2001 GMC Suburban recalls and problems

The 2001 GMC Suburban has 2 recalls and 5 owner complaints on file with NHTSA; the most reported problem area is seats.

How the 2001 compares
Fewest complaintsMost complaints

Average complaint count among 5 Suburban model years — 3rd most.

2recalls
5complaints
1crashes
0fires
0injuries
—median miles

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, not verified and not adjusted for sales. Ranking compares this model's own years only.

Does your car have an open recall?
Recalls apply to specific vehicles. Only a VIN lookup on NHTSA's official site shows whether yours is affected and still unrepaired.
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2 recalls

Structure

Mar 7, 2003 · NHTSA campaign 03V094000 · 3,674 vehicles

Problem: 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.

Original NHTSA wording

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.

Risk: This overheating condition can cause the running board to melt or cause a fire.

Original NHTSA wording

THIS OVERHEATING CONDITION CAN CAUSE THE RUNNING BOARD TO MELT OR CAUSE A FIRE.

Remedy & notes

Dealers will replace the wiring harness on these running boards. Owner notification began March 7, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact southern comfort at 1-800-745-6096.

Customers can also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-DASH-2-DOT (1-888-327-4236).

Seat Belts

May 17, 2001 · NHTSA campaign 01V159000 · 9,196 vehicles

Problem: Vehicle description: Pickup and utility trucks. Some of these vehicles have an internal component in the outboard seat belt retractors for the 2ND and 3RD row of seats that could be cracked. With repeated actuation of the locking mechanism, the crack could spread to the point such that the seat belt would no longer lock.

Original NHTSA wording

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PICKUP AND UTILITY TRUCKS. SOME OF THESE VEHICLES HAVE AN INTERNAL COMPONENT IN THE OUTBOARD SEAT BELT RETRACTORS FOR THE 2ND AND 3RD ROW OF SEATS THAT COULD BE CRACKED. WITH REPEATED ACTUATION OF THE LOCKING MECHANISM, THE CRACK COULD SPREAD TO THE POINT SUCH THAT THE SEAT BELT WOULD NO LONGER LOCK.

Risk: In a crash, increased occupant injury could result from the no-lock condition.

Original NHTSA wording

IN A CRASH, INCREASED OCCUPANT INJURY COULD RESULT FROM THE NO-LOCK CONDITION.

Remedy & notes

Dealers will inspect the outboard seat belts for specific lot numbers and replace the belts if necessary. Gm is enclosing an inspection procedure for the owners to use or they can have their dealers do the inspections. Owner notification began July 2, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020 or GMC at 1-800-462-8782.

Also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-DASH-2-DOT (1-888-327-4236).

Recall text as published by NHTSA and the manufacturer.

What owners complain about

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA; one complaint can name several areas. Not verified by NHTSA.

NHTSA investigations

CRANK POSITION SENSOR FAILURE - STALL

EA06016 · opened Sep 14, 2006 · closed Nov 9, 2007 · led to recall 07V521000
Summary

IN A LETTER DATED NOVEMBER 7, 2007, GENERAL MOTORS (GM) REPORTED TO THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION (ODI) THAT IT WILL CONDUCT A SAFETY RECALL (07V-521) TO REPLACE THE CRANK POSITION SENSOR (CKP) IN APPROXIMATELY 12,000 MODEL YEAR (MY) 2001 CHEVROLET SILVERADO AND GMC SIERRA VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 8.1 LITER ENGINES MANUFACTURED ON OR BEFORE NOVEMBER 15, 2000.ACCORDING TO GM, THE CKP CAN FAIL INTERMITTENTLY OR PERMANENTLY.A PERMANENT CKP FAILURE WOULD RESULT IN AN ENGINE STALL WITHOUT RESTART.AN INTERMITTENT CKP FAILURE COULD CAUSE THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE, THE VEHICLE TO RUN ROUGH OR THE ENGINE TO STALL BUT ALLOWS RESTART.AS A REMEDY, AN IMPROVED CKP WILL BE INSTALLED IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.THE RECALL CAMPAIGN WILL START IN DECEMBER 2007. DURING THE PRELIMINARY EVALUATION (PE06-016), AND THIS EA INVESTIGATION, GM AND ODI INDEPENDENTLY CONDUCTED DETAILED REVIEWS OF CERTAIN FIELD DATA TO UNDERSTAND THE NATURE AND RATE OF SUBJECT VEHICLE STALLING DUE TO CKP FAILURES.GM AND ODI REVIEWED GM'S WARRANTY CLAIMS FOR THE CKP WITH THE OBJECTIVE OF ASCERTAINING AN ESTIMATE OF THOSE CLAIMS REPRESENTING AN ENGINE STALL WHILE DRIVING.THE CKP WARRANTY CLAIMS WITHOUT VERBATIM TEXT WERE THE LARGEST SEGMENT OF WARRANTY CLAIMS.USING THOSE CLAIMS, GM SURVEYED VEHICLE OWNERS TO GATHER ADDITIONAL INFORMATION TO DETERMINE IF THE CLAIM WAS ASSOCIATED WITH A STALL WHILE DRIVING EVENT.BASED ON THE SURVEY, GM ESTIMATED THAT APPROXIMATELY 49% OF ALL WARRANTY REPAIRS FOR THE CKP IN…

PARKING BRAKE FAILURE

DP05009 · opened Dec 20, 2005 · closed May 31, 2006
Summary

ODI'S REVIEW OF COMPLAINT DATA RECEIVED SINCE THE CLOSE OF EA04-011 REVEALED NO INDICATION THAT THE INVESTIGATION SHOULD BE RE-OPENED.MORE DETAILS CAN BE FOUND IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICE ENCLOSED IN THE DP05-009 PUBLIC FILE.ODI RESERVES THE RIGHT TO REOPEN THE INVESTIGATION IN THE FUTURE SHOULD CONDITIONS WARRANT.

2001 vs. other GMC Suburban years

Owner complaints by model year; the darker bar is the 2001. Click a bar to switch year.

Questions

Does the 2001 GMC Suburban have recalls?

Yes — NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns covering the 2001 GMC Suburban, the latest from Mar 7, 2003 (structure). A recall applies to specific vehicles: enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours is affected and still open.

What are the most common problems with the 2001 GMC Suburban?

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA most often mention seats (2), air bags (1), seat belts (1). Complaints are consumer reports and are not verified by NHTSA.