2010 Chevrolet Suburban 1500 Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe cracks in the dashboard, usually near the passenger airbag cover or over the instrument cluster, and many complaints raise concern about airbag deployment. A second group concerns Takata airbag recall repairs, where owners say replacement parts or a repair date were not available. Cracks are reported at both low and high mileage, and a complaint describes a crack appearing suddenly while driving.

1. 1
   Air bags

   Cracked dashboard near the passenger airbag

   • 30 complaints (57%)
   • median 75,000 mi at 5.9 yrs old (23 state mileage)
   • filed 2014–2019

   Owners describe cracks across the upper dashboard, often running toward or beside the passenger airbag cover and sometimes over the instrument cluster. Some say the cracked plastic rattles or vibrates while driving, and some worry that sharp fragments could interfere with airbag deployment or injure occupants. Some complaints say the dealer replaced the cracked dash, while others say GM would not replace it. Reported from about 10,000 to over 170,000 miles, mostly between 40,000 and 130,000, and some complaints describe cracks appearing while the vehicle was parked.

   What to check: Inspect the upper dashboard for cracks, especially near the passenger airbag cover and over the instrument cluster. Ask the seller or dealer whether the dashboard has been repaired or replaced, and ask for that answer in writing.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Takata recall, just like everyone else, GM is not able or willing to replace the takata inflators which brings me to the cracked dashboards. Mine is badly cracked including where the airbag would come out, which really worries me if my grandkids are in the passenger seat and there is a collision. I pray that does not happen.”

   NHTSA complaint #11046569, filed 2017-11, 50,000 miles

   “The dash is cracking in multiple locations which if the airbags were to deploy could send shards of plastic flying through the passenger compartment creating a safety hazard. This has been occurring for some time but is continuing to get worse, and we have recently noticed that it has broken all the way across one of the dash panels. I have looked online and this appears to be a issue with many Chevrolet vehicles.”

   NHTSA complaint #11109546, filed 2018-07, 75,000 miles
2. 2
   Air bags

   Takata airbag recall: parts and repair delays

   • 10 complaints (19%)
   • median 80,000 mi at 5.9 yrs old (5 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2014–2018

   Owners who mention the Takata airbag recall say replacement parts were not available, and the dealer reportedly confirmed this. Some complaints say the repair has taken too long, and others say GM would not replace the inflators or gave no fix date. Some complaints question the recall information GM provided, and some owners say they worry about their airbags while they wait. Where mileage is listed, these complaints fall between about 50,000 and 120,000 miles, and several complaints do not list mileage.

   What to check: Ask the dealer whether the Takata airbag recall repair has been completed for this vehicle and whether a parts date has been set. Check the vehicle's recall status with the official recall lookup before buying.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Takata recall - the information available from GM on this recall is that at this time, GM considers your vehicle safe. The fact that 11 people so far have been killed by takata airbag's tells me it is not safe for my family to have these in our vehicle.”

   NHTSA complaint #10946766, filed 2017-01

   “The dash is cracked at the corner of the passenger airbag. This seems to be a repeated issue with GM and is clearly a defect when so many of their vehicles have been effected in the same place! There is already a recall on the passenger airbag that GM isn't wanting to fix and now my dash is cracked completely apart by the passenger airbag. How safe is this, where is their responsibility?”

   NHTSA complaint #10972376, filed 2017-04, 116,500 miles
3. 3
   Vehicle speed control

   Sudden power loss or unexpected acceleration

   Mentioned in 4 of 41 sampled complaints

   Complaints describe a loss-of-power warning with the engine running rough or the vehicle stalling, and separately a vehicle that kept accelerating when the brake was pressed. According to complaints, OnStar pointed to the throttle body sensor as the suspected source, and in another case the dealer and OnStar could not reproduce the problem. Where mileage is listed, these complaints fall between about 41,500 and 130,000 miles, with some incidents at around 40 to 50 mph.

   What to check: Ask whether any power-loss or stability warning has appeared, and have a technician check the throttle and stability system for stored codes before purchase.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “On mother's day I was driving my 2010 chevy suburban with 92k miles on it. When I was leaving the car wash I accelerated on the gas to get onto hwy 29. As soon as I got unto hwy 29 a car switched from the left lane to cross over in front of my vehicle to get on to the on ramp for hwy 37 east. I pressed the brake to ensure I wouldn't hit him. However, when I pressed the brake the SUV was still accelerating. So I looked down to see if the gas peddle was stuck under the mat. It wasn't. So pressed the brake harder. The SUV was still accelerating. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10994148, filed 2017-06, 92,843 miles

   “Stabilitrak and engine warning lights flashing, warning chime bong-bonging, and dic says stabilitrak off, service stabilitrak, and engine power reduced. Running rough”

   NHTSA complaint #11119955, filed 2018-08, 130,000 miles

Buying note. When considering this model year, look closely at the upper dashboard and ask whether any Takata airbag recall repair is still pending. During a test drive, pay attention to any warning lights or changes in power, and ask whether a throttle or stability system inspection has been done.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 41 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.