Chevrolet Uplander Sliding Door Problem Persists
This week alone, we have received several calls on the 1 800 LEMON LAW hotline from distressed Chevrolet Uplander drivers who are experiencing difficulties with their sliding doors. This is an issue we have routinely handled throughout the last few years. In fact, the Pittsburgh NBC affiliate reported on one of our clients back in 2007.
Folks have complained of the buzzer going off for no reason, doors not locking correctly and even instances where the door opens while driving. THIS IS A SERIOUS ISSUE AND SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN LIGHTLY. Some service managers have blamed the problem on debris affecting the sensors, but if the problem persists, you need to take action.
If you have been back to the shop three or more times with a sliding door problem, or if you have been back once on a relatively new vehicle and the problem is still present, call us at 1 800 LEMON LAW or e-mail us to discuss your rights under State and Federal Laws. If we can help, it is completely cost-free.
July 8th, 2010 at 11:02 am
I have had my 2006 Uplander in several time for the same sliding door problems. Both under warranty and not under warranty. The problem doenst ever seem to go away. Days after the fix it is broken again. I am so frustrated I just want the doors to work!
July 13th, 2010 at 4:02 pm
Sounds like you have a potential claim under Federal Law. Give us a call at 800-LEMON-LAW and we will be happy to discuss the matter with you.
July 14th, 2010 at 8:36 am
I just bought a 2007 Uplander at the end of April. The first day I had it the sliding door would not shut. They took it in, and had it for a week to fix the problem. I have had some problems with it not wanting it to shut. A couple of weeks ago the motor on it broke again and wouldn’t shut at all. As of right now it is back in the shop to get the door fixed again. I had to find away to get another vehicle because they said it would take 7 hours. I hope this will solve the problem but what I am seeing this might be a consistent problem that never goes away.
July 28th, 2010 at 8:01 am
I have a 2005 Uplander. I also have a automatic sliding door problem,amoung other problems. been to the shop twice, and both times they can’t duplicate the problem… yet the door opens when I’m driving, specifically up x-way ramps, and bumpy roads. my child almost fell out one time before. Only way to fix is shut off car, start and force the door shut, then the motor kicks back in. sometimes the door will open itself when locked..ie. shopping at the mall.
I am always taking this car into the shop to get fixed. I like the van, but I’ve had more problems with this car than any other GM product I’ve owned.
August 4th, 2010 at 1:55 pm
I have a 2007 Uplander and the doors have been worked on several times. Now the passenger side door has fallen off. The bearings in the fell out and the door was hanging from the top mount. I was able to push the door back into place, but it can not be used without it falling off. The shop just called and they said it would be over $800.00 to repair. The entire module (slide, rail, motor, everything except the door) needs to be replaced. I just want the door to not fall off. I don’t care about the electronic part.
August 10th, 2010 at 4:24 pm
I have a 2005 Uplander and from the minute I drove it off the lot I have had problems. The ding-ding-dinging of the internal bells (if you own one, you know what I mean) started and I couldn’t get it to stop. When I took it straight back to the dealer, they looked confused and didn’t have a clue what to do. Turns out it was the doors. I had to open and shut them numerous times to finally get the dinging to stop. Since then, we have had non-stop problems with the power sliding doors, on both sides. When you shut them with the button, they will shut almost all the way, then bounce back, dinging furiously. You have to manually close them. I have taken this into 4 separate dealerships and they have all attempted to fix the problem, each time telling me “problem solved.” What a joke. I have had MANY heated phone conversations with GM customer service employees, and the most I got out of this hassle was a card for free oil-changes for a year. My warranty has long since expired, so contemplating getting this thing fixed now seems hopeless. I have lost all faith in GM and would never recommend this vehicle to anyone.
Oh, by the way, I failed to mention that the gas gauge is all over the place. Ie: I just filled it today and the gauge stayed on “E” for about an hour after that, and the fuel light even came on. Then, it jumped up to about 2/3 fill. I have to count my miles so that I know when to fill the tank.
This vehicle is a joke. I can’t believe Chevy/GM gets away with this…
August 14th, 2010 at 6:00 am
Thank you for this info, we bought a used 2006 Uplander. Right after we bought it, the door wouldn’t open, and motor was running, and we thought it was the button to open the door, so we used the key to get into the car, and it shut off. We had the experience of it opening on its own. Wish we knew all this before we bought it. All this time we didn’t realize it was an issue. Thank you all so much for the information.
August 30th, 2010 at 1:14 pm
I am having the same problems concerning my doors opening and shutting and the dinging noise. I pulled out my book and realized it was a fuse. My husband pulled the fuse to stop the dinging after I put the doors on manual. Now with the fuse out, I have no radio and no alerts (back up alerts, keys etc..) My warranty is off so I would like to know if replacing the fuse would solve the problem.
September 3rd, 2010 at 1:18 pm
I wish I had the answer to that. I would still visit a GM authorized dealership to find out. Most parts come with a 12 month 12,000 miles manufacturers warranty.
December 6th, 2010 at 10:38 pm
I live in canada and I have a 2008 uplander and it gets water inside at the back where the jack is on the sie and in the frnt floor boards both sides we all get wet when we drive it I would never buy another chevy again any ways you guys should think about your water leaks and see if its a seam or something
February 11th, 2011 at 6:49 pm
I have a 2007 Uplander LT. I bought it brand new Jan 2007. In April 2007, my passenger side sliding door began messing up. It was taken to the dealership 6 times total, the 5th time it was taken with the door open, because it would not close. By that point, GM was involved and recommended complete replacement of the mechanical portion of the door. This was done by the dealership or so everyone thought. It began messing up again and I took it in for the last time and it was detemined the technician only replaced portion of the parts. It was finally that last time and I got one year free oil change and tire rotation. The story does not end. In April 2010, my Driver side sliding door started messing up. It has been taken in to a different dealership 8 times, even though they officially say it is 6 times. I get the same response each time, they cannot reproduce. GM has now got involved twice and at this point has also been no help to find the root cause. This time around the door unlatches itself both when sitting and while driving. It never opens like the passenger door did. The alarm that goes off when a door is open when you have the key in the ignition and the vehicle started, sounds and there is no indication on the display that a door is open. The door will sometimes not open via remote, overhead or the side button. Most of the time it has to be opened manually, once that occurs no amount of battery power will close the door. The door has to be forced closed. The door will also, in the middle of closing, open back up and then go into alarm. Two of the times taken the service experienced the quirks of the door. Once it was back to where the service tech can look at it, it will not reproduce. No error codes have ever been shown on readouts. It is very frustrating not only, in my opinion, going deep enough to find what the root cause(s). Thought I would tell my story.
February 12th, 2011 at 9:36 am
We certainly can help you, or find a firm in your area. Please visit https://www.lemonlaw.com/rid.html and send us your information.
February 23rd, 2011 at 10:08 pm
I have had multiple trips into the dealership with problems with the sliding door which they can never seem to find and now the alerting chimes wont shut up when in drive. Of course my warranty just ended.
February 28th, 2011 at 4:30 pm
My warranty had already expired since I have high mileage but I have an extended warranty. So far the only expenses I have had is to pay for weather stripping they thought was a problem along with the first time in and they reprogrammed my doors and put silicon on the contacts. To no avail on anything they have done to date. Since then, when I have brought it in, they cannot recreate so they give it back.
