WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND APPLYING THE BRAKES, ABS WILL FAIL. THIS HAS CAUSED VEHICLE TO CRASH TWICE. *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.
What owners actually said
499 reportsIWAS DRIVING MY SON TO AN ORTHODONIC APPOINTMENT MID MORNING, GOOD WEATHER CONDITIONS. THERE WAS RED LIGHT AHEAD WITH TWO CARS STOPPED. WHEN I BRAKED, MY VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP, AND I HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF MINE, WHICH THEN HIT THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF IT. IT FELT LIKE I DID NOT HAVE BRAKES THAT FUNCTIONED PROPERLY. IT WAS CONFU…
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IWAS DRIVING MY SON TO AN ORTHODONIC APPOINTMENT MID MORNING, GOOD WEATHER CONDITIONS. THERE WAS RED LIGHT AHEAD WITH TWO CARS STOPPED. WHEN I BRAKED, MY VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP, AND I HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF MINE, WHICH THEN HIT THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF IT. IT FELT LIKE I DID NOT HAVE BRAKES THAT FUNCTIONED PROPERLY. IT WAS CONFUSING TO ME AND I GUESS I BLAMED IT ON THE PAVEMENT. NOW THE SAME THING HAS HAPPENED TO ME HUSBAND AND I NOW KNOW THERE IS DEFINATLY A BRAKE PROBLEM. MY HUSBAND HAD UNPLUGGED THE ABS SYSTEM, ON THE ADVICE OF THE CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP. WE'RE BOTH CONCERNED ABOUT OUR INSURANCE AND WOULD LIKE SOME HELP IF THEY TRY TO RAISE OUR RATES. WE'RE ALSO OUT INSURANCE DEDUCTIBLES, NOT TO MENTION ALL THE NIGHTS I COULD NOT SLEEP THINKING ABOUT THE ACCIDENT. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CALL ME IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. MARIBEL KUEHL
THE ABS SYSTEM ON MY SUBURBAN FAILED TO STOP MY VEHICLE IN TIME TO AVOID A COLLISION WITH THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME MAKING A RIGHT HAND TURN. I WAS NOT SPEEDING AND THE WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE GREAT. I ALSO HAD PLENTY OF SPACE BETWEEN BOTH VEHICLES. I BRAKED, THE ABS SYSTEM TOOK OVER, AND MY VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP. I SIMPLY RAN…
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THE ABS SYSTEM ON MY SUBURBAN FAILED TO STOP MY VEHICLE IN TIME TO AVOID A COLLISION WITH THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME MAKING A RIGHT HAND TURN. I WAS NOT SPEEDING AND THE WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE GREAT. I ALSO HAD PLENTY OF SPACE BETWEEN BOTH VEHICLES. I BRAKED, THE ABS SYSTEM TOOK OVER, AND MY VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP. I SIMPLY RAN RIGHT INTO THE BACK OF THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. I WAS AWARE THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG AND COMPLAINED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND MY INSURANCE COMPANY ABOUT NOT BEING ABLE TO STOP. I DID NOT OCCUR TO ME TO FILE A COMPLAINT WITH THE GOVENMENT UNTIL NOW. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT MY INSURANCE COVERAGE GOING UP OR EVEN BEING CANCELLED. MY WIFE HAD THE SAME THING HAPPEN TO HER 12/1/98. EXACTLY THE SAME PROBLEM AND I WILL FILE ANOTHER COMPLAINT ON HER ACCIDENT. PLEASE SEND ME ANY DOCUMENTATION I'LL NEED TO PROVE MY CASE. ALSO, WHEN MY VEHICLE WAS BEING REPAIRED IN JUNE, EVEN THE CHEVY PEOPLE ADVISED ME TO UNPLUG THE ABS SYSTEM. THEY ALL TOLD ME THAT EVEN THEY HAD UNPLUGGED THEIRS. THAT SHOULD TELL YOU SOMETHING RIGHT THERE ABOUT THEIR ABS SYSTEM. AND I'M OUT $1000.00 IN INSURANCE DEDUCTIBLES TOO. YOUR HELP IS GREATLY APPRECIATED. SINCERELY, SCOTT A. KUEHL
I WAS TRAVELING AT A LOW RATE OF SPEED(30 MPH), ON DRY PAVEMENT, AND WAS CONFRONTED WITH A LINE OF VEHICLES THAT CAME TO AN ABRUPT STOP. I ENGAGED THE ABS BRAKE SYSTEN ON MY 1993 SUBURBAN ONLY TO CONTINUE FORWARD AND CONTACT THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. THIS ABS BRAKE SYSTEM, BASED ON MY EXPERIENCE, IS MARGINAL TO POOR AT BEST …
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I WAS TRAVELING AT A LOW RATE OF SPEED(30 MPH), ON DRY PAVEMENT, AND WAS CONFRONTED WITH A LINE OF VEHICLES THAT CAME TO AN ABRUPT STOP. I ENGAGED THE ABS BRAKE SYSTEN ON MY 1993 SUBURBAN ONLY TO CONTINUE FORWARD AND CONTACT THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. THIS ABS BRAKE SYSTEM, BASED ON MY EXPERIENCE, IS MARGINAL TO POOR AT BEST RELATIVE TO RESPONSE AND PEDEAL FEEL. REGARDS, PAUL J. LEESER
WINDSHIELD WIPERS TURN OFF WHILE WIPERS ARE OPERATING, CAUSING LOSS OF VISIBILITY. WIPER COMPUTER BOARD HAS BEEN REPLACED. *AK *YC
WINDSHIELD WIPERS ARE WORKING INTERMITTENTLY. WHEN RAINING HARD CONSUMER HAS TO PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD DUE TO POOR VISIBILITY. *YC
ABS BRAKES ENGAGE WHEN BRAKING ON UNEVEN DRY PAVED ROADS UNDER CONDITIONS WHEN ABS IS NOT NEEDED TO STOP TRUCK. THIS CAUSES EXTREMELY LONG STOPPING DISTANCES WHICH HAS CAUSED ONE THREE CAR COLLISION AND ONE VERY CLOSE MISS. DEALER SAID ABS SYSTEM WORKS FINE EVEN AFTER ACCIDENT.
APPLIED BRAKES AT 10MPH ON WET SURFACE AND BRAKES MADE LOUD NOISE, NO BRAKE PRESSURE.CONSUMER CONTACTED DEALER. *AK
WINDSHIELD WIPERS WILL START IN THE MORNING AND THEN QUIT. *AK
ABS SYSTEM ENGAGED WHEN BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED ON DRY ROADWAY, RESULTING IN NO BRAKES ON VEHICLE AND CAUSING COLLISION WITH VEHICLE IN FRONT OF MINE.
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