Chevrolet · Suburban · 2011
3
Recalls
147
Complaints
-
Not Rated
The 2011 Chevrolet Suburban has 3 recalls and 147 owner-reported complaints on file with NHTSA. Most reported issue: air bags (61 reports).
Source: NHTSA Public Records · Updated Apr 22, 2026
This page combines three types of NHTSA data: recall campaigns (official manufacturer or government actions), owner complaints (unverified consumer reports), and crash test ratings (where available). A vehicle with many complaints is not necessarily less reliable — complaint volume correlates with sales volume and vehicle age. Recalls indicate identified defects, not overall quality. To compare this model year with others, use the year navigation in the sidebar or return to the model overview page.
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2007-2011 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, Yukon XL, and 2009-2011 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, GMC Sierra 2500 and Sierra 3500 vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." Additionally, GM is recalling certain 2007-2008 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." These vehicles are equipped with non-desiccated passenger frontal inflators containing phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant. These inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.
Remedy Status
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on February 22, 2021. Second notification letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 1, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020; Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006; and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212328760.
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2014 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 2500, Sierra 3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of AL, CA, FL, GA, HI, LA, MS, SC, TX, PR, AS, GU, the MP, and VI or "Zone A." Additionally GM is recalling certain 2011-2014 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 2500, Sierra 3500, Yukon, Yukon XL and 2011-2013 Cadillac Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of AZ, AR, DE, DC, IL, IN, KS, KY, MD, MO, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NC, OH, OK, PA, TN, VA, and WV or "Zone B." Additionally, GM is recalling certain 2010-2014 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 2500, Sierra 3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL and 2010-2013 Cadillac Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of AK, CO, CT, ID, IA, ME, MA, MI, MN, MT, NH, NY, ND, OR, RI, SD, UT, VT, WA, WI, and WY or "Zone C." These vehicles are equipped with non-desiccated passenger frontal inflators containing phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant. These inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.
Remedy Status
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on February 25, 2021. Second notification letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owner notification letters were mailed to 40 VIN owners on May 11, 2021. A second owner notification letter was mailed to all other owners on January 24, 2022. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020; Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006; and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212328800.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado HD, Silverado LD, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra LD, Sierra HD, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the ignition lock actuator may bind, making turning the key difficult or causing the ignition to get stuck in the "Start" position.
Remedy Status
GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the ignition lock housing, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on February 12, 2015. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-458-8006 (Cadillac), 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), or 1-800-462-8782 (GMC). GM's number for this recall is 14696 for the original equipment, and 14912 for the service replacement parts.
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2011 Chevrolet Suburban. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the mileage was 133,000. The contact stated that at the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 233,793.
This is not connected with a specific crash in this vehicle. It is a defect with all vehicles with this seat. There is known common defect with the stitching on the side of the front seats covering the airbag. The stitching is designed to come apart if an airbag is deployed. The defective stitching deteriorates and falls apart. This exposes the airbag system in the seat. This occurs on all GM vehicles with the same leather seats. Models include Suburbans, Yukons, and pickup trucks. In this Suburban the stiching started to come apart about 6 years ago with a few loose threads. The entire side of the seat has now come apart. The rest of the seat is in relatively good repair without any holes, rips or torn stitching. GM claims this is cosmetic and not covered. The safety issues caused by this includes the potential deterioration of the airbag system interfering with deployment in a crash. Another safety issue is the potential for foreign objects to get lodged in this space and injuring someone if the airbag goes off. The third safety issue is the potential of a person, or child, to access the airbag and cause it to go off without warning.
The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving with the cruise control feature activated, there was a clanking noise coming from under the vehicle, and the contact smelled a fuel odor. The vehicle was steered to the side of the road and inspected. The contact stated that the fuel tank was swollen. The vehicle was taken to the residence. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic who could not provide a cause for the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 191,000.
