Used 2009 Chevrolet Suburban Consumer Reviews
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Sinking More Money Into my 2008 Suburban
So very disappointed with my 2008 Suburban. The car stalled in motion and I lost control. Had it towed to the dealership and told my CPS (Crank Shaft Sensor) failed but my VIN is not covered under the recall (GM06083) which is for the same issue. $500 out of my pocket. Dealership - no help! Called GM - no help. Called NHTSA - filed safety complaint. Thankfully not many cars were out on the road but I could have been hit and having my young son in the car was nerve racking. 15 months ago engine went - again another known problem but no recall on my VIN. Very disappointed Chevy owner here! Been a Chevy owner for 20 years. Stand behind what you build!
Do Not Purchase a 2008 Chevrolet Suburban
Junk!! My Suburban has required air bag sensor replacement ($300), the 4 wheel drive stopped functioning for unknown reasons, the Stabilitrac stopped functioning for unknown reasons, the Traction Control stopped functioning for unknown reasons, exterior lighting stopped working (puddle lamps, license plate lamps), and window buttons stopped working. All before it hit 80k miles! The frame and undercarriage is rusted beyond recognition too. General Motors is proven unreliable and proven to be unable to build a sound vehicle. I will never buy another GM vehicle and I think the company should have been allowed to go bankrupt.
- 1500 LTZ 4dr SUVMSRP: $8,88825 mi away
- 1500 LT2 4dr SUVMSRP: $7,99941 mi away
- 1500 LT1 4dr SUVMSRP: $5,99981 mi away
Do Not Buy With Active Fuel Management
The Active Fuel Management System causes major problems on this vehicle. $2,000 in fixes so far and it isn't fixed. World Class trained Chevy Technicians are having problems figuring out how to deal with the AFM and how to fix the problem. Next step $4,500 to go in a look and maybe fix the problem. Maybe. Suburbans were supposed to have a great engine. The Active Fuel Management ruined it. Don't let them lie to you. There is also a special memo inside of Chevy mechanics only talking about a high oil consumption problem that needs 11 parts added to the vehicle to fix the problem at your own cost. Chevy won't tell anyone outside of their network that they had to have Chevy engineers come up with a band aid. They also won't cover any of the cost. Do not buy a 2008 Suburban from anyone.
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Will own nothing else
This is our 4th sub/Tahoe. The best so far, but. The door actuators are a problem with this year sub. All four doors have failed. The steering wheel covering bubbled but was replaced on warranty. The sun visors are bubbling, as well. Bought this vehicle for the snow and so far, so good.
Questionable quality
My 2008 LTZ with the 6 / 8 cylinder engine is consuming 1 qt oil per 1,500 miles. Chevy is aware of the problem but is still trying to rectify it. That and my rear main seal leaks at 38,000 miles. The truck is comfortable, stylish, rides well, and fits a lot of stuff. The troubles above and other small items make the quality a big question.
Shuddering Suburban
My 2009 Suburban is spacious, elegant and well built. The cabin is very quiet at any speed, and the handling for such a large vehicle is impressive. I have a large family and the Suburban is the only "Car" that suits my needs. The Suburban has the ability to cut down to 4 cylinders on flat or down hill surfaces to improve fuel economy. The down side to this feature, which is standard on ALL models, is the unfortunate tendency to "shudder". The truck will "buck" during a coast. Sometimes accompanied by a distinct clattering from the engine compartment. Additionally, when accelerating up hill, the truck will lumber, failing to accelerate, as the engine screams to answer the command.
Almost Perfect Tow Vehicle
Traded my 2004 3/4 Ton in. The new hitch Platform is appx. 3" higher than the old one, so the trailer tongue and hitch needed to be adjusted. The engine Combo with the 6 speed Transmisson pulls my 24' 10'tall Wells Cargo trailer very well. Weight 3000 lbs empty and 8500 lbs with my Pierce or Bentley loaded. 2400 miles so far and 350 towing. In Tow Mode with a full load the transmission will down shift to hold the load back when needed. It shifted down to 2nd gear at 35mph. The tach popped to 4500rpm. but did in fact help slow the vehicle. I achieved 9.0MPG towing on highways and back roads on pretty agressive hills and valleys. w/o trailer I got 20 MPG on pure highway driving.
