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Total NHTSA Complaints
219
Owner filings recorded
#1 Reported Problem
Brakes & Traction Control
82 reports (37.4%)
Crash Incident Reports
9
Filings citing a crash
Fire & Injury Reports
8
1 fire • 7 injury filings
Defect Investigation Analysis

Executive Problem Findings

AutoUtility currently tracks 219 official NHTSA owner defect complaints for the 2016 Chevrolet Suburban. Brakes & Traction Control issues are the most frequently reported category, appearing in 82 complaints (37.4% of submitted records). Among these NHTSA complaint records, 9 filings cite a crash, 1 cites a fire, 7 report one or more injuries.

Methodology Notice: Consumer complaints are unverified voluntary submissions to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI). Filings are not normalized for sales volume or vehicle mileage and do not constitute an audited component failure rate.
Incident & Severity Profile
  • • Total Owner Reports: 219 complaints submitted under federal penalty.
  • • Primary Subsystem: Brakes & Traction Control accounts for 37.4% of submissions (82 reports).
  • • Secondary Systems: Powertrain & Transmission (45), Electrical System (26).
  • • Crash Incidents: 9 filings cite an impact or collision.
  • • Thermal Incidents: 1 filings cite smoke or fire.
  • • Reported Casualties: 7 injury filings • 0 fatality filings.
Category Distribution

Reported Defect Categories for 2016 Chevrolet Suburban

Factual proportion of owner complaints categorized by automotive subsystem in NHTSA records

Brakes & Traction Control
82
37.4%
Powertrain & Transmission
45
20.5%
Electrical System
26
11.9%
Engine & Cooling
26
11.9%
Steering System
23
10.5%
#1 37.4% SHARE

Brakes & Traction Control

82 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.

⚠️ 6 Crash 🩹 5 Injury
⚠️ 2 Associated Recall Campaigns
#2 20.5% SHARE

Powertrain & Transmission

45 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.

⚠️ 1 Crash
#3 11.9% SHARE

Electrical System

26 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.

✓ 0 Incidents
#4 11.9% SHARE

Engine & Cooling

26 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.

🔥 1 Fire
Deterministic Text Analysis

Recurring Symptoms Identified in Owner Reports

Specific mechanical, electrical, and driver-assist defect symptoms identified via deterministic narrative analysis

Brakes & Traction Control 2.7%

Reduced Braking / Brake Pedal to Floor

6 complaint narratives describe this symptom.

NHTSA Narrative Match
Federal Oversight

Official NHTSA Defect Investigations (1)

Formal engineering analyses and preliminary evaluations opened by the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

ODI Action #PE18012 CLOSED Preliminary Evaluation (PE)
Opened: 2018-11-20 • Closed: 2022-04-10
Subject / Subsystem
Brake Vacuum Pump Failure
Affected Component
SERVICE BRAKES
Recall Linkage
Campaign #19V645000
On November 20, 2018, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened PE18-012 to investigate instances of sudden onset of a hard brake pedal that could result in extended stopping distance due to an issue with the brake assist vacuum pump in model year (MY) 2014 through 2016 GMC Sierra 1500 and Chevrolet Silverado 1500 series pickup trucks and MY 2015 through 2016 Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Suburban, Chevrolet Tahoe, and GMC Yukon SUVs.If the brake assist vacuum pump fails to operate as intended, the amount of brake power assist supplied to the driver can be significantly reduced, extending the subject vehicle stopping distance. GM stated that the root cause of pump failures was due to foreign debris such as oil sludge in the engine oil. GM stated that this debris can become trapped by the oil inlet filter screen. Under normal operation, this screen allows a small amount of oil into the brake vacuum pump. The foreign debris can, over time, clog the pump which can cause a loss of lubrication and a reduction in the amount of vacuum produced leading to a hard pedal and extended stopping distance.On December 13, 2018, GM issued a Special Coverage (N182202780) for the brake vacuum pump issue in MY 2014-2017 trucks and 2015-2017 SUVs on the K2XX platform for 6 years or 72,000 miles. Special Coverage repair includes the replacement of the vacuum pump and vacuum pump belt. Consumers received notification of the coverage via mail. On September 6, 2019, GM notified NHTSA that it was conducting safety recall 19V-645 which reprograms the electronic brake control module (EBCM) and included approximately 3.5 million trucks and SUVs. In October 2019, GM extended the terms of special coverage N182202780 to 10 years or 150,000 miles as well as now including the entire scope of recall 19V-645. In October 2020, GM expanded the scope of coverage N182202780 to include the MY 2018 Escalade and 2019 Tahoe.The remedy implemented in GM recall 19V-645 appears to be sufficient in addressing the safety-related concerns of this issue. Loss of vacuum assist now occurs at a progressive rate as well as there being a more timely warning of a brake problem to the driver through the driver information center (DIC). In view of the recall action and revision to the special coverage, this Preliminary Evaluation is closed. The agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by new circumstances. The ODI reports cited above are available for review online at NHTSA.gov under the identification numbers in the attached document.
Consumer Filings

