2008 Chevrolet Uplander Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2008 Chevrolet Uplander most often report sliding side doors that open on their own or fail to latch, and intermittent stability-control and ABS warnings where the brakes apply or lock unexpectedly. Complaints arrive across a wide mileage range, from a few thousand miles to well over 100,000; many describe the door and brake symptoms as recurring after dealer visits that could not reproduce or fully resolve them.

1. 1
   Body and structure

   Sliding side doors open on their own or fail to latch

   • 21 complaints (18%)
   • median 32,000 mi at 2.5 yrs old (19 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2008–2014

   Owners describe the power sliding side doors opening while the vehicle is moving or parked, sometimes over bumps, and sometimes refusing to close or latch securely. Complaints mention repeated dealer visits, actuator replacement and adjustments that did not stop the behavior; several report the door warning chime sounding with the doors shut. A few describe a door coming off its track or detaching while driving. Reported from as little as a few thousand miles up to about 90,000 miles, with many complaints under 60,000 miles.

   What to check: Open and close both sliding doors repeatedly, including over a bumpy stretch of road, and confirm they latch fully and the door-open warning stays off. Ask whether the door actuators or latches have been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I have the 2008 chevy Uplander model with handicapped lowered floor plan.I can not get out of my van from the inside the passengers side door does not open.I cannot get the side door to open to allow myself to get out of this van myself.this needs to be looked at very important as this is a major problem that needs attention a.s.a.p. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10598354, filed 2014-06, 30,000 miles

   “1 opened drivers side rear door at day care.. Closed door and it feel to the ground. The silver piece that slid on the track on the side of the vehicle completely broke off. I go inside the car to call assistance after picking the door up and putting it in a restin position on the car. I get inside and the doors lock and will not open I could not get out of the car. I go to dealership and they fix it making me pay for only half of the part and no labor. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10336311, filed 2010-06, 60,324 miles
2. 2
   Electronic stability control

   Stability control and ABS warnings, brakes apply or lock

   • 26 complaints (22%)
   • median 82,397 mi at 6.1 yrs old (24 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2008–2018

   Complaints describe a 'Service Stability System' message appearing at random, often followed by the brakes engaging, dragging or pulling to one side without the driver asking for it. Some report ABS and traction-control lights staying on and repairs to wheel hubs, bearings, wiring harnesses or wheel-speed sensors that did not end the warnings. Dealers in several cases could not reproduce the condition and told owners nothing was wrong. Mostly reported between roughly 60,000 and 140,000 miles, with some at lower mileage.

   What to check: Look for ABS, traction-control or stability-system lights that stay on, and ask for any stored diagnostic codes. Have a shop inspect the wheel hubs, bearings and wheel-speed sensor wiring before purchase.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The first thing that I noticed was the warning system posted stability system error . While driving on the highway, with my foot on the accelerator, the brake depressed with some agitation of catching or jerkiness. This has occurred multiple times with no real pattern of consistency.”

   NHTSA complaint #10662823, filed 2014-12, 96,875 miles

   “We have been having an issue intermittently where the service stability system message flashes on the message panel. When this happens our brakes lock up at the same time. This is an extremely scary situation when driving on the interstate or in heavy traffic. We have taken this vehicle in to the dealer to have this checked and they were not able to replicate the issue, therefore we were advised nothing was wrong. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10918111, filed 2016-10, 94,500 miles
3. 3
   Electrical system

   Electrical warnings and engine cutting out

   • 35 complaints (29%)
   • median 61,000 mi at 4.9 yrs old (31 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $2,468 (median of 6 quotes)
   • filed 2010–2026

   Complaints describe sudden loss of power or stalling, sometimes while driving through standing water, along with 'charging system failure' or battery warnings. Others report check-engine lights that come and go, repeated battery replacement, and OnStar prompts appearing constantly on the message display. Some owners say dealers could not find the cause or recommended simply unplugging or deactivating the system at the owner's expense. Reported from a few thousand miles up to about 130,000 miles, with no clear mileage pattern.

