1996 GMC Suburban Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 1996 GMC Suburban report brake problems more than anything else, most often a soft or low pedal and longer stopping distances that appear to involve the ABS. Windshield wipers that quit intermittently and fuel-system stalling (especially on the 6.5L turbo diesel) are the next most common themes, and many of these complaints were filed when the vehicle was already well over 100,000 miles.

1. 1
   Brakes

   Soft or low brake pedal, long stopping distance (ABS)

   • 36 complaints (21%)
   • median 94,173 mi at 9.5 yrs old (2 state mileage, few)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1996–2006

   Complaints describe the brake pedal sinking toward the floor, sometimes with a spongy feel, and the vehicle taking noticeably longer to stop. Several owners say the ABS engaged on dry pavement or kicked in at low speed when it was not needed, and some report it happening repeatedly in wet conditions or after the truck sat for a few hours. According to the complaints, replacing pads, rotors, the master cylinder or the power booster sometimes helped but often did not resolve the symptom, and dealers frequently said they could not duplicate the problem. Reported across a wide mileage range, from a few thousand miles up to over 110,000 miles, with several complaints describing the symptom as intermittent.

   What to check: Test the pedal feel on a cold start and after the truck has sat in rain, and ask whether the ABS module, master cylinder or booster has been replaced. A pedal that sinks under steady pressure is worth having inspected before purchase.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Limited recall limits my safety! I had a recent close call in my 1996 Gmc Suburban. The brakes began to anti-lock on dry pavement when anti-lock assistance was not required, thus greatly increasing my stopping distance. The brakes were not pressed hard; the anti-lock should not have engaged. It was a close call between my truck and the vehicle in front of me. Currently my Suburban is not covered under GM's recent limited recall. However, attention needs to be given to this situation; my truck needs to be covered. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10150785, filed 2006-02

   “Vehicle was exhibiting no problems. Upon approaching a red traffic light the brake pedal was depressed, and the pedal went to the floor, as if the ABS system was kicking in, but the vehicle did not slow down. I replaced the master cylinder and bled all brake lines, and the condition still exists. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10100309, filed 2004-11, 114,346 miles
2. 2
   Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)

   Windshield wipers quit or work intermittently

   • 20 complaints (12%)
   • typically at 4.4 yrs old
   • filed 1998–2002

   Owners describe wipers that stop mid-sweep, run only sometimes, or fail entirely, leaving the windshield obscured in rain. Several complaints connect the symptom to cracked solder joints in the wiper motor or wiring, and note that the wipers can sometimes be coaxed back on. According to the complaints, dealers often said the condition could not be reproduced or that the vehicle's VIN was not covered by the wiper recalls, so the problem went uncorrected. Filed across many model years of the truck's life and mostly without mileage noted; several owners describe the failure becoming more frequent over months.

   Recall 98V150001Recall 03V159000

   What to check: Run the wipers on every speed setting, including intermittent, and listen for unusual noise from the motor. Ask whether the wiper motor or controller board has been replaced and whether the recall work was ever performed on this vehicle.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I have taken my vehicle to anaheim hills Gmc under factory warranty and told them about my wipers working intermitently or not working at all. The wipers only failed to operate once for me at this time. The dealership said that the wipers were working fine that day they tested and theres nothing they can do, especially since my VIN wasn't listed on the recall. It's been almost a year now and the problem has increased in severity and frequency. I can't see out of my windshield many times and have to pull over to clean it manually. …”

   NHTSA complaint #734101, filed 2000-10

   “Windshield wiper failure. Windshield wipers use to work at different times, but just this past june, they stopped and would not work at all. Concerning a safety recall #98v150001. The windshield wipers work periodically. (not when consumer needs them) consumer had taken the vehicle to the dealer and was told that the recall didn't pertain to this vehicle.”

   NHTSA complaint #8013816, filed 2002-07
3. 3
   Fuel system

   Engine stalls while driving (diesel injection pump)

   Mentioned in 8 of 60 sampled complaints

   Complaints on the 6.5L turbo diesel describe the engine cutting out without warning at speed, with power steering and brake assist lost along with it. Owners report repeated fuel injection pump and pump-mounted driver replacements, sometimes more than once, with stalling returning afterward; one complaint mentions a deteriorated screen in the tank. On gasoline models, owners also report stalling and hard starting traced to fuel pump or injection components, with dealers sometimes unable to identify a cause. Mostly reported between roughly 70,000 and 210,000 miles; several owners note the stall happened at highway speed or with no prior warning.

   What to check: On a diesel, ask for records of injection pump and pump-mounted driver replacements and how recently they were done. A long test drive at operating temperature, including highway speeds, is worth doing before buying.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “We have a 1996 6.5 turbo diesel Gmc Suburban. We had severe stalling problems. The dealer replaced the fuel pump at their cost and installed at our cost, new glow plugs, glow plug sensor, battery, and battery cables suspected to be the problem. It continued to stall. We returned to the dealer and they replaced the pump again at their cost, but we had to pay to drop the tank to check for contamination. There was a deteriorated screen we paid to replace. It still stalled. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10052489, filed 2004-01, 87,947 miles

   “It is a well known fact that there is a defect with the fuel injection pump on the GM 6.5l diesel engines. I have had a number of these pumps replaced by GM at their cost. However, the problem is not getting resolved. These vehicles die intermittently. When they die (stall), you loose your ability to control your vehicle with the loss of steering and braking (for the most part). There have been numerous times when I have almost been involved in an accident because of this issue. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10047661, filed 2003-11, 105,650 miles
4. 4
   Tires

   Tire tread separation and belt failure

   • 19 complaints (11%)
   • median 58,007 mi at 9.0 yrs old (3 state mileage, few)
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1998–2007

   Several owners describe tread peeling off the casing at highway speed, sometimes damaging body panels and mud flaps and in a few cases causing the vehicle to swerve. Complaints name Firestone Steeltex tires and report that tread remained on the tires when the separation occurred. More than one owner also reports tires that would not run true at speed. Reported from low mileage up to about 85,000 miles, mostly at highway speeds.

   What to check: Check tire age by the DOT date code rather than tread depth alone, look for bulges or uneven wear on the sidewalls, and confirm what brand and size the truck is currently wearing.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Traveling up from va, the right rear firestone tire which is a lt245/75r16 mounted on a 1996 2500 Suburban load range e tire rated at max 80 PSI, was inflated to 65 PSI. I felt a bobbling then the tread came off the casing, damaging the side of my Suburban, ripping off the mud flap and damage the paint as it flopped around and just ripped itself off. Fortunately the tire did not go flat but lost the entire tread portion. This set of four was purchase and was exact replacement from oem tire when new. There is about 80% tread on tires. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10183227, filed 2007-02, 83,332 miles

   “I had a firestone tire on the front passenger side of my Suburban. I was on the freeway when without warning the tire separated from the steel belt and caused major damage to my Suburban. My Suburban is currently being repaired by my insurance company but the rental coverage has already been exceeded. I am legally disabled and I cannot afford to pay for the additional rental cost.”

   NHTSA complaint #10138580, filed 2005-10

Buying note. This is an old, high-mileage vehicle, so condition and maintenance history matter more than the model's reputation. Prioritize a thorough brake inspection and test of the ABS, a check of the wipers and electrical system, and service records for the transmission and, on diesel trucks, the fuel injection pump.

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.