2005 Chevrolet Suburban Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Suburban years
- Fewer complaints than other years 19th of 30 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 6 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 129 complaints with NHTSA about the 2005 Chevrolet Suburban. That ranks 19th out of 30 Suburban model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is electrical system (36 complaints, 28%), typically at around 69,720 miles. Complaints mention 4 crashes, 1 fire, 4 injuries. There are 6 safety recalls covering this model year.
- 129owner complaints
- 6safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 4complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2005 Chevrolet Suburban problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 36 | 28% | 69,720 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 18 | 14% | 95,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 15 | 12% | 16,950 | — | — |
| Structure | 11 | 9% | 95,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 10 | 8% | 86,489 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 8 | 6% | 52,090 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 7 | 5% | 88,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 6 | 5% | 120,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 6 | 5% | 65,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 5 | 4% | 81,634 | — | — |
| Steering | 5 | 4% | 161,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 5 | 4% | 174,983 | — | — |
| Visibility | 4 | 3% | 163,968 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 3 | 2% | 91,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 3 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Tires | 3 | 2% | 123,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 2 | 2% | 14,819 | — | — |
| Equipment | 2 | 2% | 55,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 2 | 2% | 55,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 2 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 1% | 64,481 | — | — |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 1 | 1% | 64,481 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 1% | 26,600 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 1 | 1% | 94,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2005 Chevrolet Suburban recalls (6)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Engine and engine cooling
Problem: On certain trucks equipped with an 8.1l v8 (rpo l8-vin g) engine have a condition in which the engine fuel rail pulse damper retainer clip may fracture resulting in inadequate retention of the damper.
Risk: If the damper comes loose, a fuel leak may result. Fuel leakage, in the presence of an ignition source, could result in a fire.
Fix: Dealers will replace the engine fuel rail pulse damper retainer clip free of charge. The recall began on august 31, 2006. Owners may contact chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438 and gmc trucks at 1-866-996-9463.
Seat belts:rear/other
Problem: On certain crew cab pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles, the 2nd row center occupant seat belt routing may make it difficult to position the lap portion of the safety belt low around the hips of occupants, especially smaller occupants, seated in this position. Appropriate use of a child seat or booster seat, as recommended for small children, does improve the fit condition for this user group. In addition to instructions on proper infant and young child restraint (with child seats or boosters), special verbiage for restraining older child is included in the owner's manual. Also, the suggested seat belt fit/routing for adults, irrespective of seating position, is described in the owner's manual text.
Risk: A lap portion of the seat belt routing that is not low and snug on the hips can allow the lap belt to ride up on an occupant's abdomen instead of fitting low around their hipbones, and therefore, can expose them to more risk of abdominal and internal organ injury.
Fix: Dealers will cut open the guide loop, remove a portion of the loop, and then the remaining two sides should be folded over and secured with a retainer free of charge. The recall began on july 21, 2005. Owners may contact cadillac at 1-866-982-2339, chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, gmc at 1-866-996-9463, or hummer at 1-800-732-5493.
Service brakes, hydraulic:pedals and linkages
Problem: On certain sport utility vehicles, the brake pedal pushrod retainer may be missing. If the retainer is missing, the brake booster pushrod could disengage from the brake pedal.
Risk: This could result in a loss of brakes which could result in a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the vehicles for the brake pedal pushrod retainer and install one if it is missing free of charge. The manufacturer began contacting owners by telephone on march 10, 2005. Owners may contact chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438 or gmc at 1-866-996-9463.
Power train:manual transmission:shift pattern indicator
Problem: Certain sport utility vehicles equipped with an automatic transmission, fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 102, "transmission shift lever sequence, starter interlock and transmission braking effect." under certain vehicle starting conditions, the shift lever position indicator located in the instrument panel cluster may not illuminate. If the shift lever position indicator does not illuminate, the driver may not know which gear the vehicle is in.
Risk: The vehicle may move in an unintended direction resulting in possible injury to others outside of the vehicle.
Fix: Dealers will reprogram the instrument panel cluster free of charge. The recall began on february 14, 2005. Owners may contact cadillac at 1-866-982-2339, chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, and gmc at 1-866-996-9463.
Service brakes, hydraulic
Problem: Certain trucks, sport utility vehicles, and vans equipped with bosch hydro-boost brake assemblies, the hydraulic brake booster pressure accumulator may crack and separate from the hydro-boost assembly during normal operating conditions.
