 | 59.9 |
| 1996 | 172 | 4 | 5 | 60.6 |
| 1995 | 227 | 7 | 7 | 63.8 |
| 1994 | 411 | 6 | 3 | 68.1 |
| 1993 | 212 | 2 | 3 | 65.5 |
| 1992 | 80 | 4 | 2 | 70.3 |
| 1991 | 30 | 2 | 4 | 59.6 |
| 1990 | 22 | 2 | 4 | 62.6 |
| 1989 | 17 | 2 | 4 | 64.5 |
| 1988Viewing | 8 | 2 | 5 | — |
| 1987 | 8 | 0 | 3 | — |
| 1986 | 4 | 0 | 2 | — |
| 1985 | 3 | 0 | 1 | — |
| 1984 | 5 | 0 | 1 | — |
| 1983 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1982 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 1981 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 1974 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1966 | 0 | 1 | 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.