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2018 Chevrolet Suburban

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2018 Chevrolet Suburban do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 118.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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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

27 reports with mileage · 54 unknown

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.

  • Engine. Review the 18 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 17 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 16 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

3 crash reports0 fire reports2 injury reports

Power Train complaints

17 reports
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108,000 miles · Jun 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…

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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.

NHTSA ODI #11741333

Mileage unknown · May 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 ha…

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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.

NHTSA ODI #11738020

Mileage unknown · Mar 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 .

NHTSA ODI #11725391

Mileage unknown · Mar 12, 2026
EnginePower 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.

NHTSA ODI #11723745

Mileage unknown · Dec 17, 2025
Lane DeparturePower 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 i…

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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.

NHTSA ODI #11705521

Mileage unknown · Nov 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 sp…

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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!!!!!!!!

NHTSA ODI #11697896

Mileage unknown · Jun 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 133,0…

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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.

NHTSA ODI #11668470

Mileage unknown · Apr 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 a…

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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.

NHTSA ODI #11657682

Mileage unknown · Dec 11, 2024
Power Train

Had to replace transmission at 103000 miles. Regularly maintained no harsh driving. No warning signs it was going out till it happened

NHTSA ODI #11630254

Mileage unknown · Jun 14, 2023
Power Train

On two occasions, most recently on 6/13/23 the vehicle went from 70 mph to 10 mph very suddenly on an Interstate in heavy traffic--very dangerous. The display indicates an over-heated transmission but the dealer believes its some electrical problem. This 2018 Suburban has an 8 speed auto transmission which has a lot of on line c…

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On two occasions, most recently on 6/13/23 the vehicle went from 70 mph to 10 mph very suddenly on an Interstate in heavy traffic--very dangerous. The display indicates an over-heated transmission but the dealer believes its some electrical problem. This 2018 Suburban has an 8 speed auto transmission which has a lot of on line complaints and lawsuit pending.

NHTSA ODI #11527041

Official recalls

4

26V289000 · Power Train:transfer Case (4-WHEEL Drive)

May 7, 2026

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2026 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Suburban, and Tahoe, and GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles with four-wheel (4WD) or all-wheel drive (AWD), and certain 2015-2020 Suburban, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Yukon, Yukon XL, and Tahoe vehicles. A component missing from the drivetrain transfer case may cause the front and/or rear wheels to lock up without warning to the driver.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Front or rear wheel lockup increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicle until the remedy is completed. Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the transfer case assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 18, 2026. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-333-4223. GM's number for this recall is N262557620. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on May 7, 2026.

19V761000 · Electronic Stability Control (esc); Service Brakes; Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip:wheel Speed Sensor/tone Ring

Oct 24, 2019

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2020 Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, and GMC Yukon, and 2014-2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles equipped with a 5.3-liter engine, a 3.08-ratio rear axle and four-wheel drive. If a wheel-speed sensor fails, while the vehicle is traveling between 41 and 60 mph in four-wheel or automatic mode, the Electronic-Brake Control Module (EBCM) software may activate the driveline-protection system.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Unintended activation of the driveline-protection system will cause unintended braking on the wheel on the opposite side of the failed sensor, causing the vehicle to pull to one side unexpectedly, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the EBCM, free of charge. The recall began December 11, 2019. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N192261050.

Additional source detail variants (3)

Service Brakes

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2020 Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, and GMC Yukon, and 2014-2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles equipped with a 5.3-liter engine, a 3.08-ratio rear axle and four-wheel drive. If a wheel-speed sensor fails, while the vehicle is traveling between 41 and 60 mph in four-wheel or automatic mode, the Electronic-Brake Control Module (EBCM) software may activate the driveline-protection system.

Consequence: Unintended activation of the driveline-protection system will cause unintended braking on the wheel on the opposite side of the failed sensor, causing the vehicle to pull to one side unexpectedly, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the EBCM, free of charge. The recall began December 11, 2019. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N192261050.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip:wheel Speed Sensor/tone Ring

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2020 Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, and GMC Yukon, and 2014-2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles equipped with a 5.3-liter engine, a 3.08-ratio rear axle and four-wheel drive. If a wheel-speed sensor fails, while the vehicle is traveling between 41 and 60 mph in four-wheel or automatic mode, the Electronic-Brake Control Module (EBCM) software may activate the driveline-protection system.

Consequence: Unintended activation of the driveline-protection system will cause unintended braking on the wheel on the opposite side of the failed sensor, causing the vehicle to pull to one side unexpectedly, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the EBCM, free of charge. The recall began December 11, 2019. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N192261050.

Electronic Stability Control (esc)

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2020 Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, and GMC Yukon, and 2014-2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles equipped with a 5.3-liter engine, a 3.08-ratio rear axle and four-wheel drive. If a wheel-speed sensor fails, while the vehicle is traveling between 41 and 60 mph in four-wheel or automatic mode, the Electronic-Brake Control Module (EBCM) software may activate the driveline-protection system.

Consequence: Unintended activation of the driveline-protection system will cause unintended braking on the wheel on the opposite side of the failed sensor, causing the vehicle to pull to one side unexpectedly, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the EBCM, free of charge. The recall began December 11, 2019. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N192261050.

19V645000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:power Assist:vacuum

Sep 6, 2019

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Cadillac Escalade, 2014-2018 Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra, 2015-2018 Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Yukon vehicles. The amount of vacuum created by the vacuum pump may decrease over time.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: As the vacuum level drops, the brake assist decreases, increasing braking effort, extending the distance required to stop the vehicle, thereby increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the Electronic Brake Control Module, free of charge. The recall began October 8, 2019. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N192268490.

18V673000 · Seat Belts:rear/other

Sep 26, 2018

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Cadillac CT6, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Volt, and GMC Yukon XL vehicles. Certain second-row or third-row rear seatbelts retractor assemblies may not automatically lock when the seatbelt is fully pulled out of the retractor, possibly preventing a child seat from being properly secured. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the child seat is not properly secured in the event of a crash, it can increase the risk of injury.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rear seatbelt retractors and replace them if necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 7, 2018. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 18315.

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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.