March 10th, 2011 at 12:06 pm
I have a 06 uplander and it’s the same thing, Ding, ding, ding. they have given me every excuse in the book but it still doesn’t work. this will be my last chevy!
April 18th, 2011 at 9:39 pm
I recently received a 2006 chevy uplander after my uncle passed away. I have actually drove it for about a week now. WOW, is all I can say. After the american car companies all closed up shop and moved to mexico I started buying Honda or Toyota. I was a loyal GM supporter untill they sent the american workers packing. My uncle was an engineer at delco for 37 years, so he always bought GM. This thing is a real “PIECE OF CRAP”!!!!! It has 6000 origional miles on it. Thats right SIX THOUSAND … The front end has loose steering components and today the Passanger side sliding door will no longer open. Sure it was free to me, but cost him $30,000 new. This is why I buy Honda! Its only a matter of time for GM , They went bankrupt once and they will again. People need cars thats gonna last now days, and thats not GM.
April 19th, 2011 at 10:24 pm
In reference to my March 10th posting I have fixed my passenger side sliding door, no more ding, ding, ding !!! After being told you couldn’t do it, (the dealer wouldn’t) I took out the entire automatic opening system. The door works great and no more bell. OK no more automatic door but it was a small price to pay. you never knew when it would start dinging, now I know it will not do it again. Thank you GM for another high quality product !!!
April 27th, 2011 at 1:04 pm
I have a 07 uplander and the power sliding door has opened up on me while driving and my child was buckled in the seat. We have called and contacted many people and finally got the number to GM. They are saying they have no records of anyone filing a complaint about this. My case number is 71-942083895 and the phone number to call and make a complaint is 1-800-222-1020. Everyone please call and get your case numbers. I have also contacted a lawyer about this the more case numbers the better off we are. We could go forth with a class action lawsuit against them. Brian when i called they lied to me and told me no one else has filed a case then I found yours here thank you. If you want to email me the case number privately you can at annamarie@woh.rr.com. Also I have had issues with my traction control not working since we got the van.
April 30th, 2011 at 8:29 am
Angie, Well obvious GM did not do a detailed search. I have have had to open a case twice. They close the case after 90 days (at least according to my GM District Rep). Mine is currently open but since I have not reported any issues since February, I am sure they will close it soon. But they do maintain a history since they were able to verify my previous reported problems from the previous case number. I have documented everything this time around and have all previous receipts from the dealership saying the same thing. Since the problem in Feb, I have had no major issues with the door, minor issues with both my doors, but never bad enough to take it in to the dealer. The bottomline, the dealership wants a major castatrophic problem with the door and me or my wife drive it in while it is happening before anything will truly be explored. They have never said it directly but definitely indirectly several times.
May 22nd, 2011 at 2:34 pm
Unfortunately, yes, I am a very dissatisfied owner of a 2007 Uplander. I have had more than five problems with my Uplander, or shall I call it a Downlander. To avoid the repetitive ding ding ding ding ding ding, I pulled fuses 21, 24 and 25, all fuses labeled “PSD” and use the doors manually. PSD which in Chevy terms is “power sliding door”, however, I have labeled them “piece of Sh!t Door.” I cannot believe GM would make such a piece of crap, poorly engineered door with all the competition in the world and even after a multi-billion $$$ bailout. I am proud to say I will never, ever buy another GM product again even though it is made in the U.S. I am going to take Ford up on their offer, especially after they just received glorious rewards, or perhaps that’s because GM flat out makes the most unreliable vehicles imaginable. And yes, even the dealer I bought the van from claims it is a very poor design. Now that a couple years have gone by, noticed they took the Uplander off and redesigned it with the 4 door non sliding, swivel door. Amazing, they can build a car, but can’t figure out how to engineer a power sliding door. So, I guess that was their work around. Nice GM, very nice! way to go. 2 thumbs down. Come on GM, get with it, your foreign competition far exceeds what you make.
July 7th, 2011 at 6:07 pm
Joe Morriseau – how did you know how to remove your door motor. I am having the same issue as everyone else and my dealer is clueless.
I applaud your creative thinking!
July 8th, 2011 at 6:15 pm
Jim, It wasn’t easy. I had to remove the interior panels on the inside on the right side of the van to get access to the motor. If you are not mechanically inclined you might not want to try it. it took about 5 hours. if you have questions my e-mail is joemorriseau-at-verizon.net
July 17th, 2011 at 4:14 pm
i have a 08 uplander and my passenger sliding door has fallen off. i’ve had problems in the past with the car alarm that was on when i purchased it but now i don’t know what to do and i’m waitting for the dealership to respond to my messages.
July 18th, 2011 at 2:48 pm
Ok I have an 08 uplander and I have had it in the shop more than I drive it seems like anyway. Going to take it back for the door again. And the ding ding ding while driving it. But the dealership wants to charge even after I bought the extended warrenty. What the heck…… I am so unhappy. And as a single mom of 5 and a student it is not like I can just run out and buy something else. I am stuck and so fustrated.
July 26th, 2011 at 12:53 pm
I’d like to hear more about this. Please send us information at https://www.lemonlaw.com/rid.html.
July 26th, 2011 at 12:54 pm
If you purchased or registered the car in one of our states, please call us at 1-800-LEMON-LAW or fill out our Get Rid Of Your Lemon Form at https://www.lemonlaw.com/rid.html.
August 11th, 2011 at 10:05 am
Well I am in the same boat as a lot of you. We owned a Venture for several years with no door problems and really loved it, it had the single power door. It wound up having some engine issues later and that is why I traded for an ’07 Uplander. I liked the looks of it but it has no room like the old Venture I wish I still had. The automatic doors have been a flaming nightmare and it has been in the shop for 4 days as I type this and they have no idea what to do. I bought the extended warranty, thank goodness but it is still a headache. This is at least the 5th time it has been in the shop for the doors and like a lot of you I finally just pulled the fuse to stop the dinging. The passenger side door slide bracket is broken and the drivers side has already been replaced. Both doors on mine are bad and I guess I got someone else’s problem and that’s why I got what I thought was a great deal on it. I just want it gone at this point, I will drive my tractor.
August 12th, 2011 at 11:18 am
Mark: If you have a GMPP warranty, you may be entitled to monetary compensation for the door problems under Federal Law. I am not sure where you live, but visit https://www.lemonlaw.com/lemon-law-firm.html to find a firm that may be able to help you.
August 15th, 2011 at 7:45 pm
Ok so first I have to say is WOW! I am so sorry for everyones issues with this their vehicles but so happy I am not the only one. We just bought our 2007 Chevy Uplander from Drivetime in Riverside California in February of this year. Every since the week after we bought this vehicle we have been complaining that the doors were beeping and not working right. Drivetime offers their own warranty on their vehicles because they say it saves the customers money so they do not have to pay extra for the warranty. Well that is a crock of poop because of course the doors are not covered by the warranty. So I have been complaining since we bought our van and nothing has been able to be done. It has progressively gotten worse and now the passenger side door has had a piece broken off of it and it does not want to close all the way and makes a weird sound when opening. It has now popped open on us in 3 different occasions but not alll the way. My 2.5 yr old is always sitting by this door and we have now had to move him because we do not want anything to happen to him. This is absolutley ridiculous and something needsto be done about all this and I mean something serious, now. Please feel free to email me and let me know what has happened with all of your other cases. steelersfamily6@yahoo.com
August 27th, 2011 at 11:43 am
Same issue with our family 2005 Uplander. Driver side sliding door randomly does not shut completely or faults out. Never had a problem with the passenger side sliding door.
