Hyundai applies a Paint Protection Film (PPF) on new vehicles before delivery to dealerships. It provides a barrier between the paint and contaminants, such as rail dust, acid rain, and industrial fallout. In rare cases, the paint can become clouded under the PPF. These spots are the result of moisture trapped between the PPF and the paint.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗2008 Hyundai Entourage body problems
severe 19 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $1,500 · see body across all vehicles →
Failure mileage
Complaints
19
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$1,500
1injury
When does it fail?
Of the 19 body complaints filed for the 2008 Hyundai Entourage, 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
Body accounts for 26% of all owner complaints filed against this vehicle, across 6 categories tracked.
No new NHTSA body complaint has been filed on this vehicle in over 12 years — the issue may be aging out of the active population.
Is there a fix? Manufacturer service bulletins
The manufacturer has issued service bulletins covering body on this vehicle — documented repair instructions, service campaigns, or warranty extensions sent to dealers. A TSB isn't a recall (it's not a free safety remedy), but it's the manufacturer acknowledging the issue and how to fix it.
HYUNDAI: POWER SLIDING DOOR REMOTE CONTROLLER MOTOR REPLACEMENT PROCEDURE. THE SLIDING SIDE DOOR(S) ON SOME VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE POWER SLIDING DOORS (PSD) OPTION MAY NOT OPEN WHEN USING THE DOOR HANDLE, THE CENTER PILLAR SWITCH, THE OVERHEAD CONSOLE SWITCH OR THE KEYLESS TRANSMITTER (THE DOOR(S) CAN STILL BE OPERATED MANUALLY).
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗HYUNDAI: POWER SLIDING DOOR (PSD) CONTROL MODULE REPLACEMENT. SOME MODELS MAY EXHIBIT A CONDITION WHERE A PSD REOPENS APPROXIMATELY 6 IN. FROM LATCH AREA WHILE CLOSING.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications. Bring the bulletin number to your dealer or shop.
The failure pattern owners describe
The 2008 Hyundai Entourage has a well-documented pattern of failures in the power sliding doors and hood latches. Owners report doors that open or close partially, jam midway, or stop responding to controls entirely. The most dangerous failures involve doors opening unexpectedly while driving at highway speeds—some at 60+ mph—forcing emergency stops. Multiple owners describe doors closing on children's fingers, closing on adults entering or exiting, and failing to stop when striking a person.
The doors also fail to latch securely in closed position; some owners resort to tying doors shut with rope to prevent them from opening on turns or during acceleration. Interior handles don't work on some vehicles—passengers can only exit via key fob or exterior power switch, a serious liability in an emergency.
Less common but equally hazardous: hood latches have failed on at least two vehicles, allowing the hood to fly open at 35-40 mph and breaking windshields. Owners note Hyundai and Kia have issued multiple hood-latch recalls, but the Entourage reportedly wasn't included.
Dealerships have replaced motors, switches, and entire doors numerous times with inconsistent results. Owners cite recalls and TSB-09-BE-024 as manufacturer responses, but many report problems recurring after dealer repairs.
Same Hyundai Entourage body reports on nearby years: 2007
Failure modes owners describe
Power sliding door erratic operation and failure to open/close
Power sliding doors (driver and passenger side) fail to open or close reliably, sometimes operating partially, then reversing or stopping completely. Doors may stick, jam, or become unresponsive to power controls.
When: Across all model years in complaints; issues reported from day 1 of ownership through several years of operation
Symptoms owners cite: Door opens or closes halfway then reverses; Door fails to open from inside or outside controls; Door stops responding to key fob or power button; Door partially opens then closes automatically; Door jams or sticks during operation
Repairs/costs cited: Dealerships replaced door motors (reported cost ~$800 for motor alone without labor); replaced switches; repeated dealer visits (up to 10+ times for some owners) with varying success; TSB-09-BE-024 mentioned as potentially related
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Recalls related to power sliding doors mentioned; TSB-09-BE-024 noted; some owners report dealerships unable to replicate issues and refusing to repair
Power sliding door opening while vehicle in motion
Rear or side power sliding doors spontaneously open while vehicle is being driven at highway speeds (35-70 mph), creating immediate safety hazard requiring emergency stop.
When: Multiple incidents reported while driving on highways and local roads; one incident at 60 mph, another at 45 mph, others at 35-40 mph, 70 mph
Symptoms owners cite: Door opens suddenly without input while driving; Door opens when vehicle is accelerating or turning; Door alarm sounds falsely while driving; Door ajar warning light illuminates while door is actually closed
Repairs/costs cited: Owners resorted to tying doors shut with rope or bungee cord to prevent opening; wrecker driver used bungee cord to secure door for transport to dealership
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Recalls mentioned but owners report they were insufficient to resolve issue; problem recurred after dealer repairs
Power sliding door closing on occupants (safety hazard)
Power sliding doors close unexpectedly on people—adults and children—either while entering/exiting or during the opening sequence, striking them with force and failing to stop when obstructed.