Capacity, Power, Luxury and style
Driving my new Suburban has been a total pleasure. The LTZ trim package makes this a true luxury to drive. The power towing capacity and room for 8 make this the total package for large families. This is first time my wife has ever uses a truck more then me. She likes driving our Suburban as much as I do and I don't mind beaning a passenger for a change. Our standards for this vehicle have been high traded in a Toyota 4 Runner and Chevy has really won me back with a quality product. In this class of vehicle there is no computation just the standard Suburban.
Best bang for your buck
Strong, quality SUV for the price. Owned a Durango and loved it, but the Suburban is considerably a better SUV. It has more than enough room for the family on long trips and has great towing capability. Looked long and hard before I decided to trade in. It gets better MPG, rides better, and more comfortable. Of course MPG is not the best, but it has features that crossovers to not. I added a K&N filter and it helped increase the MPG. Overall very satisfied with the Suburban.
Computer is junk, hub assemblies fail
It's a nice, roomy vehicle. After owning it about a year though the automatic window motors went out one by one. Then we lost cruise control. Then the air conditioner, but it eventually came back. One day I got in and started it, none of the panel items (speedometer, gas gauge, etc) worked. Had to replace both of the hub assemblies a couple years ago, they said it's a known issue with Suburbans. Transmission lost the 1/2 and 3/4 shift while on vacation in California. I've had it 4 1/2 years now and the electrical system is hosed. Dealer wants $1000 to replace the computer. It's junk. Will trade it in on something that isn't junk. Last summer while on vacation in California the transmission blew up. Traded it in on a Ram 2500. What a pos that Suburban was. WAY overpriced for the quality. If I ever look to purchase another full size SUV, I'll look to another brand.
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Chevy is letting me down...
I Recently purchased my Suburban less than a month ago and I'm already running into nightmares with constant trips to the dealership. My check engine light has already came on twice due to the ECU (Computer) changing my fuel settings which ends up leading to my truck not starting or running extremely rough. They keep resetting the ECU and it will run for a couple of days but I'll end up right back to where I started from, not driving. The truck is at the dealership as I write this... so beware, this truck is an electronic mess. Now I'm sure I just ended up getting a bad build from the factory line but there are a few people already out there suffering with the same problems that I'm having.
Avoid Suburbans with 5.3 engine
Hey everyone have had on going issues with my truck and wanted to share my experience . I have a 2009 Suburban with the 5.3 liter engine. I have been to the dealer 4 times with engine related issues. Me and my family have been left at the roadside by this truck. The truck has had the engine rebuilt at 38000 miles by the dealership and continues to consume oil at 41000 miles. I have no confidence in this truck any longer. I've requested a new engine or buyback. Best GM has to offer is $2000 certificate towards purchase of another GM product. Avoid the 5.3 liter versions of the Suburban/ Tahoe/ Yukon as many have had engine problems.
This Gen of Suburbans is only good to haul people, the utility/camping aspect is gone.
We have always had Suburbans and loved them, until the 2007-2014 body style. GM has really screwed the pouch on the interior design. The Dash is awkward and has no room for stuff (very important for long drives) and for the first time ever they don't offer a fold flat interior.... What gives, the say it's not cost effective, but yet they are charging 60k for one... I am selling mine because the back of the truck is only good to haul people, not cargo, not dogs or camping. As far as I am concerned I will not be buying anything newer then 2006... I can't believe we bailed GM out...
BEST SUV I HAVE EVER OWNED OVERALL
Bought a 2009 Ltz with one owner with 49k miles. About 1 year ago. (Feb) 2015. Absolutely love it and will never own but these again. Parts cost a lot so make sure you have a warranty. A lot of electronics in this vehicle and are not cheap. Thank goodness for my warranty because I had small parts to be fixed. All over 200 each. Cruise control switch, air bag sensor, and side mirror interal clip that makes your windows bind in that was a 400 dollar repair. Thank goodness for my extended warranty. That was all covered. I also has the suspension light come on. Had to have a shock absorber replaced that was 600 which I had to pay. So with all that the truck is great and I love every bit of it. But not to cheap to repair. Overall worth it all.
