IllustrationENGINE OIL COOLING LINES FROM ENGINE OIL FILTER TO ENGINE OIL COOLER WEAR AGAINST FRAME UNDER ENGINE, AND MAY CAUSE BAD ENGINE OIL LEAK . I HAVE SEEN THIS PROBLEM TWO TIMES ONCE ON MY OWN TRUCK AND ON A FRIENDS TRUCK OF THE SAME MAKE MODEL YEAR AND GENERAL EQUIPMENT. *AK
1991 Chevrolet Suburban
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1991 Chevrolet Suburban do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 118.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Suburban years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 5 of 52 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Seats. Review the 12 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 9 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
4 crash reports6 fire reports3 injury reports
What owners actually said
52 reportsINTERMITTENTLY WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED AT SPEEDS OF 45 AND ABOVE VEHICLE VIBRATED UNCONTROLLABLY, RESULTING IN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. *AK
TREAD SEPARATION AT HIGHWAY SPEED. ONE TIRE SHOWED A SMALL "BALLOON" ON THE SIDEWALL. I REPLACED IT. THE NEXT DAY, A DIFFERENT GOODYEAR TIRE HAD MASSIVE TREAD SEPARATION ON THE INTERSTATE.( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 30X9.50R15 )
DEAR NHTSA, I HAD MANY TIRE FAILURES WITH MY FIRESTONE ATX II TIRES. I PURCHASED THEM WHEN MY CAR HAD 57,358 MILES ON 03/19/94. I DROVE APPROXIMATELY 20,000 MILES PER YEAR. ALL THE PREVIOUS TIRE FAILURES WERE BLOWOUTS I HAD WHILE DRIVING WITH MY FAMILY ON THE HIGHWAY. EACH TIME I WENT TO THE FIRESTONE SERVICE CENTER FOR PR…
Read full complaint
DEAR NHTSA, I HAD MANY TIRE FAILURES WITH MY FIRESTONE ATX II TIRES. I PURCHASED THEM WHEN MY CAR HAD 57,358 MILES ON 03/19/94. I DROVE APPROXIMATELY 20,000 MILES PER YEAR. ALL THE PREVIOUS TIRE FAILURES WERE BLOWOUTS I HAD WHILE DRIVING WITH MY FAMILY ON THE HIGHWAY. EACH TIME I WENT TO THE FIRESTONE SERVICE CENTER FOR PRORATED TIRE REPAIRS. THEY KEPT TRYING TO BLAME MY BLOWOUTS ON MY ALUMINUM WHEEL RIMS ALTHOUGH I NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS WITH MY PREVIOUS UNIROYAL TIRES. IN 1998 AFTER YET ANOTHER TIRE PROBLEM I SWITCHED TO MICHELINS, AND I HAVE SINCE SOLD THE VEHICLE IN 8/99. AT THE TIME OF THESE PROBLEMS, I WAS CONCERNED AS TO THE AMOUNT OF BLOWOUTS I HAD, AND UNTIL THE RECALL CAME OUT I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE OF SOME RELEVANCE TO YOU. I HAVE ALL MY ORIGINAL PAPERWORK FROM FIRESTONE. MANY OF THE REPLACEMENT TIRES I HAD CARRIED IN TO THE STORE SO I DON'T HAVE EXACT MILAGE OF THE TIRES. I DO POSSIBLY HAVE AT LEAST ONE OF THESE TIRES ON MY PROPERTY BUT IT WOULD REQUIRE SOME EFFORT TO RETRIEVE AND FIND IT. I BELIEVE THAT THE PROBLEM WITH THESE TIRES HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR A LOT LONGER THAN FIRESTONE HAS LED ME TO BELIEVE AND I WOULD BE WILLING TO HELP YOU IN ANY WAY I CAN. I AM ALSO GOING TO CONTACT FIRESTONE' S WEBSITE AND GIVE THEM THIS INFORMATION AS WELL. SINCERELY LISA R. KING( DOT NUMBER: ? TIRE SIZE: P235-75-15 )
ALSO, IN CONSUMER'S VEHICLE, SEAT BELT RETRACTOR, IN SECOND ROW BEHIND DRIVER, IS UNABLE TO BE USED BECAUSE IT LOCKS UP. PASSENGER USING THAT SEAT WOULD BE WITHOUT RESTRAINT WHILE TRAVELING, WHICH COULD LEAD TO INJURIES IF INVOVED IN A VEHICLE COLLISION. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK
SEAT BELT RETRACTOR, SECOND ROW BEHIND DRIVER, LOCKED UP AND UNABLE TO BE USED, CAUSING PASSENGER IN THAT SEAT TO BE WITHOUT RESTRAINT. DEALER NOTIFIED AND REFUSED TO REPAIRS UNLESS COST GOES TO CONSUMER. *AK
1991 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN PEELING PAINT - TOP OF SUBURBAN - BAD!
