More quality out of my 2013 Sierra(Rust)

[GuyGene]

I hate that you are having all the issues on this truck. May be a good reason to push your dealer for a deal on a 14 & sell yours out right once fixed up under warranty?

 

Before getting my 13 I was bound & determined to buy a F150 or Ram. Well kept going back & forth each week between the three brands. But the more looking & reading in all the places the fan boys were absent, nothing was different. All had some rust issues, electronic glitches(major), knocking/ticking engines, trans issues, leaking third brake lights, body panels/bumpers not aligned at the factory, paint popping/too much dirt in the paint, non responsive dealers to complaints & on & on...

 

There was not one perfect branded truck, turns out to be a crap shoot in terms of quality. You can go to JD Powers & see complaints per 100 per brand for reference as well.

 

So all that said, I have owned four GM trucks previous to this one & only one ever shut down on the road. A 1992 that got some moisture in the distributor cap. The last two were duallys('04.5 LLY & a '07LBZ) that were used in a transport business. Both made trips anywhere between New Jersey to California. Not one mechanical failure with exception to some crap fuel & a road side fuel filter in New Mexico one time.

 

Are GM trucks perfect? No

Could quality be better? Yes

 

Do I trust them mechanically to not leave me stranded or on a hook? Yes, & that is why a '13 is in my garage. That & fear of the 14/15 increasing in real world out the door price.

You nailed it, 01! At least for the way I buy trucks. Research research, take my best shot and live with it until next time I buy. Heck, I'd buy a Yugo truck if they made a quality one (I know...). I also read the Tundra forums, and those boys are sure having more than their share of quality problems.

 

Your last statement about not leaving you stranded is the most important one just about. Man, if you've ever been in that situation, hey, it ain't fun! Actually, the only vehicles I've ever owned that stranded me were a '96 Chevy 1500 Silverado (transmission and fuel pump), and my '83 Oldsmobile, also transmission!

[ShadowGM]

Like I said, this is my first new truck.. So I'm raising every little issue I find. The frame on my '07 wasn't even rusty at 200,000 km, yet this new one is flaking, and rusting already. Every inch of this truck screams lesser quality.. Except the beastly motor.

 

@ Bossier-

 

I think that may the exact attitude that lets this sort of thing happen. If everyone becomes complacent like that, we will be simply fed overpriced junk. I expect it at WalMart, not a car dealership. I know there is quality out there. I know 3 people with Dodge trucks, that didn't have these sorts of problems. Get real leather when they pay for it... I buy Gm because I like the trucks the best. But if this is going to continue to be the norm, I'll move on. There are still companies that care about the products they sell, believe it or not.

 

Wanting no trouble with the new truck experience is mutual. I'm right there with you; however, I'm not experiencing any issues thus far after 7,500 kms. The weather stripping rust should be an easy correction. I think the problem is that the strip is cut at the bottom of the door, exposing the metal. I wonder if the cut might have been better placed elsewhere in the door frame where it's less exposed to water/debris/etc.?

 

The flaking is a bummer. I've seen that before on many vehicles, but not on the 900s. Hopefully that's an isolated case that doesn't find itself on other components of your truck. Definitely worth keeping an eye on.

 

Missing fog light bulb? Wow. Yeah, that's a new one, too. I wonder if that could even have been a case of someone stealing it off the lot, or even while you owned it? Someone stole my hitch cover once. I wasn't impressed, considering the damned thing was only worth a couple bucks. I mean really... if you need a hitch cover so bad you need to steal one so cheap? People suck.

 

The bumper alignment is interesting, too. The trailing-edge of the front bumper on my truck also appears to take that dip, exposing a larger gap. I wondered about that one as well, but I haven't had the time to take it in for an alignment adjustment. Part of me doesn't want to because I hate having something addressed by even a qualified wrench-turner, only to potentially have something else missed or buggered up. It's only happened to me once before, but on a replacement for a head-unit that was supposed to be an MP3 compatible unit based on the window sticker, the shop lost a retainer clip and gouged the base of the trim panel (I could only see it if I looked from underneath, so it wasn't an issue). Still, sometimes I feel better if the shop leaves it alone... or, I just do it myself because I give a much larger crap about the end result.

 

You mentioned the build quality of Hyundai. I'd be careful on that one. Hyundai has made such progress in their quality that it places them far superior to rivals in many ways. They're not the crap they used to be. I don't own one, but I've spoken with many 5+ year satisfied owners.

 

I'm not sure this whole experience should deter you from one manufacturer-to-another. There's issues in every yard. My wife works with owners of new Fords, Rams and 'Yotas. They all have something to gripe about. Usually, it's how they were treated at the dealer that makes the difference... still, her boss said he's owned all his trucks from new, and his current Ram is the first new truck he's ever owned that needed to be towed for repairs. With the electrical gremlins and driveability issues he's faced, coupled with spreading surface rust on his chrome bumpers and joints, he can't wait for the lease term to end on it so he can unload it. Either that, or one more major issue and he's got a free ticket for a buy-back replacement. He hopes that's not the case because he doesn't want another Ram.

 

Yes, these things do happen; however, I agree, you do have a reason to be concerned. Best of luck.

[VMaxtastic]

About the fog light bulb... I bought the truck and had it delivered to me at work, 500 km from home, in the middle of nowhere. I work in the oil patch. It was also in the middle of winter. I highly doubt anyone at the rig would steal the bulb, and for the few days it was sitting at home, it was like - 25 celcius. Anyone that has tried working on a vehicle in that weather would agree that no thieving hooligan would go out of their way to take a fog light bulb in that weather.

 

Im hoping everything gets adressed by the dealer its at now. Ive been taking my trucks there for a few years. They are pretty good. I still think the door panels are cracked. When i get home, ill be looking at other 2013 sierras to see if they have the same imperfection in that spot.

[2017SierraSLT]

_{I only had one cosmetic issue, and it occurred on the dealers lot. The dealer quickly resolved it. Bird droppings ate the Z71 decal. Mine is a FT. Wayne built truck, and I couldn't be happier with the fit and paint quality on this unit.}

[6.2max]

My 2009 built in Mexico was a lot better quality than the 2013 from Ft. Wayne I bought this summer.

[6.2max]

My 2013 has 3000 km (1800 miles) and so far problems with window switches not working or not connected, vibration in fornt end and rear frame and axle housing is already covered in rust.

 

The redeeming factor is the 6.2 with the 3.73 rear ratio is a ROCKET. Puts a grin on my face every time I start it up.

[CapitalTruck]

My Indiana truck has misaligned passenger doors (extended cab).