GMC TruckSuburban 4WD1995Overview/gmc-truck/suburban-4wd/1995/base/

1995 GMC Truck Suburban 4WD

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1995 Suburban 4WD.

The 1995 GMC Suburban 4WD arrives with a 5.5-quart oil capacity spec'd for 5W-30 API lubrication, marking a full-size truck platform built for heavy-duty utility. Owner-reported data tallies 251 complaints across seven recalls, with service brakes and hydraulics emerging as the dominant concern. Within the 1990–2004 model span, this year sits well below the 1994 peak of 480 complaints yet far above the 2004 low of just one, positioning the 1995 as a mid-era example where brake-system durability warrants particular attention during inspection.

Model year1999199819951987

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity5.5 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type5W-30 APIOEM · verified
Lug nut torque120 ft-lbsOEM · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 78 · 600 CCA battery, OE oil filter 25160561. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 78 · 600 CCAOEM · verified
Tire sizeP245-75R16COEM · verified
Wheel / rim7-JJ inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter25160561 alt 25013454
Engine air filter06484235 alt 19259103
Fuel filter10154635 alt 25171792
Spark plug19302741
Front wiper blades93441742
Serpentine belt19244944 alt 12551136
Thermostat12559338 alt 10190925

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 5.5 qt of 5W-30 API engine oil, 80W-90 · GL-5 in the differential, DOT 3 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 120 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2.

Lubricants & capacities

Brake FluidDOT 3
Differential Gear Oil80W-90 · GL-5
Differential Gear Oil Capacity14.0 qt
Differential Gear Oil80W-90 · GL-5
Differential Gear Oil Capacity14.0 qt
Engine CoolantETHYLENE GLYCOL
Engine Oil5W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity5.5 qt

Engine torques

Cylinder Head Steps3
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts35 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts40 ft-lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts31.0 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts26.0 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts40.0 ft-lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts11.0 ft-lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine BoltsLower: 31.0; Upper: 17.0 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Leaf Spring to Axle (U-bolts)110.0 ft-lbs
Leaf Spring to Chassis Bracket110.0 ft-lbs
Leaf Spring Rear Shackle to Chassis Bracket70.0 ft-lbs
Lug Nuts120 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2
Cylinder Firing Order1-8-7-2-6-5-4-3
Cylinder Firing Order1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2
Spark Plug ManufacturerAC Delco
Spark Plug Gap0.060 in
Spark Plug Torque14.0 ft-lbs
Spark Plug ManufacturerAC Delco
Spark Plug Gap0.060 in

Battery & A/C

RefrigerantR134a
Oil GroupPAG
Oil Type46
Standard BCI Group Number78
Standard BCI Cranking Performance600 cca
Standard BCI Group Number78 DIESEL
Standard BCI Cranking Performance770 DIESEL cca
Standard BCI Group Number78

Service checks

Pressure Test15 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief15 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature195 °F
Engine Compression100
Engine Compression380
Engine Compression100 Minimum psi
Engine Compression215 Nominal psi
Engine Compression100 Minimum psi

Brakes

Torque Caliper to Bracket15 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle38 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad ThicknessFront: 0.030; Rear: 0.030 specification
Drum Runout Limit0.006 in
Drum Nominal Diameter10 in / 11.15 in / 13 in
Drum Maximum Machining10.05 in / 11.21 in / 13.06 in
Drum Discard at-or-over10.09 / 11.24 / 13.09
Rotor Max Parallel Variation0.001 in / 0.0005 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 4 stages
120 ft. lbs.20 ft. lbs
255 ft. lbs.55 ft. lbs
355 ft. lbs.55 ft. lbs
490
Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 3 stages
130 ft. lbs.30 ft. lbs
260 ft. lbs.60 ft. lbs
380
Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 1 stages
122 ft. lbs. Step 2: long bolts: 75 degrees medium bolts: 65 degrees short bolts: 5522 ft. lbs
Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 1 stages
120 ft. lbs. Step 2: 55 ft. lbs. Step 3: 55 ft. lbs. Step 4: 9020 ft. lbs
Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 1 stages
137 ft. lbs. Step 2: bolts 1, 2, 3, 6, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16: turn 150 degrees bolts 4, 5, 10, 11: turn 9037 ft. lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
122.0
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
140.0
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
130.0

