Door Lock & Latch complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 1 | 1% | 28,000 miles |
| 2016 | 1 | 0% | 66,000 miles |
| 2013 | 1 | 1% | 60,000 miles |
| 2012 | 1 | 1% | 34,000 miles |
| 2009 | 8 | 8% | 55,000 miles |
| 2008 | 20 | 9% | 55,000 miles |
| 2007 | 11 | 4% | 55,000 miles |
| 2006 | 4 | 17% | 90,000 miles |
| 2005 | 6 | 5% | 65,000 miles |
| 2004 | 2 | 1% | 94,000 miles |
| 2003 | 3 | 1% | 14,000 miles |
| 2002 | 1 | 0% | — |
| 2001 | 1 | 0% | — |
| 2000 | 4 | 1% | 86,000 miles |
| 1999 | 23 | 4% | 78,000 miles |
| 1998 | 5 | 2% | 72,000 miles |
| 1997 | 5 | 1% | — |
| 1996 | 2 | 1% | — |
| 1995 | 8 | 2% | — |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (door latches, locks, hood and tailgate latches).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
Our actuators failed on 3 of my doors of my 2009 Chevy Suburban. If you use the remote only the drivers side rear door locks and/or unlocks. If you use the unlock/lock power button only the drivers side rear works. You must use the key to unlock the drivers door and you must either open the window to manually unlock the other doors or reach across the car to unlock the passenger side locks. We contacted GM and they sent us to have a diagnosis done which cost us $99. They estimated the cost to be $900 and told us we were responsible because our warranty ended at 36,000 miles. This is a safety concern. In an accident I wouldn't be able to get to any passengers including my children nor could emergency personnel. I could easily be car jacked or have my belongings stolen due to the locks not working. If my small child choked or had a medical emergency I could not reach them. …
Door locks no longer working on driver door, front passenger, and now rear passenger. Dealership says all three need replaced. Driver door went first, then front passenger, and then rear passenger. I have found several postings related to multiple door lock failures - not just single locks, but many cases of 2-4 locks failing on a single vehicle. Locks are very expensive to replace (especially in quantities of 3 or 4) and represent a safety issue if the doors cannot be secured.
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.
We have a 2007 Chevrolet Suburban ltz. We paid extra for an automatic rear lift gate, which you can open with your key remote,. Last week the automatic gate started malfunctioning. The gates lifts up a few feet then slams back down. Luckily our small child did not get under the lift gate or I am afraid she would have been severely injured by the rear gate slamming closed. We were told by the dealership that the gears are striped on the lift gate. 2 1/2 years of use and the gears are striped?
There is a recall for the chrome door handles on the 2007 Chevrolet tahoe, but I am having the same problem with the chrome in my 2007 Chevrolet Suburban. The dealer says the Suburban is not part of the recall even though it is the exact same problem in almost the same car. This recall needs to be expanded. I have had two people cut their hands on my door handle, and I'm going to just sand it down myself or wrap it with duct tape.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated that the rear liftgate would not lock or unlock without force. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure who advised that the failure May have been cause by a defective locking mechanism and referred him to the dealer to verified the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 89,000. Updated 09/21/11 the consumer stated when he went to use the remote key to unlock the rear hatch back door, it would not unlock. The door does not have a key lock, so he was unable to unlock the door with the key. There is no way to get in or out of the rear hatch back door, when the electric lock is not working. Updated 10/11/11
Latch/ lock just stop working, had to crawl over seat and tap on the latch to release to open. Majority of the time I had no success in opening latch tch is open and I don't have a key to unlock or to lock. The latch appears to be defective.
Frequently asked questions
Which Chevrolet Suburban years have door lock & latch problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 1999 (23), 2008 (20), 2007 (11), 1995 (8) and 2009 (8) model years. Door Lock & Latch complaints make up 4% of all complaints for the 1999.
Is there a recall for Chevrolet Suburban door lock & latch problems?
No. NHTSA lists no locks & latches recall for any Chevrolet Suburban model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.
At what mileage do Chevrolet Suburban door lock & latch problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 62,000 miles; 29% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the doors › latch (37 mentions), followed by the hatchback/liftgate › lock (9).
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.