September 2nd, 2011 at 5:04 pm
Uplander= I will never buy American again. Biggest mistake of my life. My door too randomly opens, will not close without reopening, and dings incessantly. Dealer twice blew me off told me they couldn’t reproduce the issue and to clean the door contacts. I’d like to dump this thing into a ravine.
September 5th, 2011 at 8:25 am
My wife and I purchased a used 2007 Uplander in 2010 (great deal low mileage) and we thought we had a made a smart move with little money just having our third kid. For the last year we have heard a lot of dings and jams. I have had to check the tracks and try again several times. I have pulled the excess foam out of the bottom tracks and seen on some boards. For the last couple of months the doors would shut fine but not lock and just barely pop back out. We have perfected a push at the right time to engage the lock but it is annoying. Yesterday at the church we got the ding ding again and the door jammed, on the second button try one of the trailing edge of the door roller litteraly just popped off. Well I spent my sunday taking it all apart and fixing the roller. After testing it (and it ran 3 to 4 times perfect with lock working which was exciting) I put it all back together. One of the first runs after that the door jammed. Taking it all back apart the cable was now lose. Tracing the cable into the inside and taking the panels apart I get to the motor, take the motor out and take the cover off that discover the winding/pulling mech is messed up with cable twisted and broke parts. Although it appears to be engineered product (i.e. how it works) it is mostly plastics cover/pulley and very thin copper contacts etc (IE destroyed). I, needless to say am very frustrated at this point with the product.
Hope this helps someone out to avoid a headache.
Best Regards
Rich
September 25th, 2011 at 3:09 pm
I am a 2005 Uplander owner and my doors have been giving me fits as well. Same stuff as all of the above, but the last few days the doors have been opening by themselves after being shut and locked. Both doors were wide open just this morning after returning to the parking lot from getting groceries. Not to mention theft issues, we live in Seattle and the rain will be going for the next 10 months.
Here’s the fix:
I opened the passenger door, put two fingers in the side dashboard panel’s circular shaped vent and pulled off the panel to expose the fuse box. Pulled out fuses 21, 24, and 25 just like poster # 22 suggested. Voila, manual sliding doors. I just don’t have time or energy to deal with the dealer.
October 3rd, 2011 at 7:16 am
– have a 2007 and the rear door is not working. Took it in 4 times. Still doesn’t work.
October 3rd, 2011 at 3:28 pm
Donna: Please fill out our Get Rid Of Your Lemon form at https://www.lemonlaw.com/rid.html so we can put you in touch with someone who may be able to help.
October 7th, 2011 at 7:02 pm
Amazing….it was suggested by my kids to google Chevy Uplander door dinging since we cannot get the car to stop dinging when driving. We bought our 2006 Chevy Unplander in March 2006. Similar problems such as water accumulation inside at the back where the jack is on the side and doors not closing especially when parked on an incline happened immediately. Now since August, we cannot get this darn car to stop dinging. My husband removed fuses associated with the right and left doors but it didn’t work. It is nice to know that these are shared problems. They should not get away with this.
October 11th, 2011 at 5:12 pm
Its obvious from all the postings that GM/Chevrolet has a problem with the sliding doors and has failed the recognize this fact. Even the NHTSA when they did their study also failed to recognize there was a problem. I stop taking my car to the dealer since it was and has been useless. Getting Chevrolet involved was useless. The one thing that I have been able to confirm and I am sure others have also, is that when the door fails, no computer codes are displayed in the computer. So either the codes that are suppose to set were programmed incorrectly or the module that controls the doors are bad and do not produce bad codes. No matter the reason, it continues to be a safety hazard and GM should have done something starting in 2006 when the doors started messing up on the 2005s and continued into 2008, when they stop making the Uplander in the US. As I have mentioned before, I will not buy another GM product since they could care less about safety concerns voiced by their customers. I will soon be getting rid of my 2007 Uplander. If it was not for the doors, I would have given Chevy/GM a pat on the back because I have had no other problems with it. Continue to voice your complaints at the dealer and Chevrolet. Despite the lack of any progress on researching what exactly the problem is, at least Chevrolet will take the info and keep it for 3 months.
October 19th, 2011 at 12:55 pm
Have had same problem with passenger side power sliding door on a 2005 Chevy Uplander on and off for about a year. For the past few months it has become a huge problem. Pulled fuses 21, 24, and 25 and that solved it. Yeah, no sliding door, but I’m happy to have 2 functioning doors again and no beeping. As much as I love being able to open doors with the key remote so that the kids can run in, I’m just not willing to deal with it anymore or pay lots of money for a fix.
October 20th, 2011 at 6:47 pm
Wow is all I can say!! I’ve been wanting a minivan for awhile now. We were offered a great deal on a 2006 Uplander. We took it for a test drive and I loved it but my husband said the steering felt funny. I decided to research more on it and came across this web page. Looks like I WILL NOT be purchasing it after all!!!
November 6th, 2011 at 7:51 pm
Friends,
I just created a petition entitled Chevrolet: Fix the Chevrolet Uplanders that so many people are having issues with, because I care deeply about this very important issue.
I’m trying to collect 100 signatures, and I could really use your help.
To read more about what I’m trying to do and to sign my petition, click here:
(Petition was closed many years ago, link removed – Admin)
It’ll just take a minute!
Once you’re done, please ask your friends to sign the petition as well. Grassroots movements succeed because people like you are willing to spread the word!
JULIE ANN COOK
December 6th, 2011 at 3:50 pm
Post #35 you are a genius. NO MORE DING DING. Thank you.
No more paying the dealership for work that doesn’t work.
December 11th, 2011 at 7:29 am
2007 uplander sliding door problems, door open by itself and ding ding when closed.
December 11th, 2011 at 7:35 am
I was able to stop the ding of my 2007 uplander driver side sliding door by force closing it after 2 hr of trying, then locking it from the over head lock out but, now I am not able to open to use the door with out the constant ding ding ding. I have not taken it to the dealer because after reading others the dealers are no help. This is frustrating GM will not step up and take responsibility.
December 11th, 2011 at 9:17 pm
I have a 07 uplander and the passenger side sliding door lost a bearing, it fell out on the garage floor, I took it to the chevy dealer and he had the replacement part in stock for just under a $100. I bought the bearings/bracket and installed it in less than an hour. it seems to have solved the problem for now. In my opinion the bearings that support the door are not big enough for such a heavy door. If your door is not closing it’s probably because of these bearings wearing out. I would get them fixed ASAP before your door falls off.
One other major issue that my Non GM mechanic found with the Uplander is an electrical issue, we had an electrical problem when the van had less than 20,000 miles on it. We live in Mn and our floor matts and carpet under them are wet or froze all winter. What my mechanic found was a corroded main wire harness under the drivers feet, (you have to remove the carpet to access it.) If your having electrical problems start their first, it took my mechanic over six hours to trace the problem to this corroded harness.
