2015 Suburban LTZ Magnetic Ride Failure

[JDWin]

Hi, I just joined the forum and tried to search for information about my specific issue and came up empty, so I'm hoping someone may have info I could look into on this subject.

 

I bought my 2015 Suburban LTZ (5.3L 2wd) about 6 months ago (used, with 50,000 miles on it... I know ;) ). It now has about 62,000. I purchased an extended "Bumper to bumper" warranty along with it. A few weeks ago my front end started bouncing when I would hit bumps or drive out of parking lots. Anytime I go over a bump, it oscillates over and over. I've experienced this before with older vehicles. Its clearly the shocks that are bad. When the vehicle is stopped, if I push down on the hood and let go, it goes up and down several times before stopping. Instead of the standard, down, up, middle, - that would be expected from good shocks.

 

I took it to my local dealership where I purchased it. After a week of waiting for diagnosis, and approval from the warranty company... They call me to say the warranty company says they wont cover "shocks" only "struts". From the looks of things, these are coil over shocks. I get that. However, the GM Part number description says "Strut". So which is it?! The warranty doesn't cover parts designed to wear out, I understand that. However, they state they will cover Struts.

 

Anyway, they are telling me, my shocks need replacement and because of the LTZ Magnetic Ride, it is an $1,800 job ...just the fronts! at 60,000 miles!

 

I'm not sure I want to replace them again at 120k miles if they are that prone to failure, with a cost like that tied to it. It sounds like I'm stuck with what the warranty company wants to call "Shocks" so I'm on to just trying to figure out how to get a decent ride back so I don't have a potentially dangerous situation on my hands.

 

My options, as I figure, are as follows:

a.) Pay the $1800 and get it fixed and continue with the arguably stiff ride this 'improved suspension' system gives.

b.) Make some noise with the warranty company, waste some time, and probably wind up needing to pay out of pocket anyway.

c.) Find a set of good after market shocks, and put them in. Then find out if the Magnetic ride system can be disabled (or if it even needs to be). I don't want to have a dash light on or any other issues if I just swap out the shocks on the front only (for now). I would even do a leveling kit if it came with new shocks. But I just don't want any suprizes by putting shocks on then finding out the system can't be bypassed or something.

 

Does anyone have any experience removing the Magnetic Ride shocks and replacing them with Bilstein shocks or some other aftermarket brand? I look forward to any input anyone can give. I'm leaning hard on option c.) just because I've got a real sour taste in my mouth about this relatively new truck, that I love, giving me such huge expenditure so early on, especially on a component that is the subject of such controversy. I hardly see this magnetic ride as an improvement in ride quality, or lifespan. So I'm not sure where the improvement is.

[O_J_Simpson]

The higher end magnetic ride type vehicles were made for a customer base with very deep pockets that don't worry about extremely high repair costs. Part of GM's market plan. It is a pay to play option.

 

You forgot an option:

 

d.) Trade it in on a normal suspension vehicle and eliminate the problem.

[The Zip]

Its clearly the shocks that are bad. When the vehicle is stopped, if I push down on the hood and let go, it goes up and down several times before stopping. Instead of the standard, down, up, middle, - that would be expected from good shocks.

 

Not so fast on the shocks being bad. I started a thread a couple of years back about how bouncy Premium Ride Suspension (PRS) was, take a read to see if your truck is doing the same. Your standard down, up, middle expectation for a good shock on this generation is not accurate, at least with the PRS. But don't look at it as a dangerous ride, this is basic a characteristic of PRS in the fullsize SUV. Don't know if this is a fault of the Magnetic Ride, but my truck has been on the road for three years and it still rides great. Your explanation is commonly what I am used to, but I have adjusted my driving style and gotten used to the bouncing several times when I push down on the bumper. Go to the dealer and bounce a LT version and see if it bounces like you describe (it should), then if nothing is leaking on your shocks, change your driving style and save some money.

[seamus2154]

I have the mag ride in my Denali and find it to the worst ride of any truck I have owned. Too hard no advantage to it as I can see. I hate it. I am currently looking for a better and softer spring and strut set up. Researching Fox and plan on calling their tech line this week. I would not fix these shocks for 1800 dollars. There are much better riding shocks and struts on the market.

[markitzero]

I have the mag ride in my Denali and find it to the worst ride of any truck I have owned. Too hard no advantage to it as I can see.

I'm the opposite. I love it. I've been with German SUVs the last decade (VW Touareg, Audi Q7, Porsche Cayenne) and we still have the 2012 Touareg which is a terrific highway vehicle and my wife and I will still take the Burb on road trips even if it's just the two of us. Quiet, smooth, does corners with ease considering its size.

[seamus2154]

I'm the opposite. I love it. I've been with German SUVs the last decade (VW Touareg, Audi Q7, Porsche Cayenne) and we still have the 2012 Touareg which is a terrific highway vehicle and my wife and I will still take the Burb on road trips even if it's just the two of us. Quiet, smooth, does corners with ease considering its size.

I can agree it is an awesome highway cruiser. I too have been in the German arena for quite sometime. They have strong and low points also. For road trips the Denali is my go to vehilce also. Not alot compares to it. But the front mag shocks are way too hard. I am in Florida and it is mostly smooth and flat. So highway driving is no issue. But in town driving, speed bumps, parking lots and on and off the gas the Denali is terrible. The trans shifting is clunking, confused, and the front shocks are jarring. Really lacking a comfortable ride in that enviromnent but better for open road driving. Mine is going in on Monday for trans issues but the ride they say is "as designed". I am told the '17 has a much better ride and softer seats after many complaints. Several magazines and reviews mentioned GM lost the luxury ride catagory in '15 and '16. Considering a '17 if the numbers work, it is an awesome vehicle in so many other ways. I believe the suburban and yukon without mag ride, ride nicer and even have a smooth ride option. The Denali is one option……hard.

