Chevrolet Suburban Complaints (2018)

84 consumer complaints on file.

#11771060October 14, 2026
ENGINE, SERVICE BRAKES, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
On August 7, 2026, while driving a rental vehicle in the Denver, Colorado area with my family, including two young children, the vehicle unexpectedly lost engine power while traveling downhill. The engine shut off, resulting in a significant reduction in brake assistance and creating an extremely dangerous situation. We were able to bring the vehicle to a stop without a collision or injury. After restarting the vehicle, the check-engine light illuminated. The vehicle was no longer considered safe to operate and ultimately required towing by the rental operator. The exact mechanical cause is UNKNOWN. I do not know whether the vehicle was subsequently inspected or repaired by a qualified service center, and I do not have access to its diagnostic or maintenance records. After the incident, I discovered that another renter had reported a substantially similar failure involving the same vehicle approximately one week earlier, including engine problems and a check-engine warning. I have since discovered an additional report of an engine-related issue involving this vehicle after my rental. Despite these recurring reports, the vehicle appears to remain available for rental to the public. I am concerned that this vehicle has a recurring, potentially unresolved defect involving engine shutdown or loss of power while driving. Such a failure creates a serious collision risk, particularly on hills, at highway speeds, or in traffic. I request that NHTSA investigate whether this vehicle's repeated failures indicate a broader engine, electrical, or powertrain safety defect. The vehicle remains in the possession or control of the rental operator and may be available for inspection. I can provide supporting documentation of the reported incidents.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11770116October 9, 2026
POWER TRAIN
My 2018 Chevrolet Suburban is experiencing transmission problems that raise serious concerns about the reliability and potential safety of General Motors transmissions used in trucks and SUVs from this period. When I contacted an independent transmission repair shop to describe the problems, the employee immediately asked whether my vehicle was a 2014–2018 model. When I confirmed it was a 2018 Suburban, she explained that the shop encounters transmission problems in these vehicles regularly. Her familiarity with the issue, before even inspecting my vehicle, was particularly concerning. This is now the second 2018 General Motors vehicle in my household to experience significant transmission problems. My 2018 GMC Sierra previously suffered a complete transmission failure despite remaining substantially below its warranty mileage threshold. General Motors declined financial assistance because the warranty's time limitation had expired. I recognize that these are two separate vehicles and that the mechanical cause of the Suburban's current symptoms has not yet been independently confirmed. However, the recurrence of transmission problems, the repair shop's observations, and publicly reported complaints involving GM trucks and SUVs from this period warrant further investigation. I am concerned that transmission defects could cause unexpected hesitation, slipping, loss of propulsion, or unpredictable shifting, potentially creating dangerous driving conditions. I am not claiming that all these conditions have occurred in my Suburban, but I believe the potential safety implications deserve examination. I request that NHTSA investigate whether these vehicles exhibit recurring transmission defects, review relevant manufacturer technical service bulletins and consumer complaints, and determine whether additional corrective action or a safety recall is warranted.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11769978October 8, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN
My suburban shut off 5 times while turning. Very unsafe given I have 4 children and it could have been while we were driving on the freeway, which could have been fatal.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11741333June 1, 2026
POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated while the contact's husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed, however the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. In addition, the contact's husband noticed an abnormal sound and the vehicle independently stopped. The contact stated that the instrument cluster displayed a blank screen. The contact's husband attempted to shift the gear shifter, however the gear shifter failed to shift as intended. The contact stated after several attempts, the gear shifter shifted as intended. The vehicle was driven to the residence. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a failed transmission. The contact's husband was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced or rebuilt. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not associated with a recall related to the failure. In addition, the contact was informed that the failure was a known failure with the vehicle. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact was informed that the failure was not covered under the unknown recall. The failure mileage was approximately 108,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11738020May 15, 2026
POWER TRAIN
My husband was driving our 2018 Chevy Suburban when it suddenly stopped accelerating and he could no longer shift gears. Luckily, this happened while he was driving down a gravel road (approx 25-30mph). If he would have been driving at highway speeds, it is likely that he could have lost control of the vehicle. Our Suburban had no issues to this point and had always run well. We take it in for routine maintenance. We had it towed to a local repair shop, and they informed us that something had happened with the transmission and that it would need to be replaced. I have found several GM transmission recalls and our situation sounds similar to reference N252536750. Again we had no warning signs and had been experiencing no issues with our vehicle. If this had been something that we had been noticing problems and hadn't gotten it looked at, I can understand that maybe this had been something on going for a while that we had just missed maintenance on. However, for the transmission to stop so suddenly, I believe there must be some sort of larger failure in the transmission system.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11730756April 13, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:INSTRUMENT PANEL:SPEEDOMETER/ODOMETER
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2018 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated that while purchasing an aftermarket warranty coverage, the warranty company informed the contact that there was a mileage discrepancy based on the Carfax report. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the mileage was 123,959; however, the Carfax report listed the mileage at 129,000 one month prior to the purchase.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11725731March 20, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Transmission problems 124,994 miles . It's the same defects as the 2019-2025 defects.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11725391March 18, 2026
POWER TRAIN
The transmission just stopped working no warning just wouldn’t go into gear. Then I turned it off and back on and was able to limp home it’s slipping bad .