Recent NHTSA Owner Reports for 2016 Chevrolet Suburban

Representative defect filings submitted by owners to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

Visibility, Wipers & Glass ODI #11759630
Filed: 08/26/2026
Defect Report

"The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH, there was a loud booming sound coming from the vehicle, and the sunroof glass exploded. During the failure, the sunroof cover was closed. Upon inspection, the contact discovered shards of glass..."

Incident Date: 08/25/2026 NHTSA Component: VISIBILITY
Powertrain & Transmission ODI #11758109
Filed: 08/19/2026
Defect Report

"The transmission failed suddenly and without warning. When I Went to pull out from a stop sign with cross traffic doing 55 mph, the vehicle shuddered and stopped pulling. We barely had enough momentum to get out of the way of oncoming traffic at the last second. The oncoming traffic had to brake..."

Incident Date: 08/16/2026 NHTSA Component: POWER TRAIN
Driver Assistance & Safety Tech ODI #11754919
Filed: 08/05/2026
Defect Report

"While in the parking lot or stopping at the stop light the brakes will get hard and won’t brake ."

Incident Date: 07/20/2026 NHTSA Component: SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE
Body & Structure ODI #11746400
Filed: 06/25/2026
Defect Report

"Hood and roof of Suburban has discolored and lost its shine coat. The door and panels are fine"

Incident Date: 01/02/2024 NHTSA Component: STRUCTURE
Steering System ODI #11743382
Filed: 06/11/2026
Defect Report

"As I was driving 75 mph down the highway my collision alert flashed all my lights turned off, including my headlights and all interior lights as it was dark time and they flashed back on a couple of times until they finally stayed on. I pulled over and as I came to zero, speed, the vehicle..."

Incident Date: 06/09/2026 NHTSA Component: STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Multi-Year Trend

Complaint History for Chevrolet Suburban

Reported defect complaint volume across sibling model years (2015–2026)

Model Year NHTSA Complaints Crash Reports Safety Recalls Detailed Report
2015 Chevrolet Suburban 428 21 11 View 2015 Problems →
2016 Chevrolet Suburban Current Page 219 9 6 Current
2017 Chevrolet Suburban 141 7 5 View 2017 Problems →
2018 Chevrolet Suburban 81 3 4 View 2018 Problems →
2019 Chevrolet Suburban 77 2 3 View 2019 Problems →
2020 Chevrolet Suburban 42 2 4 View 2020 Problems →
2021 Chevrolet Suburban 186 6 12 View 2021 Problems →
2022 Chevrolet Suburban 111 4 4 View 2022 Problems →
2023 Chevrolet Suburban 134 1 4 View 2023 Problems →
2024 Chevrolet Suburban 38 1 2 View 2024 Problems →
2025 Chevrolet Suburban 27 0 1 View 2025 Problems →
2026 Chevrolet Suburban 0 0 3 View 2026 Problems →
Exhaustive System Audit

Detailed NHTSA Component Breakdown for 2016 Chevrolet Suburban

Complete distribution of consumer defect reports across all 62 granular NHTSA system and subsystem classifications