December 14th, 2011 at 2:46 pm
I have a 07 Uplander and had the passenger side sliding door lose its bearing, came off the hindge and had to physically put it back on. This was done on March 2011 and was fixed with new contacts, motor, and cable, it was also under warranty by just 2 days left on the warranty. Now, I just had the other door go on the drivers side. Same problem!! Now it will cost me $1,000.00 to fix according to GM dealership…they said they had to replace the motor too. Is there a recall on these Uplanders so GM can fix them and not us?
Help,
Don
December 15th, 2011 at 4:23 pm
Don: Any additional problems under warranty? If so, call us at 1-800 LEMON LAW and we may be able to help you get the money to pay for the new repair.
December 29th, 2011 at 8:35 pm
I just bought a 2006 Uplander from my aunt as she can no longer drive and could not make the payments. She purchased it new. Of course it has the issues with the sliding doors. In order to use the doors and not be pestered by the dinging I disconnect the battery and reconnect it after the doors are closed. This will stop the dinging until the doors are opened again. I paid off the bank for my aunt and will sell it as soon as possible and continue to drive my 1997 Ford that has given me no problems at 153,000 miles.
January 7th, 2012 at 4:00 pm
I have had problems with my doors and am about to take it in because when i called they said it was probably trash in the track. It starts dinging and doors start opening to the point I cant drive. Very Annoying. Also, has anyone had problems with a loud popping noise? I found out this could be very dangerous. And….I went to get my emissions and it didnt pass and my gas hand was not working properly, then I get a code of PO463 which is a fuel level sensor high voltage and I found out this is a very bad problem as well but not a recall yet. Just in case others were having these same problems.
January 19th, 2012 at 10:10 am
Thank you to #22 for sharing your fix of pulling the fuses!!!! That dinging has been an on and off battle since I have owned the van. No more loud dinging thanks to you!!!
February 7th, 2012 at 4:38 pm
Doors have all problems as other owners. Dealer states contacts corroded, and doors working as designed. I have that written on a work order from the dealer. Would this be enough to force G.M. and the dealer to repair a door that at times opens on it’s owner or will not close, or has to be manually forced to close. I don’t know what to do. The vehicle is crap. 5 times brought vehicle to dealer to fix blower. Finally dealer admits there as a problem, but part not available. They are doing a nationwide search for the part. A control head module. No blower means no defroster. This is a definate safety issue that has been ignored by G.M. and the dealer. When the warranty runs out, then what warranty when the problem does not get fixed. G.M. or the dealer can do the right thing and buy the vehicle back. It is dangerous.
February 23rd, 2012 at 10:42 pm
I purchase a 2007 chevy uplander and its been nothing but problems with both doors I’ve paid to have one door fix but i’m not going to pay to have the other, too much money and time.Its a persistant problem and now the locks have gone hay-wire and I have to unhook my battery everytime I switch off.I hate this problem.I love the uplander but not the problems that came alone with it.I wish there was something that could be done about this sitution.
February 23rd, 2012 at 11:31 pm
06 Uplander. Lots of dinging. Cleaned the tracks. Cleaned the contact points. Still dings. Dealer said we needed a new module, upwards of $1000. I will try the fuse removal, thanks for the tip. GM, you have let us down and you clearly owe us a recall. On a relevant note, I’d like to mention something else that has happened on our Uplander that is probably happening to others. The gold Chevrolet logo on the back of our van has corroded off, leaving a weak looking gray Chevrolet shape. Dealer said it would cost us $60 to have the logo replaced. Outrageous but so so poetic. GM, your image has been tarnished for us and many others.
March 18th, 2012 at 3:42 pm
My wife and I bought a used 2007 Uplander in March of 2010! OUR warranty ran out 3,000 miles after we left the parking lot! We were experiencing some problems with our sliding doors in 2011! But figured that it was the seal falling off, it would work for a while! But by the summer of 2011 our driver-side sliding door would open but was really hard to close and when it closed 4 metal piece’s along w/what we were told by the dealership is part of the censer! Now about a week ago the passenger door it made a grinding noise as it would close! And then we decided to just open it up manually! Cause we have four kids that ranger from 7 years to 9 months and wanted some way to get the kids in and out of the car! But that only worked for about a day, cause I was only able to open it up enough to allow my kids to get into the car! Went into dealership and they were telling me that the part alone would cost 100 each, that didn’t include how much the labor would cost!! I’ve been looking up to see if this would be on recall!! And I don’t see it!!! Why IS THIS NOT ON RECALL!!!
I don’t need to have the doors open on me automatically especially with my wife driving it around with our kids in it!!
We have so much going on with it, I could almost bit’s and pieces that everyone has written! Binging too…… GRRRR really!! RECALL!!!!
March 26th, 2012 at 11:04 pm
wow! sure wish I had seen all this BEFORE I bought my 07 Uplander. I love the van – but…. I have same problems with drivers floor getting wet, passenger sliding door that you have to open/shut/open/shut/help it along to get it shut all the while the alarm going off. the cable on the driver side sliding door: the covering on cable got all bunched up and door wouldn’t open at all. my grandson took the covering off and now I can at least get it open half way then it shuts fine. I bought it used – warranty is expired. I am laid off, can’t afford to fix. ended up on this site because i was looking for parts for the sliding door. LOL
March 27th, 2012 at 12:31 pm
Kim: I wonder how many times you addressed this while under warranty. Just because you are now out of warranty does not mean you have no claim. Take a look at your invoices and visit https://www.lemonlaw.com/lemon-law-firm.html to find a lemon lawyer in your neck of the woods who can help.
March 29th, 2012 at 1:08 pm
Kim, I hear ya!! We’ve got 4 kids and can’t afford to fix this problem!!!!!!!!
Lemon Law!!!! Is there a place that we all can go to.. So that GM Can do A RECALL!!!!
April 2nd, 2012 at 11:32 am
Jason: Sadly, unless you report this to GM’s attention prior to your warranty expiring, it would not fall under the laws we work with.
April 13th, 2012 at 4:28 am
I got me a sliding door problem too!! The auto lock does not unlock on my 07 Uplander!! Leaving it at the garage!! But this was NOTHING compared to when the entire engine went in to CATASTROPHIC FAILURE, due to valve seat covers!!! And the dealer REFUSED TO FIX IT because, well, because I had my oil changed at Sears and not the dealer. It was my fault. I paid the dealer TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS for a brand new engine. Did I mention this failure occurred at the fifty thousand mile mark ONE YEAR after purchase, putting it squarely in the 100,000 mile, five year drive train warranty guarantee. And no lawyer would touch the case, because, as the dealer knew very, very well, there just wasn’t enough money in it. I bought this car because, well, I wanted to buy American. I’m so proud. And then I found out the whole thing is made in China.
May 17th, 2012 at 8:54 am
I have a 2007 Uplander. I’ve had trouble with the doors often. I switched the doors to manual within the first year since the automatic doors would never work right for more than a month at a time. The dealer has replaced some part that was put in backwards according to them. I’ve had the problem where you could not shut the door. Currently, the chime sounds all the time even though there is no warning about any of the doors being ajar. I’ve reshut all the doors multilple times. I’m sooo tired of the door problems. It is no wonder they do not make this van anymore.