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Clanking Noise Everytime it drives
I have a 2009 Suburban that has been in the dealership 3 times for the same thing. Everytime the car is driven cold there is a clanking noise somewhere. The dealership could not find out what it was so they started to say that at first it was a broken weld, then they said the chassis had some bolts tightened, then they tightened up bolts in the transmission. I don't feel like it is a safe drive at all and am very concerned that the dealership is with holding information from me. Oh and when I asked them for my paper work the 2nd visit they didn't want to give it to me. I had to argue with them to release the paperwork to me. Very concerned and the car was not cheap.
Multiple Problems
Bought the dealer's model with 10,000 miles on it, it has been in the shop 8x and counting with only 36,500 miles. After 1 month, veh. died while driving, dealer had it 2 weeks wks I was told "talking to Detroit" they replaced fuel pump. 1 week later started truck and was letting it warm up and it shut off and would not restart. Engine light has come on multiple times and dealer has been unable to find problem. The front pass door has broken twice. Had to have the CV boot replaced 2 months ago, now have rust and bubbling on driver door that dealer will not cover. Still not resolved are whistling through radio that increases with acceleration and turn on rear defrost causes radio to go out.
Great Large SUV. Comfort, Smooth, ROOM ROOM ROOM!
Have had an interesting last 4 years or so with SUVs. Had a Mercedes ML, hated it, not functional. Trade-in for a Jeep GC, but then with the baby, dogs and hauling guests and cargo to the boat, it became way too small. Was hesitant about Chevy but needed a big SUV that could seat 6 adults + cargo. Navigator was garbage. Sequoia too small, ford looked terrible in the rear. Was looking at Yukon's but found a great deal on this Suburban. Love it. Wife Loves it. It drives really smooth. Thought the 5.3L would be too small (had the HEMI in the GC) but it is enough, plus the HP can be improved with simple mods.
Buyer Beware
Nothing but headaches since we purchased it. Back and forth to dealership to address shuddering/vibration and power issues. (5 times so far) No codes no TSB so they say no problem, car has intermittent shudder at low speeds occurring while accelerating up incline now occurs any time accelerating. Told vibration is normal for these vehicles due to electronic drive system.hesitation when pressing on gas going up inclines lack of power feels as if struggling to get up hill,could not imagine how this could tow anything,shuddering at times is quite severe in as whole vehicle feels as if it shakes, does not seem normal.Customer service at GM is less than helpful
SofarSogood
Traded in my 2006 Expedition. Loved the Expedi, but wanted more room and hated the look of the Expedi EL. Drove the Suburban for 800 miles around town and then took it 4,600 miles back east with the whole crew. Excellent truck. Great ride and the best looking SUV out there. The mileage was unreal, averaged 18.5mpg for the trip. Mostly highway, but 4x4 on the beaches of the Outer Banks for 7 days. The six speed tranny is good, but it does shift abruptly and awkwardly once in a while. The seats are super comfortable, but I went with cloth because I am sick of the leather looking like crap after a year. This is the worst Chevy cloth ever, everything pills up on it so get seat covers.
Better Safe Than Sorry
Figured it time to upgrade from our 1994 Burb w/ 208k miles. Has been a true workhorse and reliable at that. Waited for second year of new model and we're completely satisfied with our LTZ, professional reviews spot on. The only option we didn't get was retractable steps. The engineering is solid, materials first rate and quality no longer an issue. As for the mpg, I work in a trauma center (ER) and suffice to say those in larger, late model vehilces with all the latest safety features predictably do much better. When one considers the cargo (family), the mpg becomes, at least of us, a distant secondary concern! Better safe, than sorry.