   4 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether the vehicle has ever stalled or lost power in wet weather, and have the charging system and grounds checked. Confirm OnStar/deactivation status and that no service alerts are stored.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Engine cut off with result of loss of power steering and brakes. It happened and continues to happen in wet road condition, especially when going through the smallest of puddles. Resulting loss of any control over vehicle. Engine has kicked back on after a few seconds of uncontrollable coasting. So far I have avoided an accident. But now I do not drive this vehicle in rain or threat of rain.”

   NHTSA complaint #10641364, filed 2014-10, 35,000 miles

   “Transmission went out . Dash light go out, seat belts all of them unlatch by them self, I replaced the brakes 6 times already, emission vapor canister went out , the engine light always on . It all ways say check gas cap,know my van not working. I can't clean any hard codes, passenger right side door unlatch when I was and the bottom half of the door hit the ground on the freeway with my 5 kids in the car , my 20 yr son was sitting by his eight yr old brother . …”

   NHTSA complaint #10588439, filed 2014-05, 33,000 miles
4. 4
   Brakes

   ABS and brake warning lights, noise, weak stopping

   • 13 complaints (11%)
   • median 68,560 mi at 5.4 yrs old (13 state mileage)
   • filed 2010–2017

   Owners report ABS and traction-control lights coming on along with abnormal front-end noise or vibration, and in some cases the brakes hesitating or a caliper sticking so the vehicle does not stop as expected. Complaints describe rotors, calipers, pads, wheel bearings and dust shields being replaced without fully resolving the lights or the noise. Several owners say the dealer could not identify a single cause. Spread across the range, from around 40,000 miles to over 130,000 miles.

   What to check: Listen for groaning or grinding from the front end when braking and check that no ABS light is lit. Ask for brake and wheel-bearing service records.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Had this car about a year and then the problems started to show up. My ABS/traction control started to show up on my dash board and then go away. This has happened roughly 4-5 times but never thought to get it checked out. On 4-2-2015 is when the problems showed its ugly head. My brakes started acting up, front passenger side caliper started sticking and brakes not fully engaging to stop the car unless hit again in rapped braking. I bought over 400 dollars in replacements (calipers, pads as well as rotors) to have the issue resolved. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10703817, filed 2015-04, 101,000 miles

   “Anti brake lights, stability and traction control lights and tire pressure lights continually appear. Have replaced rotors twice, complete brake assembly twice, and front wheel bearings once. No one seems to know exactly what the problem is. Diagnoses run from wiring harness to anti lock brake system.”

   NHTSA complaint #10726341, filed 2015-06, 40,000 miles
5. 5
   Suspension

   Rear trailing arm and rear-end banging

   • 8 complaints (7%)
   • median 100,000 mi at 5.5 yrs old (7 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2011–2021

   Complaints describe a heavy banging or clunking from the rear when driving over bumps, vibration, and in some cases an ABS light at the same time. Owners report being told the rear trailing arm or its bushings had failed and needed replacement. Some vehicles are mobility conversions, and a related recall covers trailing-arm welds on converted vans. Reported from about 50,000 miles upward, more often past 100,000 miles.

   Recall 10V110000

   What to check: Drive over bumps and listen for rear-end banging, and have the rear trailing arms and bushings inspected. For a converted or wheelchair-accessible van, ask whether recall 10V110000 was completed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “While driving north on dagsboro road I crossed the railroad tracks and the rear axle on the passenger side broke catapulting the vehicle into a telephone pole on the left side of the road and causing the vehicle to turn over two times. I don't know if it was turning end over end or sidewise. The telephone pole broke off at the bottom and also at the top leaving the top hanging on the wires. I didn't realize that the left rear tire had come off until the car was being moved to the salvage yard. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10809517, filed 2015-12, 93,233 miles

   “I have a 2008 chevy Uplander which has developed a severe banging of the rear axle through the rear tailing arm bushing the manufacturer is well aware of the failure of the rear trailing arm bushings in this vehicle and with all models with this type of rear axle. The vehicle sounds as if someone is pounding on the bottom of the frame whenever I hit any size bump at any speed. I know that the manufacturer is aware of this specific problem because chevy has issued a revision to their mechanics repair manual with an addendum numbered pit3323e. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10454783, filed 2012-04, 53,000 miles

Buying note. These vans are old enough that condition and service history matter more than mileage, so have the sliding doors, brakes and rear suspension inspected before buying. Ask for records showing whether recalls and any prior door or brake repairs were completed.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.