Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (door latches, locks, hood and tailgate latches).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2008 Chevrolet Suburban owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Chevrolet Suburban. While the vehicle was parked, the contact's wife proceeded to open the passenger side door from the inside. The chrome paint on the door handle fractured and cut her hand. No medical attention was required. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 137,000.......updated 12/30/15 the consumer stated an exterior door handle, that broke off, had to be replaced. Through reseachthe contact discovered chrome peeling off of the interior door causing the passenger or driver to cut his or her hand. Updated 2/23/2016
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Chevrolet Suburban. While the vehicle was in park or drive, all four doors failed to unlock and the key fob failed to unlock the door. In addition, while driving 50 MPH, the check engine, stability track disengage, and traction control lights illuminated. The vehicle decelerated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the oil spilled and caused the spark plugs to fail. The spark plugs were replaced numerous times. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000.
I own a 2008 Chevrolet Suburban. In less that two (2) years, three (3) of the door lock actuators have stopped working completely. General motors has done nothing to remedy the problem after making them aware of it. The failure of the door lock actuators is constant. There were no events leading to the failure other than an inferior part. The only way to unlock the rear doors is to crawl over the front seats into the rear of the vehicle. In the event of a traffic accident this will become a safety hazard due to the following reasons. 1. The power locks inside the door and the remote fail to unlock doors 2. There are no key holes on the rear doors to unlock them in the event of a crash 3. This will lead to entrapment inside of the vehicle if the doors are locked in a crash 4. This will lead to passenger ejection if the locks are not locked manually 5. …
Rear hatch door actuator went out. The door is in the locked position and cannot be opened with console button, key fob or exterior handle. There is no way to open the rear hatch from the inside of the vehicle creating a safety hazard for passengers riding in the 3rd seat. The rear hatch is not accessible for use since I is in a locked position and cannot be opened. I have filed a complaint with GM. Their cs representative contacted me to let me know that my local dealership can fix the problem at my expense. Tens of thousands of these complaints have been filed with GM over the last 2 yrs. And there has been no recall for this potentially fatal safety hazard.
Tl contact owns a 2008 Chevrolet Suburban. The vehicle was parked when the contact attempted to unlock the rear passenger door using the key fob as well as the unlock button on the front drivers side control panel. All of the locks except for the rear passenger door unlocked successfully. In order to unlock the door the contact had to manually unlock the door from inside. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the contact was informed the rear passenger door actuator needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was 44,500 and the current mileage was 44,550. The VIN was unavailable. Updated 06/07/11 updated 06/24/11
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Chevrolet Suburban. While parked, the contact noticed that all the electronic door locks would unlock and lock involuntarily. In order to properly use the door locks, they had to be operated manually. The failure also occurred while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostics, where the technicians stated that the lock mechanism failed. The contact was unaware of the repairs that would need to be performed. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 45,000.
2008 Chevy Suburban will be in the shop next week for the 3rd time for same problems dealing with front air conditioner ceasing to blow air and problems with door latches & locks no longer able to be activated by remote or front master door activator. Have replaced ac blower motor, resistor, and driver front door lock actuator. It is now the driver back door lock not working. Also, vehicle began running rough; took it to mechanic; sent me on to dealer. Had to replace all fuel injectors and camshaft.
There is no real events leading up to the event, the power locks just stopped working on all 4 doors. Also have had the exterior door handles replaced twice at a cost of 250.00 each. The 4 lock actuators are at a cost of 1000.00 the company has a fleet of 10-20 suburbans and tahoes which all the vehicles are experiencing the same defects. This is a major life safety issue with children in the car not being able to unlock or lock the doors in an emergency.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the automatic door locks would unlock independently. The vehicle was taken to a dealer for diagnosis. The technician advised her that the failure May be due to the lock actuators. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and they offered no assistance. The failure mileage was unknown. The current mileage was approximately 87,000.
Door handle failure three times, waiting for fourth to fail at anytime. GM complaint dept refuses to accept responsibility. Three door locks failed by 39,000 miles, last one being right passenger door. We have a 1978 Chevy pu and the door locks never failed! This is absurd, a $55,000 top of the line ltz model should not have this problem, and GM won't acknowledge poor quality parts and workmanship! What can a consumer do to rectify this situation?.
Door Lock & Latch complaints in other Suburban years
Frequently asked questions
How common are door lock & latch problems on the 2008 Chevrolet Suburban?
NHTSA has 20 complaints about the locks & latches of the 2008 Chevrolet Suburban, 9% of the model year's 213 complaints. The component named most often is doors › latch (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2008 Chevrolet Suburban door lock & latch problems?
No. NHTSA lists no locks & latches recall for the 2008 Chevrolet Suburban, though it has 4 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2008 Chevrolet Suburban door lock & latch problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 55,000 miles, and 6% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury to locks & latches problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.