2019 Chevrolet Suburban

Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.

Fuel economy
16–18 mpgcombined; city 14–15, highway 20–23; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$18,050–$25,150U.S. average; Ohio $16,120–$23,700 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
NHTSA overall safety rating
4 starslowest across the versions NHTSA tested
Recall campaigns
3over its history; check a VIN for open ones
Owner complaints
78filed with NHTSA; not adjusted for sales

Trims

NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2019 Suburban. A trim's engine and numbers are shown as its own only where EPA names versions after the trim and no other version could be it; "seen with" means a source shows that engine on the trim, not that it was the only one. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.

Problems owners report

Owners have filed 78 complaints with NHTSA about the 2019 Suburban. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.

Complaints by part of the car
PartComplaintsCrashesFiresInjuries
Power train38000
Engine26010
Electrical system7010
Steering6001
Seat belts5000
Unknown or other4100
Service brakes3000
Air bags2000
Engine and engine cooling2000
Forward collision avoidance2000
Visibility/wiper2000
Electronic stability control (ESC)1000
5 more parts
Lane departure1000
Service brakes, hydraulic1000
Structure1100
Traction control system1000
Vehicle speed control1101

Complaints by model year

Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.

  1. 200654
  2. 2007482
  3. 2008314
  4. 2009161
  5. 2010170
  6. 2011235
  7. 2012101
  8. 2013118
  9. 201459
  10. 2015430
  11. 2016220
  12. 2017141
  13. 201884
  14. 201978
  15. 202044
  16. 2021201
  17. 2022124
  18. 2023147
  19. 202444
  20. 202531
  21. 202617

Every Suburban year side by side

Recalls

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for the 2019 Suburban over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.

Power train: transfer case (4-WHEEL DRIVE)

NHTSA campaign 26V289000 · reported May 7, 2026 · 66 vehicles potentially affected

Do not drive until repaired

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2026 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Suburban, and Tahoe, and GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles with four-wheel (4WD) or all-wheel drive (AWD), and certain 2015-2020 Suburban, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Yukon, Yukon XL, and Tahoe vehicles. A component missing from the drivetrain transfer case may cause the front and/or rear wheels to lock up without warning to the driver.

Risk: Front or rear wheel lockup increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicle until the remedy is completed. Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the transfer case assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 18, 2026. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-333-4223. GM's number for this recall is N262557620. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on May 7, 2026.

NHTSA's record and documents

Electronic stability control (ESC); Service brakes; Service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip

NHTSA campaign 19V761000 · reported Oct 24, 2019 · 652,967 vehicles potentially affected

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2020 Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, and GMC Yukon, and 2014-2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles equipped with a 5.3-liter engine, a 3.08-ratio rear axle and four-wheel drive. If a wheel-speed sensor fails, while the vehicle is traveling between 41 and 60 mph in four-wheel or automatic mode, the Electronic-Brake Control Module (EBCM) software may activate the driveline-protection system.

Risk: Unintended activation of the driveline-protection system will cause unintended braking on the wheel on the opposite side of the failed sensor, causing the vehicle to pull to one side unexpectedly, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the EBCM, free of charge. The recall began December 11, 2019. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N192261050.

NHTSA's record and documents

Seat belts: rear/other

NHTSA campaign 18V673000 · reported Sep 26, 2018 · 15,800 vehicles potentially affected

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Cadillac CT6, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Volt, and GMC Yukon XL vehicles. Certain second-row or third-row rear seatbelts retractor assemblies may not automatically lock when the seatbelt is fully pulled out of the retractor, possibly preventing a child seat from being properly secured. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

Risk: If the child seat is not properly secured in the event of a crash, it can increase the risk of injury.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rear seatbelt retractors and replace them if necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 7, 2018. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 18315.

NHTSA's record and documents

Service bulletins and investigations

Carmakers sent NHTSA 979 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2019 Suburban, the latest on Sep 26, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.

The parts they mention most: equipment (268), electrical system (181), engine and engine cooling (157), power train (121), unknown or other (96).

NHTSA hasn't opened a defect investigation that covers this model year.

Maintenance

Oil

The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2019 Suburban.

Oil change near you: Jiffy Lube · Take 5

Used ones for sale

See used 2019 Chevrolet Suburbans for sale on: Autotrader · CarMax

These are searches on those sites; we don't copy or check their listings. Your ZIP is used for these links and never kept.

Specs

EPA class: standard sport utility vehicle. EPA greenhouse gas score: 2–3 out of 10. Each version EPA tested:

VersionEngineTransmissionFuelCity / hwy / comb
Suburban C1500
Rear-Wheel Drive
5.3 L, 8 cylAutomatic 6-spdRegular Gasoline15 / 22 / 18
Suburban C1500
Rear-Wheel Drive
5.3 L, 8 cylAutomatic 6-spdRegular Gasoline or E8515 / 22 / 18
Suburban C1500
Rear-Wheel Drive
6.2 L, 8 cylAutomatic 10-spdPremium Gasoline14 / 23 / 17
Suburban K1500
4-Wheel Drive
5.3 L, 8 cylAutomatic 6-spdRegular Gasoline or E8514 / 21 / 16
Suburban K1500
4-Wheel Drive
5.3 L, 8 cylAutomatic 6-spdRegular Gasoline14 / 21 / 16
Suburban K1500
4-Wheel Drive
6.2 L, 8 cylAutomatic 10-spdPremium Gasoline14 / 20 / 16

Sources and dates

Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data