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Chevrolet SuburbanModel year report

2015 Chevrolet Suburban Problems

Compared with other Chevrolet Suburban years

More complaints than typical for this model

100/100 7.6× a typical year · 50 = typical

Nearby years with fewer complaints than typical and no open NHTSA investigation: 2014

Based only on NHTSA complaints, recalls and investigations. Not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold, and not a reliability rating. How this is calculated

Complaints
431filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
62,000miles, 293 complaints with mileage
Recalls
111 do-not-drive
Trend
FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
4 / 5stars overall, 2 rated versions
EPA fuel economy
18 mpgcombined, 5.3L 8-cyl RWD · 16 city / 23 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2015 Chevrolet Suburban (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests, EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Owners of the 2015 Suburban most often describe brake problems: a hard or low pedal that makes stopping difficult, mainly at low speed and often after a few pedal applications. Steering-assist loss, transmission failures and roof and trim problems are also reported, usually at higher mileage. Many complaints reference recalls and software updates that owners say did not fully resolve the symptom.

  1. Brakes

    Hard or low brake pedal, reduced power assist

    • 130 complaints (30%)
    • median 66,103 mi at 4.2 yrs old (104 state mileage)
    • 7 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • owner-quoted repair $925 (median of 8 quotes)
    • filed 2015–2026

    Owners describe the brake pedal becoming very stiff or sinking to the floor, often at low speed, when parking, reversing out of a driveway, or in stop-and-go traffic. Some report needing to apply heavy pressure or use the parking brake to stop. Dealers reportedly replaced the vacuum pump or master cylinder, or performed recall software updates, and some owners say the symptom returned afterward. Most reports are between roughly 45,000 and 120,000 miles, with some at very low mileage, and often at low speed or while maneuvering.

    Recall 19V761000Recall 19V6450001 related service bulletin

    What to check: Ask whether recall 19V645 and 19V761 software updates were applied, and press the pedal repeatedly at low speed during a test drive to check for a hard or sinking pedal. Have the vacuum pump and brake system checked by an independent shop.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “My car had a recall for brake system. I got the recall done at a Chevrolet dealership in denison tx and it made the brakes whole lot worse. Now it makes lot of noise and service brake assist sign comes up on dashboard very often. I talked to dealership and Chevrolet customer service but they want me to pay for the replacement of the brake pump. The problem wasn't there before I took the car in. Dealership and Chevrolet refuse to help. Please interven.”

    NHTSA complaint #11388157, filed 2021-01, 180,000 miles

    “There is a vibration at the speed of 70-85. My breaking has issues. I press pedal and it feels like its broke . I try and stop at times (more often than not) and I really have to press and its like the brakes are not stopping my vehicle at all. Very bumpy ride. Should be smoother and I think it has to do with the wheels and vibration. Vehicle was purchased april of 2019 and it seems to get worse. Husband has spoken with dealership and its just kind of blown off. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11299307, filed 2020-01, 95,000 miles
  2. Steering

    Intermittent loss of power steering assist

    • 49 complaints (11%)
    • median 80,500 mi at 4.3 yrs old (34 state mileage)
    • 6 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2015–2026

    Complaints describe the steering wheel becoming stiff or briefly losing assist, most often at low speed, in parking lots, or during turns, then returning. Some owners report the engine shutting off or stalling at the same time, or warning lights for stability control and park assist appearing. Owners mention dealers reprogramming the steering module or finding no fault. Reported across a wide mileage range, from nearly new to over 150,000 miles, typically at low speed while turning.

    Recall 18V586000Recall 14V719000

    What to check: Ask whether the electric power steering recalls were completed, then test slow turns and parking maneuvers for any stiffness or warning lights.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “It's been over two months that I started having problems with my vehicle. When I turn my sterring wheel to make a turn my vehicle turn off;or when I reverse. Also on the dash board I noticed a warnig that reads parking assistance off; open driver window and close. And that speeddometer is frequently changing to a radio station I still paying my vehicle and is not fair for me to be driving a vehicle under this conditions. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11267155, filed 2019-10, 1 miles

    “This is a known issue. Loss of steering assist occurred this past week, 3 times. We took the vehicle in for the recall on this item 5-16-19, when the system was reprogrammed by the techs at the chevy dealership. We had never experienced this issue. Then last week, the issue occurred. There was a temporary loss of power assist on a long right hand turn at 35 MPH when a female was driving which caused some concern. Then yesterday the steering stopped entirely in a parking lot. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11308677, filed 2020-02, 92,000 miles
  3. Transmission and drivetrain

    Transmission failure or harsh shifting

    • 48 complaints (11%)
    • median 97,855 mi at 4.8 yrs old (24 state mileage)
    • 6 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • owner-quoted repair $5,400 (median of 6 quotes)
    • filed 2014–2026

    Owners report the transmission failing while driving, with shuddering, humming, hard or delayed shifts, or the vehicle dropping out of gear and losing power. Some describe the vehicle stalling in traffic and needing a tow. According to complaints, dealers diagnosed failed transmissions needing replacement, often just outside warranty. Mostly reported from about 80,000 miles upward, often during highway driving or towing.

