1988 GMC Suburban Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 1988 GMC Suburban, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Seat belts225.0%
- Engine112.5%
- Interior & seats112.5%
- Body & structure112.5%
- Suspension112.5%
- Tires & wheels112.5%
- Other / unspecified112.5%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Seat belts
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners.
From owner reports, verbatim
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
FOUR SEAT BELTS IN VEHICLE, NONE OF THE BUCKLES WILL LOCK. *DSH
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
INTERMITTENT STALLING. *SD
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Interior & seats
Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings.
From owner reports, verbatim
DRIVER'S SEAT BACK ANCHOR BOLT SHEARED OFF PRIOR TO RECALL (93V-187), CAUSING SEAT TO FALL BACKWARDS. (OTHER VEHICLE ON 480470). *SKD
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
DURING COLLISION CONSUMERS WERE EJECTED FROM VEHICLE. (ATTORNEY FOR CONSUMERS)
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Suspension
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.
From owner reports, verbatim
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
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
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
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Other / unspecified
Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHEN JACKING THE TRUCK UP THE GEARS, THE JACK LOCKS UP AND THE JACK WILL NOT LET THE TRUCK DOWN. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
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.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .