Everything NHTSA's vPIC database knows about this exact vehicle:
Decoding from NHTSA…
Vehicle history — accidents, title & owners
The decode above is what this vehicle is. For what it's been through — accidents, title brands, odometer, theft/total-loss and previous owners — pull a full history report.
NHTSA publishes the first 11 characters of the VIN with every complaint — that identifies the plant, model year, body and engine. So these are reports from cars built exactly like this one, not an average across the whole model.
1GNFK16Z82J••••••2002 Chevrolet SUBURBAN 1500
This build draws 4.7× more complaints than the average 2002 Chevrolet SUBURBAN 1500 build (11 vs 2).
11on this build
101on the model
43builds in total
3involved a crash
2involved a fire
2injuries
Most reportedService Brakes 6Electrical System 4Hydraulic 4Seats 2
What owners of this build wrote
Electrical SystemfireSep 2015
I pulled into driveway and put car in park, left engine running. Went to door of residence to get my kids. Kids went out to the car and were yelling fire! I seen the inside up in smoke. I reached inside to turn engine off. We then started pouring buckets of water into seat and…
Power TraincrashMay 2012
The contact owns a 2002 chevrolet suburban. The contact stated that a toddler was able to insert and turn the key in the ignition to the accessory position. The child was also able to shift the gear shift selector without engaging the brakes, and the vehicle began to roll away.…
Service BrakescrashFeb 2005
I was pulling into a parking space and may antilock brakes engaged and the vehicle would not stop. I was stopped by a brick wall. Both my child and I were in the car at the time of the accident. We both suffer from sore necks and backs. I did contact gm's product liability group…
TiresAug 2003
Purchased new 2002 suburban with firestone wilderness le tires. Tires were rotated and properly maintained however with less than 15,000 miles on them all 4 have large hunks of thread missing. Dealer blew it off by saying that it is caused by the 1 mile a day of gravel road that…
Electrical SystemfireSep 2015
The circuit board under the drivers seat shorted out and caught on fire while the car was occupied
Read all 11 complaints on this exact buildFull text, search by keyword, and the systems that fail most on cars built like yours.Unlock with Pro →
Owner complaints…
Now the whole model — all 43 builds of it, not just this build. Same NHTSA reports, wider net:
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Exact value for this VIN, adjusted for mileage
The original window sticker and factory options
Full research report as a PDF you can hand to a mechanic
Decoded via NHTSA vPIC. Recalls, complaints and safety from NHTSA; MPG from EPA fueleconomy.gov. Full history reports from our partner. VIN 1GNFK16Z82J238523 · decoded Oct 2026. — ForCar Reviewed by Denis Kataev, founder of ForCar.