2005 Chevrolet Suburban Reviews, Ratings, Prices

Climate System

Blower (fan) motor, A/C compressor, condenser, evaporator, heater system, automatic climate control, refrigerant leakage, electrical failure.

What Owners Say

A/C compressor

"Front air conditioner has stopped cooling due to compressor failure. Also this vehicle has always had a problem maintain correct temperature in passenger compartment. At times I have had to shut engine off and restart vehicle to get air conditioning"

David R., IA (2005 Chevrolet Suburban 5.3-L V8)

"Had to replace"

Angela M., TX (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LS 5.3-L V8)

"Both compressors failed. This is the second time I've had to replace both"

Anonymous, MI (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LT 5.3-L V8)

Automatic climate control

"AC does not work when outside temp goes high, which is when you need it most"

Anonymous, AR (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LT 5.3-L V8)

"System in AC would go full hot and would not return to normal operation until the engine was turned off and after a brief delay restarted. That cycle would continue throughout the time the car was in use"

Thomas L., VA (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LT 5.3-L V8)

"Failure of an 'actuator' (device that controls temps in the passenger cabin)- this was the 3rd 'actuator' (all different) that has failed"

Anonymous, FL (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LT 5.3-L V8)

"Driver zone will go full hot when AC is on or full cold when heat is selected"

Anonymous, CA (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LT 5.3-L V8)

"the blend door has been disfunctional for about 4 years"

Anonymous, CA (2005 Chevrolet Suburban 5.3-L V8)

"Blows hot on drivers side when A/C is on"

Dan S., CA (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LT 5.3-L V8)

"Air door actuator failures are common and some are difficult to access"

Anonymous, MO (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LT 5.3-L V8)

"Air controls are erratic. Starts off cooling but often, after a few minutes gets confused and stops cooling or blows heated air on passenger side even in hot summer. Can shut off engine and reset and it will work ok fir a little while. Mechanics claim problem is with controllers under dash, $1200 to fix. Also had problem with seat heater and had to disconnect. Some months later, all driver seat controls stopped working.."

Anonymous, LA (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LT 5.3-L V8)

Blower (fan) motor

"A/C fan just quit. Repaired 3 times. A/C temp has not worked correctly since. You have to place on Auto and turn temp to 68 in order for it to cool. Turn the rear to same and then push recirculating!!! Very frustrated, as I know how it worked before"

Anonymous, TX (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LS 5.3-L V8)

"During the year needed service to replace blower resistor and the actuators"

Anonymous, KY (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LS 5.3-L V8)

"AC stops, and hot air comes out of the driver side vents only. The rest of the vents (front and rear) still blow cool air."

Anonymous, CA (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LS 5.3-L V8)

Evaporator

"this is the second repair to the same components (appox7 yrs ago) and all components replaced a 2nd time for $1660.00. Seems a bit much"

Carlos D., NY (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LT 5.3-L V8)

Heated or cooled seat controls

"For no reason the heated seats on the drivers side will turn on. I unplug the seat for the summer, but then there are no other controls of the seat. Very annoying"

Richard M., SC (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LT 5.3-L V8)

"Heated driver seat would come on intermittently and would not turn off."

Anonymous, PA (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LT 5.3-L V8)

"Passenger side doesn’t work"

Carol S., IL (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LT 5.3-L V8)

Refrigerant leaks

"there is a break in the line to the back of the vehicle - expensive to fix, may seal off rear AC from system and recharge for just the front AC - much less expensive than full replacement"

Phillip L., ME (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LT 5.3-L V8)

"Unexplained leakage"

Peter W., CT (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LT 5.3-L V8)

"Line to rear A/C was corroded"

Anonymous, MT (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LT 5.3-L V8)

"The AC leaked for the Rear AC"

Anonymous, MN (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LS 5.3-L V8)

"AC Coolant leaks. Source of leak. It found"

Anonymous, AL (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LT 5.3-L V8)

"Line to rear A/C unit cracked"

Anonymous, KY (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LT 5.3-L V8)

Drive System

Driveshaft or axle, CV joint, differential, transfer case, 4WD/AWD components, driveline vibration, traction control, electronic stability control (ESC), electrical failure.