May 24th, 2012 at 10:19 pm
I think that when we go and trade in our Uplanders for something better.. GM Should just suck it up and scrap it!! Better yet you’d think that with all the complaints that they would finally do something about it!! YOU KNOW RECALLLLLLLLLL!! RECALL RECALL!!!
July 1st, 2012 at 5:55 am
I have had the same problems as most of you. The sliding door is enough to drive me insane! I have a 2006, and it’s never been right with mostly minor things. Then after the warranty expired the door has been a nightmare. It never acts up at the dealership, it has acted up interestingly enough at the family mechanics business. They re- glued all the trim, greased the contacts, hooked it up to the machine to see if any codes came back and took a blower to the tracks to make sure nothing was inside blocking anything. It has come open while driving, opened when locked, the infamous dinging and of course not shutting at all! I have had to disconnect the battery to get the dinging to stop, since it had already once drained my battery and I needed a jump start with 5 kids in the car. My mechanic said he Can’t fix it so it has to go to the dealer, where unfortunately they can’t fix it either. What can I do? Please help!
July 1st, 2012 at 2:45 pm
Bought our 2007 Uplander in 2010. Last year to be able to use driver’s side sliding door we spent $500 to replace harness, plunger assembly, & contact plate. It worked for a few months. Gonna take it back. Up until yesterday we owned a 7 passenger van but didn’t dare open EITHER sliding door because we didn’t know how long it might take to get them to stay closed!!! Yesterday we met a man with an Uplander that showed us how to remove fuse #21 to allow the doors to operate manually. (Which the dealership told us could not be done) To access fuse: 1. Open passenger side front door. 2. Remove the cover in the right end of the dash. 3. Remove fuse #21. Voila! Doors now work manually and no ding, ding, ding.
July 2nd, 2012 at 10:09 pm
Why has there never been a recall on this vehicle? And why isn’t there a class action lawsuit on this? I don’t want any more lawyers contacting me UNLESS there is a lawsuit or unless there is monetary compensation involved. GM sucks and has never made any attempt to make up for this disaster of a vehicle. How can they get away with this? Can’t believe Obama bailed them out… they should have been allowed to FAIL.
July 6th, 2012 at 3:04 pm
Sad owner of a 05 uplander side doors open and close will driving and even wen im parked. Brake and antilock lights stay on now battery drains. THESE UPLANDERS NEED TO BE RECALLED lets all get together and see what we can do. Chevy lost me thats for shure.
July 12th, 2012 at 4:54 pm
We want to THANK YOU, for your site, and: Dora, for the suggestion of Fuse #21. We had that side door closed and not used, because of the ding, ding, and dinging, gave up, and never used that door.
My husband took out Fuse #21 and finally after all this time “Peace and Quiet, NO DINGING.” Thank you so much for the instructions on how to removed Fuse #21. PLEASE: forward to Dora. Tell her please how much we appreciate the information, and the same goes for you, can’t imigine life with out your site to help all of us. Thank you
I have a question: Why doesn’t Chevy – just recall all the Uplander’s that are left, or give us a good trade in for that Van at a Chevy dealership.” I think we would all love chevy’s and buy more of them, because at this rate, it turns us off for another Chevy car, WE will go back to Chrysler or another Dodge. No more Chevy’s!!
We will go back to Chrysler, never had a problem with our 97 Green Dodge CaraVan, and the dealership, was wonderful, helpfull.
July 13th, 2012 at 12:15 pm
I think that we all not only need to write the company, but also get some attention from the media as well. I don’t care what state your in. But for real. Do you know how many people have traded in there Uplanders..Trust me I’m one of them…
July 17th, 2012 at 1:56 pm
bought one less than a month…and already not happy have flickering lights …car wont start at times… and doors are so agrevating…if i wouldve seen these post sooner ..i wouldve went to get another van…
July 19th, 2012 at 12:37 pm
Belle #69: Please read the article by Dora #64. We followed the instructions and took out Fuse #21, and the door doesn’t open on its own, doesn’t ding, ding, ding, and we can manually open and close it. Peace and Quiet finally. So we are pleased only with the door. Chevy needs to recall all the Uplanders. This is our last Chevy Van, or car!! Have a nice weekend. Carol #67.
July 21st, 2012 at 8:39 pm
We bought a used 2007 Uplander earlier this year. We thought we were getting such a good deal because it only had 50K miles. We’ve had the driver’s side sliding door (ours isn’t automatic) nearly come completely off, three times. Thankfully, we were parked each time. We also have the gas gauge problem…we fill up, and then the gauge needle swings back and forth from empty to full for several days before settling down and then we just have to fill up again. I am definitely interested in what can be done about these problems. We live in AZ.
July 25th, 2012 at 4:16 pm
Yep. 2007 Uplander with a broken passenger door. At first it was just the dinging, then it was grinding when the motor was being used, then it would stop half way through closing/opening, now a bearing has fallen out of the track on the side of the car. We can still open and close the door with the motor, but we have to push against the door pretty hard when it is “closed” to get it to snap closed. I have an extended warranty (“Ultimate” coverage), but I have a feeling it won’t be covered. Anyone know?
July 26th, 2012 at 5:46 pm
Stephen, The extended warranty we got when we bought our Uplander proved to be a worthless scrap of paper when dealing with the sliding doors. We were told it was a corrosion issue which allegedly wasn’t covered by the warranty. All things considered, if we had known of the considerable dumpster load of problems these cars have we would have opted for a foreign made vehicle. Dora’s husband
July 26th, 2012 at 6:59 pm
#72 Stephen, please check Dora #64 or me on #70. All our door did was ding, open and close. My husband followed Dora #64 instructions and took fuse #21 out. Peace and quiet, no noise, we have to open it manually, but we will deal with it.
July 26th, 2012 at 7:11 pm
#71 Kim: We had no idea about the gas gauge, it happens to us exactly like you said. As long as we keep it filled over 1/2 full we are fine, if it goes below – here we go again. Maybe we have more wrong with this uplander that we realized. We only have 2 payments left.
September 10th, 2012 at 9:42 pm
We are having the same problems with out 2008 Uplander. Bought it used and thought we were getting a good deal with low miles, but the doors have been a problem since we bought it. Dinging, not shutting all the way, gravelly sound in the mechanism. We have had it in 3 times and paid $1000 but it is still not fixed. We also had to replace a computer chip so it wouldn’t overheat. I’m so disappointed in GM. They need to fess up and recall at least the door problem. I will try removing fuse #21. Wondering, will doing this mess up any other functions in the vehicle?
We need a class action lawsuit.
September 12th, 2012 at 12:33 pm
We have a 2006 uplander and are the only owners. It has recently begun the door opening as we go down the road issue. But also the brake lights are on and they tell us nothing is wrong. We have had it in for the AWD sensors being out 3-4 times. One time they charged us $1200.00 and told us the problem was in my head that it was not the sensors and fixed something else. The DAY I brought it home the lights went off againand again no AWD. I brought it back and again asked them to fix the sensors… this time they areed with me that I was right but it would be ANOTHER $1200.00 to fix… I could not afford another hey lets try this … I have 5 kids to feed. But they did charge me $120.00 to diagnos my van and then let me have it back. HELP!!