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11723745March 12, 2026
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
My 2018 LT Chevy suburban with 110000 miles has been giving me transmission and motor problems. I took it to chevy vannuys and they took 3 days and did nothing. I saw a recall on line for the same year. Explaining about transmission problems. Where can I go to have it fixed.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11716042February 5, 2026
Other/I am not sure
I am reporting a safety issue involving a Cybex Eternis S child car seat. The seat was manufactured on 02/28/2020 and has a printed expiration date of 02/25/2030, indicating a 10 year usable life. At approximately five years of use, the head impact foam failed and is broken into two separate pieces. The foam pieces are detached. This foam is a required safety component. Cybex customer service confirmed in writing that if the head impact foam is detached or broken into separate pieces, the seat does not meet safety requirements and should not be used. Cybex also confirmed that no replacement part is available and no repair or remedy is offered. As a result, the seat is unsafe and unusable halfway through its stated usable life, with no ability to repair or replace the failed safety component. This raises concerns about product safety support for child restraint systems marketed with extended usable lifespans.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11715036February 2, 2026
ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated that on several occasions, while the vehicle was parked and running, or while driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle lost motive power. There was no warning light illuminated. Occasionally, the vehicle was able to be restarted; however, on other occasions, the vehicle required towing. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the battery cable and ignition switch were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle was unsafe to drive; however, the failure could not be duplicated. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 208,257.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11714735January 31, 2026
ENGINE
1.) January 29 2026 @6:00PM Vehicle was in use. Driver accelerated to avoid another vehicle and the engine loss all power. When pushing on the accelerator the tachometer would increase as if I was reving the engine however there was no power. SAFETY ISSUE: With power completly lost, I had to coast over to the should of highway 10 and sit on the shoulder. Vehicle had to be turned off and restarted in order for the vehicle to have power. ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 2.) March of 2021 - Vehicle was in use. Driver accelerated to merge with traffice and the engine experienced a loss of all power. When pushing on the accelerator the tachometer would increase as if I was reving the engine however there was no power. Driver contacted ON-STAR seeking assistance. ON-STAR rep advised that I pull over onto the shoulder of the highway, turn off the vehicle, then turn it back on which temporatily worked. SAFETY ISSUE: With power completly lost, I had to coast over to the should of highway 60 freeway and sit on the shoulder. Vehicle had to be turned off and restarted in order for the vehicle to have power. ACTION taken: Vehicle was taken to a GMC certified dealer and the "CONTROL CYLINOID VALVE & TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODUAL ASSEMBLY WERE REPLACED. First incident the repair was under warrenty and there was no expense to the owner Second incident the repair was not under warrenty and owner is required to pay repairs.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11705521December 17, 2025
LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION, POWER TRAIN
Transmission will not go into drive or reverse. This also happens when car is in drive going down the road it will all of a sudden lose power and not go when pressing gas pedal. Vehicle has to completely shut off several times before it will go back into gear. No warning before it started. This can be dangerous when it happens in traffic and I can’t move car out of the road. It has not been inspected yet. Also blind spot warning does not always says it needs serviced.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11705323December 16, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I've taken this SUV to the Chevy dealership 4 times now for the same issue. SUV will not start at times then starts, it will even turn off on the road without warning. New Battery and Chevy can not find out issues $500.00 later. The brake pedal becomes hard to push down, and it will not start: wait 10 mins or so and it will start. Even the remote start at times will not work. Chevy has had it for 30 days at a time and I'm being told to bring it back when it happens, how do I that!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11697896November 6, 2025
POWER TRAIN
