What breaks most · 2005 to 2009 model years
Chevrolet Uplander problems by year
Owners have filed 583 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Chevrolet Uplander across model years 2005 to 2009. Three years stand out: 2005 for electrical system complaints, 2006 for electrical system complaints and 2008 for electrical system complaints.
- Years to check closely: 2005, 2006, 2008
- Complaints on file
- 5832005 to 2009, all trims
- Worst year
- 2005196 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 246 fires · 59 injuries · 1 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 52kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 11Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 196 | 7 | 4 | Electrical system (57) | |
| 158 | 7 | 4 | Electrical system (42) | |
| 109 | 2 | 2 | Body and structure (27) | |
| 118 | 8 | 1 | Electrical system (28) | |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | Brakes (1) |
What fails on the 2005 Chevrolet Uplander
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 29% |
57 | 2 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2005 Chevrolet Uplander |
| Latches and locksDoor latches and actuators | 23% |
45 | 0 | Shop latches and locks parts for the 2005 Chevrolet Uplander |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 23% |
45 | 0 | Shop body and structure parts for the 2005 Chevrolet Uplander |
| Exterior lightingHeadlights, tail lights and bulbs | 7% |
13 | 0 | Shop exterior lighting parts for the 2005 Chevrolet Uplander |
| SuspensionStruts, springs and control arms | 7% |
13 | 1 | Shop suspension parts for the 2005 Chevrolet Uplander |
| Brakes (hydraulic)Brake pads, rotors and calipers | 7% |
13 | 0 | Shop brakes (hydraulic) parts for the 2005 Chevrolet Uplander |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 5% |
9 | 1 | Shop steering parts for the 2005 Chevrolet Uplander |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 5% |
9 | 1 | Shop powertrain and transmission parts for the 2005 Chevrolet Uplander |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
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While driving down the interstate my uplander shuts off for no reason or warning. No check engine lights come on. I had onstar run a test and nothing is found.
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Sliding doors would start to automatically open on road and later on freeway. Now, when wear seat belt it catches on seat control and starts to move seat.
-
safety issue becomes whenever noise from under carriage as if as trailing arms are out of order notice problems whenever roll over small bumps in the road or uneven pavement
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Chevrolet Uplander years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2005, 2006, 2008 carry the most filings on the Chevrolet Uplander. The 2005 alone has 196 complaints, led by electrical system.
What is the most common Chevrolet Uplander problem?
On the 2005 model year, the most-reported component is electrical system with 57 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Chevrolet Uplander problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Chevrolet Uplander complaints that include mileage is about 52,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.