WHENEVER THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED PEDAL GOES TO FLOOR. WOULD PUMP PEDAL & ABS BRAKES WOULD REENGAGE TO STOP VEHICLE. WOULD EXPERIENCE A GREATER STOPPING DISTANCE THAN USUAL WHEN THIS HAPPENS. HAD BEEN TO MECHANIC & WAS INFORMED ABS BRAKES NEEDED NEW MONITOR. *AK
1993 Chevrolet Suburban
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Suburban years
Owner complaints for the 1993 Chevrolet Suburban are substantially higher than 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: 17 of 499 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.
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 370 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Visibility. Review the 43 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Tires. Review the 21 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic complaints
370 reportsTHE FRONT WHEELS OF ANTI LOCK SYSTEM LOCK-UP CAUSING VEHICLE TO SLIDE ON SNOW / ICE. *YC
WHILE MAKING A SUDDEN STOP VEHICLE CONTINUED TO TRAVEL, RESULTING IN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. PLEASE PROVE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
WHEN ABS BRAKES ARE APPLIED VEHICLE WOULD PULL TO LEFT & SWERVE. BEEN TO DEALER NUMEROUS TIMES & PROMISED PROBLEM WOULD BE REPAIRED. BUT IT REAPPEARED. *AK
THIS FAILURE IS SIMILAR TO MY PREVIOUS POSTING OF 2 FAILURES. I WAS DRIVING AT A SPEED OF 30 MPH WHEN I HAD TO STOP SUDDENLY. THE BRAKES MADE A LOUD GROANING SOUND AND THE WHEELS LOCKED UP IN A SKID. ONCE AGAIN, THIS ALMOST RESULTED IN A CRASH. AFTERWARDS, THE BRAKES SEEMED TO BE VERY SOFT FOR A PERIOD OF TIME.
WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED IN A PANIC STOP , THE DRIVER HEARD A LOUD NOISE, PEDAL BECAME SOFT AND WENT TO THE FLOOR, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE WHICH RESULTED IN LOSS OF MASTER CYLINDER. THE DEALER HAS REPLACED THE MASTER CYLINDER. *AK *ML
ON FIRST FAILURE, BRAKES WENT TO THE FLOOR WHEN APPLIED AT SPEED OF 25 MPH. VEHICLE DID NOT STOP AS IT SHOULD HAVE AND ALMOST RESULTED IN A CRASH. ON SECOND FAILURE, APPLICATION OF BRAKES AT 30 MPH RESULTED IN TIRE LOCK AND SKID. ABS WAS NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. ATTEMPT TO RECREATE THE FAILURE MODE WAS UNSUCCESSFULL. FAILU…
Read full complaint
ON FIRST FAILURE, BRAKES WENT TO THE FLOOR WHEN APPLIED AT SPEED OF 25 MPH. VEHICLE DID NOT STOP AS IT SHOULD HAVE AND ALMOST RESULTED IN A CRASH. ON SECOND FAILURE, APPLICATION OF BRAKES AT 30 MPH RESULTED IN TIRE LOCK AND SKID. ABS WAS NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. ATTEMPT TO RECREATE THE FAILURE MODE WAS UNSUCCESSFULL. FAILURES APPEAR TO BE RANDOM.
ANTI-LOCK BREAKS PROVIDE NO/INADEQUATE STOPPING CAPABILITY ON SLIGHTLY SLIPPERY SURFACES. ON SUCH SURFACES, THE ABS PUMP CAN BE HEARD WHEN HOLDING THE BREAK PEDAL FIRMLY BUT THERE IS VIRTUALLY NO STOPPING CABABILITY. I HAVE HAD TO DRIVE OFF THE ROAD OR MISS TURNS ON NUMEROUS OCCASSIONS DUE TO INADEQUATE BREAKING. I WAS DISTUR…
Read full complaint
ANTI-LOCK BREAKS PROVIDE NO/INADEQUATE STOPPING CAPABILITY ON SLIGHTLY SLIPPERY SURFACES. ON SUCH SURFACES, THE ABS PUMP CAN BE HEARD WHEN HOLDING THE BREAK PEDAL FIRMLY BUT THERE IS VIRTUALLY NO STOPPING CABABILITY. I HAVE HAD TO DRIVE OFF THE ROAD OR MISS TURNS ON NUMEROUS OCCASSIONS DUE TO INADEQUATE BREAKING. I WAS DISTURBED TO FIND THIS WAS NOT PART OF THE RECENT RECALL OF 3.5 MILLION OTHER GM LIGHT TRUCKS AS THE SYMPTOMS DESCRIBED ARE EXACTLY WHAT I HAVE ENCOUNTERED ON MY '93 2WD SUBURBAN. PLEASE HELP AS I FEEL IN JEOPARDY DRIVING THIS VEHICLE IN WET AND SNOWY CONDITIONS.
VEHICLE EXPERIENCED ANTI-LOCK BRAKE FAILURE, CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL, RESULTING IN COLLISION. *YC
WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED PEDAL GETS HARD, RESULTING IN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE, AND CAUSING A MINOR COLLISION. THE DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. *AK
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
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
3DP00001 · Oem Hitch Receiver Platform Cracking
Opened Jan 31, 2000 · No close date supplied
Status: open (inferred from source dates) · Equipment
THE PETITION ALLEGES THAT CRACKS IN THE HITCH RECEIVER PLATFORM MAY LEAD TO SEPARATION OF THE TRAILER AND LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL
EA95026 · Poor Brake Performance
Opened Sep 20, 1995 · Closed Sep 20, 2001
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic
POOR PERFORMANCE OF ABS BRAKES
EA94029 · 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.
Illustration