2002 Chevrolet SuburbanProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 286 owner complaints about the 2002 Chevrolet Suburban, most often about the service brakes, hydraulic. It is covered by 2 safety recalls.

CarFlaw IndexUse caution1.5× the Suburban median · #11 of 38 years by complaints

Safety recalls2Free fix at dealers Owner complaints28643 with a crash, fire or injury Typical failure mileage67kService brakes, hydraulic, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through November 20, 2023. Updated daily. Photo: Cutlass, CC0.

Complaints by system

Where the 2002 Chevrolet Suburban has problems

286 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

68Service brakes, hydraulic8 crash/fire/injury

41Service brakes5 crash/fire/injury

23Fuel system, gasoline

23Power train2 crash/fire/injury

22Steering2 crash/fire/injury

19Parking brake

18Tires

16Engine and engine cooling

13Seat belts

8917 other systems21 crash/fire/injury

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.

Complaints by system
System	Complaints	Crash, fire or injury
Service brakes, hydraulic	68	8
Service brakes	41	5
Fuel system, gasoline	23	0
Power train	23	2
Steering	22	2
Parking brake	19	0
Tires	18	1
Engine and engine cooling	16	1
Seat belts	13	2
17 other systems	89	21

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

2 recalls

2002 Chevrolet Suburban recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

no report yet

Service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip

Recall 05V-379 · Aug 29, 2005 · 1,353,718 vehicles

Risk. THIS CAN CAUSE INCREASED STOPPING DISTANCES DURING LOW-SPEED BRAKE APPLICATIONS, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

no report yet

Structure

Recall 03V-094 · Mar 7, 2003 · 3,674 vehicles

Risk. THIS OVERHEATING CONDITION CAN CAUSE THE RUNNING BOARD TO MELT OR CAUSE A FIRE.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Chevrolet.

Mileage at failure

When do service brakes, hydraulic problems start?

67kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 55 service brakes, hydraulic complaints. 73% were reported before 100,000 miles.

7under 30k miles40under 100k miles15100k miles or more

Best & worst years

2002 vs. every other Suburban year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Suburban median. How we score

1 1 3 6 9 7 18 30 62 54 52 18949985845736041420163428244028630120412923 29221310611714810111859 43222014284 79 44 20812713346

'81'82'83'84'85'86'87'88'89'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24

Avoid
Caution
Solid
Best
Not rated

NHTSA crash tests

2002 Chevrolet Suburban safety ratings

2002 Chevrolet Suburban 4-DR. w/SAB in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

2002 Chevrolet Suburban frontal crash test, NHTSA

Frontal crashNot rated

Rollover: 3 stars (0.0% risk)
Stability control: No
Forward collision warning: No
Lane departure warning: No

8 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2002 Chevrolet Suburban, and the recalls they led to.

Dec 20, 2005
PARKING BRAKE FAILUREDP05009 · closed May 31, 2006
No recall
Aug 1, 2002
THROTTLE STICKING CLOSEDEA02015 · closed Jan 12, 2004
No recall
Apr 30, 2004
HYDRAULIC PUMP FAILRESEA04012 · closed Feb 28, 2005
Led to recall 05V-005
Jan 5, 2011
Brake line corrosion failureEA11001 · closed Apr 8, 2015
No recall
Jun 12, 2003
STEEL WHEEL RIM FRACTUREPE03026 · closed Nov 3, 2003
No recall
Apr 28, 2005
UNWANTED LOW-SPEED ABS ACTIVATIONPE05020 · closed Sep 13, 2005
Led to recall 05V-379
May 4, 2006
CRANK POSITION SENSOR FAILURE - STALLPE06016 · closed Sep 14, 2006
No recall
Mar 30, 2010
Brake line corrosion failurePE10010 · closed Jan 5, 2011
No recall

In owners' words

What Suburban owners report

Recent service brakes, hydraulic complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ABS WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE HUB SENSOR ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE…
Complaint 10929472 · Dec 1, 2016 · 180,000 miles

JUST HAD TO REPLACE BRAKE LINES DUE TO SEVERE CORROSION. THIS COST ME A SMALL FORTUNE. THIS IS COVERED UNDER NHTSA ACTION # EA11001. PERFORMED SERVICE TO AVOID CATASTROPHIC EVENT. NOTICE MUST BE MADE TO ALL CURRENT OWNERS OF VEHICLES TO REDUCE RISK OF CATASTROPHIC CRASH \ POSSIBLE LOSS OF LIFE. *TR
Complaint 10487433 · Dec 5, 2012 · 73,737 miles

THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON. WHEN THE CAR WAS TURNED OFF, A PUMP OR SOMETHING KEPT RUNNING AND THE SOUND SEEMED TO BE COMING FORM UNDER THE VEHICLE. THE SOUND DID NOT CEASE EVEN WHEN THE CAR WAS TURNED OFF AND THE KEY REMOVED. THIS CONTINUED UNTIL I CHECKED THE FUSES AND TRIED DISCONNECTING THE ABS…
Complaint 10457977 · May 10, 2012 · 188,330 miles

Own a 2002 Suburban?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.