I have had the Chevrolet uplander in for repair on a rear passenger door that keeps malfunctioning. They have repaired it on several occasions but it is know out of manufacturing warranty. The door has been repaired to the best of gmac ability they can not figure out the problem but the door now will fall shut when on a downhill incline regardless if anyone is in the door. They are suppose to…
2005 Chevrolet Uplander body problems
severe 34 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $1,500 · see body across all vehicles →
Failure mileage
Complaints
34
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$1,500
6injuries
When does it fail?
Of the 34 body complaints filed for the 2005 Chevrolet Uplander, here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 0-25,000 mi.
0-25k
25-50k
50-75k
75-100k
100-125k
125-150k
150k+
Each bar shows the share of total complaints filed at that mileage range. Peak failure window highlighted. Some owners report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 miles symptom-free. Maintenance habits and driving conditions shift the curve as much as mileage alone.
What stands out
Of the 4 model years of Chevrolet Uplander we track for body problems, this one carries the most owner complaints on file — 34.
Owners have filed 34 body complaints with NHTSA against this vehicle, but no formal recall covers the issue — the federal record reflects what manufacturers have admitted, not everything owners are reporting.
The failure pattern owners describe
Power sliding doors on 2005 Uplanders open without warning during normal driving at speeds from 5 to 75 mph, sometimes repeatedly in the same trip. Doors also fail to latch properly and may pop back open immediately after closing. These failures start early—some within weeks of purchase, others at 700 miles—and persist throughout ownership despite multiple dealer repairs. Owners have had latches replaced, cables and pulleys replaced, door motors replaced, modules replaced and reprogrammed, and doors realigned. Dealers often cannot duplicate the problem on their test drives. GM has internal service bulletins on record but no recall has been issued. The door-ajar alarm often sounds continuously, even after the vehicle is turned off. More critically, the automatic doors lack sensors to detect obstructions; owners report the doors have closed on their children and amputated a finger. Rear hatch prop rods have also failed suddenly, dropping the hatch with force. Repair costs run $1,000 or more without permanent fix. Several owners disconnected or disabled the automatic function entirely.
Same Chevrolet Uplander body reports on nearby years: 2006 · 2007
Failure modes owners describe
Power sliding doors opening unexpectedly while driving
Rear passenger and driver-side power sliding doors open on their own while the vehicle is in motion at speeds ranging from 5–75 mph, often without any operator input or warning. Owners report doors popping open repeatedly during the same drive.
When: Begins as early as 700 miles; persists throughout ownership; some owners report failures starting within weeks of purchase
Symptoms owners cite: Door opens while driving at highway speeds; Door opens while parked, sometimes repeatedly in same night; Door opens immediately after closing (up to 20 times in a row); Door opens when vehicle hits a bump
Repairs/costs cited: Dealers unable to replicate on many visits; repairs include latch replacement, cable and pulley replacement, door motor replacement, module replacement and reprogramming, door alignment; repeated repairs do not resolve issue. One owner quoted $1400 for repair and chose to have door manually disengaged instead.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: GM service bulletins on record (SB 3278, 3532, 050864013, 3798, 070864007 per complaint #3); GM directed owners to dealerships unable to resolve; no recalls issued; some dealers performed door alignment, sandpaper sensor cleaning, magnet removal, and module reprogramming
Power sliding doors failing to close or latch properly
Doors will not remain closed, requiring multiple open-and-close cycles to achieve a secure latch. Doors may close partially or pop back open when button is pressed, or fail to latch despite appearing closed.
When: Can occur at 700 miles and throughout ownership; one case at 2,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Door will not close on first attempt; Door begins to close then reopens; Door appears closed but latch does not engage (95% failure rate reported in one case); Multiple attempts needed to achieve secure closure
Repairs/costs cited: Latch replacement performed multiple times without permanent fix; dealer realignment attempted; cable and pulley replacement in some cases; one owner spent over $1,000 on repairs across 5+ visits without resolution
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Multiple service visits to dealerships; dealers unable to duplicate problem on some visits; GM service bulletins suggest internal awareness but no recall or permanent fix identified
Door ajar alarm sounding continuously or erroneously
Audible alarm (ding/bell) sounds continuously or intermittently, often triggered by door not fully latching or minor movement. Alarm continues even after door is closed and vehicle is turned off in some cases.