Transmission has to be replaced due to transmission slipping and delayed shifting under heat and prolonged highway driving. This issue also causes SUDDEN hard shifting, hard breaking, shaking of the steering wheel, along with grinding of gears!! This is a safety issue to to no warning signs at all along with a sudden drop in speed and power!! While driving on the interstate or highway this sudden change can cause the vehicles behind you to rear end you or cause a pile up!!! The driver has no control of vehicle when these issues happen!! A loss in control due to shaking of the steering wheel is a huge issue!!! Lack of shifting or hard shifting causes a SUDDEN stop of vehicle with no warning signs while driving!! It is going to cause a crash!!!! These are serious and dangerous issues that Gm will NOT do a recall for!! GM is aware of the issues due to Suburban, Tahoe and Silverado vehicles in the year models 2018-2023 having this reoccurring issue!!! I recall needs to be done to save someone’s life!!!!! I have only had my suburban for 8 months!! I was not made aware of this issue at all!!!!!! This also causes rough idle!!!!!!!!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11693400October 14, 2025
WHEELS
Wheels 22" Chrome upgrade from the standard wheels from the factory The tire bead where the chrome meets the interior alloy metal corrodes. Thetires start losing air pressure. The tires should be 35 PSI. The front tire dropped to 23 PSI making sterring pull to the right. This is a problem with all 4 tires on the 2018 Chev Suburban Premier. I need to check tire pressure weekly
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11686951September 12, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES, ENGINE, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
No official incident has happened yet, but the brake assist kicks in, yet does not work until it's revving engine to over 4000rpm, which causes a sudden jerk and scary sounds from engine. I have had a few instances where the vehicle did not want to stop almost causing an accident, and these have happened without anything in the car other than my daughter who is 2 and myself. The most recent problem is a weird rattling sound while going uphill. Before this going uphill is extremely sluggish, where I have the gas peddle almost to the floor, but nothing happens other than decrease in speed until it finally, about 30 seconds-1 minute, where it kicks into overdrive. Even then, speed does not increase by more than 5-10 mph depending on the incline. I have not brought it to get looked at yet, as I've seen these issues have been reported by numerous consumers without any recalls being sent out other than the breaking system update.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11682767August 25, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
My vehicle completely shuts off while driving. All of the components on the dash and even my steering wheel moves into the prestarted vehicle position. It has happened 3 times in the past week now. One particular instance, I was on the highway and thankfully it came back on immediately before completely stopping but shutting off while driving 65mph is so dangerous.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11668470June 22, 2025
POWER TRAIN
Dear NHTSA, I am submitting this complaint to report a recurring and potentially dangerous issue with the transmission in my 2018 Chevrolet Suburban, which I purchased brand new in 2018. At approximately 60,000 miles, I experienced severe transmission issues that led to a complete transmission replacement. Now, at around 133,000 miles, I am encountering the same symptoms once again. The transmission makes a loud clunking noise during acceleration and braking, and shifts gears abruptly and harshly. These symptoms appeared suddenly, with no warning lights or prior alerts. This problem poses a significant safety concern. The vehicle sometimes struggles to accelerate properly, making it dangerous to merge into traffic. Additionally, the forceful shifting makes the vehicle feel unstable and unpredictable, as though something beneath the car might fail while in motion. I transport my husband and our children in this vehicle, and this issue puts all of us at serious risk. I have scheduled another appointment with a GM dealership to inspect the vehicle. However, given that this is a recurring failure involving a critical system, I am requesting that NHTSA investigate this matter as a potential defect affecting other owners of the same model. Thank you for your attention to this serious concern.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11657682April 30, 2025
POWER TRAIN
My Suburban is having the same issues as the most recent recall on the 2021-2025 Chevrolets. The issue is with pretty much all of the motors that go from the V8 to the 4 cylinders. It's doing the same exact thing a friend of mine's 2019 Tahoe did. It's making a loud knocking/ticking noise. When you first get to going it starts almost sputtering which can cause issues if you're in oncoming traffic trying to cross roads.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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