IllustrationREAR DIFFERENTIAL CARRIER ON MY 1993 SUBURBAN K1500 BROKE AND LOCKED THE REAR WHEELS, FORM MY UNDERSTANDING THIS IS A COMMON OCCURANCE ON THESE TRUCKS AND GM SHOULD BE AWARE OF HOW OFTEN THESE THINSG BREAK AND THE POTENTIAL FOR LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL OF THIS HAPPENED AT HIGH SPEED.
1993 GMC Suburban
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
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: 4 of 212 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 161 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Visibility. Review the 19 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 10 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
31 crash reports4 fire reports6 injury reports
Power Train complaints
10 reportsTHIS FAILURE HAS OCCURRED 4 TIMES OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS WITH NO METHOD OF CORRECTION BY GMC. NO SAFETY DEFECT STATED IN SUMMARY. *AK
EA95026, POOR BRAKE PERFORMANCE; INTERMITTENTLY WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES, THEY LOCK UP, CAUSING VEHICLE TO GO INTO A SLIDE. THIS CONDITION HAS LED TO TWO REAR END CRASHES. DEALERSHIP IS NOT ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR PANEL RATTLED, THE DEALER FOUND THE BEZEL TO BE CRACKED AND BROKEN. CONSUMER F…
Read full complaint
EA95026, POOR BRAKE PERFORMANCE; INTERMITTENTLY WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES, THEY LOCK UP, CAUSING VEHICLE TO GO INTO A SLIDE. THIS CONDITION HAS LED TO TWO REAR END CRASHES. DEALERSHIP IS NOT ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR PANEL RATTLED, THE DEALER FOUND THE BEZEL TO BE CRACKED AND BROKEN. CONSUMER FEELS VEHICLE GETS BAD GAS MILEAGE. THE TRANSMISSION COOLER HOSES AND LINE SEALING WERE LEAKING. *SLC
I HAVE MADE SURE I HAVE DONE PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE TO ENSURE THAT NOTHING MAJOR WOULD HAPPEN . HOWEVER, I SPENT $2,600 TO REPLACE THE REAR DIFFERNTIAL IN 1997 AND NOW AFTER PUTTING THE CAR IN REVERSE ON 3/17/00 THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL EXPLODED. NOW THE MECHANICS ARE TELLING ME THAT IT WILL COST 4,000 BECAUSE THERE ARE NO USED IDF…
Read full complaint
I HAVE MADE SURE I HAVE DONE PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE TO ENSURE THAT NOTHING MAJOR WOULD HAPPEN . HOWEVER, I SPENT $2,600 TO REPLACE THE REAR DIFFERNTIAL IN 1997 AND NOW AFTER PUTTING THE CAR IN REVERSE ON 3/17/00 THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL EXPLODED. NOW THE MECHANICS ARE TELLING ME THAT IT WILL COST 4,000 BECAUSE THERE ARE NO USED IDFFERENTIALS AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY ARE ALL BROKEN. I HAVE SPENT THOUSANDS FIXING THE ROTARS, EVEN AFTER GETTING REGULAR BRAKE INSPECTIONS. OTHER ITEMS I DID NOT REPORT ARE THE THREE REAR PASSENGER SEAT BELTS THAT BROKE, THE DOOR LOCKS CONSTANTLY GET SUCK AND I HAVE TO USE A SCREW DIRIVER TO UNLOCK THEM, AND IT TAKES TWO HANDS TO TURN THE KEY LOCKS BECAUSE THEY ARE SO HARD TO TURN. WITH ALL THAT SAID, MY MJAOR CONCERN IS WHY THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL JUST EXPLODES, EVEN AFTER GETTING MY BREAKS AND AR FLUIDS INSPECTED.THE SUBURBAN IS A GMC 1500, SLE MODEL K10906. *AK
THIS SUBURBAN HAS PROBLEMS WITH THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS RUNNING FOR A WHILE THEN SIMPLY STOPING FOR A FEW MINUTES, THEN RUNNING AGAIN. I AM TOLD BY GMC THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM BUT IS NOT COVERED BY A WARRANTY. THE WIPER PULSE MODULE I AM TOLD IS THE DEFECTIVE COMPONENT IN THESE CASES. THE TRANSMISSION SLIPS AND OCCATIONALLY LEA…
Read full complaint
THIS SUBURBAN HAS PROBLEMS WITH THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS RUNNING FOR A WHILE THEN SIMPLY STOPING FOR A FEW MINUTES, THEN RUNNING AGAIN. I AM TOLD BY GMC THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM BUT IS NOT COVERED BY A WARRANTY. THE WIPER PULSE MODULE I AM TOLD IS THE DEFECTIVE COMPONENT IN THESE CASES. THE TRANSMISSION SLIPS AND OCCATIONALLY LEAVES A PUDDLE UNDER IT IF IT HAS BEEN DRIVEN FOR A WHILE. THE GUAGES ARE RANDOM IN THIER READINGS FOR OIL PRESSURE, TEMP, AND AMPERES.... THE FUEL SEEMS TO BE ACCURATE. OTHER PROBLEMS ARE NOT AS OBVIOUS BUT ANNOYING NONE THE LESS
IN A PANIC STOP THE BRAKE PEDAL GOES TO THE FLOOR , RESULTING IN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. SUBSEQUENTLY, LEFT/REAR BRAKES SHOES FROZE TO DRUMS AT DIFFERENT TIMES. THEY WERE REPLACED. ALSO VEHICLE HAS NO TRACKING SYSTEM. *AK
MUFFLER MALFUNCTIONED.
WHILE DRIVING 35MPH THE REAR AXLE FELL OFF THE VEHICLE, CAUSING THE WHEELS TO SEPARATE. *AK
THE REAR AXLE IS RUBBING METAL ON METAL WHICH COULD CAUSE A FIRE OR LOCK UP. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK
ATV 21,000 TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED; BURNED PART WHEN HOT; THGEY DON'T WANT TO SHIVFT WHEN PULLING A TRAILER. *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.