September 19th, 2012 at 12:56 pm
Corey, please check, #64 Dora and Fuse #21. Ever since we took Fuse #21 out, sure the door has to be opened manually, but no more dinging, no more opening on its own. Peace and quiet. Plus we payed it off, and if it is good we will keep the Chevy Uplander. We can’t begin to thank Dora #64 enough for the QUIET, No MORE door OPENING on ITS own. Thanks Dora.
September 19th, 2012 at 1:09 pm
Christine: We took fuse #21 out, and right now don’t seem to have any other problems. Except this strange one: If the Van is less than half full of gas and we fill the needle on the dial for gas flips around either no gas or full, after a few days it settles down to normal. Now if we have over a 1/2 tank of gas and we fill all the way nothing happens. Talk about weird, last Chevy we Ever Buy!!!!!buy. We had a Green 97 Dodge CarVan ran wonderful, no problems, oh how we miss that van. When we bought the Chevy – we gave the Dodge to our daughter, and she loves it, with her 4 kids but everytime we see the Dodge we really miss it. So we know when we get fed up with this Chevy – Dodge or Chrysler Van here we come.
September 27th, 2012 at 10:26 pm
Ugh, I just bought mine 2 days ago and am already unhappy…my spore and the ding ding dinging ifs diving me knucking futz! Wish I would have seen this 3 days ago, what am I going to do? WE just got a 10,000 loan!
September 30th, 2012 at 9:38 pm
I own a 2006 Chevy Uplander and i am no longer able to use either my passenger sliding door or my driver’s side sliding door as it will set off the ding ding sound that is loud and very annoying. The double sided doors is one of the reasons i bought the vehicle having five kids and all.The doors if not shut manually will not shut all the way or will stop half way and open again. What can i do about the issue if anything at all? Please let me know.
October 12th, 2012 at 9:44 am
#80 – Tina, and #81 – Rhonda: Hope this helps: please check, #64 Dora and Fuse #21. Ever since we took Fuse #21 out, sure the door has to be opened manually, but no more dinging, no more opening on its own. Peace and quiet.
We can’t begin to thank Dora #64 enough for the QUIET, No MORE door OPENING on ITS own. Thanks Dora.
October 12th, 2012 at 2:53 pm
Carol, We knew we could count on you to reply to Tina & Rhonda! We talk to every Uplander owner we can to compare notes about our problems. That’s how we found out about fuse #21 – talking to an Uplander owner in a restaurant parking lot.
October 12th, 2012 at 3:37 pm
We can’t begin to thank you so much for letting us know about the fuse #21. We are so glad you met that person in the parking lot. The passenger door drove us crazy, with the dinging. We filled up today with gas. Usually, the gas gauge flips around after we fill, and then the light comes “low fuel”, within 3 days it goes back to normal. We haven’t met anyone with an Uplander so far. Have a nice weekend.
October 12th, 2012 at 10:19 pm
Does this affect anything else like the radio? Our does it just stop the automatic doors? Thanks for the tip, has ben good so far since all sensors were cleaned…we’ll see how it goes 🙂
January 8th, 2013 at 10:20 pm
I am a mechanic from Ontario , Canada . Currently working on a 06 Uplander with the right side door opening while driving … unfortunatly the van is modified for a wheel chair ramp so i cant just pull the fuse . thanks to all of you i now know that the problem is common and currently going through the electrical system to find and solve the issues i will post the end result
January 10th, 2013 at 4:51 pm
Aaron,
Check under the drivers side floor mat, my mechanis found electrical problems there.
April 15th, 2013 at 5:28 am
2005 uplander.. Drivers side door (not electric) will not open with exterior handle. Have to reach inside to open. Any ideas?
August 12th, 2013 at 9:14 am
I have an 06 Uplander with the dinging door and opening without warning. I have discovered that the issue is the contact pad on the pillar. The brass contact become corroded since the door contacts are aluminum. Dissimilar metals in constant contact are a basic no no.
I take a small piece of fine sandpaper and keep it in the seat pocket by the door. If it acts up I clean the contact and the door works without issue. I would get some di-electric grease but I’m sure my kids would end up with it all over them.
I hope this helps someone out there.
September 2nd, 2013 at 3:11 pm
I have a 2007 Chevy outlander and passenger side door will not open status stuck every back to the dealer twice and also my gas gauge is always going back-and-forth it’ll be forward of the empty it’ll be empty miniver full also if I have my parking break if I’m parked on on a hill my gauge ghost empty my car won’t start I also have problems with pumping gas an always full or empty when that’s its not even correct. I have brought it to Carmax 3 times an Chevy 2 an the problems always come back.. It was a fleet car so low mileage an till we bought it last year it is used on a daily..
October 20th, 2013 at 10:17 am
i just purchased a 2008 chevy uplander and the passenger sliding door has so many issues when im shuting the door it ll open right back up
October 24th, 2013 at 7:00 pm
I bought a 2006 Chevy Uplander August of 2011 in NC. Have had nothing but trouble with it, especially with the sliding doors! Mine has now started the ding-ding-dinging nonstop when it is in reverse or drive. It has been about 2 weeks now. It’s driving me crazy. Going to try removing the power sliding door fuses. I learned that there are 2 fuse panels. One under the hood and one inside on the passenger side of the dash. The passenger door has to be opened to access the panel. That is supposed to be where the power door chime fuses are. It seems like it has worked for some people and not for others. Fingers crossed.
October 24th, 2013 at 8:27 pm
I have a question for all of you uplander owners,
How many of you have changed the front wheel bearings?
Mine went out at 55,000 and again at 100,200 miles.
I own a 2007 piece of …
October 25th, 2013 at 1:59 pm
I have a 07 chevy uplander and I bought it from DriveTime and my drivers sliding door will NOT open and my passenger door will NOT lock and stay closed. Not to mention as soon as one thing is fixed something else is wrong with it less than a month later. Please help me….what can I do. I’m unemployed so I need domething relianle so I can find a job and transport my family. I bought it from DriveTime in October 2012 snd is still making payments on it……so disgusted!!!
October 28th, 2013 at 3:52 pm
Qiana please check #64 Dora: we followed her instructions taking Fuse #21 out and yes we manually open the doors, but no more dinging constantly and opening on its own. Please check that area. Thanks.
October 28th, 2013 at 3:59 pm
To: #90 Angela: Our van is a 2006 model. We have trouble with the gas gauge too, but we found as long as don’t let the gas gauge go below 1/2 full, its fine and we make sure we fill up all the way. This is what happens to our van: Once we go below 1/2 full, and we fill up—the needle jumps to empty, and it says “Low Fuel” at this point we have to drive 26 miles and it goes back to normal. This van is paid for, and we are trying to live with it. Hope this helps.
October 30th, 2013 at 2:32 pm
Yes our 2005 Uplander had to have front wheel bearings replaced last year at about 65,000 miles. Not a cheap fix.
Plus both of our power side doors won’t work right at all just like everybody else here (dealer can’t seem to fix it). The doors are an extreme issue, they have opened on us while driving before (with 3 kids in the car at the time). I have had to pull the fuse before just to get the driver side to close manually.
