2011 Chevrolet Suburban 1500

Typical pattern

0.9% of complaints about the 2011 Chevrolet Suburban 1500 came in the first year, which is unremarkable for a 2011 vehicle — around the middle of the 203 model-years on record. The median complaint arrives at 5.3 yr in service. The most-reported system is other (32 complaints), typically at 5.7 yr or about 90,000 miles.

Complaints: 108
Median age at failure: 5.3 yr
Median mileage: 80,000 n=72
Crash / fire / tow: 3.7% of reports
Safety recalls: 2

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

11V339000 2011-06-28

Steering:linkages

GM IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011CADILLAC ESCALADE, ESCALADE ESV; CHEVROLET SILVERADO HD, SILVERADO LD, SUBURBAN, TAHOE; AND GMC SIERRA HD, SIERRA LD, YUKON, AND YUKON XL VEHICLES. THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT ATTACHING BOLTS MAY NOT HAVE BEEN TIGHTENED TO THE PROPER SPECIFICATION.

THIS COULD ALLOW THE JOINTS TO SEPARATE, AND THE DRIVER COULD EXPERIENCE LOSS OF STEERING INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

11V007000 2011-01-06

Suspension:rear:axle:spindle

GENERAL MOTORS IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 CADILLAC ESCALADE, ESCALADE ESV, ESCALADE EXT; CHEVROLET AVALANCHE, COLORADO, EXPRESS, SILVERADO, SUBURBAN, TAHOE; AND GMC CANYON, SIERRA, SAVANA, YUKON AND YUKON XL VEHICLES. THE REAR AXLE CROSS PINS WERE NOT PROPERLY HEAT TREATED AND COULD FRACTURE AND BECOME DISPLACED WITHIN THE REAR AXLE. SHOULD THE PIN SHIFT OUT OF POSITION, IT COULD CREATE AN INTERFERENCE CONDITION AND CAUSE THE REAR AXLE TO LOCK.

THE DRIVER MAY NOT BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND A CRASH COULD OCCUR WITHOUT WARNING.

In owners’ own words

Other mileage not reported 1.2 yr in service

THE VEHICLE IS ONE WEEK OLD WITH 1200 MILES ON THE CLOCK. THE PROPSHAFTS ARE SEVERELY RUSTING. THE YOKES ARE RUSTED. DEALER SAID GM REFUSED TO FURTHER PERFORM REPAIR AND CONSIDER IT NORMAL. *TR

Other 90,000 mi 4.7 yr in service

DASHBOARD IS CRACKED AND THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG AND IS LOOSE AND SHAKES THE ENTIRE WIDTH OF THE DASHBOARD.

Other 96,000 mi 5.3 yr in service

DASHBOARD IS CRACKED IN THREE PLACES, INCLUDING TWO CRACKS AROUND THE PASSENGER AIRBAG. THIS IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE IN GM TRUCKS/SUVS AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED!

Structure mileage not reported 1.3 yr in service

2011 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1500. CONSUMER STATES WHEN THE TAILGATE IS COMMANDED TO LIFT IT RAISES BETWEEN 20% AND 50% AND THEN RETURNS TO THE BOTTOM AND LOCKS WITHOUT STOPPING *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN HE ARRIVED AT THE DEALER, THE TAILGATE LIFTED APPROXIMATELY 80% AND THEN WITHOUT WARNING AN EXPLOSIVE NOISE OCCURRED AND A VIOLENT DOWNWARD MOTION CAUSED IT TO CLOSE AND LOCK. THE CONSUMER WENT TO ANOTHER DEALER AND THE TAILGATE OPENED FULLY AND THEN CLOSED AND LOCKED WITHOUT COMMAND. THE CONSUMER STATED HE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER SIX TIMES FOR THE FAULTY OPERATION OF THE TAILGATE. *JB

Other Suburban 1500 model years

How to read this

This is what owners reported, not a reliability rating. People file with NHTSA about alarming failures, not routine ones, and complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold.
Failure ages come from the incident date on each complaint, populated on about 83% of records. Mileage is shown where reported — NHTSA’s 2021 system change cut mileage capture to roughly 15%, so it thins out sharply after MY2020.
Every rank compares this vehicle only against others of the same model year. A 2025 car has not had time to accumulate five-year failures, so comparing early-failure share across years is meaningless.
Fourteen make-months distorted by media storms and mass recalls — Toyota in February 2010 ran 11× normal volume across 33 models — are excluded.
Recalls are manufacturer actions and authoritative; complaints are not. A recall listed here may already have been performed on any individual car. Check a specific VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

2011 Chevrolet Suburban 1500

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

In owners’ own words

Other Suburban 1500 model years

How to read this