The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, he heard an abnormal sound coming from underneath the vehicle. Upon visual inspection, the contact observed that the rear fuel tank had expanded abnormally and was resting on the driveshaft. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence and remained at the residence. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number 17V664000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 150,000.
The ignition key is falling out of the ignition when it is in the run position similar to other vehicles that were recalled. I am concerned that we will not be able to turn off the engine in an emergency. We are also having problems with one of the seatbelts not latching.
Dash cracked and cruise control wont turn on when button pushed.
The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact later received a recall notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V050000 (Air Bags) which she associated to the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for the recall repair; however, upon picking up the vehicle, the contact noticed that the air bag warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer who provided the contact with a diagnostic fee. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Takata Recall. The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V054000 (Air Bags) however, the dealer informed the contact that the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
A leak in the AC evaporator hose is a hazard to the environment. The replacement part is not manufactured.
The dash has broken apart on the top in front of the driver. It constantly vibrates and makes a loud distracting noise. There is no way to stop this noise and it causes the driver to constantly hold the broken part down with their hand taking their attention off the road. Our Chevrolet dealer inspected it and said they've had lots of similar complaints. He also said it would cost us $2,000 to fix the problem.
Takata recall. The contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 21V054000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact called the local dealer who stated the parts were not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified and referred the contact to NHTSA. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts are not available.
I'M WRITING THIS COMPLAINT BECAUSE GM HAS YET TO ISSUE A SOLUTION FOR THE RECALL ON THE AIRBAGS. WHEN WILL GM ISSUE THE FIX, WITH ALL THESE NEW RECALLS COMING OUT ON THE TAKATA AIR BAGS I AM DEEPLY CONCERNED WITH WHY THIS ISSUE HASN'T BEEN ADDRESSED WITH MY VEHICLE.
EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION. I SEE THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM ON GM VEHICLES AND IT AFFECTS BOTH MY 2011 SUBURBAN AND 2012 SILVERADO WITH 5.3 FLEX FUEL ENGINES. THE SUBURBAN IS MORE NOTICEABLE SINCE WE USE IT FOR LONG ROAD TRIPS. THE TRUCK IS MOSTLY CITY DRIVING. I BELIEVE THIS TO BE CAUSED BY THE AFM AND PCV. I WILL BE INSTALLING THE UPGRADED VALVE COVER IN HOPES OF PREVENTING A MAJOR ENGINE FAILURE IN THE FUTURE. IT WOULD BE NICE IF GM RECALLED THESE ENGINES WITH AN ADEQUATE FIX. I ONLY NOTICE BURNING OIL ON STARTUP COMING FROM THE EXHAUST. CURRENT MILEAGE ON THE SUBURBAN IS 104,000. I HAVE NOT TOUCHED ANYTHING IN THE ENGINE BAY OR CABLE COVERS YET. PLEASE RESPOND QUICKLY IF I SHOULD NOT. THANK YOU, [XXX] REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *CC
A CRACK HAS FORMED ON THE DASHBOARD ABOVE THE GAUGES AND STEERING WHEEL.
DASHNOARD IS CRACKING FOR NO REASON AT ALL . THEY ALL HAVE THIS ISSUE . POORLY MADE . IN A AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT IT CAN SHATTER AND YOU WILL HAVE SHARDS OF PLASTIC FLYING EVERYWHERE. THE ISSUE HAPPENS OVER TIME . SOME SOONER THEN OTHERS.
ENGINE LIGHT ON-DIAGNOSIS P0455. LAST 2YRS TOOK TO MANY REPAIR SHOPS. REPLACED, GAS CAP, PURGE VALVE, CANISTER VALVE, CHARCOAL CANISTER. TOOK TO CHEVY. THEY REPLACED PURGE VALVE BECAUSE THEY SAID OTHER MECHANICS USED NON CHEVY PARTS. ENGINE LIGHT CAME BACK ON. CHEVY DID SMOKE TEST AND SWORE IT WAS THE FUEL SENSOR COST $1200+. ENGINE LIGHT BACK ON AFTER A WEEK. ANOTHER SMOKE TEST AND NOW PRESSURE TEST BLEW A SMALL SECTION OF FUEL TANK WHERE IT NOW LEAKS. CHEVY SAID THE SEAL MOST LIKELY NOT SEATED PROPERLY AND I NEED A NEW FUEL TANK ABOUT $1000. BUT THEY CAN'T GUARANTEE THIS IS THE CAUSE OF THE ENGINE LIGHT. I CAN'T AFFORD ANOTHER $1000 ESPECIALLY IF THIS DOESNT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. ALREADY SPENT THOUSANDS FIXING DIFFERENT PARTS. VEHICLE GETS ABOUT 12MPG AND HAS IN THE PAST LOST POWER WHILE DRIVING AS IF NOT ENOUGH FUEL IS GETTING THROUGH BUT THAT HASNT HAPPENED IN SOME TIME. WONDER IF ANYONE ELSE HAVING THIS P0455 ISSUE?
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE RPMS REDUCED TO 0 AND THE INSTRUMENT PANEL INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. ADDITIONALLY, ALL THE DOORS UNLOCKED AND LOCKED AND THE RADIO BEGAN TO TURN ON AND OFF. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT HAD TO WAIT A COUPLE OF MINUTES BEFORE SHE WERE ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED APPROXIMATELY FIVE TIMES. THE CONTACT CALLED RAINBOW CHEVROLET (LOCATED AT 2020 W AIRLINE HWY, LA PLACE, LA 70068, 985-718-4683), BUT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURES COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURES WERE RELATED TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V827000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 141,000. THE VIN WAS INVALID.*JB
FUEL LEVEL SENSOR FAILED CAUSING FUEL TRANSFER PUMP TO OVERFILL FRONT FUEL TANK. CAUSING FRONT FUEL TANK TO EXPAND AND DEVELOP A FUEL LEAK.
THE AIRBAGS ON MY 2011 CHEVY SUBURBAN HAVE ALMOST NEVER WORKED SINCE OWNING THE VEHICLE. IT HAS BEEN TO MULTIPLE SHOPS FOR THE AIRBAGS AND NOT ONE HAS BEEN ABLE TO FIX IT. THEY ALL HAVE GOTTEN IT TO GO AWAY FOR A DAY OR TWO BUT NOT A SINGLE DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN ABLE TO FIX IT. THE VEHICLE IS UNSAFE AND I'M STUCK WITH IT. THE VEHICLE ONLY HAS 60,000ISH MILES BUT HAS NO VALUE DUE TO THIS ISSUE.
VEHICLE RECENTLY REACHED 160,000 MILES. MAINTENANCE IS UP TO DATE. TRANSMISSION APPEARS TO HAVE AN INTERMITTENT FAULT WITH ITS OPERATION AS IT WILL THROW ITSELF OUT OF DRIVE WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. WE ARE UNABLE TO SAFELY DRIVE THIS VEHICLE NOW DUE TO ITS UNPREDICTABILITY.
Showing 1–20 of 25 complaints
The 2011 Chevrolet Suburban has 3 recalls recorded by NHTSA.
NHTSA has received 147 owner-reported complaints for the 2011 Chevrolet Suburban.
NHTSA has not published a safety rating for the 2011 Chevrolet Suburban.
The most commonly reported complaint categories for the 2011 Chevrolet Suburban are air bags (61 reports), unknown or other (28 reports), structure:body (15 reports).
Yes. NHTSA has 3 recalls on record for the 2011 Chevrolet Suburban. Scroll up to review the published recall summaries, consequences, and remedies. To check for unrepaired recalls on your specific vehicle, use your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Look up recalls and complaints for any year, make, and model.
This page summarizes publicly available data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA by vehicle owners and do not by themselves prove defect severity or vehicle safety. Safety ratings may not be available for all vehicle-years. This site is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. For official information, visit the official NHTSA page for this vehicle.