"How reliable is the 1996 Chevrolet Suburban?"

"Based on 531 NHTSA complaints, the 1996 Chevrolet Suburban has a median complaint mileage of 93100 miles. The most common issue is Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip."

"What are common problems with the 1996 Chevrolet Suburban?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 1996 Chevrolet Suburban is Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip, accounting for a significant portion of the 531 total complaints filed."

1996 Chevrolet Suburban: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 531 complaints

531

Total Complaints

93,100mi

Median Mileage

Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

53,000 25th Percentile

93,100 Median Mileage

174,000 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip

12V/24V/48V Battery

Motor

Tires

Automatic Transmission

Tread/Belt

Windshield Wiper/Washer

Disc

Foundation Components

Alternator/Generator/Regulator

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"THE REAR CAB SEAT BELT BEHIND THE DRIVER LOCKS UP. PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT"

"ABS, WHEN APPLYING BRAKES, VEHICLE PULLS VERY HARD TO RIGHT, IN FOR REPAIR ROTORS AND DISC PADS IN THE FRONT. *AK"

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

CA: 135 TX: 86 FL: 32 VA: 28 IL: 23 NC: 17 AZ: 14 PA: 14 NY: 13 MO: 12

Who Files Complaints?

49.9%

Original Owners

50.1%

Second+ Owners

Chevrolet Suburban — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

Year	Complaints	Median Mileage	Top Issue	Crashes
1990	67	-	Recliner	2
1991	65	106,744	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	6
1992	226	-	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	45
1993	616	120,000	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	110
1994	1038	124,062	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	158
1995	587	113,450	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	64
1997	556	90,000	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	27
1998	298	76,500	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	11
1999	859	81,250	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	65
2000	382	68,000	Parking Brake	30
2001	543	60,000	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	38
2002	352	63,700	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	34
2003	360	71,000	Service Brakes	39
2004	264	65,250	Instrument Cluster/Panel	14
2005	161	85,000	Electrical System	5
2006	33	84,500	Latches/Locks/Linkages	0
2007	357	80,000	Air Bags	4
2008	276	87,000	Air Bags	4
2009	133	83,500	Air Bags	1
2010	161	86,000	Air Bags	3
2011	192	68,245	Air Bags	3
2012	139	68,000	Unknown Or Other	3
2013	170	55,700	Unknown Or Other	4
2014	77	55,000	Unknown Or Other	0
2015	584	62,000	Service Brakes	29
2016	288	55,000	Service Brakes	11
2017	178	50,000	Service Brakes	8
2018	108	38,155	Engine	3
2019	84	48,000	Power Train	3
2020	59	3,250	Engine	3
2021	223	60,000	Engine	12
2022	134	64,083	Engine	7
2023	122	25,000	Engine	0
2024	42	16,600	Engine	0

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28