My first GM Experience....Repurchase/Buyback

15_silverado · October 21, 2016

I bought a brand new 2015 Silverado 1500 LT 5.3L 6 speed crew cab NHT in late February of 2016. The truck was beautiful inside and out, it only had 5 miles on it and was sitting in the showroom all during the harsh winter we had just had; not a speck of rust under the truck on the frame; so I thought this was a really nice truck. This was going to be the very first GM vehicle I've ever owned, and also the most expensive by the way. I traded in two perfectly good vehicles that were high mileage but but had absolutely no problems, plus $4000 cash to buy this truck and still ended up financing more money than I ever had before for a new vehicle; so needless to say I had a lot invested in my first GM experience; hoping it would be a pleasant one.

During the test drive the sales rep was very busy telling me about all the technology and features of the truck, and the test drive wasn't very long, I honestly never noticed anything wrong with it and just thought it was a nice riding truck with more power and features then I'll ever need.....I was sold. Looking back I'll never buy a new vehicle again without a more thorough, long test drive; that was completely my fault.

So I start noticing problems within the first two weeks of ownership, or about 1,000 miles. (Yes I drive 500 miles a week)

THE SMALL PROBLEMS:

*Rattle somewhere in the cab driving me crazy....(ended up being the black tab in the sunglasses holder)

*Plastic trim around radio cracks and pops with change in temperature in cab

*Exhaust squeak from V4 to V8.....(we all now know that's the flapper)*

*Wind blows in through the door seals on windy day at highway speed

*And some other minor stuff not worth mentioning...........................!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

THE MAJOR PROBLEMS:

*Transmission pops and clicks when downshifting 3-2-1 all the time

*Transmission makes loud clunks can that you can hear and feel when it gets confused which seems to happen more and more often

*4 wheel auto makes noticeably audible grinding noise under acceleration

*Rear end pops and clunks

*BEST FOR LAST>>>>THE ENTIRE LEFT SIDE OF THE TRUCK LEANS 1 INCH LOWER AS COMPARED TO THE RIGHT SIDE. (nothing to do with the natural rake of the truck...FL is 1 in lower than FR/ RL is 1 in lower than RR)......anywhere you park the truck you can see it leaning towards the drivers side; AND YES I'VE HEARD ALL THE FAT JOKES!!!!

So I go to the dealer to try and resolve the two major issues (the transmission and the "chevy lean") , I don't mention the the small stuff; I just want to get these two major issues resolved for now because I don't want to give them too much BS at one time and really just want the trans and lean fixed.

I get the runaround on the trans; that's normal operation and it needs to learn how you drive BS

They try to give me the runaround on the lean at first until I demand that they document that it is leaning to the left 1 inch. Well of course he has to measure it for himself before he can document it; he just can't document something I say, naturally, so when he measures it he agrees that that is not normal.

They agree to order a new left rear leaf spring. I say ok, great what about the front. They say rear leaf will fix both back and front. I know I can't be that lucky but think it's a step in the right direction and will just take one step at a time.

I go back a week later to have the new leaf spring installed; at this time my transmission has got really bad and is just miserable to drive. I go for a test drive with the tech and I easily duplicate all the noises, clunks, clicks, pops, and bogging hesitation of the trans. He says he thinks it may be normal but will look into it when he has it on the lift for the rear leaf spring replacement. (it may be normal my A$$). I wait for 6 hours while they replace the spring. They say I'm all done and hand me my ticket that says the truck is now not leaning anymore. Also hand me a GM bulletin saying this is normal operation for this transmission and that there is nothing they can do to make it better, GM says no repairs should be attempted. Well obviously i'm super pissed about the trans; even a monkey would know this trans is junk that no update or learning will fix. So i walk out to leave and look at the truck and sure enough its still leaning, front and back, no change. I report this to the manager and he looks at it and agrees; say he will leave it as an open ticket and to come back next week. I leave pissed!

So at this point I know they don't care about me or my truck. I set up an appointment with an independent frame shop. I pay $100 to have them look at it and they find damage to the frame where the front sway bar attaches to a bracket coming off the frame. The fame bracket is miss aligned and with the sway bar attached it is sucking the front of the truck down. Unbolt the sway bar and the truck comes up almost a full inch. As for the back he says the frame may be twisted; only way to know is to do a 3D laser scan but that will cost $300. He says lets not do that now just take this paper with his findings to the dealer to see what they say.

I call GM customer care they get me an appointment with a different dealer this time; as I told them I was not happy with the last dealer I went to. This time I give GM a list of all my problems.

My truck is a this new dealership for 30 days; they try replacing both rear springs didn't help. They never realy look at the front until around day 25; I don't know why I told them what the frame shop said. Say they can't duplicate trans issue. More and more BS (so many details left out) all the while I'm absolutely loving the 2016 loaner truck they gave me wishing mine could just be as nice as this, that loaner truck was perfect not one problem with it and I put over 2,600 miles on it; and believe me they were seriously abusive hard miles; and it was perfect....how can mine be such junk. And I told them I expect mine to drive like this one when I get it back.

