2002 Chevrolet Suburban 1500 Engine Problems
- Complaints
- 5about this part
- Share
- 4%of 120 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 143,000miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 5 complaints about the engine of the 2002 Chevrolet Suburban 1500, 4% of the 120 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 143,000 miles.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“On two separate occasions, my family and I were coming home from two different trips. The first trip was to new orleans from south texas. On our way home, while driving on the expressway, our suburban suddenly turned off. We were driving about 70 MPH. The driver immediately put the vehicle in neutral and started the vehicle again. It turned on. We pulled over to a resting area and opened the hood, but we were unable to determine what caused the malfunction. It happened once more when we got home. This trip was during the week of july 20th, 2015. …”
NHTSA complaint #10850667, filed 2016-03, 220,000 miles“While driving on the highway, the engine just died. It does it on extremely hot days and after driving for long periods of time. There are no warnings for the engine cutting off and it is an extreme safety hazard when it suddenly loses power. It looks like this should be a safety recall issue as it is a common occurrence on this vehicle.”
NHTSA complaint #10542579, filed 2013-09, 136,000 miles“Have 2002 Chevrolet SUBURBAN 1500 4wd 5.3 engine a/t. Was driving 45 MPH when vehicle suddenly stalled out & lost all steering/brakes. 131,589 miles on odometer at time. Managed to coast vehicle onto shoulder, waited 2 minutes, started vehicle again, pulled out into busy traffic just to make it 2 blocks before stall out again. Repeated this process several more times before I found a gas station. Suspecting water in gas, added 1 bottle of gas line anti-freeze. Drove rest of way home without incident. …”
NHTSA complaint #10505113, filed 2013-03, 131,589 miles“Whether it's idling or driving shuts off I replaced the fuel pump and the wiring harnesses that come with the fuel pump and still no avail it's caused a lot of time off of work and a lot of headache I work for a reputable dealership I worked on vehicles for over 40 years”
NHTSA complaint #11072085, filed 2018-02Related service bulletins
- 11012907Dec 18, 2024This service bulletin explains how to measure for oil consumption and possible reasons for loss of oil.
- 11010544Oct 7, 2024This service bulletin explains how to measure for oil consumption and possible reasons for loss of oil.
- 11004761Jun 28, 2024This service bulletin advises of a new fuel injection cleaner kit used for decarbonizing the intake valves to correct conditions of rough idle, Crank no start, extended crank or…
- 10082869Aug 29, 2016This informational bulletin provides additional information on how to install pistons and suggest what tools to use.
- 10082814Aug 2, 2016This informational bulletin provides information to gm dealers on the correct cleaning methods when cleaning engine gasket sealing surfaces.
Engine: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 9 | 50% |
| 2025 | 14 | 44% |
| 2023 | 10 | 59% |
| 2011 | 2 | 3% |
| 2010 | 2 | 4% |
| 2009 | 6 | 11% |
| 2008 | 8 | 8% |
| 2007 | 12 | 6% |
| 2005 | 1 | 1% |
| 2004 | 3 | 2% |
| 2003 | 2 | 1% |
| 2002 | 5 | 4% |
| 2001 | 3 | 3% |
| 2000 | 1 | 1% |
| 1999 | 1 | 1% |
Other parts of the 2002 Chevrolet Suburban 1500
66 complaintsFuel system
16 complaintsEngine cooling
10 complaintsSteering
8 complaintsBody and structure
6 complaintsOther or unknown
4 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
4 complaintsEquipment
3 complaintsTires
3 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
3 complaintsElectrical system
2 complaintsAir bags
1 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2002 Chevrolet Suburban 1500
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology