74 complaints reported

1997 Chevrolet Suburban SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.

Reports
74
Crashes
9
Fires
0
Injuries
5

Complaint Timeline

Chronological view of owner reports

Oct 1998

WHENEVER BRAKES ARE APPLIED, WOULD HEAR A LOUD NOISE , LIKE CLUNKING OR BANGING SOUND. AFTER BRAKES ARE APPLIED, VEHICLE WOULD FAIL TO STOP OR SLOW DOWN RIGHT AWAY. WENT THROUGH AN INTERSECTION DUE TO NO BRAKING POWER. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Nov 1998
Oct 1998

CONSUMER EXPERIENCING ONGOING PROBLEM WITH VEHICLE BRAKING SYSTEM. INTERMITTENTLY WHENEVER BRAKES ARE APPLIED IN WET CONDITION THE BRAKES WOULD DELAY IN STOPPING. ALSO, WHENEVER THE BRAKES ARE USED IN AN EMERGENCEY SITUATION THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP PROPERLY, IT WOULD CONTINUE TO GO UNTIL VEHICLE CAME TO 5-10 MPH THEN IT WOULD GRAB, CAUSING VEHICLE TO LOCK-UP. AFTER THE LOCK-UP, THE BRAKE SYSTEM WOULD POP LOOSE WHEN CONSUMER APPLIED THE ACCELERATOR. DEALER NOTIFIED AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Feb 1998
Sep 1998

ABS FAILED DURING A PANIC STOP. VEHICLE'S REAR LOOSES ROAD ADHESION AND SWINGS TO THE RIGHT, THEN THE LEFT SIDE STARTS TO SKID AND THE ENTIRE VEHICLE BEGINS TO WOBBLE.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: May 1998
Jul 1998

OWNER HAS EXPERIENCED ABS PROBLEMS.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Jun 1998

BRAKES LOCKED SUDDENLY AND THE VEHICLE SHOOK VIOLENTLY BECAUSE OIL WAS PUT IN THE MASTER CYLINDER.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Aug 1998
Jun 1998

BRAKE PADS FAILED.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Apr 1998
Jun 1998

BRAKES ARE ALMOST NONEXISTENT WHEN DRIVING IN 4-WHEEL DRIVE. THEY MAKE A VERY DEEP SOUND AND THE VEHICLE SKIDS AND THE PEDAL LOCKS UP. IN 2-WHEEL DRIVE THEY ARE SQUISHY.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Mar 1998

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE ABOUT ANY MPH FROM 2-3 TO 65 MPH ON A PANIC STOP THE CONSUMER TRIED TO APPLY BRAKE PEDAL TO STOP VEHICLE, BUT VEHICLE DID NOT STOP. ACCORDING TO CONSUMER, BRAKES PEDAL GOES ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR AND HE DOES NOT THINK IT IS THE ABS. DEALER HAD CHECKED OTHER VEHICLES AND COMPARED THEM ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Feb 1998
Jan 1998

THE ABS BRAKES HAS CAME ON 561 TIMES IN ONE YEAR AND THE DEALER HAS TRIED TO FIX THE BRAKE 5 TIMES, AND THERE IS NO CHANGE IN THE FAILURE OF THE BRAKES. WHEN THE DRIVER APPLIED THE BRAKES THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR WHILE THE TRUCK WAS GOING 10MPH. THE TRUCK DID NOT STOP AT THAT SPEED. THE DEALER STILL HAS NOT FIXED THE PROBLEM ABOUT THE PEDAL GOING TO THE FLOOR, AND THE BRAKES DO NOT HOLD WHEN THIS HAPPENS. THE DRIVER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER 20 TIMES, AND THEY STILL HAVE NOT CALLED HIM BACK YET. HE TOOK MATTERS IN HIS OWN HANDS AND HOPES THAT NHTSA CAN ASSIT HIM WITH ANY KIND OF HELP. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Jul 1995
Jan 1998 Crash