Bad Economy Great Deal
My 2000 Excursion diesel got totaled. I loved it even with 200K miles. I looked at the expedition XL but the MPG was 25% less then the Burb. I got an LT1 for $30,085 including added GM leather! Plus I got a $500 Lowes card. The sticker was over $40K great rebates! Although the ford rode much smoother and was more comfortable, the burb got better MPG and was about $7000 cheaper so I decided to try the Chevy. So far I really like it
Trading up
Just traded in an 07 on an 09 suburban and pleased with the six speed transmission. The 07 had a four speed transmission (I think the 08 year had both but on different models) and the shifting is much smoother. It also finally has blue tooth. Other than that, it is the same truck as what we had and we were pretty happy with it.
Awesome Truck, with room for improvement
Had a 99 Burb but stuff kept going wrong so ended up with a new 08 LTZ. Overall great truck and I love to drive it. Average about 14mpg city (0.7-1 mpg less than onboard pc states) and around 10mpg towing my boat. In 3.5 months I have put over 5K miles on it. Personally, I think it looks awesome inside and out, and the materials seem top notch; except for one thing (and this is why I wanted to leave a review). In less than 4 months, my passenger side headlamp is already starting to cloud up. I live in TX and where I park it gets full sun from noon to dusk, but for a $50K vehicle, this is absolutely unacceptable!
Expensive Lemon!
Bought this 2008 Suburban about 15 months ago and it has been in and out of the shop ever since. Tire sensors keep failing. Power locks keep failing. Last and worst - had to replace BOTH front hub rings at different times. Left front wheel almost flew off on highway at 65 MPH! Definite NOT as reliable and indestructible as my two 2001 Suburbans. Have they started making them out of plastic? I get an idea why GM went bankrupt now.
20 ,pg my foot
Great vehicle for family and for pulling. Great ride, quiet cabin, good sound system. Looks great on road
4th one and still love it!
They just keep getting better. I had a Tahoe and 2 other Suburbans previously. The '98 Suburban I had really felt like it stuck to the road, the '01 lost that truck feel and felt loose. The ride of the '08 is great, the appearance is great, the highway/city mixed mileage is about 16 on gas and 13 on E85. I like the on- board computer w/mileage performance, XM Radio, On-Star and monthly status e- mails. The kids like the heated rear seats and DVD player plus they can load all of their junk easily.
Outstanding Big Time SUV
Outstanding comfort with all of the luxury items at the fingertips of the driver. My wife loves the power lift gate, heated seats, and overall space in the vehicle. Since it is the LTZ, the bose system and dvd make long range travel a pleasure.
2008 suburban
I purshaced my 2008 suburban a year ago, it had been wrecked by a previous owner and we decided to get it fixed. It has only 85k miles on it and it seems to drive well. Only complaints is low gas milage 12-15mpg and one my oil gets down to 20% before needing changed my oil gauge goes crazy. It has tons of features automatic lift gate, heated front and second row seats, dvd and navigation package, xm radio and loads more. I have read many reviews that the motors go back to change the oil often and use synthetic oil and I have been doing that. My air conditioner did stop working and the lift gate doesn’t work either. My dash also has a crack down it like I’ve read other viewers saying they have issues with.
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Owner Review 2009 Suburban
Purchased a 2009 Suburban, my 12th Suburban since 1980. The vehicle is the best designed, finshed and highest quality Suburban yet. Fit and finish are perfect and engine noise is nonexistant. The handling and steering are perfectly tuned, and the vehicle feels like a lightweight crossover when you are cornering and drving city traffic. Amazing how they have accomplished it. For anyone who needs a big SUV (as I do) you cannot do better than this one. My only complaint is that Chevy can't figure out how to make the middle row seats lay flat. A very minor issue, however. On a scale of owner satisfaction and value I would rate my Suburban as a 9.8.
