2006 Chevrolet Suburban

MY SPECIFIC VEHICLE IS A 2006 SUBURBAN Z71 4-WHEEL DRIVE, 1/2-TON SUV. ON MANY TAHOES, SUBURBANS AND OTHER GENERAL MOTORS SUV-TYPE VEHICLES, THE LIFT GATE ASSEMBLY CAN BECOME STUCK IN THE LOCKED POSITION OR IN THE UNLOCKED (UNSECURED) POSITION ANY TIME THE BATTERY HAS NO VOLTAGE. IN THE CASE OF IT BEING LOCKED, THE LIFT GATE HAS NO MANUAL MEANS OF BEING OPENED - NO KEY INSERTION LOCATION WHATSOEVER. (THIS APPLIES ALSO TO THE LIFT-GATE GLASS.) THIS IS INDEED A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN RESOLVED MANY YEARS AGO. THIS COULD OCCUR IN A CRASH AS WELL AS ANY TIME THE BATTERY IS OLD OR HAS OTHERWISE LOST ITS CHARGE. ELDERLY FOLKS SHOULD NOT BE EXPECTED TO CLIMB OVER THE REAR SEATS TO RETRIEVE THINGS STORED 'IN THE BACK,' BUT EVEN IF THEY COULD GET BACK THERE, THERE IS NO INSIDE MANUAL OPENER MECHANISM TO OPEN THE REAR LIFT GLASS OR LIFT GATE. THERE ARE TIMES WHEN AN INFIRM PERSON MIGHT VERY WELL HAVE PLACED BABIES (OR PETS) IN THAT REAR COMPARTMENT AND IF IT IS NOT ABLE TO BE OPENED, AN EXTREME HAZARD COULD OCCUR. FURTHERMORE, REPLACEMENT OF BRAKE LAMPS, PARKING LAMPS, AND SIGNAL LAMPS FOR THE REAR ARE ALL IMPOSSIBLE WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO OPEN THE REAR LIFT-GATE. SIMPLY PUT, THERE SHOULD BE A MANUAL METHOD FOR OPENING THE LIFT GLASS AND THE LIFT GATE. *TR

I HAVE A 2006 CHEVY SUBURBAN Z71 WITH JUST OVER 95,500 MILES. THE REAR HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE LOCKING MECHANISM APPEARS TO HAVE FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT IN AN ACCIDENT, AND NO OTHER EVENT OCURRED. THE LOCK SIMPLY QUIT WORKING. NEITHER THE DOOR NOR THE GLASS WILL UNLOCK. THERE IS NO MANUAL WAY TO UNLOCK OR OPEN THE REAR DOOR WHEN THE POWER LOCKS ARE NOT WORKING. THERE IS NOT AN EMERGENCY RELEASE TO POP THE REAR DOOR OR GLASS IN CASE OF EMERGENCY. ALL OTHER DOORS ON THE VEHICLE ARE STILL FUNCTIONAL MANUALLY AND ELECTRONICALLY. NO FUSES HAVE FAILED. I HAVE NOT BEEN NOTIFIED OF A RECALL AND HAVE NOT FOLLOWED UP WITH THE DEALERSHIP OR A MECHANIC YET. IN 2006/2007 WE ALSO EXPERIENCED AN ODD ELECTRICAL PROBLEM THAT THE DEALERSHIP COULD NOT REPRODUCE. THE VEHICLE WOULD HAVE AN OBVIOUS ELECTRICAL ODOR/BURNING SMELL AND VARIOUS LIGHTING FAILURES AFTER BEING IN HEAVY SNOW ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASSIONS. THE PROBLEM WAS LOGGED BUT NEVER OCCURRED AGAIN. *TR

THE LIFT GATE ACTUATOR STOPPED WORKING. WE ARE UNABLE TO OPEN THE LIFTGATE BY USING THE FOB OR UNLOCK BUTTON ON THE DRIVER/PASSENGER DOOR. THERE IS NO EMERGENCY RELEASE OR KEY HOLE ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE LIFTGATE. THE ONLY WAY TO UNLOAD OUR CARGO IS FROM THE REAR PASSENGER DOORS AND THEN REMOVE THE PANEL AND RELEASE THE DOOR LATCHES TO OPEN. WE WERE ABLE TO "FIX" IT FOR A SHORT TIME, BUT THIS RESULTED IN A JOY BUZZER SOUND COMING FROM THE LIFTGATE ACTUATOR EVERYTIME THE DOOR LOCKED. WE WERE HOPING TO TRY LOCKING THE DOOR LESS TO TRY NOT TO WEAR OUT THE PART, BUT WE HAVE ONLY 2 OPTIONS WITH LOCKING THE DOORS (WHEN PUTTING INTO GEAR OR REACHING 15 MPH) WHEN WE WOULD LIKE TO CHOOSE TO NOT HAVE THE DOORS AUTOMATICALLY LOCK AT ALL. I'VE FOUND MANY PEOPLE ONLINE HAVE HAD THE SAME ISSUE/FRUSTRATION AND NO RECALL HAS BEEN MADE. *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR LIFTGATE WOULD NOT OPEN FROM THE INTERIOR OR EXTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE. THE KEY WOULD ALSO NOT ALLOW THE LIFTGATE TO BE OPENED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER NOR WAS THE MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 96,000.