When: Multiple incidents; one door closed on infant during entry, another on shoulder during hatch closure, instances of doors closing on child's fingers
Symptoms owners cite: Door closes without warning while person is in opening; Door does not stop when striking person or limb; Door closes with force; no safety reversal when obstructed; Manual safety override does not work (key fob used to reopen in one case)
Repairs/costs cited: No specific repairs cited for this issue; doors were replaced in some cases
Power sliding door latch/lock failure
Rear sliding door latches and locking mechanisms fail to secure properly, preventing door from closing fully or latching in closed position. Door must be closed and latched multiple times to finally hold.
When: Issues reported across ownership timespan; locking mechanism failure noted as recurring problem
Symptoms owners cite: Door does not latch when closed; Door requires repeated closing attempts to latch; Door ajar warning light stays on even when door is physically closed; Door attempts to open on turns or during driving despite being manually closed
Repairs/costs cited: Owners tied door shut with rope to keep it closed; dealership visits and parts replacement (switches reported as culprit in one case)
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: One owner references recall and repair consent decree negotiated with NHTSA; TSB-09-BE-024 referenced
Hood latch failure
Engine hood latch and safety latch both failed, allowing hood to fly open while vehicle was in motion at highway speeds. Occurred on at least two separate vehicles.
When: Two separate incidents: one at 35-40 mph, another at ~40 mph
Symptoms owners cite: Hood suddenly releases and flies open while driving; Latch mechanism fails to hold hood closed; Safety latch does not prevent hood release
Repairs/costs cited: One incident resulted in significant hood damage and broken windshield
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Owner noted that Hyundai and Kia have multiple recalls for hood safety latches but Entourage was not included; one owner notified Hyundai USA of defect on Oct 26, 2013
Interior door handle/manual release malfunction
Passengers unable to open side sliding doors from inside the vehicle using interior handles, regardless of power setting. Only remote key fob or exterior power switch will open doors.
When: From day 1 of ownership reported in at least one case; recurring issue
Symptoms owners cite: Interior door handles do not open doors; Exterior manual handle also does not open door; Door only opens via key fob or overhead power switch; Safety concern in accident scenario—passenger cannot exit vehicle
Repairs/costs cited: One owner told door motor replacement needed (~$800 for motor alone); doors replaced in some cases
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: TSB-09-BE-024 noted as potentially related
Synthesized from 19 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 8 most recent
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Hyundai entourage. The contact stated that the passenger's side sliding door would not release open after repeated attempts. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer numerous times where the motor was replaced each time but to no avail. The manufacturer was not notified of the defect. The failure mileage was unavailable.
Side slider doors no longer open manually using internal or external handles. Regardless of center pillar "power switch" setting above the mirror - the only way they open is using the key fob or the "open/close" switch also above the mirror. This is a very concerning human safety issue. In an accident situation - someone may not able to get out of the vehicle. Tsb-09-be-024 may be related.
Engine hood released from closed position and flew up at about 35-40mph. Latch and safety both failed. Notified Hyundai usa on oct 26, 2013. Resulted in significant hood damage but thankfully, the driver maintained control and no injuries. *tr
The automatic sliding door for the vehicle have had a number of issues in the past - either related to not opening fully, not closing fully or automatically closing while opening. The latter causes the door to close on a child's fingers. The latest incident happened on october 18, 2009 at about 4:13pm. While traveling from williamsburg, va back to rockville, md, (route 64, va) the left…
I was driving my van at approximately 40 MPH on a highway when hood flew up and broke windshield I have read that Hyundai and Kia have multiple recalls for hood safety latches not engaging and think the entourage should been included before there are any additional incidents
Driver side power sliding door does not open. *tr
This vehicle has been to the dealership over 10 times to fix numerous issues with the automatic doors. Issues include not opening, not closing, not stopping when obstructed and even opening while driving. Friday september 30, 2011 the van was picked up from the dealership after having the door fixed when the door opened on its own while backing out of the driveway. The following day after…
Drivers sliding door will not latch completely when it closes. You have to open and close door a few times and then it may latch worried door might open while driving and not sure if there was ever a recall that was missed on this van. The vehicle was in motion when this occurred
Had body trouble with your 2008 Hyundai Entourage?
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 2008 Hyundai Entourage?
It's a meaningful issue. 19 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 15 complaints that reported odometer mileage, most body failures cluster between 15,600 and 90,000 miles, with the median around 54,000. A quarter of owners report trouble before 15,600; a quarter make it past 90,000. 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/2008/Hyundai/Entourage.
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.