Vehicle Component / System Total Complaints Crash Reports Fire Reports Injury Entries Fatality Entries
Service Brakes NHTSA category: SERVICE BRAKES 62 4 0 2 0
Powertrain NHTSA category: POWER TRAIN 37 1 0 0 0
Other / Uncategorized NHTSA category: UNKNOWN OR OTHER 17 0 0 0 0
Steering NHTSA category: STEERING 8 0 0 0 0
Structure & Body NHTSA category: STRUCTURE 6 0 0 1 0
Engine NHTSA category: ENGINE 5 0 1 0 0
Electrical System NHTSA category: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 4 0 0 0 0
STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE 4 0 0 0 0
Suspension NHTSA category: SUSPENSION 4 1 0 1 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE 3 0 0 0 0
Fuel & Propulsion System NHTSA category: FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 3 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE 3 0 0 0 0
Service Brakes NHTSA category: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC 3 0 0 0 0
STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 3 0 0 0 0
Tires NHTSA category: TIRES 3 0 0 0 0
Air Bags NHTSA category: AIR BAGS 2 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,SERVICE BRAKES 2 0 0 0 0
Seat Belts NHTSA category: SEAT BELTS 2 0 0 0 0
Seats & Restraints NHTSA category: SEATS 2 0 0 0 0
STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING 2 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,WHEELS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 2 0 0 0 0
Wheels & Hubs NHTSA category: WHEELS 2 0 0 0 0
AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS 1 1 0 1 0
AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS,SERVICE BRAKES 1 1 0 2 0
AIR BAGS,SEATS 1 0 0 0 0
AIR BAGS,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,LANE DEPARTURE,BACK OVER PREVENTION 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,STRUCTURE,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
ENGINE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 1 0 0 0 0
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
Doors, Latches & Locks NHTSA category: LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 1 1 0 1 0
SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,STRUCTURE 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,SUSPENSION,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,SUSPENSION,WHEELS 1 0 0 0 0
STRUCTURE,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,STRUCTURE,WHEELS 1 0 0 0 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,VISIBILITY 1 0 0 0 0
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
Visibility / Glass NHTSA category: VISIBILITY 1 0 0 0 0
VISIBILITY,STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
Visibility & Wipers NHTSA category: VISIBILITY/WIPER 1 0 0 0 0
WHEELS,SERVICE BRAKES,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
Related Workstations

Related Official Reports for 2016 Chevrolet Suburban

Cross-reference safety recalls, crash test safety ratings, and EPA fuel economy for this model year

← 2016 Chevrolet Suburban Overview

Key performance indicators, EPA fuel economy specs, powertrain variants, and summary ratings.

2016 Chevrolet Suburban Safety Recalls (6) →

Official recall campaigns, safety defect descriptions, and manufacturer free remedy instructions.

2016 Chevrolet Suburban Safety Ratings →

NHTSA 5-Star NCAP crash test results, driver assistance systems, and rollover resistance ratings.

2016 Chevrolet Suburban MPG & Range →

EPA fuel economy ratings, electric range, and annual energy cost benchmarks.
Search Intelligence

Quick Answers: Common Problems & Reliability Questions for the 2016 Chevrolet Suburban

Direct, deterministic answers synthesized from verified United States government databases for the 2016 Chevrolet Suburban

What are the most common reported problems with the 2016 Chevrolet Suburban?

In official NHTSA consumer records, the most frequently cited issue area for the 2016 Chevrolet Suburban is Brakes & Traction Control, appearing in 82 records (37.4% of submitted filings).

Secondary reported categories include Powertrain & Transmission (45) and Electrical System (26).

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)

Is the 2016 Chevrolet Suburban a reliable vehicle?

AutoUtility does not issue subjective reliability scores or commercial ratings. In official United States government records, NHTSA tracks 219 consumer defect complaints and 6 safety recall campaigns for the 2016 Chevrolet Suburban.

Reviewing documented component complaint distributions, recall remedy notices, and active federal investigations provides an objective, evidence-based view of the vehicle's historical safety and defect record.

Cross-reference official safety recall campaigns →
Source: NHTSA ODI & Safety Recalls Databases

Are there crash, fire, or injury reports associated with the 2016 Chevrolet Suburban?

Among consumer complaint records on file with NHTSA for the 2016 Chevrolet Suburban, 9 filings cite a crash, 1 cite smoke or fire, and 7 report one or more injuries.

Incident entries represent consumer descriptions at the time of submission to federal authorities and do not establish mechanical causation or legal liability.

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Consumer Logs

Has NHTSA formally investigated defects on the 2016 Chevrolet Suburban?

NHTSA ODI records list 1 formal defect investigation involving the 2016 Chevrolet Suburban (all closed).

Federal defect investigations are formal engineering evaluations opened when safety defect trends emerge, and do not by themselves establish a confirmed defect or mandatory recall.

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Registry
Official US Government Data Provenance

The complaint records on this page are retrieved directly from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) public database under 49 CFR Part 576.

Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.