Edited March 11, 2017 by seamus2154

[JDWin]

I had heard of the harsh ride before I test drove the suburban. I personally like a sport suspension and stiffer ride. So I actually liked the ride a lot and I have owned suburbans and more recently a Denali. So I have big truck ride comparisons over the years. My suburban rode (when I bought it) similarly to my business partner's Yukon Xl Denali (same suspension...so it should). But in recent weeks, it has just been terrible. My wife noticed it and now refuses to ride in it because even cruising down the highway the smallest bump causes a continual oscillation for quite a ways down the road. Not normal, or comfortable. And my partner drove it recently while his truck was in the shop for service. He came back and said "you need to have that thing looked at. It rides horribly. I had just been chalking it up to the unusual ride characteristics of the Mag Ride. But now after so many criticisms. I have realized there is more wrong than what I want to admit. It does ride terribly.

 

I'm looking into bypassing the system with resistors and putting in some after market shocks. It's just a shame I have to do this on a relatively new vehicle that is chevrolet's highest quality SUV. I'm a big chevy fan. But my 1965 Chevy C10 rides better with $30 shocks in it.

 

Thanks for the replies. Taking all of this in.

[The Zip]

I owned generation 2 (00 - 06), gen 3 (07-14), and gen 4 (15 - current) at the same time and conducted some comparisons. As for the down, up, middle suspension bounce, gen 2 was the best and gen 3 was the worst. If you are going to spend some money for new shocks, research what was on the gen 2 and purchase those, it should provide you the type of ride you are looking for. But based on the couple of earlier comments from owners with mag ride, it sounds like your shocks are faulty.

[seamus2154]

True, a properly valved shock will change the ride characteristic of any vehicle with the same spring. It will definetly need a new shock but on the Denali with mag I believe the spring is just too hard. If it had a progressive spring and a good shock it would have the best of both worlds. It is a heavy vehicle and you could make it unsafe with too soft of a spring. The word was GM went to this sport suspension to address many rollovers with prior generations. I can agree because I find myself at some twisty exit ramps at too high a speed sometimes and am impressed with how well it handles speed and turns. My previous trucks would have been in trouble in same scenario! It's the bumps that are just too harsh and my Denali shouldn't feel like an old pickup truck!

[rjm]

I have the mag ride in my Denali and find it to the worst ride of any truck I have owned. Too hard no advantage to it as I can see. I hate it. I am currently looking for a better and softer spring and strut set up. Researching Fox and plan on calling their tech line this week. I would not fix these shocks for 1800 dollars. There are much better riding shocks and struts on the market.

 

Same here with my '16 Escalade Platinum. To put it bluntly, it rides like SH!T.

I can feel every, pit, pebble, ripple, etc. in the pavement. I also have the "Chevy Shakes" at all speeds which darn near makes the vehicle undrivable. At least they fixed the buffetting/booming.

Counting the days until my lease expires.

[hambone8]

Thank you for sharing your experience. We have a 2015 Suburban LTZ with 62,000 miles. The Suburban started bouncing a lot when driving and we took it into the dealer. The dealer explained to us that the front left shock has failed and the right shock is leaking. The bill is $1,789 and is not covered by warranty. I started looking online and it appears many others are reporting this issue. I am very disappointed in GM. It is not normal for a shock to wear out so early in it's life, but because it is an end user replaceable part the manufacturer can get off pretty easily saying that this is expected. My Ford shocks lasted well past 100,000 miles.

 

 

[Spurshot]

If you are going to spend $1800, look into King shocks. The ride and control work for me.

[seamus2154]

The GMEPP extended warranty covers the mag shocks specifically.

[Burbman]

I have the magnetic ride control on my 01 Suburban. It rode great for the first 125k miles until the shocks started leaking. Replacement shocks were $250 EACH, and they weren't coil overs, just plain shocks. This truck has leaf springs in the back and torsion bars in the front. After much research I decided to bypass the Autoride system.

 

Essentially the system uses a ride height sensor at each corner and the Ride Control Computer combines input from steering angle, speed, and other sensors to vary the current to the shocks, which in turn varies the fluid viscosity and therefore the stiffness of the shock. If you unplug the shock, you will get a "Service Ride Control" error that won't go away. From what I have read there is no way to pull the fuse or otherwise disable the ride control computer.

 

The fix I found was this eBay Resistor Kit. Basically. you connect a resistor to the wires that connected to the shock absorber, tricking the computer into thinking that the shock is still connected so it won't set an error code. With the resistors in place, select the shocks of your choice.

 

I installed these in 2013 and have not had any messages or error codes since. I will say the ride is a lot firmer with the shocks I selected, the Autoride was nice since it would soften the ride on smooth roads. But I saved at least $1000, and that makes me smile when I hit a bump

 

If you;re going to do this, I would get 2 kits and do both front and rear, then get 4 matching shocks.

[netahoe]

OP - Did you find an aftermarket solution for this that you are happy with? I am currently researching the same dilemma on our 2015 Tahoe LTZ with 62K. All 4 shocks are leaking and when you hit a speed bump you hear an awful clunk/screech from the Tahoe.

 

I have been wanting to lower the front 2" and rear 4" and thought maybe I would do this all at the same time if I could find an aftermarket solution for the shocks. Almost 300 for each shock because of the Magneride seems outrageous.

 

Any help or direction would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!