2021 Chevrolet Suburban Reliability Report

A fire starting in the center dash area of a parked truck in a garage is the most serious report, with 4 injuries recorded. More common is a recurring Service Safety Restraint System warning tied to the airbag control module, which dealers fail to fix or treat as non-warranty. Other reports include a black infotainment screen with no backup camera, wipers running on their own, false hatch-open alerts, key detection faults, and the truck going dead during auto stop/start. Several engine failures with total power loss are also filed here.

Power braking assist cuts out suddenly. The pedal goes hard, the truck takes far more effort to stop, and ABS, brake and check engine lights come on with a Brake System Failure message and a speed limit of 62 or 43 mph. Dealers usually diagnose a failed brake master cylinder, though some struggle to confirm it when codes clear. One failure occurred at about 43,000 miles, and parts can take weeks. One report involves a crash in stop-and-go traffic.

Every report here involves a failed fuel pump power control module. The engine loses power or shuts off while driving, sometimes without any warning light, and often will not restart. One owner could not shift out of park. Owners link the failure to recall 21V739000, but dealers frequently say the VIN is not included. Parts on national backorder leave trucks unrepaired. Failures range from about 30,000 to 62,000 miles, and some cases also needed a new battery.

These reports center on recall 25V274000 and engine failure. Symptoms include loud ticking, knocking or banging, a check engine light, and the truck refusing to accelerate, in one case above 25 mph. Diagnoses include failed lifters, bent pushrods, damaged valves and a damaged cylinder. Owners complain that the recall repair part is not yet available and that extended warranties have denied coverage. One failure occurred at around 130,000 miles.

Headlights suddenly aim straight down at the pavement, or inward, leaving little visibility at night. The cause is a broken LED headlight adjuster screw, often on the driver side first and then the passenger side. No separate screw is sold, so the fix is a full headlight assembly at roughly $1,000 each before labor. Failures cluster around 60,000 to 62,000 miles. Some repairs were covered under the 36,000-mile warranty.

Failure to deploy is the most serious report: front and side airbags stayed stowed in a 40 mph frontal collision that left the driver with a concussion. Two of the 4 complaints are crash-related. A Service Safety Restraint System message also appears and clears at random, and owners say dealers dismiss it. One buyer found a previously wrecked truck sold with deployed rear airbags stuffed back into the roof and poor body repairs.

Air ride suspension faults drop one end of the truck to the ground while raising the other, or leave it stuck at one height. A service leveling warning appears, and speed is limited to about 55 or 56 mph, with bouncing on the road. Dealers often find no leak, wiring or compressor fault, and resets or replacing the front air suspension arm do not always fix it. One report is crash-related.