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1991 GMC SuburbanProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 30 owner complaints about the 1991 GMC Suburban, most often about the seats. It is covered by 2 safety recalls.

86
CarFlaw IndexOne of the best years84% below the Suburban median · #9 of 12 years by complaints
Safety recalls2Free fix at dealersOwner complaints305 with a crash, fire or injuryTop problem11Seats

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through March 1, 2004. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 1991 GMC Suburban has problems

30 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Seats111
Service brakes, hydraulic91
Seat belts31
Tires31
Engine and engine cooling10
Vehicle speed control10
Power train10
Structure10

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

2 recalls

1991 GMC 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

Seats

Recall 96V-226 · Nov 4, 1996 · 32,596 vehicles

Risk. IF BOLT FAILURE OCCURS TO THE DRIVER'S SEAT, IT WOULD ALLOW THE SEAT BACK TO SUDDENLY RECLINE, AND COULD RESULT IN LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL AND A VEHICLE CRASH…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Power train: automatic transmission

Recall 93V-016 · Feb 1, 1993 · 1,702,880 vehicles

Risk. THE VENTED TRANSMISSION FLUID CAN CATCH FIRE IF EXPOSEDTO A SOURCE OF IGNITION.

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 GMC.

Best & worst years

1991 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

'66'74'81'82'83'84'85'86'87'88'89'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
4 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 1991 GMC Suburban, and the recalls they led to.

  1. SEAT BACK BOLT BREAKAGEEA92022 · closed Nov 19, 1993
    Led to recall 93V-187
  2. ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRESEA94029 · closed Jul 31, 1996
    No recall
  3. BRAKE LINE ABRASIONPE92005 · closed May 28, 1992
    No recall
  4. SEAT BACK FAILURESPE92026 · closed Jun 24, 1992
    No recall
In owners' words

What Suburban owners report

Recent seats complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

DRIVER'S BUCKET SEAT BACK COLLAPSED COMPLETELY BACKWARDS, WHILE DRIVING; TWO BOLTS THAT HOLDS SEAT UPRIGHT SHEARED OFF. TT
Complaint 972686 · Sep 29, 1995
HAD RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE 96V226000. CONTACTED DEALER. TOOK VEHICLE ON DATE GIVEN. PICKED VEHICLE UP. RECALL WORK NOT DONE. VEHICLE IN SAME LOCATION. BOLTS WERE NEVER REPLACED. ORIGINAL BOLTS STILL ON SEAT & STILL RUSTY. SEATBACK HAD BROKE. *AK
Complaint 849011 · Sep 28, 1999
RECALL #96V226000, MADE AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE VEHICLE REPAIRED. DROVE 30 MILES TO DEALER, WAITED I HOUR AND DEALER CAME OUT AND SAID HE DIDI NOT HAVE THE PARTS. *AK
Complaint 810157 · Mar 19, 1997

Own a 1991 Suburban?

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