What Owners Say

4WD/AWD components

"Could not shift between 2wd and 4wd Common problem with 2005 suburbans"

Anonymous, AR (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LT 5.3-L V8)

"For the last 9 of my 10 years with this car, its 4WD system has engaged on its own - probably as many as 100 times. I have spent over $1200 on repairs in that time but the problem always returns. By 2014 I gave up having it looked at; Chevrolet has"

Larry H., NC (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LT 5.3-L V8)

"4-wheel drive automatic selector was intermittent. Fixed by dealer"

Harry A., MS (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LT 5.3-L V8)

Differential

"I have experienced a whining noise when I am driving along and begin to decelerate . The dealership said to continue driving until it gets worse. They said that it sounds like my differential needs to be replaced"

Joe C., NY (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LT 5.3-L V8)

"Bearings needs replacement"

Anonymous, VA (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LT 5.3-L V8)

Driveline vibration

""U" joints"

George C., FL (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LT 5.3-L V8)

Driveshaft or axle

"U joints"

Anonymous, WI (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LT 5.3-L V8)

Electrical failure

"Often while driving, an in-dash error message reads something to the effect of "electrical system failure", among the many other problems I've had with this vehicle"

Justin R., NM (2005 Chevrolet Suburban 5.3-L V8)

"The Heating and Cooling system controller has failed"

Joseph L., VA (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LS 5.3-L V8)

Traction control

"With traction control message and I come to a stop or slow down sign and stepping on gas to go forward nothing happens. Scary in traffic"

Vernon A., WI (2005 Chevrolet Suburban 5.3-L V8)

Transfer case

"Had to replace the transfer case"

Vernon A., WI (2005 Chevrolet Suburban 5.3-L V8)

"Experienced a well known and common failure of the transfer case shift motor"

Bradley D., NM (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LT 5.3-L V8)

"This has failed twice, once under warranty, once out of. Expensive to have replaced."

Kerry B., OR (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LT 5.3-L V8)

"The transfer case has gone bad for the 2nd time since we purchased it new in 2005. It will take $2,400 to purchase a new OEM one through a repair shop (that is more than 1/2 the value of the vehicle and doesn't touch the electronics in the car."

Anonymous, OK (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LT 5.3-L V8)

Electric System

Alternator, starter, hybrid battery and related systems, regular battery, battery cables, engine harness, coil, ignition switch, electronic ignition, distributor or rotor failure, spark plugs and wires failure.

What Owners Say

Clock

"Clock and thermometer in mirror no longer function"

Chris E., TN (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LS 5.3-L V8)

Gauges

"failure of instrument panel "Ghost" codes "reduced Engine Power""

Anonymous, MA (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LT 5.3-L V8)

"The motors that drive speed, tach, oil pressure, and water temp quit!"

Rob H., GA (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LT 5.3-L V8)

"Spedometer shows I'm doing over 130 when driving. It also shows I'm doing 12 mph when parked"

Anonymous, MI (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LT 5.3-L V8)

"speedometer failed at 80000 miles"

Garth K., GA (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LT 5.3-L V8)

"Speedometer failed to as well as all dash lights quit working."

George V., FL (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LS 5.3-L V8)

Heated or cooled seats

"Electronic control of drivers seat now works in reverse for all functions"

Chris E., TN (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LS 5.3-L V8)

"Driver side seat heaters come on intermittently. Have to turn of with swithch on door. Mechanic tried disconnecting door swithch haowever that did not work as the heater could not be turned off. problem remains intermittent"

Anonymous, LA (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LT 5.3-L V8)

"There is a short in the driver's side heated seat. About $1,000 to replace"

Robert H., SC (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LT 5.3-L V8)

Interior lights

"Lights in the steering wheel are burning out"

Robert H., SC (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LT 5.3-L V8)

Keyless entry

"Rear tail gate wouldn't unlock."