When: Occurs throughout ownership; some cases spanning 2005–2013
Symptoms owners cite: Door ajar alarm rings when door is closed; Alarm sounds when door does not fully latch; Alarm continues for extended driving (one case reported 20 miles); Alarm will not stop until vehicle is turned off and door is reopened
Repairs/costs cited: Dealer advised to sandpaper scratch sensor (complaint #12); module replacement and reprogramming attempted in other cases; no permanent resolution reported
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: No manufacturer assistance offered per complaint #12; service bulletins indicate internal awareness
Door closing on occupants without safety stop
Automatic sliding doors lack adequate safety sensors to prevent closure when a person or child is in the doorway. Doors have closed on occupants during entry/exit.
When: One case at 51,500 miles; one injury incident during closing
Symptoms owners cite: Door closes on occupant without stopping; No sensor obstruction detection; Door closes with force on limb
Repairs/costs cited: Complaint #27 reports finger amputation during door closure; complaint #17 reports serious bruising to 10-year-old when door suddenly closed as child was entering; complaint #23 reports wife received bruise when door failed to stop when blocked
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Complaint #17 notes automatic doors are not equipped with safety features such as obstruction sensors
Rear hatch prop rod failure
Tension rods or prop rods that hold the rear hatch open fail suddenly, causing the hatch to slam shut with force. Both rods failed simultaneously in one reported case.
When: Vehicle only 2 years old at time of failure
Symptoms owners cite: Both prop rods fail at the same time; Hatch drops/slams closed suddenly; No warning before failure
Repairs/costs cited: No repairs documented in narratives
Door falling off track or becoming stuck
Door leaves its track during operation or becomes immobile on the track, rendering it unusable and preventing normal opening or closing.
When: One case at 6,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Door falls off track when opened via interior switch; Door will not move once off track; Door stuck in partially open or closed position
Repairs/costs cited: One owner physically lifted door and closed/locked it manually; owner had to disable automatic function
Door cable/pulley failure
Internal cables and pulleys that operate the automatic door mechanism fail or break, causing loss of door function.
When: One documented case at 2,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Black cable pops out of door track; Door cannot close after cable failure
Repairs/costs cited: Dealer replaced pulley cable and door motor
Door strap attachment failure causing sharp edge injury
Rivet attachment on rear door strap breaks when strap is pulled, leaving a sharp edge on the rivet that cuts the hand. Replacement parts from GM have identical defective design.
When: Injury occurred during normal use
Symptoms owners cite: Bracket breaks when strap is pulled; Rivet has one smooth end and one knife-sharp end; Sharp rivet edge causes hand laceration
Repairs/costs cited: Replacement strap from GM dealership identical; design flaw not corrected
Synthesized from 34 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 2 most recent
I have a 2005 Chevy uplander. Both rear sliding doors like to reopen by themselves. We bought the van used in february 2006. The first time it started happening was march of 2006. We finally took the van in june of 2006 to see what was going on. The dealership could not seem to figure it out. We had it in a few more times and they finally told us that the driver side sliding door latch and lock…
Had body trouble with your 2005 Chevrolet Uplander?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the body problem on the 2005 Chevrolet Uplander?
It's a meaningful issue. 34 complaints have been filed and the failure mode causes operational problems for owners. Repairs average $1,500.
At what mileage does the body typically fail?
Across the 26 complaints that reported odometer mileage, most body failures cluster between 18,000 and 88,420 miles, with the median around 40,000. A quarter of owners report trouble before 18,000; a quarter make it past 88,420. Maintenance history matters more than the odometer alone — this is the reported failure window, not a guarantee.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $1,500 for body repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to body?
No active recalls currently cover body issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2005/Chevrolet/Uplander.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.