2021 Chevrolet Suburban Seat Fastener Recall (20V735)
General Motors, LLC · 94 vehicles · Reported November 25, 2020
General Motors, LLC is recalling 94 2021 Chevrolet Suburban; 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe; 2021 GMC Yukon; 2021 GMC Yukon XL vehicles. During general assembly, a repair involved removal of one or both front seats. The attachment bolts for the front seats may not have been properly reinstalled after the repair was completed. If an occupied front seat has loose or missing attachment bolts, it may move during a crash, increasing the risk of injury to the seated occupant. Dealers will make the repair free of charge.
Recall 20V735 at a glance
| NHTSA campaign number | 20V735000 |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer recall number | N202312720 |
| Date reported to NHTSA | November 25, 2020 |
| Manufacturer | General Motors, LLC |
| Vehicles | 2021 Chevrolet Suburban; 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe; 2021 GMC Yukon; 2021 GMC Yukon XL |
| Units affected | 94 |
| Component | Seats > Critical Fasteners |
| Safety risk | If an occupied front seat has loose or missing attachment bolts, it may move during a crash, increasing the risk of injury to the seated occupant. |
| Fix | Available at dealers |
What is wrong with the 2021 Chevrolet Suburban in recall 20V735?
During general assembly, a repair involved removal of one or both front seats.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe and GMC Yukon and Yukon XL vehicles. During general assembly, a repair involved removal of one or both front seats. The attachment bolts for the front seats may not have been properly reinstalled after the repair was completed.
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
Is it safe to drive a 2021 Suburban with recall 20V735?
NHTSA has not told owners to stop driving, but the risk is real: If an occupied front seat has loose or missing attachment bolts, it may move during a crash, increasing the risk of injury to the seated occupant.
NHTSA describes the risk this way: If an occupied front seat has loose or missing attachment bolts, it may move during a crash, increasing the risk of injury to the seated occupant.
There is no do-not-drive order on this campaign. If your Suburban shows warning lights or behaves differently in a way that involves the critical fasteners, have it checked before driving further.
Which vehicles are included in recall 20V735?
Recall 20V735 covers 94 vehicles: 2021 Chevrolet Suburban; 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe; 2021 GMC Yukon; 2021 GMC Yukon XL.
NHTSA lists 94 vehicles in this campaign. Not every vehicle of these models and years is included, so check your VIN.
| Model years | Make | Model |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Chevrolet | Suburban |
| 2021 | Chevrolet | Tahoe |
| 2021 | GMC | Yukon |
| 2021 | GMC | Yukon XL |
What is the fix for the Suburban seat fastener recall?
Yes. GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the seat attachments for both front seats and install attachment bolts as needed, free of charge.
GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the seat attachments for both front seats and install attachment bolts as needed, free of charge. The recall began December 21, 2020. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, and GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267. GM's number for this recall is N202312720.
When was recall 20V735 announced?
General Motors, LLC reported recall 20V735 to NHTSA on November 25, 2020.
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| November 25, 2020 | General Motors, LLC filed the defect report with NHTSA; NHTSA assigned campaign 20V735000. |
This recall was filed 71 months ago. If your Suburban was built in that window, the VIN check below is the way to confirm it is included.
How do I check if my Suburban is part of recall 20V735?
Enter your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. If recall 20V735 is open on your Suburban, it will be listed there.
Look up your VIN on nhtsa.gov/recalls. If 20V735000 is open on your Suburban, it will be listed there, along with Chevrolet recall number N202312720. You can also ask any Chevrolet dealer to run the VIN. The VIN is printed on your registration and visible through the lower driver-side windshield.
What should Suburban owners do about recall 20V735?
Check your VIN, schedule the free recall repair, and keep a repair order for every dealer visit.
- Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to confirm recall 20V735000 applies to your Suburban.
- Book the recall appointment with any authorized Chevrolet dealer. Ask up front whether parts are available and how long the vehicle will be there.
- Get a repair order for every visit, even if the dealer only inspects the vehicle. Read it before you leave and make sure your complaint is written the way you described it.
- Write down when symptoms involving the critical fasteners happen: date, mileage, speed, weather and what you felt or heard. Photos and short videos help.
- Count the days the vehicle is at the dealer. Days out of service add up toward California's 30-day presumption.
- If the problem comes back after the repair, return to the dealer and contact a lemon law attorney.
What are Suburban owners reporting to NHTSA?
Owners have filed 1,208 complaints with NHTSA about these vehicles since 2020, 17 of them about the body, doors and seats.
Since recall 20V735 was reported on November 25, 2020, owners have filed 17 complaints with NHTSA about the body, doors and seats on these vehicles. 1 of them (6%) describe the same problem happening more than once or coming back after a repair attempt.
How we counted: we matched NHTSA owner complaints for the model years in this recall that list the body, doors and seats and were received on or after November 25, 2020, then flagged narratives that describe a repeat failure or a problem returning after a dealer repair, recall service or software update. Data from NHTSA, accessed October 1, 2026. Complaints are unverified owner reports and may involve a related body, doors and seats issue rather than this exact defect; automated text matching can miss or misread some reports.
NHTSA’s public complaint database lists 1,208 owner complaints filed since 2020 for the vehicles in this recall, and 17 of them involve the body, doors and seats. Complaints are reports from owners and have not been verified by NHTSA, but a high count for the same component is a sign the problem is widespread.
