My New 2013 Chevy Silverado Frame is Rusting Away with 300 miles

[rdbaja]

So heres the verdict on my rusted out 2011 Z71 chassis...............After 2 days at the dealership, the verdict is.................drum roll please..........................Bring it back in January so our corrosion rep can see it because he's in the midwest right now........Sure, all of us have so much time dropping cars off, getting rides, waiting for shuttle service. I said heres my address, you tell him to come see me at my work, Im done, truck has been here 2 times in a month, a total of 3 days and no answers.

 

F**k off Chevy.......After numerous fleet Silverados, Suburbans, and Tahoes,,,(and my Cadillac CTS-V that had 6 dealer visits for stabilitrak engaging , which I was so patient and bit my tongue),,,,,,,,,I'm crossing to the other side, Ford and Dodge here I come. We own a piston ring factory in LA and the fleet is going to be Chevy free come 2016.

 

 

Best response was from a sales guy....." just trade it in and get a new one" .....

[rdbaja]

Hi Everyone. I am new to the site and found the information very helpful. I just bought a brand new 2013 leftover Tahoe on 7/22. After 2 weeks and only one tiny rain (car is parked in a garage) I am blown away with the amount of rust that is suddenly popping up on the frame. I contacted the dealer and they referred to #PI0281D which has nothing to do with rusting of the frame. (That had to do with component rust...something I'm not concerned with.) I have always been super loyal and between myself and my family, we have 8 Chevy trucks. To make sure I wasn't losing my mind, I looked under my 2005 Trailblazer (200k miles) and my wife's 2007 Equinox (100k miles) and there is hardly a single spot of rust. I travel to northern Vermont frequently during the winter and I already know this is going to be a huge problem. To make things worse, I took a plane all the way to upstate NY to pick up the vehicle since that's where I found it on the lot. I am going to attach some photos. Any advice would be great. I want to make sure this gets reported and fixed early on especially before the winter. I called GM but they claim there is no issue they are aware of. I guess my next stop is to file a complaint with the State and the NHTSA. Please let me know what you guys think. I appreciate it.

Dude, yours might look like mine in 23 months ??????

[Jsdirt]

......

 

 

Best response was from a sales guy....." just trade it in and get a new one" .....

LOL!! They don't tell you .... the new ones are even WORSE. I couldn't be a GM salesman, and get a full night's sleep ....

[angelovic1]

Hi Everyone,

I just wanted to give you an update. The dealer/GM took care of my issue. The service bulletin is #PI0564D. (Sept 5, 2013) THIS IS THE BULLETIN YOU NEED.

 

First, an undercoating acid/emulsion(?) was applied to remove all the rust. I guess the same stuff is used to restore old antique frames. Everything was then recoated with a surface coat. (TSA4363F Undercoat.)

 

As of today, everything looks factory new. I'll give you an update once we get through the winter.

Hope this is somewhat helpful.

 

Carl

[2021__BigBoyHD]

I have had same problem with my 13 Silverado. However, there is a simple solution that I have used for two (2) years now. "Liquid Electrical Tape" This stuff looks and acts like the factory coating, application is a breeze and it doesn't wear off. It's cheap and a hell of a lot easier than being without your truck during the complaint and repair process with your dealer.

Granted, if you have a large scale problem then the dealer process would be the way to go. Fortunately, mine has been limited to a few trouble spots.

Edited December 22, 2014 by 13_Silverado

[gmtech4]

Hi Everyone,

 

I just wanted to give you an update. The dealer/GM took care of my issue. The service bulletin is #PI0564D. (Sept 5, 2013) THIS IS THE BULLETIN YOU NEED.

 

First, an undercoating acid/emulsion(?) was applied to remove all the rust. I guess the same stuff is used to restore old antique frames. Everything was then recoated with a surface coat. (TSA4363F Undercoat.)

 

As of today, everything looks factory new. I'll give you an update once we get through the winter.

