The wire harness under dashboard was rubbing against the emergency brake mechanism and shorted out catching fire. I was lucky to have been stopped and able to put the fire out within seconds resulting in very minimal damage but had I been on the highway the result would have been very different. However it did short out other electronics inside the vehicle such as the rearview mirror putting me out hundreds if not thousands of dollars to repair.
2008 Chevrolet Avalanche electrical complaints
Page 2 of 2: complaints 11 to 21 of 21, newest first, as owners wrote them.
The vehicle doors will unlock and lock several times while I'm driving, it will also cause the dashboard, clock-radio and onstar system to flicker off and on. Then it will start to throw error messages on the dashboard about stabilitrak and theft deterrent systems disabled.
2008 chevy avalanche. Over a two year period had all 4 door lock solenoids replaced due to failure. When I thought I had doors the doors locked they were not. Cost me about $150 for the first lock--when I raised [xxx] the chevy service manager accommodated the cost of the other three over a period of time--I pointed out when I searched the web is was a major issue, with not just the avalanche but also the tahoe, surburban and silverado. When I ask if the new solenoid was an improved unit the manager said he did not know but the part # did not change---sound familiar??--crazy!!!! As of one month ago I no longer own the avalanche. When I told the service manage there should be a recall, he said they only recall for safety issues---I told him that it looked like a safety issue to me--the owner thinks the doors are locked but one may not be. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).
Left rear power door lock stopped working at 38,000 miles. Right rear power door lock stopped working at 42,000 miles. Right front power door lock stopped working at 53,000 miles. Driver side power door lock stopped working at 61,000 miles. At this time it is very unsafe when children are in the back seats and the doors lock are unable to unlock the doors. I am unable to unlock the back doors unless I stop the vehicle and climb through the two front seats to get to the manual locks located at the back of the doors. If the vehicle is in a serious accident and anyone is not aware that the power locks no longer work they may not be able to get out of the truck. Previously the doors locked when the truck started to move forward automatically and now if children are in the truck they could possible fall out of the truck if the doors open while truck is moving.
Commuting to work approximately 3 miles away from home, traveling in the dark at 7 am, I flipped my high beam headlights on and suddenly all electrical function went out of the automobile (no headlights or electrical instrumentation). This lasted for approximately 1 to 2 seconds and suddenly and all electrical functions was restored. Things after that seemed ok, but about 6 miles down the road the engine "service stabilizer control light appears" . I traveled another 11 miles to plainville, and when I arrived the "stabilizer control light went out. I took the vehicle to a mechanic them to evaluate it. After several hours and two diagnostic tests all electrical function reflect normal. The problem could not be isolated or duplicated. I contact general motors yesterday, to report the serious safety defect and how critical this is and I could have been injured or killed at that speed driving in the dark. I also asked them if they have had similar reportings of this occurrence and received a mixed response. There response was bureaucratic, take it to a chevrolet dealership. I said no. I am not paying another $150.00 tell me we cannot find a problem. I kept stressing there is a problem "vehicles suddenly do not just dropped off all electrical power and function and magically just come back on". This is not normal for any vehicle to happen. I also informed them as a courtesy I would speak to them (general motors) first before I contact this agency. I also tried to emphasize to them, people should have a direct line of communication to the corporation to report safety and life threatening issues directly. The nature of the response is basically we don't do anything unless we receive information from gm service departments.
I have a 2008 chevy avalanche ,the truck has been having a lot of electrical problems. For the past month the truck will flicker when I drive but it is un constant. At first I though it was a battery issue so I took it to autozone and they checked the battery and said the battery is fine its a electrical problem in the truck. I did some research and all the reviews and that the avalanche did have a recall on there electrical isuess. So I called a local chevy dealer and told them about the problem and how it might have a recall on the electrical system and they said no. So I was driving yesterday on the highway and my truck started to flicker and them turn off completely and locked up on me. I could of been in a wreak but thankfully the highway was not busy and I stop on the highyway. I then tried to turn the truck on and showed no life at all in the truck. I kept trying till finnay it turned on. So I could of died because of the electrical problem with chevy. I would like yaw to look into this because this could be a big lawsuite and all I want is my truck to work fine, thank you.
Right front door power lock does not work. Cannot lock or unlock with remote or with inside control. Can only unlock/lock door by button on door. This is a safety concern.
It is well known that chevrolet/gm has a major quality problem with powerdoor locks that has been going on for many years. One only need to google chevy door locks to get an idea of the magnitude of the problem. (see http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.f206d4b as an example). As a frequent transporter of small children it is hard for me to understand why the federal safety agency does not consider this a major safety issue. Doors lock or unlock without warning leaving small children in the back of these vehicles either exposed to risks of inadvertent opening doors or being locked into vehicles at the time of potential accidents where there is no easy or safe way to open the doors from inside or outside of the vehicle. These vehicles are also subject to increased risks from ranging from car theft to hijackers to simple burglary as you never know whether a door is locked or not unless you go around and try each one from the outside of the vehicle. General motors has consistently refused to address this or improve the quality of the product and will not do so until the federal safety agency takes a public stand on the continued safety risks that these defective doorlocks present to all who ride in these vehicles.
Electronic door locks have failed on three of the 4 doors on this truck. Check engine light on due to code p0452, which is fuel tank pressure sensor defective. I called the dealership and they said it was not covered under the warranty and it would cost around $500 to repair. Spoke with my brother-in-law today who has a 2002 avalanche and he had the same problem with fuel sensor and his repair was covered under the warranty. The door handle of my vehicle is plated in chrome. This chrome is now coming undone, and is razor sharp.
Electronic door locks have failed on three of the 4 doors on this car. The neither the key fob or the door mounted locking switch will toggle them between locked and unlocked position. You can hear the actuator trying to work but their is something wrong with the linkage preventing this. This is a major in convenience, as well as a potential safety hazard.
2008 chevrolet avalanche. Windshield washer and wiper occasionally comes on and washes the windshield 3 times. There is no way to stop it. The wiper is completely off during the 3 wash cycles. May go a month between incidents. The consumer has not received a response regarding his complaint. Updated 03/22/10
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2008 Chevrolet Avalanche?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history