Other issues others may also be experiencing:
Exterior door trim is faded and coming off, lights surge from dim to bright and back, replaced stabilizer bars, Electrical goes out for a few seconds if you drive through a puddle more than a couple inches deep. Windshield wipers keeps busting loose from the arm connected to wiper motor. Driver seat heater element is out. This car has been well maintained but has nickel and dimed us constantly and there are so many issues I can’t even remember them all till I run into them again. Besides that I love it.
November 4th, 2013 at 5:42 pm
To Angela: Our van is a 2006 model. We have trouble with the gas gauge too, but we found as long as don’t let the gas gauge go below 1/2 full, its fine and we make sure we fill up all the way. This is what happens to our van: Once we go below 1/2 full, and we fill up—the needle jumps to empty, and it says “Low Fuel” at this point we have to drive 26 miles and it goes back to normal. This van is paid for, and we are trying to live with it. Hope this helps.
January 20th, 2014 at 5:42 am
I have a 2005 Uplander and my doors are manual as of 3 months ago for the dinging and the power doors went on the brink, nothing to do but pull the 21 fuse, the passenger sliding door sometimes locks and sometimes don’t so now I have to check every time I get out to make sure it is locked. (Crazy but true I believe that GM should fix the problem, but we will need all the good luck we can get, or just put up with it like we are now)
January 22nd, 2014 at 12:49 pm
AJ
Check and clean the contacts on the door post. All functions in the door require these contacts to work properly.
March 19th, 2014 at 12:26 pm
I looked up to see how to stop the dinging. 2006 Uplander. This website was a lot of help. I had tried slamming all the doors, ding ding ding. Disconnected and reconnected the battery, ding ding ding. Did the slamming of the doors again, ding ding ding, but made me feel better by working off the anger. Scraped of the contacts of the side doors, ding ding ding. More door slamming just for the hell of it. I replaced fuse 21, ding ding ding. Slammed the doors again, ding ding ding. Getting some good exercise with all the door slamming. One neighbor came out to watch, thinking I was crazy. Back to website to read again. Finally decided to pull out fuse 21. What no ding? Wow. Fixed it and radio still works. I never used the automatic door button for one of the doors engine was broke when we first got it from my mom. Like someone said above. PSD does not mean Passenger Side Door. It means Piece of Shit Door.
March 20th, 2014 at 12:53 am
bought a 2007 uplander 2 weeks ago for work (big mistake). The last few days i notice as im driving down the highway the vans power would turn on and off (no big deal it kept going) but today the engine decided to flicker on and off with a flashing engine light, flashing abs, doors unlocking, doors locking, cabin lights flickering, headlights flashing and thus resulting into all power being shut and coming to a complete stop in the middle of nowhere 🙂 got out and closed the door and sure enough the power came back on, started and drove away like nothing happened. someone please tell me theres a solution for this problem??? got a video of it happening
April 2nd, 2014 at 9:01 am
I have a 2005 islanders my slide door on my passages for kept popping open and alarm going off my cable broke and called to see what to do and they want $195 just to tell me what alarm is going off I pull all the fuses for the doors to get alarm to stop but have to watch if someone leans on the door while going down the road it will open
April 2nd, 2014 at 9:24 pm
My issue does not concern sliding doors, but is involved with a 2007 Uplander that I bought in Honolulu, Hawaii. After suffering a catastrophic engine failure on August 22, 2009, due to the shattering of the valve seat cover and destroying the valve shaft, the local dealer, Cutter Chevrolet, refused to honor the warranty, (car was at 50k miles, 2 yrs in to a 5yr warranty) because the vehicle had not been brought in to the dealership for necessary oil changes. Contacted regional GM management in Dearborn who, after stating they would “take care of me, and this was very wrong” stated, “sorry, there’s nothing we can do,” after they had a private discussion with the Service Manager for Cutter Chevrolet. Had an entirely new engine shipped directly from the factory, in Michigan, at a cost of ten thousand dollars. It was installed in the vehicle. After two unrelated transmission rebuilds, equaling 2.5k each, the second engine failed completely at 164k miles. That is- 114k miles after the installation of the first engine, due to first installation occurring at 50k miles. Car has since been sold, with yet a third engine installation. Any wonder GM is having issues with recalls?
April 15th, 2014 at 6:47 am
Ok so we have a 2007 uplander. I have experienced the same issues with the doors and a few minor problems. I bought her in 2007 and have maintenanced her accordingly. (Stella) my van has been good to us over these years and literally has driven from east coast to west coast and everywhere in between. She has approximately 122,000 miles on her.
My biggest issue has been the doors and like many of you the annoying do.gy. its been going on for so ling we ignore it. While the beeping hasn’t been continual we have found various tricks and treats to stop it. Close the door slightly, close the door hard, switch to manual back to automatic. I have recently removed fuse 21 but now my television system won’t work and the doors can’t be open from the inside…suggestions
May 20th, 2014 at 6:49 pm
I have a 2005 chevy uplander and already had my passenger sliding door fixed with the dinging noise and now it’s doing it again. I’ve had the van for a year now. I think this should be considered as a recall! I haven’t had the door open while I’m driving yet but I’m sure in time it will and that’s a safety issue.
May 22nd, 2014 at 11:42 am
I agree why are UPLANDERS ON THE RECALL LIST!! They should be bought back and put in a compactor!! Between both sliding doors broke fell off track actually the pin broke. And binging not wanting to close, or open correctly. We’ve had to replace the hubs four times all together. There’s a list of problems for sure. RECALL … RECALL NEEDS TO HAPPEN!!
July 1st, 2014 at 7:35 pm
I have an 06 Uplander that I would find wide open from time to time so I removed the PSD fuze and have not had a problem sence!
July 2nd, 2014 at 6:54 pm
#108 Jim: We learned back from Dora #63 about the Fuse #21. We haven’t had a problem with the door dinging or opening since then. Our van is a 2006 and we bought it in 2007. BUT we are patiently waiting for a recall – – RECALL please. In the meantime, have a Happy 4th of July this 2014.
July 23rd, 2014 at 11:33 pm
I am wondering as well when there will be a recall. I have a 2005 Uplander and can’t afford to just go out and buy a new vehicle and this one has caused us nothing but problems. The sliding doors would open up by themselves driving or just when sitting locked come out from somewhere and they would be open. We had to take the fuse out cause now they just beep all the time, Stabilitrack and suspension issues, tie rod issues replaced 3 times glad my tire never came off while driving, hub issues within the tire, all kinds of electronic issues lights dim up and down radio stations wont stay programed, air bag cover has ripped 4 times, been locked in the car and can’t get it to unlock, these are all serious safety issues and I can’t for the life of me understand why this vehicle has not had recalls for all the problems. Hope someone doesn’t die 1st before GM does something and they know full well this is a huge problem they are just ignoring it.
August 16th, 2014 at 1:15 pm
I bought a 2005 Montana and shortly I found out about the issue of sliding door dinging and not working properly. I am considering taking the fuse out and just live with it. Its a shame that GM ignore fixing their vehicle issues. No one can be blamed for buying a Japanese or even a Korean car, it’s time for American manufacturers to learn about quality / reliability and customer satisfaction.