Sweet
Traded 05 Z71 Tahoe that was fully loaded for my LTZ. Great truck, getting 19ish on highway. Dark Interior color rocks, love the power everything, rides great, fun to drive, nav is great. Already had onstar & XM but they are still nice. Excellent quality & ride is great. Considered changing brands until I drove the new style. Great job GM
Nice Truck
Just bought the Suburban LTZ for my wife and 4 daughters. So far VERY happy with the Chevrolet. Disappointed with cheap plastics but overall a very good feel inside. Truck is very smooth and relaxing for such a big vehicle. Not trouble at all to drive for the wife with the backup sensors. Love the big power tailgate and 20 inch rims with the Bridgestones. Rides great. Plenty of power and looks to be as good of mileage in town. If you're thinking about buying a mini van worried about mileage, suck it up and get the Suburban you won't be sorry.
Very Pleased so far
Our 5th Suburban in the last 20+ years, this is the best by far. Creature comforts are significantly improved over previous years, and the 6-speed transmission and proven 5.3 V8 are strong and smooth. Looks like this will be a very good vehicle for years to come.
Transmission issue
This is our 5th Suburban and the only keep getting better. We bought an LTZ that was a company PIP vehicle. Bought it loaded with 10k miles on it. Have already put 7k more. Rides like a dream. Found out I have a transmission leak at the bell housing. I am not happy about that especially since it was driven by a GM exec and cared for by GM. Dealer is working on it as I write this. Hopefully it will be like new when done. It is by far the best truck on the road. Just hope GM is around to honor the remainder of the warranty if I need it.
Another great Chevy truck
This is my fourth Chevy truck (2 Silverados, 1 Tahoe previously). They just keep getting better. I have never had any problems with any of them. The Suburban is by far the best. I have the Z71 package and love it. It is great for our large family either around town or on longer trips. Now if I can just get my wife to get one. (She is still not confident driving such a large vehicle.) If you need a large SUV, this is a great one.
The Suburban Rocks!
I had a 2002, so I can vouch for all the additions. When they said completely redesigned they meant it. I find the fuel economy extremely good for a beast of this nature. I drive for a living and in less than a year have put 30000 miles on my truck (mostly city miles) and it still drives like new, its a work horse. I shopped the Escalade (overpriced), Denali (not as good looking), Expedition (not a better ride), Navigator (overpriced) and the Suburban seemed to me, the better buy . Great power, fun to drive, nice look and reliable. I would buy it again.
suburban interior conveniences
A Nice ride, good mileage for a big truck, 18+ around town, 22+ highway @75 mph. Have been on two long trips with no problems. But they left out a lot of little things that made my'96 more fun to drive with 165,000on it.
Great 08 Suburban
This truck has it all. 3LT package. Perfect vehicle for a traveling hockey family. Tows our 19 ft boat like it is not even there.
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Second Suburban and running
I love this vehicle. I traded my 2003 burb in on this 08 and I love it. The ride is much better and the gas mileage isn't bad for a truck this size especially with the deactivation mode. It changes smooth w/o notice. I love the seating refinements, I drove all the way to Ga (about 8 hrs) and I was not tired, it was great. Keep up the good work Chevy, I love ya.
Love it! Will drive the wheels off!
Traded my 07 Expedition EL for a LTZ White Diamond pkg Suburban for a cheaper monthly payment and better gas mileage. I'm getting worse gas mileage than before, 13.5 mpg mixed city & highway vs. 15.1 mpg with the Expedition. But with all SUVs I don't expect great gas mileage. I love this car more than any other SUV I've ever owned. It drives great, is great looking, comfortable & roomy, it is an all aound great buy-got a steal on it too. Fits my family of 5 wonderfully and is very safe! I have active fuel management and you never can tell when it switches from 4cyl to 8. I will not be buying another vehicle until this one is shot.
2008 Chevy suburban Ltd 1500 junk
Simply this engine is junk. I was very very disappointed. I don't recommend this vehicle to anyone. Chevy should recall thus engine and pull them out of market. The technology failed her.
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$50,000 later & I will keep it forever.