- 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe: 453 complaints in total, 6 about the body, doors and seats
- 2021 GMC Yukon: 331 complaints in total, 7 about the body, doors and seats
- 2021 GMC Yukon XL: 226 complaints in total, 1 about the body, doors and seats
- 2021 Chevrolet Suburban: 198 complaints in total, 3 about the body, doors and seats
A few excerpts from owner complaints filed with NHTSA (unverified, lightly trimmed):
My vehicle showing service safety restraint system and airbag light . When check with dealer code b14dc has appeared ( Driver inboard seat side air bag high control).
2021 GMC Yukon owner, TX, NHTSA complaint 11651383, filed March 28, 2025
I purchased the vehicle in July 2024. I drove the car for 10 days, and when I was driving 65 mph, the check engine light blinked three times and then went off. After that, the engine made a sound that was not there before.
2021 GMC Yukon owner, TX, NHTSA complaint 11695265, filed October 23, 2025
I drove my car on Saturday and nothing was wrong with it. I opened my car door on Monday morning or work and my driver side seat was twisted. There was no warning signs nothing. The dealership said that a rod is not working probably.
2021 GMC Yukon owner, LA, NHTSA complaint 11767675, filed September 29, 2026
Can recall 20V735 make my Suburban a lemon in California?
Not by itself. A recall repair that fails, or repeat dealer visits for the same defect, can support a California lemon law claim.
Recall 20V735000 does not automatically make your Suburban a lemon. California's Song-Beverly Act asks two questions: does a warranty defect substantially impair the vehicle's use, value or safety, and did the manufacturer fail to fix it in a reasonable number of tries (Civ. Code 1793.2(d))?
Door latch, seat and body structure defects can affect safety in a crash and everyday use. If the recall repair does not solve the problem, the repeat visit is part of your record.
The recall repair is available at dealers. If it works, great. If the same symptom comes back, the recall visit is one repair attempt and the next visit is another.
Civil Code 1793.22(b) sets out a presumption that applies in the first 18 months or 18,000 miles: two or more repair attempts for a defect likely to cause death or serious bodily injury, four or more attempts for the same defect, or more than 30 total days out of service for repairs. Written notice to the manufacturer is required in some cases. Owners outside that window can still have a claim.
An owner who prevails in a lemon law case can recover reasonable attorney fees and costs from the manufacturer (Civ. Code 1794(d)). You pay nothing, win or lose. We are paid only if you win, and the manufacturer pays our fees, including in settlements. If a case is lost, our firm covers the costs.
In our cases, a recall repair visit counts as a repair attempt, and it's strongest when the owner complained about the problem before the recall came out. A recall shows the defect is real and that enough owners reported it for the manufacturer to issue a fix.
The biggest mistake I see is waiting too long. The mileage offset starts at your first repair visit for the problem, so the sooner you take it in, the better. If the problem comes and goes, take it in when it happens. You can't go back to that date later.
If you get a recall notice, call a lemon law attorney right away. You may have taken the car in for the same problem before and forgotten, or there may be other recalls related to it.
Jacob Shayesteh, Esq. (SBN 362320), Founder and Managing Attorney. Quotes lightly edited for clarity. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Has your Suburban been back to the dealer for this problem?
Call 877-536-6620Other Chevrolet Suburban recalls
Frequently asked questions about recall 20V735
Did the recall 20V735 fix work?
Since recall 20V735 was reported on November 25, 2020, owners have filed 17 complaints with NHTSA about the body, doors and seats on these vehicles. 1 of them (6%) describe the same problem happening more than once or coming back after a repair attempt. If your vehicle still has the problem after the recall repair, go back to the dealer, get a repair order, and talk to a lemon law attorney.
Is the 20V735000 recall repair free?
Yes. Safety recall repairs are done free of charge at authorized dealers.
How do I know if my Suburban is part of recall 20V735000?
Enter your 17-character VIN in NHTSA's recall lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls, or call a dealer. The VIN is on your registration, insurance card and the lower corner of the windshield.
Does a recall mean my car is a lemon?
Not on its own. A lemon law claim depends on whether a covered defect keeps coming back or keeps the vehicle out of service. A recall repair that fails, or repeat visits for the same problem, can support a claim.
What should I keep for a possible lemon law claim?
Keep every repair order, the recall owner letter, your purchase or lease contract, and notes on dates, mileage and symptoms. Make sure each dealer visit is written up, even when the dealer says it cannot find a problem.
Does the recall fixing my car mean I have no case?
Not necessarily. Even if the recall repair fixed it, you may still have a case, and a car that's a year or more old can still qualify.
Do used cars qualify for California lemon law?
We take certified pre-owned, demo and dealer vehicles. Since the California Supreme Court's Rodriguez decision in 2024, ordinary used cars generally do not qualify.
How long does a recall lemon law case take?
Recall-related cases typically resolve in one to three months from your first call. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
What does a lemon law attorney cost?
You pay nothing, win or lose. We are paid only if you win, and the manufacturer pays our fees, including in settlements. If a case is lost, our firm covers the costs.
Sources
- NHTSA recall record 20V735000 (recall report and owner letters are posted there)
- NHTSA complaints and recalls data, accessed October 1, 2026
- California Civil Code 1793.2 and 1793.22
Attorney advertising. America’s Lemon Lawyer is a trade name of Wynn Law Group, APC. Responsible attorney: Jacob Shayesteh, Esq. (SBN 362320). This page is general information, not legal advice. America’s Lemon Lawyer is not affiliated with NHTSA or Chevrolet, GMC. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.