LOSS OF ABS BRAKES , RESULTING IN A REAREND COLLISION. BRAKES WENT FLOOR,ABS LIGHT HAD COME ON AFTER INCIDENT. DEALER HAS REPLACED BRAKE SOES AND PADS. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Jan 1998

BRAKE PADS WORE PREMATURELY, AND THE CALIPERS MADE CONTACT WITH THE ROTORS. THE FRONT BRAKE SYSTEM/ CALIPERS AND THE FRONT BRAKES WERE REPLACED. THE DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Dec 1997

WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED THER IS PRESSURE IN THE BRAKES, RESULTING IN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. THE DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Dec 1997

BRAKES LOCK AND DO NOT RELEASE IMMEDIATELY.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Dec 1997

UPON DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL WHEN TRAVELING DOWN AN INCLINE, CONSUMER NOTICED THE PEDAL TRAVELED TO THE FLOORBOARD, MAKING IT VERY DIFFICULT TO STOP AND CONTROL THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER ALSO EXPERIENCED EXCESSIVE WEAR OF THE FRONT AND REAR BRAKE SHOES AND PADS. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER, DEALER HAS REPLACED THE SHOES AND PADS. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: May 1997
Dec 1997 Crash Injury

VEHICLE IN FRONT STOPPED SUDDENLY NECESSITATING BRAKING. HOWEVER, ABS BRAKES FAILED; ENGINE STALLED, RESULTING IN A CRASH/INJURY. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Apr 1997
Oct 1997

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE ABOUT 20 MPH, THE VEHICLE'S BRAKES DOES NOT STOP, AND THE WHEELS LOCK. THE HAD BEEN TAKEN TO DEALER. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Oct 1997
Oct 1997

BRAKES: WHEN DRIVING BRAKES MAKE LOUD NOISE AND WHEN ATTEMPTING TO STOP APPLIED BRKAES, PUSHED COMPLETELY TO THE FLOOR BEFORE COULD GET THE VEHICLE TO STOP. DEALER CAN'T FIND THE PROBLEM, BUT THE NOISE HAS BEEN TAKEN CARE OF. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Apr 1997
Oct 1997

BRAKES FAILED.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Jan 1997
Oct 1997

APPLIED THE BRAKES AND THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. THIS DO NOT HAPPEN ALL THE TIME, JUST SOMETIMES. WHEN THIS PROBLEM DOES OCCUR, THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCES EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. *AK *SLC

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Nov 1992
Oct 1997 Crash

DRIVING THE SUBURBAN ABOUT 30MPH AND VEHICLE IN FRONT STOPPED, APPLIED FOOT TO THE BRAKE PEDAL TO STOP, AND THE PEDAL JUST WENT DOWN TO THE FLOORBOARD AND THE VEHICLE HIT THE BACK OF TRUCK. *AK *SLC

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Oct 1997
Oct 1997

LEAKING BRAKE FLUID SHORTED ELECTRICAL WIRES, CAUSING ABS TO FAIL.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: May 1997
Oct 1997

WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED VEHICLE DEMONSTRATES A SEVERE SHAKE.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Jan 1997
Jun 1997 Crash Injury

DRIVING ALONG AND STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, LIGHT CHANGED AND VEHICLE PROCEEDED APPROXIMATELY 5MPH. VEHICLE AHEAD STOPPED, TRIED TO STOP, APPLIED BRAKES, ALMOST TO THE POINT OF STANDING AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: May 1997
Jun 1997

WHILE APPLYING THE ABS BRAKES THE VEHICLE HAS EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. SOMETIMES, UPON APPLYING THE ABS BRAKES, THE VEHICLE STALLS AND THERE ARE NO BRAKES AT THAT TIME. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Jan 1997

Trend Over Time

Complaints by year

Quick Summary

The 1997 Chevrolet Suburban has 74 SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC complaints on file. 9 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.