7.0

pretty bad
Typical Repair Cost:
No data
Average Mileage:
140,850 miles
Total Complaints:
2 complaints

Most common solutions:

  1. not sure (2 reports)
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problem #2

Jun 142018

Suburban LT 5.3L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 148,760 miles

I noticed the stability tracker message would come on when I started to slow and make left turns. Shortly after the the truck started to idle higher. The message cleared, but then days later it would come up again with the same symptoms. I had a tune-up done, with changing oil, spark plus, air filter, transmission filter, transmission flush for approximately $450.00, the message cleared and the truck ran smoothly..... until a week later when the engine went out.

I had a 1996 Suburban and didn't have half as many problems as I have with this truck. 2008 Suburban is simply poorly built in my opinion.

- Yvonne G., SAN RAMON, CA, US

problem #1

Aug 252016

Suburban LTZ 1500 V8

  • Automatic transmission
  • 132,913 miles

On 30 April, I was driving home from NC on a 2 lane highway under dry road conditions. I had been travelling for about an hour and a half. All at once, my Engine Check light came on, ABS Off light on, Stabilock Off alert came on, Traction Control Alert came on, Service Suspension System alert on, the instrument panel speed indicator, tachometer, fuel level and battery indicator all went to zero, the locks cycled three times, then everything returned to normal. This occurred again with the same result, except the Engine Check light remained on. I took it to my mechanic who said he couldn't identify the problem to fix it and he took it to the closest Chevrolet dealer and they had the vehicle for 25 days and reported to me that the faults had been cleared and the vehicle was running normally. They said they replaced a control module that was faulty. My wife was driving the car four days later and a repeat of the initial problems occurred, except that the problem grew worse as the cycling of the alerts continued and the car jerked when shifting gears. We took the vehicle to another Chevrolet dealer and they had the car for a week. They indicated that it was faulty wiring and that I should have no further problems. They also said whoever had done the work previously had mucked it up with wires with not connected properly and other issues. I no sooner drove the car off the lot and the problem occurred again, so I turned it around and took it back to the dealership. I got it back a couple days later and drove it maybe 240 miles before it happened again. They took it for another couple of days and the problem seemed to be fixed until yesterday, almost a month later, when my wife was driving and the check light came on, the ABS Off light on, Stabilock Off alert came on, Traction Control Alert came on, Service Suspension System alert on, the instrument panel speed indicator, tachometer, fuel level and battery indicator all went to zero, the locks cycled once, then everything returned to normal except that the engine check light remained on. When I drove it to deliver it back to the dealership, the only alert I had was the engine check light. I have seen other reports of similar problems with the electrical system, but nothing that would suggest that there is a single solution to the problem.

Update from Sep 16, 2016: have now had the vehicle in to be serviced for same electrical problems at the same Chevrolet dealership on 17 June, 30 June, 27 July, 25 Aug and 26 Aug. The dealership drove the car for several hours before calling me to pick it up and said the problem seemed to have ceased. My wife drove it home and the following morning the traction control off and service suspension system alerts came up and remained on until she arrived at work. When she started the car to go home, the alerte went away and everything operated fine. The following day she drove to work and after work drove to meet a friend 45 miles away. She then drove home, about 60 miles, and then drove about 15 miles more to meet me for dinner without incident. When we finished supper, she started the car and the Park Assist Off, Service Suspension System, Stabilock Off,Traction Control Off alerts, the Engine Check Light, ABS light came on, the instrument panel indicators all went to zero, the locks cycled several times, and the rear tail lights flashed on and off, as soon as the car was running and while she was backing out of the parking lot. The car jerks when changing gears, not a smooth transition as it should be. She dropped me off about 300 yards away so I could drive my car home, but the cycle continued for the short distance I was in the car and my wife reported that it continued all the way home. We bought the car used and it now has 133,272 miles.

Update from Sep 19, 2016: 9/18/16- car had not been driven for a day, started it and the problems returned- stabilock off, traction control off, ABS light on, Engine check light on, speedometer, tachometer, oil temp, water temp and battery to zero, locks cycled up and down. The cycling of the alerts and the locks with the instrument panel indicators remaining at zero continued continuously for about 8 miles when delivering the car to the dealership again. Came to a stop light and everything returned to normal except that the Engine Check Light and Service Suspension System and Service Stabilock System alerts remained on. Talked to dealership this morning and they have driven it several times this morning and nothing happens, it operates normally.

- Keith M., Newport News, VA, US