Anonymous, WA (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LT 5.3-L V8)

Tire pressure monitor

"Intermittent operation. Hard to diagnose. Fairly expensive to replace all 4"

Anonymous, CA (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LT 5.3-L V8)

"Quit working on one wheel."

George V., FL (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LS 5.3-L V8)

"Check tire pressure indicator stays lit. Tires are OK."

Anonymous, LA (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LT 5.3-L V8)

Suspension

Shocks or struts, ball joints, tie rods, wheel bearings, alignment, steering linkage (includes rack and pinion), power steering (pumps and hoses, leaks), wheel balance, springs or torsion bars, bushings, electronic or air suspension.

What Owners Say

Ball joints

"IT IS 14 YWARS OLD... TO BE EXPECTED"

Vera N., AR (2005 Chevrolet Suburban 5.3-L V8)

Bushings

"14 YEAR OLD SUV..."

Vera N., AR (2005 Chevrolet Suburban 5.3-L V8)

Electronic or air suspension

"Auto ride system pump was replaced"

Anonymous, MN (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LT 5.3-L V8)

"The performance of the car is not affected by this problem but the indicator light cannot be de-activated without the system being fixed and the price for this repair is very expensive! For the low mileage put on the car, we've learned to live with it"

Anonymous, TX (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LT 5.3-L V8)

Power steering pumps and hoses

"Power Steering started making terrible noises. Cost 1,800 to replace and repair"

David R., IA (2005 Chevrolet Suburban 5.3-L V8)

Tie rods

"One loose tie rod end replaced"

Anonymous, IA (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LT 5.3-L V8)

Wheel bearings

"Required replacement of wheel bearing"

James L., NM (2005 Chevrolet Suburban 5.3-L V8)

"Wheel bearing failure, the other side failed over a year ago"

Anonymous, CA (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LS 5.3-L V8)

"Driver's side Front Wheel bearing; noisy, now replaced"

Anonymous, AZ (2005 Chevrolet Suburban 5.3-L V8)

Fuel System

Check engine light, sensors (includes O2 or oxygen sensor), emission control devices (includes EGR), engine computer, engine computer, fuel cap, fuel gauge/sender, fuel injection system, fuel pump, fuel leaks, stalling or hesitation.

What Owners Say

Emission control devices (includes EGR)

"Flex fuel sensor went out and dealer wanted $1600 to replace. I fixed the problem myself using an ebay signal replicator"

Justin R., NM (2005 Chevrolet Suburban 5.3-L V8)

"converter pluged"

Anonymous, SD (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LT 5.3-L V8)

"Had to replace Fuel Evap Cannister twice as it came apart. Also replaced vapor cannister purge solenoid."

Tammie W., GA (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LT 5.3-L V8)

"Had to have major work done to pass emissions test"

Carol S., IL (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LT 5.3-L V8)

Fuel cap

"was leaking and caused a malfunction"

Anonymous, OK (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LS 5.3-L V8)

Fuel injection system

"broken throttle body wire"

Anonymous, MD (2005 Chevrolet Suburban 5.3-L V8)

Fuel pump

"Inoperable"

Dave C., NC (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LT 5.3-L V8)

Sensors (includes O2 or oxygen sensor)

"One of the four O2 sensors died and needed to be replaced"

Bradley D., NM (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LT 5.3-L V8)

Brakes

Antilock system (ABS), parking brake, master cylinder, calipers, rotors, pulsation or vibration, squeaking, brake failure or wear.

What Owners Say

Antilock system (ABS)

"the ABS sensors needed to be replaced. The ABS indicator light was always going on along with the stability control and traction control lights. The dealership fixed one sensor and sometime later the other sensor needed to be replaced"

Joe C., NY (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LT 5.3-L V8)

"Corrosion from salt equals failure"

Jason L., IL (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LT 5.3-L V8)

Calipers

"Blown seals on rear passenger caliper"

Anonymous, WA (2005 Chevrolet Suburban 5.3-L V8)

"Brakes wore out- replaced"

Joel L., PA (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LT 5.3-L V8)

Normal routine brake wear

"Brake shoes needed replacement due to normal wear"

Gloria B., KY (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LT 5.3-L V8)

Parking brake

"Parking brake handle has broken four (4!) times. Parking brake adjustment also required (expensive)"

Anonymous, VA (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LT 5.3-L V8)

Premature brake wear

"I had to replace break pads and rotors twice in less than a year. Ultimately, the entire caliper assembly needed replacement. I've been told this is common in these cars. Otherwise, it's been a great car"

Joseph L., VA (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LT 5.3-L V8)

Engine Cooling

Radiator, cooling fan, antifreeze leaks, water pump, thermostat, overheating.

