NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2021 Chevrolet Suburban. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
The headlight adjustment screw is broken. Was never used or adjusted and now the headlights point to the ground. GM does not offer a replacement part for the adjustment screw, the only fix is to purchase a whole new headlight assembly which is roughly $1,000 before installation costs. This causes a dangerous situation since the drivers side headlight points to the ground and it is hard to see in front of you at night.
Driving at 65MPH on a three-lane highway with heavy traffic, there was a sudden loss of motive power without any prior warning. As the motive loss occurred, the check engine repair light illuminated. I immediately illuminated my hazard lights. Luckily I had enough momentum to safely glide the vehicle over three lanes to the breakdown lane. I was fortunate that other vehicles gave way to me or that I was not on an incline, otherwise the vehicle would have been stopped in the middle of the highway. After repeated attempts, the vehicle would not restart and had to be towed to a dealership. The dealership confirmed the problem and repair was covered under warranty.
Lifter failure. At 30,000 miles the engine had lifter failure and was diagnosed and repaired by Donaldson Chevrolet in Silsbee Texas. This was covered under the original manufacturer warranty. Lifter failed occurred again approximately 13 months later and at 63,000 miles. There was no initials warning lights prior to the failure. The failure was sudden. Loud ticking/ knocking sounds and loss of power. At ideal vehicle would severely shake. Check engine light did come at time of failure. Both times the failure occurred during acceleration from a stop to approximately 40mph.
While at stoplight, check engine light came on and car starting shaking and could feel it hard shifting between gears. Heard banging noise from engine when trying to drive. Took it to the dealership and problems with camshaft and rod.
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the vehicle shut off unexpectedly and failed to restart. The transmission was in park(P) and failed to shift to neutral(N). The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V739000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who determined that the failure was due to the fuel pump module. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the failure was due to the module and a battery replacement was needed. The dealer jumpstarted the vehicle. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.
Vehicle lost power, debris in cylinder from internal damage, crank case leaking air, oil leaking into cylinder, P0300, P0308, and P050D
Seat, mirror, steering column pre-set driver adjustments do not come into proper driving configuration on a regular basis when starting vehicle. This is a dangerous situation when a malfunction does occur. Seat has tendency to squeeze driver torso into steering column and knees into dash. LH mirror inadvertently and unexpectedly tilts down toward the ground and ofter unnoticed. This makes for a dangerous condition where the driver assumes that there is no oncoming rear traffic and it's safe to pull away from a curb from a stopped position. This condition has occurred for over a year and while the vehicle was covered under factory warranty. Numerous trips to Bonner Chevrolet in Kingston service department for remedy have yielded nothing. Bonner Chevrolet walked away from this serious issue and told us there's nothing more they can do and said, sorry. In contact with Chevrolet through Chat messaging, the recommend other surrounding dealers. None are interested at this point. the chat messaging is as useless as Bonner Chevrolet. Meanwhile I'm driving and paying for a useless and dangerous vehicle which no one knows how to repair. This has been an ongoing event since June, 2023.
Has been in the dealer multiple times for very hard shifting issues. Jerks when shifting gears from stop or in lower speeds. They have tried everything and cannot figure it out. But the techs have felt it when driving as well. It has been doing it for a long time. And it’s a concern when driving, I do not feel safe.
Started car, noticed check engine light on and rough idle. Car barely would go in reverse to exit parking spot, so I attempted to pull back in. Car would not move forward. Able to switch to neutral and push back into spot. Could have been a very dangerous situation if it had occurred while driving or with my children in tow. Car would not restart at that point. Failed fuel pump @ 50,000 miles.
A warning message appeared on my 2021 Chevy Suburban dashboard that says "Service Safety Restraint System". This impacts the airbag control module under the driver seat. After doing some research on my own this is a TSB PIT5759 but it is not covered under a recall, as per my local dealership. I took the vehicle to the Chevy dealership where purchased and was told this is not a recall or warranty part. This is very disappointing as it impacts the airbag controls which in an accident could cause severe injury or death.
