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#BS-2002-CHESUB-5236

2002 Chevrolet SuburbanProblems, Recalls & Reliability

Based on reports from 352 owners and 4 recalls for this exact model.

Data updated ·checked October 21, 2026 · NHTSA complaints through October 19, 2026

Complaints
352
Crashes
34
Fires
9
Recalls
4
TSBs
568
🛑

Preliminary Verdict

Red Flag

Based on 352 complaints, 34 crashes, 9 fires, and 4 recalls.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Top reported problems

1

rattling noise in steering column

7 complaints • Severity 4.9/10

$X,XXX
2

abs controller wont shut off when vehicle is turned off

5 complaints • Severity 7.2/10

$X,XXX
3

engine shuts down while driving

4 complaints • Severity 6/10

$X,XXX
4

transmission failure

3 complaints • Severity 10/10

$X,XXX
5

compressor failure

2 complaints • Severity 8/10

$X,XXX

Preview: What's in your full report

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the BrakesHIGH

78 owners reported brakes issues — failures commonly reported around 64K miles.

!Inspect the Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited SlipMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

50
0–30K
63
30–60K
48
60–90K
25
90–120K
23
120–150K
31
150K+

Peak failure range: 30–60K miles (63 reports) • Median: 64K miles

Full report: which components fail at each mileageUnlock

30,000-Mile Cost Projection

Best Case

$X,XXX

Most Likely

$X,XXX

Worst Case

$X,XXX

Top cost driver: Brakes (78 reports).

Includes fuel costs, common repairs, and recall riskUnlock

Also in your report

Owner Intelligence

AI-synthesized themes from real complaints

Buyer Lot Checklist

Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers

Negotiation Talking Points

Data-backed dollar deductions

Buy / Skip Verdict

Final recommendation with conditions

10 sections total in the full reportUnlock all

Where the complaints fall

Brakes78 (22%)
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip42 (12%)
Wheels & Tires15 (4%)
Power Train:automatic Transmission10 (3%)
Steering10 (3%)
Other9 (3%)
Fuel System9 (3%)
Electrical8 (2%)

2002 Chevrolet Suburban: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Brakes Issues

Brakes complaints account for 22% of all reports filed for the 2002 Chevrolet Suburban, with 78 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 64,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 64K-mile mark.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip Issues

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip complaints account for 12% of all reports filed for the 2002 Chevrolet Suburban, with 42 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Wheels & Tires Issues

Wheels & Tires complaints account for 4% of all reports filed for the 2002 Chevrolet Suburban, with 15 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to wheels & tires-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Power Train:automatic Transmission Issues

Power Train:automatic Transmission complaints account for 3% of all reports filed for the 2002 Chevrolet Suburban, with 10 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to power train:automatic transmission-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.

Complaint trend by year

1
01
31
02
56
03
40
04
75
05
26
06
7
07
10
08
3
09
12
10
10
11
20
12
10
13
10
14
9
15
7
16
2
17
4
18
4
19
1
20
8
21
3
22
3
23

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2002 Chevrolet Suburban. Recent trend: stable.

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Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict

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Recall History (4 recalls)

03V094000Mar 2003

STRUCTURE

CERTAIN PICKUP TRUCK, VAN, AND MINI VAN CONVERSIONS EQUIPPED WITH SOUTHERN COMFORT BUILT RUNNING BOARDS THAT CONTAIN CERTAIN COURTESY LIGHTS MANUFACTURED BY AMERICAN TECHNOLOGY COMPONENTS, INC. THESE UNITS CONTAIN A COURTESY LIGHT OR LIGHTS THAT MIGHT OVERHEAT WHEN THE WIRE HARNESS IS EXPOSED TO EXCESSIVE MOISTURE AND ROAD SALT.

05V379000Sep 2005

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

CERTAIN PICKUP TRUCKS AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES MAY EXPERIENCE UNWANTED ANTILOCK BRAKE SYSTEM (ABS) ACTIVATION. THIS CONDITION IS MORE LIKELY TO OCCUR IN ENVIRONMENTALLY CORROSIVE AREAS. THIS RECALL WILL BE LAUNCHED IN THE "SALT BELT" STATES OF CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MAINE, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, VERMONT, WEST VIRGINIA, WISCONSIN AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA ONLY.

06E026000Apr 2006

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

CERTAIN PRO-A MOTORS CORNER LAMPS, TURN SIGNALS, AND HEADLIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.