Anyways after over 30 days out of service of my truck being at the dealer I contacted the BBB. A lot of BS and months later GM finally bought back my truck. The thing is that the messed up frame actually saved me because I can tell you they were never going to fix that transmission; they just say that's normal operation....unbelievable

. GM did what they call an MSRP to MSRP Repurchase; I had to only pay the difference in MSRP from old truck to new truck plus tax on that amount of difference.

I now have a 2017 LTZ 5.3 crew cab 6 speed pearl tri coat loaded except sun roof

So far so good I have about 2600 miles on it and its doing good; I test drove this truck for an hour about 40 miles and looked it over from top to bottom and took a tape measure to it it seems perfect. Time will tell.

Lessons for anyone having trouble is document absolutely everything. Don't leave the dealer until your paperwork is documented to your satisfaction; just have them spell out what they did or did not do. Keep written records of everyone you talked to briefly describe what was said also include dates and times. Rack up as many days out of service as possible; know your lemon law for your state. After the appropriate amount of days out of service without a resolution contact the BBB; fill out online form for BBB and wait for a response. The BBB will contact GM first to see if they are willing to volunteer a resolution and then contact you. If GM will not volunteer a resolution BBB will advise you as to how to proceed to trial.

cbrsilv15 · October 21, 2016

Everything manufactured in this world will have blems sometimes. There's def a lot more complaining than praise for these trucks on these forums. For every lemon there are hundreds, if not thousands of silverados that are problem free. Sucks, but at least you got it handled.

15 Z71 · October 21, 2016

I agree..my wife wanted a GMC Acadia and if you read their forms you would never buy one. We bought one in 2011 got 60,000 Miles on it now. Over 6 years later no issues and we still love it. So yes not a good place to come and read about before you buy.lol

emeryz28 · October 21, 2016

sad to hear such a bad experience. I have nothing but GM and I have had nothing but success. Of course a few little problems here and there but overall my late model GM's have been great.

Currently have a 15 Z71, 14 Caddy ATS and 11 Camaro SS in the stable.....also an 81 Vette I am fixing up but that is neither here not there!

had an 06 GTO and an 10 Malibu as well in recent years and they were both flawless.

My experience at the dealerships have also been great. I really wish others could have the luck I have had.

My old man has a 14 Z51 Vette and my mother a 15 Equinox after selling her 05 Equinox, nothing but love there as well.

The only major gripe I've had, is the ATS is currently in the shop getting a new touch screen because it froze. With that said, it is a free repair and I am currently being loaned another ATS. So cant really complain!

on my Silverado, I did a tune to remove the V4 mode, I didn't experience any shudder but the overall quality and smoothness of the driving experience is so much better when it stays in v8

I hope your experience with the new truck is similar to the one MANY of us are having and you fall in love with it.

Willyone · October 21, 2016

I bought a brand new 2015 Silverado 1500 LT 5.3L 6 speed crew cab NHT in late February of 2016.

Lessons for anyone having trouble is document absolutely everything. Don't leave the dealer until your paperwork is documented to your satisfaction; just have them spell out what they did or did not do. Keep written records of everyone you talked to briefly describe what was said also include dates and times. Rack up as many days out of service as possible; know your lemon law for your state. After the appropriate amount of days out of service without a resolution contact the BBB; fill out online form for BBB and wait for a response. The BBB will contact GM first to see if they are willing to volunteer a resolution and then contact you. If GM will not volunteer a resolution BBB will advise you as to how to proceed to trial.

That's great advice. I've been keeping a log on conversations and visits to/with the dealer about my '16 Z71 Chevy shakes, in case the shit hits the fan. I'm glad you got your situation resolved.

mookdoc6 · October 21, 2016

Yup, I was amazed that after few thousand miles not one problem on my SLT Sierra 8speed! Now, @ 14,000 thousand and had the tranny which has done since beginning get goofy in rush-hour stop/go traffic etc. They did a fast learn and now I am back on "Cloud 9" shifts like a dream! But after driving for 30 minutes turning off and then turning it back on 10 minutes later is HOWLS some weird noise?

That is all my problems other than that It's a sweet truck!

mookdoc6 · October 21, 2016

I never even test drove......Paid with check....stuck key in ignition and watched the salesman face as he was talking to me with the window down and I was driving away!

amxguy1970 · October 21, 2016

Wow. Join a forum to write a novel on some annoyances with all the yelling (caps). In shock at the sense of entitlement people have these days. Guess glad you got a truck that works a hair better than before

A manufactured item with thousands of parts from around the world built by people and robots thousands a day and people think everything will be absolutely perfect or will cry and whine if there is the slightest hiccup or discrepancy to what they feel it should be/act right (no matter if it is right or wrong) It isn't just chevy's that lean, most all trucks do (Ford, Dodge, Toyota, ect) just search. Between the gas tank, single driver, added features on the drivers side (dash, steering wheel, brakes, luxury items with in their reach ect) just constantly added weight always on the one side it will over time. If they were to address it they would have different spring rates for each side but they don't. Down the road your new truck will too...

