There are 13 owner-reported electrical system complaints for the 2002 Chevrolet Suburbanin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
I HAVE HAD SEVERAL INCIDENTS IN TWO WEEKS THAT NEARLY CAUSED SERIOUS ACCIDENTS. I WOULD BE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, SLOW AND INTERSTATE DRIVING, WHERE THE ENGINE WOULD SUDDENLY LOSE ALL POWER AND THE BATTERY LIGHT WOULD COME ON. I WOULD HAVE TO STRUGGLE TO HAVE THE VEHICLE GLIDE TO THE SERVICE LANE WITHOUT CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. THESE HAPPENED ALL TIMES OF DAY AND ALL WEATHER CONDITIONS AND CAUSED HAZARDOUS CLOSE CALLS. THE VEHICLE WAS THROUGH DIAGNOSTIC TESTING BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOUND TO HAVE A DEFECTIVE CRANK POSITION SENSOR. ATTACHED FOR YOUR INFORMATION IS A COPY OF THE INVOICE WHICH INCLUDES THE DIAGNOSIS AND REPAIRS REQUIRED. REVIEWING NHTSA COMPLAINTS THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM THAT APPEARS TO HAVE HAPPENED MANY TIMES IN THE PAST WHICH NEEDS TO HAVE A NHTSA INVESTIGATION AND RECALL. PLEASE ADVISE IF IT WOULD HELP GET THIS PROBLEM ADDRESSED IF I SEEK LEGAL, LEGISLATIVE OR REGULATORY RELIEF. I LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR RESPONSE. THANK YOU. *TR
THE CIRCUIT BOARD UNDER THE DRIVERS SEAT SHORTED OUT AND CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE THE CAR WAS OCCUPIED.
I HAVE A 2002 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN. I HAVE HAD IT FOR TWO YEARS. I AM HAVING PROBLEMS SIMILAR TO WHAT IT'S THE GM RECALL. THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN EVERYTIME I DRIVE. I CAN BE DRIVING DOWN THE STREET OR ON THE EXPRESSWAY AND MY VEHICLE WILL JUST SHUT OFF AND THE BATTERY LIGHT WILL COME ON. AFTER SITTING FOR A FEW MINUTES, THE TRUCK WILL START BACK UP WITH NO PROBLEM OR WITHOUT HAVING ANY BOOST. I HAVE BEEN HAVING THIS PROBLEM SINCE I HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE AND NOONE COULD EVER TELL ME WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. I THINK IT IS THE IGNITION SWITCH. PLEASE ASSIST ME IN FINDING OUT HOW I CAN GET MY TRUCK FIXED AS I AM A MOTHER OF 4 AND THAT IS MY ONLY MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION. I AM BLESSED FOR HAVING NOT BEING IN A FATAL ACCIDENT OR ACCIDENT PERIOD DUE TO THIS PROBLEM SINCE I HAVE HAD THIS VEHICLE. THANKS. *TR
WE WE WERE TRAVELLING AT ABOUT 75 MILES WHEN THE CAR SHUT DOWN. ALL ELECTRICAL STATUS LIGHTS AND THE ENGINE WENT OFF. WE COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, PUT THE VEHICLE IN PARK AND IT STARTED RIGHT AWAY. *TR
LAST YEAR THE ODOMETER AND GEAR SELECTION DISPLAY ON MY 2002 CHEVY SUBURBAN WOULD GO OUT THEN A WHILE LATER IT WOULD COME BACK ON. THIS WENT ON FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS WITH THE DISPLAY STAYING OFF FOR LONGER AND LONGER TIMES. AROUND DECEMBER 2013, THE DISPLAY WENT OUT PERMANENTLY. I TOOK MY 2002 SUBURBAN FOR THE REQUIRED SMOG TEST ON APRIL 28,2014 AND SINCE THERE WAS NO ODOMETER MILEAGE DISPLAYED ( EVEN AFTER PRESSING THE ODOMETER BUTTON WITH THE ENGINE OFF ), THE TECHNICIAN HAD TO PUT DOWN "NONE" UNDER MILEAGE. THE SITUATION OF NOT HAVING A DISPLAY FOR DISPLAYING WHAT GEAR YOU ARE IN IS A SAFETY ISSUE! A PERSON MIGHT ACCIDENTALLY PUT THE VEHICLE IN DRIVE INSTEAD OF REVERSE. ALSO WITHOUT AN ODOMETER, IT IS GOING TO BE HARD TO ESTIMATE THE MILEAGE WHEN SELLING THE VEHICLE. *TR
