YearToAvoid

2014 Chevrolet Suburban Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Best

Complaint Index

0/100

#16 most-complained of 16 Suburban years

The 2014 Chevrolet Suburban ranks 16th of 16 model years for reported problems, with a complaint index of 0 and a "Best" verdict. It has 59 complaints and 3 recalls, well below other years like the 2015 (428 complaints, index 100, Avoid).

Complaints
59
Recalls
3
Crashes / fires
0 / 1
Injuries / deaths
2 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
Not rated
EPA combined MPG
17
15 city / 21 hwy

Top 2014 Chevrolet Suburban problems

NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Other18 (31%)
  2. Airbags15 (25%)
  3. Structure & Body11 (19%)
  4. Electrical System7 (12%)
  5. Brakes5 (8%)
  6. Suspension, Wheels & Tires5 (8%)
  7. Transmission & Powertrain5 (8%)
  8. Engine2 (3%)
  9. Fuel System2 (3%)
  10. Seat Belts2 (3%)

What owners report

  • Owners report dashboard cracking near the airbag area, sometimes cited across multiple model years of the same platform.
  • Some describe power surges, loss of gauge and radio function, and a smell after the vehicle failed to start, tied to electrical system faults.
  • Transfer case reportedly shifted itself from 2-wheel drive into 4-wheel low without warning lights, causing difficulty turning on dry pavement.
  • Rear seat belts have failed to retract on some vehicles, raising restraint concerns.
  • A driver reported burns from the seat warmer function during a long drive, though the seat did not show physical damage.
  • One owner could not get a recall part for the electrical system repair after being notified.
2014 Chevrolet Suburban complaints: complaints filed per month4May 2014Jul 2016Jul 2017Jun 2018Dec 2019Aug 2020Jun 2021Dec 2021
75 complaints filed with NHTSA from May 2014 to Dec 2025; peak Apr 2015 (4).

2014 Chevrolet Suburban recalls

3 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 21V054000Feb 5, 2021Airbags1,778,128 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

    General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2014 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 2500, Sierra 3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of AL, CA, FL, GA, HI, LA, MS, SC, TX, PR, AS, GU, the MP, and VI or "Zone A." Additionally GM is recalling certain 2011-2014 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 2500, Sierra 3500, Yukon, Yukon XL and 2011-2013 Cadillac Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of AZ, AR, DE, DC, IL, IN, KS, KY, MD, MO, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NC, OH, OK, PA, TN, VA, and WV or "Zone B." Additionally, GM is recalling certain 2010-2014 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra 2500, Sierra 3500, Yukon, and Yukon XL and 2010-2013 Cadillac Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 1500, and GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of AK, CO, CT, ID, IA, ME, MA, MI, MN, MT, NH, NY, ND, OR, RI, SD, UT, VT, WA, WI, and WY or "Zone C." These vehicles are equipped with non-desiccated passenger frontal inflators containing phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant. These inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.

    Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

    Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate one, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on February 25, 2021. Second notification letters will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owner notification letters were mailed to 40 VIN owners on May 11, 2021. A second owner notification letter was mailed to all other owners on January 24, 2022. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020; Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006; and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212328800.

  2. NHTSA 14V614000Oct 1, 2014Electrical System106,307 vehicles

    Electrical system

    General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Cadillac CTS, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Yukon, and Yukon XL, and 2014 Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Express, Impala, Silverado HD, Traverse, GMC Acadia, Savana, and Sierra HD vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the chassis electronic module may be internally contaminated, resulting in an electrical short.

    Risk: If the module experiences an electrical short, the vehicle could stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the chassis electronic module, free of charge. The recall began on December 26, 2014. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-458-006 (Cadillac), 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), and 1-800-462-8782 (GMC). GM’s number for this recall is 14515.

  3. NHTSA 13V342000Aug 6, 2013Brakes10 vehicles

    Service brakes, hydraulic

    General Motors is recalling certain model year 2014 Chevrolet Suburban vehicles manufactured July 9, 2013, through July 22, 2013; and 2014 Chevrolet Tahoe vehicles manufactured July 16, 2013, through July 23, 2013; and model year 2014 GMC Yukon vehicles manufactured July 13, 2013, through July 18, 2013; and model year 2014 GMC Yukon XL vehicles manufactured on July 22, 2013. The rear brake caliper bolts may not be fully tightened. Thus, these vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."

    Risk: Loose caliper bolts may cause reduced braking performance and result in lengthened stopping distances, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the bolts on both rear brake caliper brackets. Any bolts found loose will be replaced and tightened. This service will be performed, at no charge. Owners may contact Chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020 and GMC at 1-800-462-8782. GM's recall number is 13247.

2014 Chevrolet Suburban fuel economy and fuel cost

City
15 MPG
Highway
21 MPG
Combined
17 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$3,800
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Gasoline or E85
Current regular gas
$4.32/gal
national avg.

EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.

2014 compared with other Suburban years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2012Best13101414.5
2013Good33118414.5
2014Best059317
2015Avoid10042811 !18
2016Caution672206 !18

All Chevrolet Suburban years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2014 Chevrolet Suburban reliable?
Compared to other Suburban model years, 2014 ranks best, with the lowest complaint index (0) and only 59 complaints across 16 years of data.
What problems does the 2014 Chevrolet Suburban have?
NHTSA data shows the top complaint areas are airbags (15 complaints, 25%), structure and body issues like dashboard cracking (11 complaints, 19%), and electrical system faults (7 complaints, 12%).
Does the 2014 Chevrolet Suburban have any recalls?
Yes, NHTSA lists 3 recalls for the 2014 Suburban covering airbags, an electrical chassis module, and rear brake caliper bracket bolts. None are do-not-drive recalls.
Which Suburban model years should be avoided instead of 2014?
NHTSA complaint data flags 2015, 2021, 2022, and 2023 as Avoid years, with complaint indexes of 100, 87, 80, and 93 respectively, far higher than the 2014's index of 0.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.