I have a 2020 Suburban with extremely low miles. Both sides power running boards have suddenly become intermittent. Mostly they deploy about 1/2" when opening the door, then stop. Sometimes they stick down though. The truck has been to the dealer where they couldn't duplicate the issue, but lubricated everything. That worked for like a day. Back to the same thing. There is one control module that controls both sides, so I feel this is a common point for a failure to happen. I'm speculating, but this issue reeks of a electrical relay whose contacts have become pitted. Has anyone taken the module apart? It's is the kind with two connectors, not three like later models. Does someone have a schematic? I'd love to know if the circuit board schematic shows internal relays. Has anyone taken, or seen photos of the ciruit board inside the module? I'd love to see them. Thanks!

 

I'm having a running board problem with my 2020 Suburban. About a third of the time the passenger side running board doesn't deploy. When it sticks you have to open and close the door like 3 times before it starts working again.

The first time I went to the dealer they couldn't duplicate it. But I was getting gas this week and happened to check the running board on the passenger side and when it was stuck I finished tanking up and drove right to the dealer. They want to replace the entire module that controls the running boards. They've ordered the part but I'm wondering if that's the problem.

Have others with the running boards had any issues?

 

Sounds like a situation we had with a 2005 Yukon sunroof and intermittent failure to close. Dealer thought switch was bad and replaced it, but still had the issue. Taking Yukon back in, dealer wouldn't get to it until next day, and by then sunroof would close. Dealer told me they "had absolutely no idea what was wrong" and I fought them and got a refund as we agreed in advance that I'd pay for a FIX, not for a GUESS.

Dealer needed to troubleshoot while it WASN'T working, they didn't seem to understand that.....dealer told me that only one tech there was experienced with sunroofs...

As to the running boards (our 2014 Yukon has them, I disabled them), sure sounds like either intermittent in the electrical circuit, or more likely physical resistance on that side. The more electric stuff, the more chance for failures !

 

You, me and many others. It's a very common issue to which my dealer said I was the first one. Bull crap. Whirlpool says the same thing about our common touch screen failure issue on our JennAire combo wall oven. Lots of companies act like you're the first one.
Our dealer couldn't duplicate it (like everyone is imagining it). So they oiled it. I guess you're supposed to drive to the dealer with the door open.

 

Well, Pull Up, I must have same kind of "luck" you've had - I've ALSO been told several times that I was "the only one who ever had an issue with the item".

First example: a replacement high pressure AC line for my 1998 Frontier (the only one available anywhere, because one manufacturer/supplier) had a 5.5mm deeper depth into the compressor and wouldn't seal, bought two from different stores, called their tech help and was told that. Fortunately the groove for the O-ring was in the same/correct depth, so I "only" had to cut down the replacement one to match, that worked.



Second example: shift coupler for my 1970 VW was too small to fit over the transmission shaft. I ended up using the new rubber parts in the original steel cage.


So I'm special too. But I've never won the lottery, despite my Midas Touch (everything turns into mufflers).

 

On a lark I decided to set the running board drop to extended. Maybe it is just a coincidence, but the passenger side running board now appears to work consistently.

 

What does "set the running board drop to extended" mean? I know of no such setting for running boards. Can you please explain? Thanks.

 

It’s a menu option on the 8 inch screen.

 

Good thing I'm not the one with the issue - I'm still on Windows 7 and use a $20 TracFone Flip Phone !!!

 

I had a stuck passenger runn My board on our 2012 suburban that was fixed under warranty and would have cost me north of $1500 if not under warranty. Since then I have asked that the running boards be lubricated at each oil change with no further issues for 130,000 miles. I plan on continuing that protocol with our new 2023 suburban. It’s cheap insurance.

I don’t think the motors and gearbox are properly sealed from the harsh underbody environment. More shoddy and short cut driven engineering (IMHO).