What Owners Say

Overheating

"The suburban needed the exhaust and refrigeration replaced, which is why it was overheating. Along with that, it needed new spark plugs and some sealants replaced"

Anonymous, TX (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LT 5.3-L V8)

Radiator

"Radiator is the suspected leak, Have had the system pressure test twice from local shop, they say no measurable loss of pressure yet when engine has been running and hot you can smell coolant and ther reservoir needs to be filled a least monthly"

Anonymous, WA (2005 Chevrolet Suburban 5.3-L V8)

Thermostat

"The thermostat went out and needed to replaced. It was the original thermostat"

Anonymous, TX (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LT 5.3-L V8)

Water pump

"Water pump leaking (bearing failure)"

Anonymous, AZ (2005 Chevrolet Suburban 5.3-L V8)

"Failed"

Anonymous, TX (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LT 5.3-L V8)

"Anti Freeze Leak determined to be water pump. Dealership replaced water pump. Anti Freeze leak got worse. Dealership said steam was from spilled anti freeze on engine. Turned out to be leak at firewall connection to heater hose. Dealership should have replaced heater hoses when replacing water pump. Even then did not replace heater hoses, just connector at firewall"

David R., IA (2005 Chevrolet Suburban 5.3-L V8)

In-car Electronics

CD or DVD players, radio, speakers, GPS, communication system (e.g., OnStar), display screen freezes or goes blank, phone pairing (e.g. Bluetooth), voice control commands, steering wheel controls, portable music device interface (e.g., iPod/MP3 player), backup or other camera/sensors.

What Owners Say

CD player

"simply does not work - the integrated radio/CD/nav unit is way to expensive to replace - so just listening to the radio"

Phillip L., ME (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LT 5.3-L V8)

Phone pairing (e.g., Bluetooth)

"The On-Star system failed. I had to replace the VCM."

Potts L., GA (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LT 5.3-L V8)

Rear entertainment system (e.g., DVD player, rear screen)

"system comes on at random times even though instrument panel says it is off"

David R., IA (2005 Chevrolet Suburban 5.3-L V8)

Steering wheel controls

"Horn works intermittently"

John W., WA (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LT 5.3-L V8)

"Buttons on the steering wheel quit working, i.e. no gas mileage info or other information. The truck runs fine but the electronics that control driver information don't work. Repair is several hundred dollars so I haven't done it."

Cliff J., WI (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LT 5.3-L V8)

Transmission Major

Transmission rebuild or replacement, torque converter, clutch replacement.

What Owners Say

Torque converter

"torque convertor cracked after transmission replaced"

Anonymous, TX (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LS 5.3-L V8)

Transmission rebuild or replacement

"Problem was transfer case, not transmission. Car not drive-able. Major repair required"

Anonymous, VA (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LT 5.3-L V8)

"Transmission goes out like all surburbans made it to90000 miles before first transmission out"

Anonymous, TX (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LS 5.3-L V8)

"Never towed with this vehicle, but experienced complete transmission failure at about 109k miles. Transmission services always performed on time. Never ran low on transmission fluid"

Matthew M., CA (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LS 5.3-L V8)

"No problems. The truck runs very well."

Gerald T., TX (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LT 5.3-L V8)

Body Integrity

Squeaks, rattles, wind noises, loose or cracked seals and/or weather-stripping, air and water leaks.

