Door Lock & Latch complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 1 | 1% | 13,000 miles |
| 2014 | 1 | 1% | 50,000 miles |
| 2012 | 2 | 1% | 90,000 miles |
| 2011 | 1 | 0% | 1,000 miles |
| 2010 | 1 | 0% | 44,000 miles |
| 2009 | 22 | 8% | 60,000 miles |
| 2008 | 60 | 11% | 38,000 miles |
| 2007 | 52 | 4% | 51,000 miles |
| 2006 | 21 | 18% | 75,000 miles |
| 2005 | 12 | 4% | 82,000 miles |
| 2004 | 5 | 1% | 77,000 miles |
| 2003 | 6 | 1% | 73,000 miles |
| 2002 | 3 | 1% | 50,000 miles |
| 2001 | 5 | 1% | 88,000 miles |
| 2000 | 5 | 2% | 85,000 miles |
| 1998 | 1 | 0% | — |
| 1997 | 1 | 0% | — |
| 1996 | 9 | 3% | 123,000 miles |
| 1995 | 3 | 1% | — |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (door latches, locks, hood and tailgate latches).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
I own a 2009 Chevy Tahoe and I have been dealing with door lock problems for the past year. The driver door will not open at this point and rear passenger door will not open from time to time. At this moment we have 2 working doors, but I am concerned that in case of an emergency these remaining 2 currently working doors will not open either and my family May be trapped. Someone suggested we contact the national transportation safety board and file a complaint to see if maybe we can force GM into a recall since this is a safety issue. Is this something you would be able to help us with? Please advice on how I should proceed with this issue. Thank you so much in advance for your help and cooperation with this issue.
The lock on the rear, driver side door does not work properly. It will not lock or unlock with the key fob. This is a known problem and GM refuses to cover the repairs unless the vehicle is under warranty. This is a safety issue. My son is in a car seat and is not able to unlock the door himself. There are multiple threads online of people all complaining about the same problem. It's an expensive repair. Shame on GM for not covering this when it is clearly a manufacturing defect!!!
Passenger side door lock started having problems. Would work occasionally. Now, it won't work at all. Has to be manually pulled up to unlock and pushed down to lock. I noticed over 450 complaints from others about the actuators going out on theirs too. Seems to be a problem.
I currently own a 2008 Chevy Tahoe. Today 1-17-13 , I had to have the power door lock actuator replaced for the 5th time on this vehicle. Every door has been affected at least once with today being the right rear door having to be replaced for a second time. From what I have read numerous times online , this seems to be a recurring problem for the GM SUV products starting with the 2007 model years. GM has yet to address this issue with a recall , however I feel as well as many other owners of these vehicles that this could cause a serious issue if the vehicle is hit from the side or a water related accident occurred with the vehicle being submerged and not being able to get out. 1 or 2 instances in a 4.5 year period I could understand but 5 in a 4.5 year period involving every door is not a coincidence. …
The contact owns a 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated while entering the vehicle and attempting to open the rear liftgate to place items in the back of the vehicle, the rear liftgate failed to open. The contact attempted to open it from the inside and outside the vehicle but the liftgate would not open. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 154,600.
I have had issues with my door locks going on and off for years and the dealer could never figure out what was wrong with it supposedly. I own a 2007 Chevy Tahoe lt. I was driving home from work on 05/23/2013 at about 50mph when I lost power for no apparent reason. I was luckily in the outside lane where I could maneuver my vehicle off the road without getting hit from behind as quickly as possible. At first I thought it was a dead battery and the tow truck jumped me and it started just fine so I replaced the battery the next day. Then I tried to start it the next day and nothing electrical would turn on when I turned the key. Tow truck came again to jump me and I took it to the dealer and they said it was the battery cables right from the get go. The service manager has been there for 15 years and knew exactly the issues I was having. They replaced the cables to a cost to me of $500!!! …
2006 Chevrolet Tahoe w/ 3rd row seating. The liftgate lock failed without any indication that it was going out. This is very fearful for our family for which we have small children who May become trapped and unable to escape this vehicle in the event of an accident. I read 11 complaints online from other consumers with this same matter. Chevrolet are aware that these complaints are out there and know the risk in which are involved. Why should they wait until someone is seriously injured or a death occurs due to a defect on their end. I would hate for this to happen to anyone and I hope that you all can look into this. Not to mention that this particular vehicle doesn't have a key entry to unlock it as well. Please look into recalling what others have identified as the actuator. Thank you, [redacted]
We are unable to open the rear liftgate with the fob. So, we continued to look for a key latch and to our shock we realized it could not be unlocked manually. After a lot of frustration and anguish of trying to load groceries through the back seat and having to literally go over 3rd row seat to put groceries in cargo area, we thought how awful it would be if we needed to exit out the back door in case of an accident. We discovered we could not unlock or open the liftgate from the inside either. It gave me a very uneasy feeling as we transport children to and from school. This problem is definitely a safety issue. We contacted a local Chevrolet dealer and they are not willing to even check our vehicle unless we fork over $120.00+ and then we have to wait a week for them to even look at it. …
NHTSA investigations
Interior Door Handle Laceration Risk
The statistical data regarding problem experience in the table above are net counts for unique vehicles.Review of information in this PE discloses that while accounting for approximately two-thirds of the total population, MY 2007 subject vehicles are cited in more than 90 percent of the consumer complaints, injury reports, and warranty claims, respectively.In addition, improvements in the door handle manufacturing…
Interior Door Handle Laceration Risk
The investigated concern involved chrome plating on interior door handles that could peel or separate from the plastic base material.This de-lamination could result in a sharp edge and pose a risk of laceration.In some cases, consumers reported minor hand/skin lacerations.Of these reported injuries, the vast majority of injuries were to adults.Ninety percent of claims associated with interior door handle…
Frequently asked questions
Which Chevrolet Tahoe years have door lock & latch problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2008 (60), 2007 (52), 2009 (22), 2006 (21) and 2005 (12) model years. Door Lock & Latch complaints make up 11% of all complaints for the 2008.
Is there a recall for Chevrolet Tahoe door lock & latch problems?
No. NHTSA lists no locks & latches recall for any Chevrolet Tahoe 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 Tahoe door lock & latch problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 56,000 miles; 43% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the doors › latch (30 mentions), followed by the hatchback/liftgate › lock (13).
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.