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the Forward Collision Avoidance system activated and abruptly applied the brakes, dramatically reducing the speed of the vehicle. Later, the contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed with the Adaptive Cruise Control activated, the vehicle inadvertently accelerated, requiring the contact to depress the brake pedal to avoid a collision. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The Forward Collision Avoidance warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the Forward Collision Avoidance warning light and the Adaptive Cruise Control module. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 28,000.
my car was hit on the side passenger back door in a parking lot while parked and nobody inside- had it look at by the chevrolet dealer- diagnosis is it needs a new engine??? make this make sense??? super disappointed with this car from the very beginning! will never buy chevrolet again
The headlight adjuster failed. As a result, the headlight points straight down creating a safety issue at night. I have read online this is a common problem on suburbans and tahoes. This happened on my car around 60k miles and only ~3 years.
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle jerked while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the VIN was not covered under NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V797000 (Power Train), which the contact linked to the failure. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.
At approximately 43,000 miles driving down the highway and lost power braking followed with a number of dash messages and lights. Took to dealer to discover the ABS Master Cylinder is bad and needs replaced and parts are 2 weeks out to have repaired. It appears after reading online this looks to be a problem with numerous people leaving comments etc.
The headlamps are defective and unexpectedly break causing them to aim basically straight down towards the pavement making it unsafe to drive at night. In February of this year I took the vehicle to Cox Chevrolet in Bradenton and they said the headlamps would need to be replaced and it would cost several thousand dollars. I rarely need to drive at night and have been taking our son's car since then. There is a chance one broke and I didn't notice at first then the second one but, at this point, it is unsafe to drive the vehicle at night. I have found several posts on online forums where owners of other GM/Chevrolet vehicles with the same headlamps have had the same experience. Some have mentioned that an adjuster pin breaks and is not repairable (which I have confirmed with a service advisor at another Chevrolet dealership). I am [XXX] who drives responsibly (i.e. not going off road in my Suburban) so having an issue like this is of concern as it makes the vehicle suddenly unsafe to drive at night. This is not a defect that is noticeable during the day so anyone purchasing a used vehicle with this problem wouldn't know they essentially don't have headlamps (I can see maybe 10 feet in front of the car) until they get on the road at nighttime. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated while driving 5 MPH up the driveway, the vehicle lost motive power. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle; however, while the vehicle was idling, the engine shut off upon depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was determined that the fuel pump power control module had failed and needed to be replaced; however, the part was on a national backorder. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V739000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired under the recall because the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was approximately 46,000.
Originally we had an engine light come on upon the engine chugging and the vehicle lunging forward at times. The diagnostic showed a bad lifter on the passenger side. They then replaced the passenger side lifters. We asked them to replace both sides since this was a known problem with our year, make, and model. They said they weren't replacing both sides of the lifters. Luckily we were still under the warranty for this repair. Now, a little over a year later on the day we were taking it to trade in, the engine light came on and the engine started chugging again. I knew immediately what the problem was. I took it to the same dealership and they quickly diagnosed it with a lifter failure on the driver side. Unfortunately we are out of warranty at 80,200 miles. The vehicle is only 2 years old. We have been advised not to drive the vehicle until it is repaired. I should not be responsible for the cost of the repair when this is obviously a known defect with the lifters for my year, make, and model. They should have replaced all lifters when the vehicle was originally brought in for the passenger side lifter failure. This should already be a recall by GM for the amount of vehicles that have and will experience this lifter failure. There is actually a class action lawsuit filed against GM for the lifter failure.
Same like my other 2 claims for livery vehicles Vehicle started losing RPMs and jerking while clients on board. Excessive fumes from exhausts started Diagnostics- misfire on a cylinder cause by faulty engine lifters. They all start like that. That also caused a cam shaft damage. Repairs paid out of pocket $14,000 for new engine. Incident happened around first week of December 2023. 200,000 miles Forums can tip you that there are many other similar cases with engine lifters issues from GM. Escalades and Suburbans and pick up trucks I will do my best to make other limo drivers from Chicago to submit same report. From my investigation problems occur between 30,000 and 200,000 miles.
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated while driving 45-55 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power inadvertently. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the fuel pump power control module had failed and needed to be replaced. Additionally, the dealer informed the contact that the battery needed to be replaced. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V739000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the dealer informed the contact that the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.