2002 SUBURBAN JUST STOPS WHILE DRIVING, NO WARNING NO LIGHTS ON THE DASH OR NOTHING IT JUST STOPS. AT DIFFERENT SPEEDS. CHANGED INJECTORS FUEL FILTER PUMP AND STILL THE SAME PROBLEM EVEN CHANGED THE FLEX FUEL SENSOR. SOME ONE WILL DIE BECAUSE OF THIS IN THE FUTURE IF THEY HAVEN'T DONE SO YET. I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS ON THE INTERNET AND A LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. MAYBE ITS A COMMUTER PROBLEM OR SOMETHING ELSE BUT IT NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT SOON. THANK YOU *TR
SPEEDOMETER ON 2002 AND 2003 MODEL OF CHEVROLET SUBURBAN STICKS AT A RANDOM PLACE. WE HAVE BEEN PULLED OVER TWICE BY POLICE FOR DRIVING TOO SLOW. HAPPENED MORE THAN ONCE. *TR
2002 SUBURBAN 2500 8.1 FAULTY CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR. VEHICLE DIED ON HIGHWAY AT 65 MPH. ALMOST CRASHED INTO OTHER VEHICLES. THIS HAPPENED A FEW TIMES. THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE DIAGNOSED. DUE TO THE SENSOR FAULT NEVER BEING STORED IN THE FAULT CODES. THE 2001 8.1 HAS BEEN RECALLED FOR THIS REASON WHY HASN'T THE 2002 ITS THE SAME PART NUMBER? THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ISSUE. I HAVE THE OLD PART. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
CAR HAS HAD LIGHTS DIMMING WHEN ELECTRIC DEVICES ARE OPERATING. CAR HAS NEW ALTERNATOR, BELTS, IDLER PULLEY AND BATTERY. CAR WAS MAKING A RIGHT TURN WITH TURN SIGNAL ON. BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON AND ENTIRE VEHICLE-ENGINE AND ALL LIGHTS SHUT DOWN. PULLED TO SIDE OF ROAD AND ENGINE STARTED AGAIN. *TR
2002 CHEVY SUBURBAN WITH 8.1L MOTOR RANDOMLY SHUTS DOWN AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS OR IN TRAFFIC WITHOUT WARNING WHICH CAUSES LOSS OF STEERING AND BRAKING. I HAVE HAD 3 SEPARATE DEALERS LOOK AT IT AND THE "CODES" NEVER REFLECT WHAT HAPPENED. I EVEN READ THE CURRENT NHTSA ACTION PE06016 DESCRIPTION TO THE SERVICE TECH (AS I WRITE THIS MY VEHICLE IS IN THE SHOP FOR "ENGINE LOSSES ALL POWER AND DIES AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS OR NO START AND STALLING CONDITIONS") AND DESCRIBED THESE EXACT SYMPTOM AND HE SAID THE CODES DON'T REFLECT THAT. *NM
STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE INDICATORS ON THE DASH COMING ON WHEN THEY SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN AND ALSO THE TACH QUIT WORKING. THEN EVERYTHING WOULD START WORKING PROPERLY AGAIN. THIS HAPPENED 3 TIMES AND THE LAST INCIDENT WAS THE ODOMETER RESET TO "0", SO NOW WE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT OUR MILEAGE IS AND ALSO THE CLOCK ON THE RADIO JUMPS AHEAD A COUPLE HOURS. I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR A NEW GAUGE CLUSTER AT THE COST OF $200-$300 AND ALSO $60 FOR A SOFTWARE UPGRADE FOR THE OTHER DASH PROBLEMS. I ALSO CALLED GM AND LET THEM KNOW ABOUT IT AND TOLD THEM I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO PAY FOR A NEW GAUGE CLUSTER SINCE IT SEEMS THERE IS A DESIGN FLAW AND ALSO THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE ODOMETER RESETTING. *JB
TRAVELING 60 MILES PER HOUR AT NIGHT, THE CONSUMER TRIED TO PUT THE FOG LIGHTS ON SINCE IT WAS FOGGY OUT AND THE HEAD LIGHTS WENT OFF. THE DOME OVERRIDE BUTTON TURNS THE HEADLIGHTS OFF. THE CONSUMER STRUCK THE BARRIER CAUSING SOME DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. THERE IS A DESIGN FLAW WITH THE VEHICLE DEEMING IT UNSAFE. *NM
WHILE STARTING THE VEHICLE IT CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A GARAGE FOR INSPECTION. THE CAUSE HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED AT THIS TIME. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *JB
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026