06E043000Oct 2006

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

CERTAIN REPLACEMENT FUEL FILTERS, FRAM BRAND NAME P/N G3727, WITH DATE CODES X52911 THROUGH X60801 SEQUENTIALLY OR X600141 AND A MEXICO COUNTRY OR ORIGIN MARKING ON THE FUEL FILTER HOUSING MANUFACTURED FROM OCTOBER 18, 2005, THROUGH MARCH 21, 2006, SOLD FOR USE ON THE VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE AND ON CERTAIN SCHOOL BUSES. (TO SEE THE SCHOOL BUS ENGINE SIZES, CLICK ON "DOCUMENT SEARCH" AND THEN "BUS APPLICATIONS"). THE CONNECTOR ON THE FUEL FILTER WAS NOT MANUFACTURED TO HONEYWELL'S SPECIFICATION. AS A RESULT, THE O-RING MAY NOT SEAT CORRECTLY ON THE FUEL LINE.

Recall severity analysis & seller scripts

The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

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NHTSA Defect Investigations (8)

All closed. Investigations are how NHTSA decides whether a defect needs a recall.

DP05009ClosedOpened Dec 2005 · closed May 2006

PARKING BRAKE FAILURE

PARKING BRAKE:CONVENTIONAL

EA02015ClosedOpened Aug 2002 · closed Jan 2004

THROTTLE STICKING CLOSED

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:LINKAGES

EA04012ClosedOpened Apr 2004 · closed Feb 2005

HYDRAULIC PUMP FAILRES

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST

EA11001ClosedOpened Jan 2011 · closed Apr 2015

Brake line corrosion failure

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS

PE03026ClosedOpened Jun 2003 · closed Nov 2003

STEEL WHEEL RIM FRACTURE

WHEELS

+ 3 more in the full report

The worst model year for the Chevrolet Suburban is the 2009 — worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is engine.

2002 Chevrolet Suburban vs. Class Average (Sport Utility Vehicle - 2WD)

This vehicle

352

Class avg

432

Complaint volume is roughly in line with other sport utility vehicle - 2wd vehicles from 2002.

Complaint counts correlate with sales volume — popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.

About this data

NHTSA Complaints

Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 352 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 4 recalls found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.

Last updated (checked October 21, 2026). NHTSA complaints received through October 19, 2026.

Other Chevrolet Suburban Model Years

2024202320222021202020192018201720162015201420132012201120102009200820072006200520042003200220012000199919981997199619951994199319921991199019891988198719861985198419831982198119781977
View all Chevrolet Suburban years →

2002 Chevrolet Suburban: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 2002 Chevrolet Suburban?
The most commonly reported issue with the 2002 Chevrolet Suburban is related to the brakes, with 78 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 2002 Chevrolet Suburban reliable?
The 2002 Chevrolet Suburban has 352 complaints, 34 crash reports, and 9 fire reports filed with NHTSA. The full report analyzes whether these numbers indicate real risk or are proportional to the vehicle’s popularity.
How much does it cost to fix 2002 Chevrolet Suburban problems?
Repair costs vary by issue. The full BumperScan report includes detailed repair cost estimates (low/median/high) for every major issue, plus a 30,000-mile total cost of ownership projection.
Does the 2002 Chevrolet Suburban have any recalls?
Yes, the 2002 Chevrolet Suburban has 4 recalls on record. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
What mileage do Chevrolet Suburban problems start?
Based on 240 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 64,000 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 30–60K mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.
When was the 2002 Chevrolet Suburban data last updated?
BumperScan last checked this vehicle against NHTSA on October 21, 2026, covering owner complaints received through October 19, 2026 plus the latest recalls, investigations and technical service bulletins. Its numbers last changed on October 4, 2026.
What’s in the full report?
10 sections of AI analysis: severity-ranked issues, component scores (0-100), 30K-mile cost projection, failure timeline by mileage, recall details with seller scripts, owner sentiment analysis, mechanic checklist, buyer lot checklist, negotiation ammo with dollar figures, and a buy/skip verdict.
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
NHTSA gives you raw complaint text. BumperScan cross-references 2.1M+ complaints with community repair cost data, EPA fuel data, and recall records — then uses AI to synthesize it into actionable advice with dollar figures.
How is this different from Carfax?
Carfax is VIN-specific history ($45/report). BumperScan is model-level reliability intelligence — what problems this car is known for, what they cost, and whether you should buy it. Complementary, not competing.
What if the report isn’t useful?
100% money-back guarantee. If the report doesn’t help you make a more informed decision, we’ll refund you — no questions asked.
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10 sections of AI analysis based on 352 owner reports. Know before you buy.

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