Vehicle stalled while driving in center lane on I-4 in Orlando in traffic. There were no warnings prior to the vehicle stalling. When trying to restart it, the low fuel warning appeared along with the check engine light. I was unable to restart the vehicle leaving us stranded in the middle lane of I-4 in heavy traffic. FL Road Rangers arrived to offer aid and had to manually place the vehicle in Neutral under the vehicle at the transmission. Vehicle was then pushed off the highway onto the shoulder. Vehicle was towed to Starling Chevrolet which was the closest Chevrolet dealer from the incident. Starling's Service Department had to replace the battery in order to run a diagnostic. Once the battery was replace, the diagnostic indicated that the issue is with the Fuel Pump Power Control Module Part No. 13544060 / 13554821. This part is on back order with no known availability time provided. Vehicle is still sitting at Starling Chevrolet. Although my vehicle does not show any open recalls, I found that the fuel pump power control module for the 2021 Chevrolet Suburban is part of a known Product Safety Recall N212332040 Stall While Driving.
The fuel pump power control module caused the fuel pump to fail and resulted in unexpected engine stall. The issue cause me and my 4 children to be stuck in the middle of the road waiting for a tow truck for over 3 hours. The vehicle could only be put in neutral while the car was on. Since I couldn’t start my car I could not put it in neutral to move the vehicle out of 2 way traffic. We want the issue confirmed by the dealership but the police who aided me and my children inspected the vehicle and recommend getting the fuel pump look at. No warnings were displayed.
While night driving driver noticed the driver side headlight completly pointing down providing no visibility. Vehicle was brought into GM dealership where is was discovered the Driver LED headlight adjuster screw broken causing a safety issue, where the light beam pointed down. Vehicle light assembly is currently being inspected for replacement under manufacture warranty under 36,000 miles.
Loud ticking noise coming from the engine bay and extreme shaking. All happened after dropping off clients and getting on the highway on September 5, 2023. Took vehicle to two different mechanics and they said the camshaft and lifters had to be replaced. They recommended it would be cheaper and better if I replace the whole engine, which I did and had to pay out of pocket.
Fuel pump incident identified in recall N212332040. NHTSA says our 2021 Suburban was not involved in the recall. But the incident happened 3 separate times. Our dealer made the repair under warranty.
The computer component surged, and the vehicle is available for inspection. The vehicle brake function is lost. Stepping on the brake paddle did not apply brake. Brake function was disabled by the computer. I took the vehicle to dealer, they said it was a component that has high resistance that cause it. But not sure why it has high resistance at that time and the resistance is gone after driver restarted the vehicle. No one else inspected the component beside the dealership. There was no warning at all and this is the first time it happens. Driver was just driving normally and suddenly all the light in the instructment panel started blinking and driver tried to apply brake but nothing happen. Luckly it wasn't rush hour, and driver was able to let the vehicle roll to the freeway exit on ram and use the up ram to slow the vehicle until it almost stop and changed gear to Park to stop the vehicle. Driver then restarted the vehicle and the problem is gone.
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated that while driving at 25 MPH, the brake pedal seized while depressed, and the vehicle failed to stop immediately. The check engine warning light was illuminated, and "Brake System Failure" and another unknown message were displayed. The contact coasted to the shoulder of the road and parked the vehicle before shutting off. The contact's husband then restarted the vehicle and drove to the residence while the vehicle made an abnormal grinding sound when the brake pedal was depressed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the master brake cylinder needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.
While driving on the I-4 interstate on Saturday August 5, 2023 - my 2021 Cheverolet Surburban stalled as if it had no fuel (had 3/4 of a tank). I was barely able to get over to the shoulder across three lanes of traffic on an overpass before it completely shut off! The Surburban would not start - when pressing the start button the ignition clicked for an extended period of time. We used On Star to contact GM/Chevy roadside support. They ran a remote diagnostic stating an issue with the Fuel Management System. I was told that this is a common problem with the fuel pump failure. I see there are open recalls for many other GM vehicles but not for my VIN currently. My Surburban has 40,669 miles. We waited over 3 hours for the tow truck that was dispatched by GM/Chevy. We were not in a safe location. Turns out my Surburban cannot be placed in neutral without the vehicle being started, which means it had to be dragged on and off the tow bed. I had to pay $450 to have it towed to my my home town dealer as we were 90 miles from home. We were originally going to tow it to a local dealer when the Surburban stalled but they told me not to as they are backed up and could even look at it for 9 days. I am now waiting on word from my dealer. Clearly the recall needs to be expanded based upon what we are finding online and from what everyone is telling us locally.