Purchased in Feb 08. Currently have about 1700 miles on it and love it. We opted for the Z71 model, because of the ability to go on moderate off road trails. I will probably look into putting a small lift on it eventually as ground clearence isn't what it should be for 4x4...my 99 Silverado z71 has more ground clearence than this, but for a family vehicle, we will love it and keep it for well over 200,000 miles. Also like the fact we can put e85 in it, though I will confess, in Denver traffic, we only get about 11 miles to the gallon. But at $2.19 a gallon, it only costs $65 to fill instead of $95 w/91 octane. The e85 gets us about 300mpg vs 450mpg with 91. No 6spd tranny for 1500.
Family loves it!
My family loves this Suburban. The space is comfortable and they love the DVD player and the radio. The fact that we can listen to different things at the same time.
Love the Suburban
Just traded our 2005 Nissan Armada for an LTZ Suburban. The Suburban is so much better built than the Armada. I love the rock solid feel and ride of this car. The new interior is great. I highly recommend this car!
Excellent vehicle for the price
Without a doubt, the best bang for the buck in todays market. I purchased a 4WD LTZ with all the options. This car looks good, is wel built and perform extremely well for the size. Build quality is fine and there are no issues I can find so far. For ski trip of hauling kids and stuff, there is very little competition.
2008 Suburban is Great!
Bought our 2008 Suburban on 9/18. We were evaluating the Expedition EL and the Sub. I found the Suburban to have better interior quality. The standard suspension is very smooth. The 08 has redesigned gauge faces. They look better than the 07's. Sound system (standard) sounds great. Ebony Leather seats very comfortable. V8 Power is great. Wife took a trip from LA to Phoenix. Averaged 17 MPG with mixed City/Hwy driving. An excellent value. You cannot go wrong on this one. We got the Blue Granite Metallic paint. It is very sharp. We were staying away from normal white/silver/black.
08 Suburban LT 4x4
I took posession of my factory ordered Suburban the weekend before the GM labor strike. The quality of my unit should be an example - no problems noted so far. I test drove the Suburban, Yukon/XL and Hummer H2 over a several month period before deciding to order. The new exterior is pleasing, the interior is well designed and comfortable. Leather in Titanium soiled easy - later added Factory seat covers. Radio sounds great - GPS unit has worked flawlessly, though needs upgrade for new road construction in last year. Engine accelerates smooth...in-city driving 11MPG...highway cruise control driving 23 MPH at 55MPH, 19MPH at 65MPH, 16-17MPH at 75MPH. 4WD/Auto provides good traction in snow.
I love my Tahoe!
Our 2008 Tahoe was delivered just a few days ago. I absolutely love it. The interior is beautiful and designed well for families. We have the rear entertainment package with the DVD player and I love just flipping the screen down and popping in the movie. No cords or wires to mess with! The split bench seats are genius-- increases cargo space without losing an entire row of seating. It performs well and it is interesting to watch it switch from V8 to V4 on the highway. My average fuel economy thus far is around 18, and that includes a 200 mile highway trip and around town driving.
Rides like a luxury vehicle
Purchased in January 08. Vehicle rides very good. My wife is impressed with the purchase, she even likes to drive it. The GPS, backup camera is a excellent feature. We utilize the GPS most of the time. The vehicle's performance is exceptional with the active fuel management, getting 19.5 mph at 70 mph.
Outstanding quality
I bought this car because I love my 2003 Tahoe Z71 so much. Phenominal truck. You can't break it with a baseball bat. I gave my wife the Tahoe and traded her Ford Windstar in for the Suburban, which I now drive. Excellent ride, nice power, good braking. I bought the LTZ, so it has all of the creature comforts. Very comfortable. You could drive this car for days without tiring. Personally, I think it is the nicest looking truck on the street, with my Tahoe a close runner up. For city or combo driving I average 16 mpg. I tend to go 75 - 80 mph on the highway, which gives me slightly less than 16 mpg. The Windstar would give me 20 plus on the highway, so that is a disappointment.
Love it!
I love my new Suburban. I used the Costco buying program and paid $400 under invoice! The truck is perfect, it rides like a dream and and the kids love the DVD player. It is very easy to drive and with the rear camera it is a dream to park.