    Recall 14V374000Recall 14V152000

    What to check: Check transmission fluid condition and service history, and drive at highway speed and under light load to feel for shudder, slipping or delayed engagement.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “My 2015 Suburban has 103000 miles on it and the transmission failed. It is going to cost $5300 to repair. It is just over the powertrain warranty so this will be out of our pocket. Suburbans have known transmission issues. We believe a $60,000 vehicle should last longer than 6 years and 100,000 miles.”

    NHTSA complaint #11413910, filed 2021-04, 103,000 miles

    “The transmission failed shortly after purchasing used in jan of 2021. We were driving on our family vacation from ohio to south carolina and the transmission failed in north carolina”

    NHTSA complaint #11407907, filed 2021-04, 140,000 miles
  4. Body and structure

    Roof panel vibration, trim and liftgate problems

    • 12 complaints (3%)
    • median 60,000 mi at 2.4 yrs old (11 state mileage)
    • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2015–2022

    Complaints describe vibration at highway speed traced to roof bows separating from the roof panel, which owners say allows the headliner to loosen and vents or lights to drop. Others report interior door trim coming loose and the power liftgate closing on its own or failing to open. Dealers reattached roof components in some cases; others were told repairs were out of warranty. Reported from roughly 18,000 to 137,000 miles, with roof vibration noted early in ownership.

    What to check: Drive at highway speed and listen for drumming or vibration from the roof, check headliner fit, and cycle the liftgate several times through its full range.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I have a 2015 Suburban and the door trim between the doors comes loose. Our vehicle is out of warranty we took to the dealer and the service tech says they have having a lot of issues with this. We were just in a 2015 gmc denali and they are having the same thing going on.”

    NHTSA complaint #10939489, filed 2017-01, 60,000 miles

    “The vehicle has an unusual vibration at highway speeds. The roof bows have detached from the roofing sheet metal causing the sheet metal to vibrate. The vibration causes the headliner to detach, and associated components (heat/AC vents and lights) to fall on occupants. The vibration causes significant air pressure issues which create dizzying effects and headache. In this case, the dealer has re-attached the roof bows twice and now they are detached again, but the vehicle is out of warranty. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10924832, filed 2016-11, 18,000 miles

Buying note. Have any 2015 Suburban inspected for brake assist and steering behavior and confirm all open recalls were completed, since several complaints center on those systems. A transmission service history and a highway test drive are also worth asking about, as many reports appear at higher mileage.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 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.

NHTSA recorded 431 consumer complaints for the 2015 Chevrolet Suburban. 293 of the complaints include a mileage, and 31% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 62,000 miles. Of all complaints, 21 involved a crash, 8 a fire, 34 an injury, 2 a death, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 11 recall campaigns (1 marked do-not-drive) and 2,543 technical service bulletins for this model year. Compared with the other 15 Chevrolet Suburban model years that have at least 25 complaints and are old enough to compare, this one scores 100 out of 100, where 50 is a typical year for the model (more complaints than typical for this model). The comparison allows for the era and for how long each year has had to collect complaints, but not for how many vehicles were sold.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Air bags (11), Exterior lighting (10), Seat belts (8), Seats (6), Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors) (6), Back-over prevention (rear camera) (5), Lane departure (5), Vehicle speed control (4), Wheels (4), Equipment (3), Forward collision avoidance (3), Engine cooling (1), Tires (1).

Example complaints

Brakes: “In fall of 2018 the hydraulic power brake assist system failed me in a crowded parking lot. I took my car to my Chevrolet dealer and they replaced the hydraulic brake system for almost $500 out of pocket. Now that a recall has been issued Chevrolet refuses to reimburse me for a problem that existed for me almost year ago and nearly caused a bad accident.”

NHTSA complaint #11278009, filed 2019-11, 80,000 miles

Steering: “After recently purchasing a used 2015 GM vehicle from a non-GM dealership, I made a service appointment with a local authorized GM service shop to have three outstanding safety recall issues addressed. My appointment was for 7:30 am on 8/25/2020 and I brought my vehicle to the shop in the morning of 8/25. After 4:30 pm I returned to retrieve my vehicle, and the service shop had not even brought it in to lol at the issues. …”

NHTSA complaint #11351253, filed 2020-08, 151,111 miles

Electrical system: “I purchased a brand new 2015 Chevrolet Suburban lt on december 20, 2014 and by december 23, 2014, there was a major water leak about the driver visor and headliner and equipment failures. I noticed that the GPS, compass, onstar and mylink were no longer working. As of december 31, 2014, I still do not have my Suburban back and I have been told that part is not available in the us.”

