A press release from the lemon law firm Kimmel and Silverman claims that the sliding doors fitted to the 2005 and 2006 model year Chevrolet Uplander, Saturn Relay, Buick Terraza and Pontiac Montana are prone to popping open at speeds above 45mph. Attorney Bob Silverman says GM service managers blame the problem on dirt and debris fouling the soon-to-be-extinct minivans' door sensors. Luckily for Silverman (and not so lucky for his clients), "there are plenty of consumers who are returning to the dealer time and time again, only to hear that the service manager can't diagnose and/or fix the problem." Silverman claims his company has handled over 100 sliding door cases in the past two years, scoring full or partial refunds for his clients. Although the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration has received more than two dozen complaints, no safety recall is planned. Meanwhile, Silverman has some sage advice for afflicted owners: "Make sure that each time you pick up your vehicle, you receive a repair invoice which clearly outlines your complaints and the repairs. Once you have three or more repair invoices for this problem, look into your rights under your State Lemon Law and/or the Federal Magnuson Moss Warranty Act."
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And the parents who buy minivans know that it’s highly unlikely that there would be any dirt or debris in the cabin that might cause this problem.
There was a Chevrolet minivan in the family until shortly after the warranty expired and everything started to self-destruct. The sliding doors were one of the few components that worked well. Clearly the GM value engineering folks figured out a way to pull a few more pennies out.
The problem, clearly, is that the world is a dirty place, we have dirty kids, and that the parents neglect to clean after them. The doors would work just fine if it were not for these external factors, and GM is again suffering from factors beyond its control.
God, was anything done right on these pieces of junk?