The 2019 drew 17 owner complaints in its first three years, against about 32 for a typical Suburban year. It is not picked as a best year: it has a recall telling owners not to drive or to park outside until it is repaired.
Years to avoid: 2015 and 2023. Based on owner complaints, not adjusted for sales.
A component missing from the drivetrain transfer case may cause the front and/or rear wheels to lock up without warning to the driver.
Risk: Front or rear wheel lockup increases the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
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.
NHTSA listing: SUBURBAN. Chevrolet campaign N262557620.
Brakes
Oct 24, 2019
antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip · wheel speed sensor/tone ring
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.
Risk: 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.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
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.
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."
Risk: If the child seat is not properly secured in the event of a crash, it can increase the risk of injury.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Cadillac CT6, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Volt, and GMC Yukon XL vehicles.
NHTSA listing: SUBURBAN. Chevrolet campaign 18315.
Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA investigations
NHTSA's investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026, lists no investigations for the 2019 Chevrolet Suburban.
What owners report
Owners have filed 79 complaints with NHTSA about the 2019 Suburban. Below, they are sorted by the problems owners describe and by the areas NHTSA files them under. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%.
Chevrolet Suburban recalls and complaints by model year
The highlighted bars are the 2019 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2015 Suburban drew the most (104) and the 2019 drew 17.
Owner complaints
2019: 79 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, Chevrolet Suburban
Model year
Complaints
2010
175
2011
235
2012
101
2013
118
2014
59
2015
432
2016
220
2017
142
2018
84
2019
79
2020
44
2021
209
2022
127
2023
150
2024
46
2025
32
2026
19
Safety recalls
2019: 3 recallsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, Chevrolet Suburban
Model year
Recalls
2010
3
2011
5
2012
4
2013
4
2014
3
2015
11
2016
6
2017
5
2018
4
2019
3
2020
4
2021
12
2022
4
2023
4
2024
2
2025
1
2026
3
Crash test ratings
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
In the 79 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2019 Chevrolet Suburban, the problems described most are transmission failure or replacement (19), jerking, lurching or harsh shifting (12), and shaking, shuddering or vibration (12). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can describe several problems.
Is the 2019 Chevrolet Suburban safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2019 Chevrolet Suburban earns 4 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.
Is NHTSA investigating the 2019 Chevrolet Suburban?
No. NHTSA's investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026, lists no investigations for the 2019 Chevrolet Suburban.
How do I check if my Suburban has an open recall?
Enter the 17-character VIN from your dashboard, door jamb or registration at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The lookup lists unrepaired recalls for that exact vehicle. Safety recall repairs are free at Chevrolet dealers.
Sources and method
NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Nov 12, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Nov 11, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026. Defect petitions, which ask NHTSA to open an investigation, are listed apart and only while open. Audit queries, which check whether a company met its recall and reporting duties rather than whether a vehicle has a problem, are not listed.
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
NHTSA model names covered: SUBURBAN.
Complaint counts are unverified owner reports. They rise with sales volume and time on the road, so compare model years with care. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.