WHILE APPROACHING A STOP SIGN, DRIVER'S SEATBACK COLLAPSED. DEALER NOTIFIED. PROBLEM FIXED BY OWNER--BOLTS IN THE SEAT WERE REPLACED. UNDER RECALL # 96V226000 GM/ BUCKET SEATS. *ML
ONGOING PROBLEM WITH THE FOLLOWING: 1. CRACKS DEVELOPING ON BOTH SIDES OF VEHICLE ROOF, CAN BE A POTENTIAL DANGER IN A ROLL OVER ACCIDENT; 2. BRAKES CAUSE ERRATIC OPERATION WHENEVER BRAKES ARE APPLIED, AND CAUSES VEHICLE TO WANDER AROSS THE ROAD, WHICH COULD LEAD TO A POTENTIAL ACCIDENT; AND 3. SEATBACK WOULD CONTINUE TO MOV…
Read full complaint
ONGOING PROBLEM WITH THE FOLLOWING: 1. CRACKS DEVELOPING ON BOTH SIDES OF VEHICLE ROOF, CAN BE A POTENTIAL DANGER IN A ROLL OVER ACCIDENT; 2. BRAKES CAUSE ERRATIC OPERATION WHENEVER BRAKES ARE APPLIED, AND CAUSES VEHICLE TO WANDER AROSS THE ROAD, WHICH COULD LEAD TO A POTENTIAL ACCIDENT; AND 3. SEATBACK WOULD CONTINUE TO MOVE BACKWARDS EVERY TIME VEHICLE ROLLS OVER ANY TYPE OF BUMPS. ALSO COULD LEAD TO A VEHICLE BEING OUT OF CONTROL AND A POTENTIAL ACCIDENT. *AK
TRANSMISSION WOULD SLIP OUT OF GEAR INTO ANOTHER GEAR WHILE DRIVING. CAN TAKE OUT OF PARK & INTO REVERSE, VEHICLE WOULD GO FORWARD INSTEAD. BRAKES WOULD MAKE RATTLING SOUNDS WHEN APPLIED. WOULD HAVE EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. TAKING VEHICLE TO DEALER TO CHECK.
Official recalls
396V226000 · Seats
Nov 4, 1996
THE RECLINER MECHANISM AND THE SEAT FRAME MAY HAVE FOAM AND/OR VINYL VETWEEN THEM, CREATING A "SOFT" JOINT. THIS "SOFT" JOINT RESULTS IN LOWER THAN SPECIFIED BOLT TORQUE WHICH LEADS TO JOINT LOOSENESS, CAUSING BOLT FATIGUE AND EVENTUAL BOLT FAILURE.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: 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 WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REMOVE THE FOAM AND/OR VINYL FROM BETWEEN THE RECLINER MECHANISM AND THE SEAT FRAME "SOFT" JOINT AND REPLACE THE RECLINER BOLTS.
93V119000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:disc:rotor
Aug 2, 1993
SEVERE CORROSION DUE TO ROAD SALT AT THE JOINT OF THE STAMPED STEEL CENTER SECTION AND THE CAST OUTER SECTION CAN CAUSE THE SECTIONS TO SEPARATE.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: SEPARATION OF THE ROTOR SECTIONS CAN CAUSE LOSS OFBRAKING ABILITY IN THE AFFECTED WHEEL. THIS COULD RESULT IN INCREASED STOPPINGDISTANCE AND/OR LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL AND AN ACCIDENT.
Remedy: REPLACE THE FRONT BRAKE ROTORS WITH NEW ROTORS WITH A CORROSION PROTECTION COATING. HOWEVER, IF REPLACEMENT OF BRAKE LININGS ARE NECESSARY, IT WILL BE DONE AT OWNER'S EXPENSE SINCE BRAKE LININGS ARE NORMAL MAINTENANCE ITEMS.
93V016000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission
Feb 1, 1993
UNANTICIPATED HEAT IN THE TRANSMISSION CAN FORCE THE TRANSMISSION FLUID OUT OF THE VENT TUBE.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THE VENTED TRANSMISSION FLUID CAN CATCH FIRE IF EXPOSEDTO A SOURCE OF IGNITION.
Remedy: INSTALL A LONGER TRANSMISSION VENT HOSE ROUTED TO THE LEFT SIDE OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT OF THE VEHICLE.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1EA94029 · Engine Compartment Fires
Opened Jul 29, 1994 · Closed Jul 31, 1996
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine And Engine Cooling
AN ALLEGED MALFUNCTION IN THE ATLERNATOR RESULTING IN ENGINE COMPARTMET FIRES.