What Owners Say

Air or water leaks

"Had a leak from the plastic cover under cowl"

Anonymous, TN (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LT 5.3-L V8)

"For last few years water drips into drivers side cabin floor from behind dashboard during heavy rain. Amazingly hard to find the source of this."

Kerry B., OR (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LT 5.3-L V8)

Squeaks or rattles

"The squeaks and rattles actually were related to the alternator"

Donna C., TX (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LT 5.3-L V8)

Wind noise

"I had a cracked windshield which when replaced by my Chevrolet dealer resulted in unacceptable wind noise when at any speed over 45 mph. Told it was "unavoidable""

Anonymous, TX (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LS 5.3-L V8)

Paint/Trim

Paint (fading, chalking, cracking, or peeling), loose interior and exterior trim or moldings, rust.

What Owners Say

Rust

"Various spots on the body show rust and paint bubbling up. The vehicle is cleaned regularly but we do have the harsh Wisconsin winters"

Anonymous, WI (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LT 5.3-L V8)

"Rust on both rear quarter panels"

Anonymous, NY (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LT 5.3-L V8)

"rear quarter panels and rear bumper"

David R., IA (2005 Chevrolet Suburban 5.3-L V8)

"after 12 years of use in upper New York State with all the snow, ice and salt on roads, rust became an issue along the rocker panels and behind rear wheels. Rest of vehicle in spite of mileage was Very good so cheaper to fix than replace."

Anonymous, NY (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LT 5.3-L V8)

Engine Minor

Accessory belts and pulleys, engine computer, engine mounts, engine knock or ping, oil leaks.

What Owners Say

Engine knock or ping

"Required replacement of oil pump"

James L., NM (2005 Chevrolet Suburban 5.3-L V8)

"Lifter tick"

Anonymous, MO (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LT 5.3-L V8)

"My mechanic calls it the Chevrolet or GM early morning knock. A serious sounding heavy engine knocking that he says shouldn't be serious, but has found no way to fix. It is usually there but goes away off and on through the day and sometimes for a week or more."

Anonymous, OK (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LT 5.3-L V8)

Body Hardware

Power or manual windows, locks and latches, tailgate, hatch or trunk, doors or sliding doors, mirrors, seat controls, safety belts, sunroof, convertible top.

What Owners Say

Locks and latches

"The locks on both front doors went bad and had to be replaced. The dealer did a poor job of replacing the drivers door. A local mechanic, non-dealer, did a better job on the passenger latch and had to replace the driver door latch"

Anonymous, WI (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LT 5.3-L V8)

Tailgate, hatch or trunk

"Tailgate latch/lock handle broke so tailgate could not be opened. Latch and handle had to be replaced"

Anonymous, TX (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LS 5.3-L V8)

Power Equipment

Cruise control, clock, warning lights, body control module, keyless entry, wiper motor or washer, tire pressure monitor, interior or exterior lights, horn, gauges, 12V power plug, remote engine start, alarm or security system

What Owners Say

Alternator

"The alternator went out and had to be completely replaced"

Donna C., TX (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LT 5.3-L V8)

"Replaced original alternator, which means it gave reliable service for 13 years. Very good in my opinion."

Anonymous, AB (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LT 5.3-L V8)

Exhaust

Muffler, pipes, catalytic converter, exhaust manifold, leaks.

What Owners Say

Muffler

"It rattles when the truck is cold"

Anonymous, TX (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LT 5.3-L V8)

Engine Major

Engine rebuild or replacement, cylinder head, head gasket, turbo or supercharger, timing chain or timing belt.

What Owners Say

Head gasket

"Not original engine. New factory engine installed in 2014. RH head gasket repaired under warranty."

Anonymous, AB (2005 Chevrolet Suburban LT 5.3-L V8)

Transmission Minor

Gear selector or linkage, leaks, transmission computer, transmission sensor or solenoid, clutch adjustment, rough shifting, slipping transmission.

What Owners Say

Transmission sensor or solenoid

"Control module for Transfer Case failed. Had to rebuild Transfer Case actuator. Note: The Model Z71 is missing from your list"

Anonymous, AZ (2005 Chevrolet Suburban 5.3-L V8)

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