Cliff notes for others. OP bought a new truck and threw big stink about a little lean and some other small issues including how the transmission acted and joined a forum to write a novel and complain. Could have just said to document to help with BBB buy back and he had his 15 bought back for a 17 after a few unsatisfactory issues but went fishing for a pity party.

Tyler

tobinstetson · October 21, 2016

Well i'll say that i am impressed that you stuck it out and took it to them and got a sweet deal on a 2017. Good work.

The small issues are something that i think everyone deals with. the nature of the body on frame truck chassis beast if you will.

The large issues you had are unacceptable. I feel I am having a few of those too with my engine knock but am getting no wheres.

All of this is a shame. These are beautiful trucks. The nicest car I've owned, but it is shadowed by very annoying little and big issues that GM seems uncooperative.

StillOffshore · October 21, 2016

A manufactured item with thousands of parts from around the world built by people and robots thousands a day and people think everything will be absolutely perfect or will cry and whine if there is the slightest hiccup or discrepancy to what they feel it should be/act right (no matter if it is right or wrong) It isn't just chevy's that lean, most all trucks do (Ford, Dodge, Toyota, ect) just search. Between the gas tank, single driver, added features on the drivers side (dash, steering wheel, brakes, luxury items with in their reach ect) just constantly added weight always on the one side it will over time. If they were to address it they would have different spring rates for each side but they don't. Down the road your new truck will too...

Tyler

I had a deckhand that worked at a parts manufacturer for one of the big three. He told me about how he used to throw broken parts in the boxes and send them out. Looked good on him to have more parts per hour go out the door than others. He didn't see the issue with someone ending up with malfunctioning parts on their vehicle. He figured that the end user could just buy another one, because, f*ck 'em...19 years old and knows everything.

Does GM make a bad product? Nope. Does GM have some idiot kids working for them that can turn a good product into a hassle for someone? Yep.

Some things are obviously engineered poorly to begin with, but I'm agreeing with the statement that there are too many variables involved to create a perfect product every single time. Some will suck. How both sides deal with the inconsistencies that occur is what determines the outcome...good or bad.

jimlem · October 22, 2016

Wow. Join a forum to write a novel on some annoyances with all the yelling (caps). In shock at the sense of entitlement people have these days. Guess glad you got a truck that works a hair better than before

A manufactured item with thousands of parts from around the world built by people and robots thousands a day and people think everything will be absolutely perfect or will cry and whine if there is the slightest hiccup or discrepancy to what they feel it should be/act right (no matter if it is right or wrong) It isn't just chevy's that lean, most all trucks do (Ford, Dodge, Toyota, ect) just search. Between the gas tank, single driver, added features on the drivers side (dash, steering wheel, brakes, luxury items with in their reach ect) just constantly added weight always on the one side it will over time. If they were to address it they would have different spring rates for each side but they don't. Down the road your new truck will too...

Cliff notes for others. OP bought a new truck and threw big stink about a little lean and some other small issues including how the transmission acted and joined a forum to write a novel and complain. Could have just said to document to help with BBB buy back and he had his 15 bought back for a 17 after a few unsatisfactory issues but went fishing for a pity party.

Tyler

Tyler,

Over many years on this forum, I have always thought of yours as a voice of reason. Seriously, your amxguy1970 screen name is one of a dozen or so that I remember by name and look forward to reading. I really do not believe the OP posted his thread looking for pity, or just to piss you off. I found it informative, easy to read, if not a touch too long. I also did not notice a "pity party" or the OP asking for anything from other members. He seemed to genuinely want to inform others.

Anyway, I'm not taking sides. We're all grown-ups here and care for ourselves. I just found your comments surprisingly harsh, coming from someone whose opinion I have valued so many times before. I don't want to sound like a cliche, but as has been pointed so many times before, you were not forced to read his post or follow the entire thread. You could have clicked over to a different thread. As always, this is just my humble opinion.

Respectfully Submitted,

Jim

Donstar · October 22, 2016

Tyler,

Over many years on this forum, I have always thought of yours as a voice of reason. Seriously, your amxguy1970 screen name is one of a dozen or so that I remember by name and look forward to reading. I really do not believe the OP posted his thread looking for pity, or just to piss you off. I found it informative, easy to read, if not a touch too long. I also did not notice a "pity party" or the OP asking for anything from other members. He seemed to genuinely want to inform others.

Anyway, I'm not taking sides. We're all grown-ups here and care for ourselves. I just found your comments surprisingly harsh, coming from someone whose opinion I have valued so many times before. I don't want to sound like a cliche, but as has been pointed so many times before, you were not forced to read his post or follow the entire thread. You could have clicked over to a different thread. As always, this is just my humble opinion.

Respectfully Submitted,

Jim

I thought the same thing! We all have "off" days, though. It may have been sparked by the negativity towards a product we like so much. The problems people express are sometimes incomprehensible. If something is malfunctioning on my vehicle, I get it repaired. If it is under warranty, and the dealer won't fix it, then I look at the appeal process. I have never had to go to court for a vehicle repair! There are many customer satisfaction steps an unhappy customer can pursue. Venting on a gm forum is perhaps not the most effective choice.