NHTSA Complaint #11538814 — 2018 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500

Have had two different door actuator/locking mechanisms fail on both rear doors. This is an easy part to replace and is able to be replaced by the consumer. Both times it was replaced the actuator failed immediately in the locked position. Door could not be opened from the inside or the outside and had to have door panel cut off to reopen. After the second failure, the GM Dealer tech showed me a "trick" that was only known to GM techs and that if the consumer did not replace the latch with the undocumented "trick" and only used the standard repair manual the latch would fail as such. I approached GM for an answer on this and they stated that I am not a licensed GM technician and should not attempt to do anything on my vehicle other than put gas in it and drive it. While I do understand that at times it is necessary for a trained professional to be involved, but that should not be the case for a door latch. The lack of concern on GMs part as the door had to be cut off because of this is irresponsible. There are plenty of other stories of the same issue occurring with this same style of latch. Someone could easily be trapped in the vehicle with this issue and killed.