Safety Defect Complaint Vehicle Equipment: - Anti-lock Brakes - Full Front Air Bag - Passive Disabling Anti-theft Device Introduction: I am the registered owner and primary driver of a 2021 Chevrolet Suburban. I am filing this safety complaint regarding a serious system malfunction that occurred during an accident in 2023, resulting in injury to myself and my daughter. As a responsible vehicle owner who has maintained this vehicle according to manufacturer specifications since its purchase on July 21, 2021, I am deeply concerned about the safety implications of this incident. Safety Defect Description: In 2023, my vehicle experienced a critical system malfunction during a collision incident. While the vehicle was not in a rollover situation, the system incorrectly detected one, resulting in: 1. Complete vehicle shutdown during active accident conditions 2. All airbags deployed simultaneously 3. False rollover detection despite vehicle only experiencing vertical displacement when something from another vehicle hit the front of my vehicle Injuries and Medical Response: - Driver (self) sustained mild concussion requiring emergency transport - Daughter required emergency medical evaluation - Both occupants transported via ambulance to hospital Insurance Claim Impact: - MetLife denied accident and hospital claims - Denial basis: Absence of traffic citation - Virginia State Police report indicated no-fault accident - This denial has created significant financial hardship due to medical expenses and vehicle repairs - The vehicle's system malfunction has contributed to difficulties in proving accident circumstances Ongoing Vehicle Issues Post-Incident: - Persistent power loss issues, Multiple alignments required, Compromised driving dynamics and handling, vehicle does not track correctly despite repairs Safety Concern: The vehicle's incorrect rollover detection and subsequent complete shutdown during an active accident scenario presents a serious safety risk.
Second row drivers side seat headrest latching mechanism failed. The head rest will not stay in the upright position and is a safety hazard if someone is sitting in the seat as it hits the passenger in the back of the neck.
Engine stalled while driving on middle of the highway, lucky i was able to pull over to the breakdown lane by putting vehicle in neutral. I had reported the issue to the Chevrolet Onstar roadside assistance but while trying to get tow truck I had tried to start the engine multiple times and finally it started and left the engine light on dashboard. It was really scary with my kids in vehicle. Chevrolet should really look into this issue. My vehicle less than couple of year old and has only 16k miles.
3rd row middle seat belt covers (2) detached and fell off and seat belt retracted inside roof of vehicle. I had to fish out the seatbelt and tie to a metal clip to prevent the seatbelt from retracting inside the roof again. Third row middle seat belt is not usable.
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the engine started to misfire, and the vehicle lost motive power. The contact stated that the check engine and other unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to a dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the lifters had collapsed. The lifters were replaced on only one side of the engine. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the failure recurred one week after the repair. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 36,126.
On 27 Feb 2023 the vehicle started as usual. After parking and letting the engine idle while I assisted my elderly mother into the car, the vehicle unexpectedly stopped running. Several attempts were made to restart the car, but it only sputtered for a few seconds as if it were out of fuel. I then called GM roadside assistance and the vehicle was towed to Sandy Sansing Southern Chevrolet in Foley Alabama. My service Advisor Ronny advised me that this was a common failure of the Fuel Pump Power Control Module, however, there is no current recall. Except I did find a recall for a similar issue for other GM vehicles (Product Safety Recall N212332040 Stall While Driving) The dealership currently has 25 other vehicles awaiting a new module which could take up to 2 months.
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated while driving 15 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled without warning. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, and the dealer stated that the fuel control module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the part to repair the vehicle was not available. The failure mileage was 30,000. The VIN was not available.
My vehicle died unexpectedly in the middle of the road while backing out of my driveway with cars coming and going around me. It would not start up again nor could I put it in neutral to move it out of the way. I’ve learned my 2021 Suburban has a defective high pressure fuel modular. Also learned there is a parts shortage as well.
Service safety restraint constantly reappears. Taken into dealership 3 times and still has not been fixed. This could cause serious injury or harm and I have 4 children 10 and younger. This has been an on going problem.
"SERVICE SAFETY RESTRAINT SYSTEM" message will often and randomly display, stay illuminated for random lengths of time, and then clear. Dealer Service centers are not taking the random/intermittent fault of the Safety Restraint System seriously. Passengers are at risk (unknow severity, assume the worst) due to a Faulty Safety Restraint System.
2021 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO SAFETY RECALL ADVISING THE THIRD ROW SEATING POSITION BEING UNSAFE.
