2009 Avalanche - Just Disappointed With Fit, Finish & Service

[GMCustomerService]

That's how I seem to be getting too. I just had mine at the dealer last week to put a new hinge on my rear cup holder, and a new window switch panel in my drivers door. The cup holder rubbed and creaked really bad, and it wouldn't close right. The switch panel moved around in the door panel. The great thing about my dealer is that they will try to fix almost anything for you under warranty. This is my last brand new GM though I think my next vehicle will be a used Cruze.

 

Glad to hear that your dealer is willing to work with you towards resolution. Let me know if you need anything in the future.

 

Tricia, GM Customer Service.

[pm26]

I considered trading my '06 GMT800 Crew cab Z71 with 19k original miles for a new 2012 HD2500 Sierra SLE. But when I looked at how cheap the interior looked on that truck, especially the door panels, I turned away. The seat cloth looks very cheap too. It seems that you must go with the LTZ version to get half way decent interior on these trucks. And then you are talking quite a bit more money.

 

I have an '09 Impala LTZ and the car interior is super cheap looking too despite the LTZ trim. I have had two plastic driver side door panels replaced to date because of vinyl bubbling up and separating from the base card board. The seats are leather, but very cheap and badly stitched leather. I have had three covers plus the rear center armrest replaced on the rear seat because of bad stitching and poor fit.

 

On the plus side both vehicles are mechanically sound and almost trouble free. So that's a big plus in my book. The GMT800 interior quality is vastly superior to GMT900, at least for the same trim level. GM needs to take a long hard look at their quality control though. They really cheapened many vehicles to the point that they will simply not last.

[CKNSLS]

Creaks and rattles from the plastic parts on the Avalanche is widely reported. Nothing new here.

[Daryl LBZ]

 

That's how I seem to be getting too. I just had mine at the dealer last week to put a new hinge on my rear cup holder, and a new window switch panel in my drivers door. The cup holder rubbed and creaked really bad, and it wouldn't close right. The switch panel moved around in the door panel. The great thing about my dealer is that they will try to fix almost anything for you under warranty. This is my last brand new GM though I think my next vehicle will be a used Cruze.

Glad to hear that your dealer is willing to work with you towards resolution. Let me know if you need anything in the future.

Tricia, GM Customer Service.

Thanks for the info. I have to say that my Dealership Regester Chevrolet is a great dealership in every way.

[ShadowGM]

I had a discussion with a friend on his Ram 3500. Bought brand new, it's the only truck he's ever owned that ever needed towing to the shop because of debilitating electrical gremlins and various major issues. He was surprised to hear from others on how it's normal for all of them to hammer between the gear changes. He's made it clear he's not getting another Ram, but is wise enough to agree with me that whatever the truck, it least likely it will be perfect. When someone asks me why I went with the GMC for my new truck, I simply stated that I might see problems; but that if anyone buys a truck thinking their make will have less issues, they're delusional. I bought it because I like it, and the dealer has a good reputation for satisfaction.

 

In this case, a truck with quality issues and a dealer willing to negotiate is what I would call normal. Some people expect more from their purchase or dealer, while some dealers expect less from their customer demands or for their own reputation. No two situations, trucks, customers or dealers are the same, so it's difficult to accept hearing/reading that one is going to take the perspective of 'the grass being greener'. I suppose if one feels it can't get any worse when they go to another make, their standard might still be lower than that of those without ever having significant issues.

 

Whether it helps or not, I've driven all domestic makes and three foreign, and can honestly say that I have no real preference because they all have something questionable happen to them. They all broke in some way. If trim might seem to be the only major issue, I'd say it's worth raising, but I'd also put it into perspective.

[GuyGene]

Nota, you're right, it's not just GM, all makes have gone down in quality. I'm keeping my old stuff.

[Wires]

Yeh, very true. Makes me a little sad that I ditched my '00 5.3L Silverado for my '08 SD. The '00 was flawless and still mint.....

 

Heck, the Honda Civic and VW Jetta (once known for being some of the best cars every made, and best value for the money), have now slid a long way down the Consumer Reports scale due to cost cutting.

 

It's just pretty annoying that us (the consumer) are still required to pay top dollar for merchandise that has substancially less quality than several years ago. The mfr's probably pulled $2-3k out the build price from cost cutting, to generate a POS for us to buy. I would have gladdly coughed up the difference to ensure I got a truck that would last as long as I needed it to. Of course, it's a catch22, since if the price went up, people won't buy it. But then, how are all these "Boy GM's quality is so awesome" threads help business?