January 24th, 2015 at 2:09 am
I purchased a 2005 chevy uplander used, shortly after, I started having trouble with just the passenger sliding door. When you choose it it nearly always reopens is self then when we mash the button to choose it it will do it again, most of the time on the 3rd try it will finally lock down, they are right Chevrolet company should Recall THEM Doors AND Fix THEM Free Of Charge
February 10th, 2015 at 3:33 pm
Bought Chevy Uplander 2007 from a used car dealership in Tacoma,Wa. We needed a van because we have a baby on the way soon to be a family of 6. Van is great but we are having major issues with the door locks. The sliding door on driver side won’t unlock from the inside. The unlock switch gets Jammed and sometimes it works if you jiggle it and other times just stuck and won’t work. Leaving the door not usable if its stuck locked. Wife also complained the auto locks are working on and off. I’m think the mechanism are gunky and need to be grease you can hear the door motors try to work. Wife also hears noises on the front passenger axle. Prob bearings going bad. Took it to get an oil change and the technician said there is moderate leaks. We just bought this car a week ago from this used car lot! My wife even asked the guy selling it to us this is not a lemon huh? Lol she was joking too and he said of course not… We sign the contract and now realizing it is a lemon!!!
April 9th, 2015 at 1:16 pm
Easy fix, you need to take care of your doors!!! Keep tracks clean and both top and middle wheels oiled. Clean sensors with a wire brush or green scrub pad ( this also fixed my lock/unlock problem) use coke if your contacts are green/ tarnished. My door hasn’t had ringing problems for a month. Just released contacts today to fix lock problem. Hope this helps someone with a less serious problem. Counting myself lucky.
June 3rd, 2015 at 11:16 pm
We still have our Chevy 2006 Uplander, and its paid for, only wonder if by chance they recalled it. So I just checked into this site to see if anything has changed. We had the door problem and we are #66. We took Dora’s advise #63, and removed the fuse #21 have to use the passenger’s side door manually but it still works. Our current problem is it kept saying “check gas cap” and it broken so we one at AutoZone the engine light was on well that worked for a couple of weeks, engine light was off. Then the engine light came back on and check gas cap. Gave up called the dealer and they said as long as the engine light isn’t blinking, bring it in, get a new gas cap, and they would install it. Gave up went to the dealer, and got one of theirs. So they are hoping the engine light will go off after the cap has been on for 3 days, and we have driven it alot. Hope we get lucky this time.
September 7th, 2015 at 8:18 am
Gee is everybody having the same problem with their doors my passenger door want operate at all an it pops open by itself an the ding ding sound want stop an my driver seat want operate it stuck in one position i replaced the relay an it keeps blowing them i am so disappointed in gm right now
October 8th, 2015 at 8:46 am
I have an 08 Uplander. Years ago we removed the fuses on the automatic doors and have been using them manually which isn’t the most convenient at times. We were tired of the alarms. I just saw a repair video on youtube and the mechanic very easily replaced the rollers on the pulley on the back side of the sliding doors. Looks like a simple fix. Cleaning the contacts never worked.
I also had an engine light and a warning that said “driver’s door ajar” that wouldn’t go out even if the door was closed. I found a video about taking the positive and negative cables off the battery and hold them together for 15 seconds and that cleared the lights and warning message. My parents had the same problem so I told my dad and he had his mechanic do the same thing and it worked for them as well.
We have also had many issues with the van not starting. It would not start. Next morning go out and it would start. It is currently at this very moment getting a new starter. We will see if it fixes the issue.
September 21st, 2016 at 2:23 pm
We have a 2006 Chevy Uplander. I purchased it in 2009 for $2470 with also my trade in value of my suburban. I needed the gas mileage. It had 6300 miles on it and was owned by a sherriff from a neighboring county. Not even 6 months later, my back sliding doors, no I do NOT have auto open doors, started becoming a nousance. I took it in to Hanigans Chevrolet. They had it for 10 days! I was so happy to have a car again I didn’t care if it didn’t have doors at all, I was NOT giving it back to them! WelI had to give in cause the doors, one still didn’t work properly, would pop open and slide back and forth randomly, Lock some days but not lock other days, or just wouldn’t close at all and the dinging gave me migraines. So I returned it and yet again it took over a week to fix it. This time after fixing it I drove off the lot, then turned right around and drove right back in!!! They didn’t even attach the panel to the inside of the passenger slider door. OOps they said! Ugh four hour later I was able to leave with my Uplander. But that door wouldn’t lock at ALL (2010)! I GAVE UP. It is now September of 2016, 203,000 miles into it, my husband and five, of our six kids, all pulled into the driveway last night, none, I repeat… NONE of the doors would open!!!! A door was failing so all the locks suddenly were deployed and in working order. Ugh!!! Car was off and they couldn’t get out.
Our problems now…
So The passenger side slider door handle pulled through the exterior of the door and thin metal, the drivers door panel was lodged in the door jam, and who Knows the reason the drivers slider door won’t open except the child safety lock seems to just work and not work all on its own. So they have the passenger door, and the back hatch to get in and out of the car in! We have battled this cars door ON OUR OWN since the last screw up at the chevy dealer. Now they are under new ownership and won’t/don’t want to cover the warantee the original company had promised me. Even though they are the same people who broke it repeatedly in 2010 just working for a new owner. Here I go AGAIN to attempt to fix these three doors on my own! The drivers door hindges are the problem so I’m replacing them. The passenger slider door needs a new exterior bezel and slider door. Hindges and sliders seem fine just needs a different locking system. I may try a ventures slider doors guts and locking system (wish me luck), and the drivers slider… I’m just removing the child safety lock and replacing the whole locking system since it keeps failing.
Weekly maintenance to maintain use of the doors….(5 hours a weeks)
We have to vacuum the slider track weekly and spray the whole mechanism down with wd40! It has helped us keep it on track and working for the past 6 years on our own. Tearing the door panels off and spraying the locks with air and wd40 have seem to keep the doors from popping open. But the passenger slider door lock DOES NOT work still. So we can’t leave anything valuable in the car. Which is why my husband always has it now as to myself. Just in case. We also own a 2004 Toyota Sienna with 200,000 on it and it’s a dream!!!!! We chose the Uplander so we could purchase the middle back seat and seat all eight of us at once and keep the mpg down. Our Toyota only seated seven and we needed a vehicle to haul all of us around in. So we purchased a middle second row seat from a junk yard out of a chevy venture. It snaps right into the brackets already there and it has its own seat belt!!! Works perfectly. (Great little idea we came up with). So let’s see if these other fixes and changes work also. Stay tuned!!!
May 17th, 2017 at 1:50 pm
2009 Uplander electric door was nothing but problems from day one! Phantom bing bongs you can’t pinpoint even if you wanted to. Eventually pulled the fuse for the electrics on it. That problem solved, just have to disconnect cable so it slides freely. God bless you tube! Locking them is another headache. Have the same bad heating and cooling that somehow is effected being at idle speed. Keyfob no longer works, even with new battery, but the panic button works only. GM dropped the ball on this one.
December 10th, 2017 at 3:50 pm
My husband bought me a a 2008 Uplander with low mileage and no warrenty, of course, so i could transport my grandchildren more easily and safely. What a joke. The sliding passenger side door will not unlock nor open from inside or outside the vehicle. There’s a thumping on passenger side which hubby thinks is a broken shock or strut. It lunges at about 45 to 55mph. Its become a hassle just to load the 5 grandbabies and after reading about the sliding doors opening on their own I’m more worried than ever about their safety. I believe we’re screwed.