NHTSA complaint #10669340, filed 2014-12, 282 miles

Other or unknown: “Automatic transmission: cooling unit and lines. The person in the Chevrolet dealer told me that this can cause a fire. Because the cooling and the oil like was leaking and need to be fix and it will cost me 1240.00 dollars. I take to the dealer because the check engine was flashing not stop.”

NHTSA complaint #11385476, filed 2020-12, 70 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

31% of the 293 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 43,500 and 90,000 miles.

11%0–107%10–2513%25–5029%50–7522%75–10014%100–1504%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (293 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 62,000 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: falling. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.

’14’16’1888’20’22’24’26
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2015 Chevrolet Suburban. Frontal results are shown driver / passenger; rollover shows the star rating and NHTSA's estimated risk of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

VersionOverallFrontalSideSide poleRollover
Suburban 1500 · SUV 4WD★★★★☆4 / 4543 · 20.3% risk
Suburban 1500 · SUV RWD★★★★☆4 / 4543 · 21.2% risk

Driver aids listed by NHTSA for the 2015 model year: forward collision warning optional, lane departure warning optional, automatic emergency braking not available.

Neighbouring years: 2014: same overall rating; 2016: same overall rating. A redesign between years can change both the car and the test.

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), nhtsa.gov/ratings.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2015 Chevrolet Suburban version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
Suburban C1500 2WD5.3L 8-cyl6-speed automatic162318$3,700
Suburban K1500 4WD5.3L 8-cyl6-speed automatic152218$3,700
Suburban C1500 2WD5.3L 8-cyl · flex-fuel6-speed automatic162318$3,700
Suburban K1500 4WD5.3L 8-cyl · flex-fuel6-speed automatic152218$3,700

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

See all 11 recalls for the 2015 Chevrolet Suburban → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 2,543 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 2,543 bulletins →

Other model years of the Chevrolet Suburban

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
20244516,6001417Too new to compareToo new
202313147,000341789 · MoreToo new
202212458,166441773 · MoreRising
202120469,22412417100 · MoreRising
20204430,000441852 · TypicalRising
20197867,000341850 · TypicalRising
20188442,000441950 · TypicalRising
201714253,333541985 · MoreStable
201622059,9636419100 · MoreFalling
201543162,00011418100 · MoreFalling
20145955,000341723 · FewerFalling
201311860,000441740 · TypicalFalling
201210166,300441741 · TypicalFalling
201114870,0003——31 · FewerFalling
201011790,0003——0 · FewerFalling
200910685,0005——30 · FewerFalling
200821385,0004——32 · FewerFalling
200729285,0004——Not compared (before 2008)Falling
20062390,0001———Falling
200512983,0006——Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200420463,2004——Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200330176,7315——Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200228664,0002——Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200144060,6506——Not compared (before 2008)Rising
200028270,9758——Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199963485,0001——Not compared (before 2008)Falling
199820176,5002——Not compared (before 2008)Stable
1997414100,8582——Not compared (before 2008)Falling
199636093,1003——Not compared (before 2008)Stable
1995457113,4506——Not compared (before 2008)Falling
1994858122,0003——Not compared (before 2008)Stable
1993499120,0000—13Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199218930,0003—13Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199152106,7443—12Not compared (before 2008)Falling
199054—3—13Not compared (before 2008)Stable
198962127,5003—12Not compared (before 2008)Stable
198830112,5003——Not compared (before 2008)Stable
198718—0———Stable
19867200,0000—13—Not enough data
19859—0—13—Not enough data
19846—0—13—Not enough data

All Chevrolet Suburban model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2015 Chevrolet Suburban?

Owners of the 2015 Suburban most often describe brake problems: a hard or low pedal that makes stopping difficult, mainly at low speed and often after a few pedal applications. The issues reported most often: Hard or low brake pedal, reduced power assist; Intermittent loss of power steering assist; Transmission failure or harsh shifting.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2015 Chevrolet Suburban have?

NHTSA recorded 431 consumer complaints for the 2015 Chevrolet Suburban as of Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2015 Chevrolet Suburban is reported most often?

Brakes is named most often, in 153 complaints (36% of the total), followed by steering with 60.

Has the 2015 Chevrolet Suburban been recalled?

NHTSA lists 11 recall campaigns for this model year, 1 of them with a do-not-drive advisory. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

How did the 2015 Chevrolet Suburban do in NHTSA crash tests?

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings give the 2015 Chevrolet Suburban 4 out of 5 stars overall, across 2 rated versions (body style and drive). Ratings from different model years are only comparable when the vehicle was not redesigned in between.

What gas mileage does the 2015 Chevrolet Suburban get?

The EPA rates the 2015 Chevrolet Suburban (Suburban C1500 2WD, 5.3L 8-cyl) at 18 mpg combined, 16 city and 23 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,700 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2015 Chevrolet Suburban reported?

Among the 293 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 62,000 miles and the middle half falls between 43,500 and 90,000 miles; 31% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

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. Crash ratings are from NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.