Risk: If a separation occurred and the hood of the vehicle were open, fragments from the accumulator could cause injury to people in the immediate area. The presence of this crack or fractured surface could allow the hydraulic fluid to leak from the accumulator circuit of the booster assembly. The loss of fluid would cause increased steering and braking effort and a crash may occur without prior warning.
Fix: Dealers will test the hydro-boost assembly for functional operation of the two-function valve. If the hydro-boost assembly fails the test, dealers will replace the assembly free of charge. The recall began on march 23, 2005. Owners may contact chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, gmc trucks at 1-866-996-9463 and hummer at 1-800-732-5493.
Fuel system, gasoline:delivery:hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Problem: On certain sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks equipped with 5.3l (rpo l59) v8 engines, the engine fuel rail crossover tube retainer screws were not manufactured to specifications and may break.
Risk: If the tube retainer screw breaks, fuel could leak from the fuel rail crossover joint, the engine may stall and, if an ignition source were present, an engine compartment fire could occur.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the fuel rail crossover tube and, if necessary, replace the retainer screws. Owners were notified by telephone on july 30, 2004, with a followup owner letter began august 5, 2004. Owners should contact chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438 or gmc at 1-866-996-9463. Note: the gm bulletin lists the tahoe and yukon models because canadian vehicles are included in the bulletin. No u.s. Tahoe or yukon vehicles are included in the u.s. Campaign.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
The vehicle was idle for about 4 months. I took it to a carwash to clean the dust off. Upon returning (abt a 2 mile trip) the brakes failed and steam was coming out from under the hood. I opened the hood and brake fluid was sprayed all over the driver's side of the engine and wheel well. A brake…
This vehicle has less than 84,000 miles on it, and the chassis or frame is rotted. The rear anti sway bar already rotted off it, and the front bar is hanging down on the passenger side. I have photos of this, but don't know how to download them. The body has a little rot here, and there, but that…
Air bag sensors went out making air bag inoperable.
Speedometer stops working intermittently. This is a safety hazard as the operator cannot tell the speed that the vehicle is operating. It seems to occur randomly.
This defect pertains to gear indicator on the instrument panel. During the daylight hours the light indicating the gear the car is in (park, neutral, drive, etc.) is impossible to read. At night you can just barely read the gear indicators. The dimness of the lights behind this gear indicator gauge…
Other Chevrolet Suburban years
← 2004 Suburban · 2006 Suburban →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 Suburban | 44 | 1 |
| 2023 Suburban | 130 | 3 |
| 2022 Suburban | 124 | 4 |
| 2021 Suburban | 200 | 12 |
| 2020 Suburban | 44 | 4 |
| 2019 Suburban | 78 | 3 |
| 2018 Suburban | 84 | 4 |
| 2017 Suburban | 141 | 5 |
| 2016 Suburban | 220 | 6 |
| 2015 Suburban | 430 | 11 |
| 2014 Suburban | 59 | 3 |
| 2013 Suburban | 118 | 4 |
| 2012 Suburban | 101 | 4 |
| 2011 Suburban | 148 | 3 |
| 2010 Suburban | 117 | 3 |
| 2009 Suburban | 106 | 5 |
| 2008 Suburban | 213 | 4 |
| 2007 Suburban | 292 | 4 |
| 2006 Suburban | 23 | 1 |
| 2005 | 129 | 6 |
| 2004 Suburban | 204 | 4 |
| 2003 Suburban | 301 | 5 |
| 2002 Suburban | 286 | 2 |
| 2001 Suburban | 440 | 6 |
| 2000 Suburban | 282 | 8 |
| 1999 Suburban | 634 | 1 |
| 1998 Suburban | 201 | 2 |
| 1997 Suburban | 414 | 2 |
| 1996 Suburban | 360 | 3 |
| 1995 Suburban | 457 | 6 |
See all Chevrolet Suburban problems by year, every Chevrolet model, or the Chevrolet VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2005 Chevrolet Suburban?
Owners most often report electrical system, service brakes, power train problems. The top one, electrical system, accounts for 36 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2005 Chevrolet Suburban?
Yes, 6 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2005 Chevrolet Suburban a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Suburban model years, the 2005 has fewer complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.