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 7,500 mi; coolant every 30,000 mi. The big-interval services (every 30,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 5,000 miBrake System (inspect) · Throttle Linkage (inspect)
At 7,500 miDrive Axle Assembly (drain & refill) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 7,500 miBrake Line (inspect) · Brake Linings (inspect) · CV Joint Boot (inspect) · Differential (inspect fluid level) · Driveshaft U-Joint (lubricate) · Engine Oil (drain & refill)
Every 12,000 miRadiator Fan Assembly (inspect)
Every 15,000 miEngine Air Filter Element (replace) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 30,000 miClutch Cross Shaft (lubricate) · Clutch Release Lever Pivot Points (lubricate) · Engine Breather Filter (replace) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Fuel Evaporative Emission Control System (inspect) · Fuel Filter (replace)
Every 60,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · EGR System (inspect) · Fuel Line (inspect) · Fuel Tank (inspect) · Fuel Tank Filler Cap (inspect) · Ignition Timing (inspect)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

Owner complaints about the 1995 GMC Truck Suburban 4WD dominate in one area — the service brakes, hydraulic, 98 of 251 reports (39%), well ahead of the next concern. None of this vehicle's 7 recall campaigns target the service brakes, hydraulic, so those reports read as owner-reported wear-and-tear rather than an acknowledged defect. 19 of the reports describe a crash and 2 a fire — a small share of the total, but worth weighing against the service brakes, hydraulic pattern above. These are tallies of what owners actually reported to the federal government, not an editorial score — and higher-selling models naturally rack up more reports.

7
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
29
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
7
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
251
Owner complaints
19 involved a crash · 2 a fire
NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars
Frontal★★★★★
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 251 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic98
Seats46
Tires20
Visibility19
Electrical System10
Power Train8
Engine & Engine Cooling6
Steering5

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 7 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

06E043000Fuel System, GasolineReported 19/05/2006

CERTAIN REPLACEMENT FUEL FILTERS, FRAM BRAND NAME P/N G3727, WITH DATE CODES X52911 THROUGH X60801 SEQUENTIALLY OR X600141 AND A MEXICO COUNTRY OR ORIGIN MARKING ON THE FUEL FILTER HOUSING MANUFACTURED FROM OCTOBER 18… Remedy: HONEYWELL WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE FUEL FILTERS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 18, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FRAM CUSTOMER SERVICE AT 1-800-890-2075 (OPTION…

95V026000Power Train:Automatic Transmission:Cooling Unit And LinesReported 16/02/1995

DUE TO A THIN CASE CASTING, AN EXTERNAL TRANSMISSION LEAK CAN OCCUR. Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE TRANSMISSION CASE ASSEMBLY FOR THE INVOLVED CASE CASTING. IF THE ASSEMBLY IS INVOLVED, THE TRANSMISSION WILL BE REPLACED.

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 29 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
17-NA-0732023-02-21EquipmentThis warranty administration bulletin provides information regarding the field action…
PIP4723F2022-01-14Service Brakes, HydraulicThis Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or…
PIP4723D2020-01-31Electrical SystemThis Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or…
19NA2732019-12-02Electrical SystemThis informational bulletin provides information for dealers/technicians on Procedures to…
PIC4696E2019-11-22EquipmentThis Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician on how…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

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VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Suburban 4WD. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
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Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 1995 Suburban 4WD take?

5.5 qt of 5W-30 API, per the factory manual.

Does the 1995 Suburban 4WD have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 7 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.