2002 Chevrolet Suburban 1500 Steering Problems
- Complaints
- 8about this part
- Share
- 7%of 120 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 76,250miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 8 complaints about the steering of the 2002 Chevrolet Suburban 1500, 7% of the 120 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 76,250 miles. 1 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers.
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.
“Sudden loss of power steering and very heaving steering requiring great effort. I made a hard u-turn and then found the steering was extremely heavy. It took both hands and a lot of force to steer the car. I pulled over, popped hood, and saw nothing wrong. No dash malfunction lights were on. At repair, the steering pump shaft had sheared where it necks down from about 3/4 to 3/8 diameter. An internet search provides many instances of the same failure. The dealer replaced the pump with a different part number which does not have the variable effort steering feature. …”
NHTSA complaint #10242899, filed 2008-09, 84,500 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“When the car is cold, the steering resists very strongly a turn to the right in the first 10-20 degrees of steering wheel turn to the right of straight. The strength of resistance is variable, depending on the speed of the vehicle. Sitting still, there is a slight ?hitch? Or nothing at all. As vehicle speed increases, the amount of resistance increases to a max at about 20-25 MPH, where it takes an ?arm wrestle? Force to move the steering to the right. It resists, fights back, then with a lot of muscle ? Pops through this resistance and feels perfectly normal. …”
NHTSA complaint #10215539, filed 2008-01, 68,000 miles“I had just pulled away from my home ( approximately going 5 MPH) and my steering wheeled locked to the right and I side swiped 2 parked vehicles. I had both hands on the wheel, was seat belted, not on my cell phone nor was I texting...my full attention was on driving and I had no control over the steering for a few seconds. I checked the power steering fluid and belts for any signs of leaks or wear, but there were no obvious signs of a malfunction. …”
NHTSA complaint #10475726, filed 2012-09“I purchased a new 2002 suburban. My intermediate steering shaft has been replaced/repaired at least 5 times since I drove it off the showroom floor. The intermediate steering shaft has begun to make noises again, indicating it is time for yet another service trip.”
NHTSA complaint #10178899, filed 2007-01Related service bulletins
- 10025148Apr 1, 2008Clunking noise under hood and can be felt in steering wheel and/or steering column (replace upper intermediate steering shaft [I-shaft] assembly).
Steering: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2 | 6% |
| 2010 | 2 | 4% |
| 2008 | 1 | 1% |
| 2007 | 2 | 1% |
| 2006 | 1 | 3% |
| 2005 | 1 | 1% |
| 2004 | 13 | 7% |
| 2003 | 9 | 5% |
| 2002 | 8 | 7% |
| 2001 | 4 | 4% |
| 2000 | 1 | 1% |
| 1999 | 4 | 5% |
| 1998 | 1 | 7% |
| 1997 | 2 | 13% |
Other parts of the 2002 Chevrolet Suburban 1500
66 complaintsFuel system
16 complaintsEngine cooling
10 complaintsBody and structure
6 complaintsEngine
5 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 31, 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