 

Hope this is somewhat helpful

Carl

The bulletin is in the GM system and is for the tech not a customer to demand , sweet lord I wish you guys knew WTF a bulletin is for ,

 

You couldn't be anymore distrusting than spout off a TSB # to a dealer service writer never mind a tech who has to read it in the work order , ,

 

Paranoid is a word that comes to mind ,,,,

 

Get a grip

Edited December 23, 2014 by govtech4

[Zane]

Is referencing a TSB really that bad? I've done it many times and have always been correct and get the exact service I need. For someone who does know what they are talking about, including a TSB to reference shouldn't upset anyone (service writer or tech) IMHO

[2017SierraSLT]

Considering that the local dealers are somewhat incompetent, I think it is good to have documentation just in case there is pushback from them. For the record, I have never had any issues with the frame coating on my truck.

[rdbaja]

Well, Im just sitting waiting and waiting for this " corrosion rep" to contact me sometime in January while my truck continues to rust.........I want to fix it myself, which Im sure I'll end up doing. But after dropping 58K it just feels like a rip off.....I went to the dealer last week, and even the 2015's on the lot are showing rust beginning on the lips and welds of the frames...dealer in 2.3 miles from the ocean in SoCal.............

['01LS1]

Yes, Im close to the beach, trucks entire life which is approaching 3 years not 30 years. Dealership said thats why the rust is so bad. I replied " so you're meaning to tell me the 300,000 Chevys that are close to the beach in So Cal are all like this ?".........Nice product GM, even the metal on my seat brackets in 2nd row is rusted, garbage.......

 

I would be mad/frustrated as well. I do auto transport & when the used trucks/suv's are on the top deck, I get to see the various stages of rust on the bottom side. Some are perfect at 5 years & some look 50 years old at the same time frame among ALL the mfg's. Some are frame only, axles, others are suspension components while others are the entire under carriage. Again, there has been no rhyme or reason between them.

 

Have posted a photo before of a new 2012 or 13 F150 that still had the window sticker & the rear axle was completely covered in surface rust. Moved a 2010 Ford Escape last summer at an auction that the rear quarter panels were completely rusted through around the wheel wells. Not just a bubble or two, but rusted through. Not bashing Ford, but those were two of the more extreme cases I remember off hand. Ram seems to have more issue initially with the suspension stuff & Toyota has been more so the frame rails. GM has been a variable. Personally own a 2013 Sierra & nothing in terms rust to speak of, yet.

[Daryl LBZ]

 

 

Best response was from a sales guy....." just trade it in and get a new one" .....

 

I always liked that one. They want to make you believe the new ones get better, and the issues get fixed plus they get to make another sale. I've found the exact opposite to be true in most of the areas that are important.

 

My response to them anymore is, no thanks I think I need to go back a few years, and rebuild it my way which is the correct way.

[2017SierraSLT]

Ford has historically never painted their differentials. The OE GM paint is thin on the diffs, but at least there is some. I wnet over mine with a good coat of gloss Rustoleum before any surface rust began.

[Daryl LBZ]

The frame paint of the F-150 is so much better than the Silverado. A coworker bought a 2014 F-150, and it has a nice hard even painted frame. Seems durable.

 

The wax/rubber crap GM uses seems to fall or wear off most of their trucks that I've been around. 99, 06, 07, 07.5, 09. Those are just the years I've seen it on that my family has or had. Dad also test drove an 07 & 08 that were the same way.

 

Now these trucks have 100k miles or more on them, but my point is that the frame coating does not hold up in my experience.

Edited December 25, 2014 by Daryl Z71

[rdbaja]

Happy New Year to all my rusting away brothers.............we shall see what 2015 brings to my rusting away chassis........

Happy New Year to all my rusting away brothers.............we shall see what 2015 brings to my rusting away chassis........

[Jsdirt]

Hear! Hear!

 

My transmission is making a loud clunk when shifting into second - has since 20k miles. Now at 73k it's getting louder. Looks like '15 means more bilking of funds ...

 

Happy New Year!