"How reliable is the 2002 Chevrolet Suburban 1500?"

"Based on 144 NHTSA complaints, the 2002 Chevrolet Suburban 1500 has a median complaint mileage of 111653 miles. The most common issue is Service Brakes."

"What are common problems with the 2002 Chevrolet Suburban 1500?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2002 Chevrolet Suburban 1500 is Service Brakes, accounting for a significant portion of the 144 total complaints filed."

2002 Chevrolet Suburban 1500: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 144 complaints

144

Total Complaints

111,653mi

Median Mileage

Service Brakes

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

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

69,789 25th Percentile

111,653 Median Mileage

150,000 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Service Brakes

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

Fuel/Propulsion System

Parking Brake

Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip

Engine

Engine And Engine Cooling

Steering

Fuel System, Gasoline

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"FOLLOW UP TO SEE IF AN INVESTIGATION HAS BEEN OPENED REGARDING TWO VEHICLES WITH OFF CENTER STEERING PROBLEMS.*MR SERIAL NUMBER #[XXX] AND [XXX]. *CB *JB INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR"

"#5 CYLINDER 1164 MISFIRES. COLLAPSED LIFTER, BROKEN RINGS. THE DEALERSHIP WENT ON FISHING EXPEDITION, CHARGING ME $271.82 FOR UNNECESSARY WORK (NEW SPARK PLUG AND WIRES). WENT FOR SECOND DIAGNOSES, CORRECTLY DIAGNOSED THIS TIME INDICATING THE ABOVE. MECHANIC CONTACTED GMPP (EXTENDED WARRANTY),TOLD G..."

"EMERGENCY BRAKE WASN'T WORKING WHEN I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. I DIDN'T KNOW IT AT THE TIME. I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE EMERGENCY BRAKES AND THAT THERE MAY BE A RECALL TO FIX THE PROBLEM. I PURCHASED IT ON 10-15-2005. THE MILEAGE WAS 64095. MILEAGE NOW IS 70129. I WOULD ALWAYS USE TH..."

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

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

When Does Each Component Fail?

Median mileage at complaint for top components.

Service Brakes 33 complaints

25th: 78,280 mi Median: 131,589 mi 75th: 180,000 mi

Service Brakes, Hydraulic 21 complaints

25th: 73,133 mi Median: 96,207 mi 75th: 135,000 mi

Fuel/Propulsion System 8 complaints

25th: 139,500 mi Median: 153,000 mi 75th: 200,250 mi

Parking Brake 8 complaints

25th: 65,000 mi Median: 77,000 mi 75th: 90,171 mi

Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip 5 complaints

25th: 78,650 mi Median: 100,000 mi 75th: 101,932 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

TX: 22 FL: 11 MI: 11 CA: 8 GA: 8 MD: 8 NJ: 8 VA: 7 NC: 6 NY: 5

Who Files Complaints?

18.8%

Original Owners

81.2%

Second+ Owners

Chevrolet Suburban 1500 — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

Year	Complaints	Median Mileage	Top Issue	Crashes
1997	21	110,000	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	0
1999	91	110,000	Service Brakes, Hydraulic	6
2000	72	117,000	Service Brakes	6
2001	102	108,650	Service Brakes, Hydraulic	9
2003	223	90,005	Service Brakes	6
2004	220	85,000	Instrument Cluster/Panel	2
2005	102	60,000	Instrument Cluster/Panel	2
2006	35	68,000	Electrical System	0
2007	240	74,000	Air Bags	5
2008	131	69,000	Air Bags	4
2009	70	75,000	Air Bags	0
2010	70	72,500	Air Bags	0
2011	108	80,000	Air Bags	1
2023	25	-	Engine	0
2025	31	-	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