2021 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO NHTSA SAFETY RECALL 22V-617. THE CONSUMER STATED THE RECALL NOTICE INFORMED HER NOT TO USE THE 3RD ROW UNTIL THEY ARE ABLE TO FIX THE SAFETY ISSUE WITH THE SEATBELT BUT DO NOT HAVE A REMEDY FOR THE RECALL.
- unknown what system or component failed? - while awaiting to make a left turn from left turn lane with two vehicles in front and unknown number of vehicles behind me, vehicle suddenly shut off - problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by dealer, nor has shut off re-occurred since first incident October 26, 2022 - vehicle or component has not been inspected by others - there were no warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms prior to the failure on October 26, 2022, the vehicle just seemed to quietly idle down and stop
I'm writing to complain about the proposed temporary resolution of the recall. I received a letter today advising me that repair parts were unavailable and that I should simply not use the third row seats until the inspection/repairs are completed. Like many people who own Suburbans, I bought this vehicle because we are a family of six. This is the only vehicle in our home that can fit both adults and all four children. Not using the third row is simply not an option for us. This is an unacceptable solution, no matter how temporary.
With cruise control activated, at least 10 times since I bought this expensive vehicle the automated emergency braking activated at highway speeds - causing the vehicle to full brake without warning and nearly causing an accident each time (handling risk and risk of being impacted from behind by a following vehicle). I have formally reported this issue to dealers in MN and MT, and they only thing they said was they could not duplicate the condition during brief test rides and this was not a know problem. I personally know this was a known problem and GM did a safety recall for this condition on MY15-20 Suburbans. This condition is definitely an unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety. In additional, the original tires supplied by GM (Firestone) failed under normal driving conditions after only about 35,000 miles, and both GM and Firestone denied there was any warranty coverage. Since then, new Les Schwab tires failed at about the same mileage. Something is obviously not right with this vehicle, and this condition is also an unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety. Finally, last week my front passenger wheel cracked. I have not hit anything significantly hard with that wheel - but it is nonetheless cracked. This is also obviously defective and an unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety.
We were traveling approximately 30 mph approaching an intersection of a 5 lane road. A vehicle in front t of us had pulled into the turn lane. As we approached the vehicle that was already completely in the other lane, our car suddenly braked to a complete stop even though my foot was only on the accelerator as it is a 40 mph speed zone.
The vehicle is fixed
I was driving on the freeway about 65 mph on Saturday June 18. In a sudden instant, there was a message on my dash "brake module failure" and "speed limited to 62 mph". Also warning message that "forward collision warning was off" , etc. The ABS light, the "check brakes light", and the check engine light all were on. Also, the power brakes went completely out and to stop I had to press really hard with manual brakes. I don't think a small framed person would have been able to stop and if I had been at a moment where I needed to stop quickly I don't think I would have been able to stop had there been a need to stop quickly. The dealer tells me that the brake master cylinder failed. The car has 43,000 miles and has been well maintained.
2nd time in less than a year it has had lifter failure. we travel almost every weekend and this puts my family in danger being broken down on a highway, especially at night. yes it has been confirmed and have been told that it is a wide spread problem no notice before it happened
While driving, I received a notice identifying a problem with the ESC system and that there was a brake system failure. I have received an advanced diagnostics alert about the antilock braking system. the vehicle was difficult to stop and required excessive pressure on the brake pedal.
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated while driving 80 MPH, the vehicle started shuddering and the engine was misfiring. The traction control, adaptive cruise control, and check engine warning lights illuminated. The vehicle then downshifted to 40 MPH independently. The contact turned the hazard lights on and continued to drive approximately 35-40 MPH. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that two sets of engine lifters were bent and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and covered the replacement of one set of engine lifters under warranty while the other set was replaced at the owner’s expense. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 12,800.
This vehicle has a problem with their lifters in the motor. It breaks down and you cause your engine to start shaking and makes a click sound like if its rubbing to something in the motor to cause a future problem in the motor and Engine light comes on. Many people have experienced this same problem with this make and model. My left lifter when out and they fixed it but what about my right lifter why didn't they replace the right lifter. This is a problem that Chev knows, and they have not recalled the lifters. Chev going after the company that made these lifters, so they know it's a problem why hasn't this been recalled? What if I was on a long road trip when this happens. This could blow out the motor and I could be stranded in the middle of now where if this happens.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026