1991 GMC Suburban problems & reliability
30 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1991 GMC Suburban. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
3 complaints report injuries (3 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1991 GMC Suburban vehicles were involved in 1 fatal crash with 1 occupant death. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Seats → | 11 | 37% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 9 | 30% |
| Seat Belts | 3 | 10% |
| Tires | 3 | 10% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 3% |
| Power Train | 1 | 3% |
| Structure | 1 | 3% |
| Unknown OR Other | 1 | 3% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Consumer's vehicle was rear ended by another vehicle that was traveling at 30 mph. Passenger's side seat belt came unbolted from the floorboard. As a result, passenger sustained a back injury. *ak”
Seat Belts · filed Mar 1, 2004
“(la superior court,case no.pc018776) a police officer became a paraplegic after the goodyear wrangler ht (lt235/85r16) experienced tread separation while driving at a high speed, resulting in vehicle rollover accident in which the officer was ejected from the vehicle. Attorney is writing in with several other…”
Tires · filed Dec 19, 2000
“I was driving on the 405 in los angeles at 65 mph last thursday night at 10 pm. My left rear tire suddenly began to come apart as if the skin was coming off of it. I did not crash but was able to pull over safely onto an exit. The tire appears to be shredding like the ones I have seen on television and in the…”
Tires · filed Oct 10, 2000
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES
Engineering Analysis EA94029 · opened Jul 29, 1994 · closed Jul 31, 1996
- SEAT BACK BOLT BREAKAGE
Engineering Analysis EA92022 · opened Jun 24, 1992 · closed Nov 19, 1993 · led to recall 93V187000
- SEAT BACK FAILURES
Preliminary Evaluation PE92026 · opened Mar 6, 1992 · closed Jun 24, 1992
- BRAKE LINE ABRASION
Preliminary Evaluation PE92005 · opened Jan 16, 1992 · closed May 28, 1992
Technical service bulletins
4 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1991 GMC Suburban.
Diagnosis of cracked or broken transmission case. *tt 2006 and prior cars and light duty trucks. *tt
020730024A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 1, 2005
Diagnostic information for intermittent transmission downshift, slip, busy/cycling tcc or noisy cooling fan. *tt
990730016A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 1, 2002
COLD ENGINE KNOCK. *TW
376105 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 1, 1995
New cast iron exhaust manifold and stainless steel gasket to correct engine noise condition. *tw
376602A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 1995
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1991 GMC Suburban in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1991 GMC Suburban?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.