2015 2500HD WATER LEAK, FLOODED CAB, MOLD ALL OVER

[raid0072]

My 2015 2500hd diesel has been in Auto nation in Coral Gables dealer for 2 weeks now.

It all started with moisture every morning on the interior of my windshield, leading to constant fogging I started emptying out truck and low and behold, I found that the trucks, front Pass rug soaked in water under my waterproof mats, rear rugs were encapsulated in green , white mold and the back seat engulfed in whit mold under the sheepskin covers, which explains the issues I have been having with the radio touchscreen as moisture and mold permeated the whole cab.

I took it to the dealer, that until w days ago said the truck did not have any leak, that they used a pressure washer to test and could not find any. So I took to the internet, and found several hundred complaints about water leaks coming from inside of the rear vents behind the back seats that the rubber flaps failed. GM has knowledge of this issue and vent failure but has done nothing about except to replace them with the same defective vent, pursuant to warranty. In my case I will not let that happen as the entire interior has mold that is visible and also spores that cannot be seen. The car is still under factory warranty that has to cover complete replacement to reinstate condition back to condition it was in when I first bought it. I can tell this is going to be an issue, and I have been advised by my counsel to document all interaction in writing, but the only reply from dealer has been an acknowledgement that the leak has been found and that the will contact me regarding repairs. NO OTHER CONTACT HAS BEEN HEARD TO DATE> I cannot fathom the excuse, as there is none. Bad Mojo around this recurring issue GM has not corrected. I am at my wits end my truck only has 9000 miles and sticker was well over &70K.

TIME FOR A FORD.

[Tahoe02]

Just continue to document when they call and let your attorney handle it.

[Bash74]

Not trying to be rude, but how did you not notice that before it got that bad especially the wet mildew mold smell.

[Colossus]

On 2/17/2018 at 4:26 AM, raid0072 said:

TIME FOR A FORD.

What makes you think Ford doesn't have problems?

[paulwms]

Hey raid0072 - This is an old thread, but curious if you found the problem/solution?  I have a 2015 2500 and had the local dealer investigate my mildew/water leak and they told me it was a rear window leaking which I previously had replaced at a glass shop due to breakage.  They denied any problem with the truck.  So, I returned to the glass shop who happily pulled the window out and resealed for me.  So, I thought the leak was taken care of.  Since this truck is primarily for pulling a 5th wheel and not a daily driver, and the fact that it has to be rainy to get a build up of leaking water in the cab, I did not notice that the mildew smell was not fading and eventually that it was actually getting worse because the leak was still happening.  Finally, I had the time to spend a weekend tearing the seats out along with the carpet and padding all over the back of the cab.  I found very obvious leaks at the bottom of each of the pressure vent assemblies mounted in the back wall of the cab.  This is either a very poor design or the rubber vent seals are made of poor material... or both!  Upon removing the vent assemblies, I found mud/dirt deposits along the inside surface of the seals where water flow was obvious.  This flow was funneled right into the cab by a notch at the bottom of the wall cutout!

So, I went back to my dealer (H&H Chevrolet in Omaha) and told them they had missed the leak and asked if there was any kind of service bulletin about this problem.  The service manager said there was no such bulletin and he had never heard of a leak in those vents.  I find it very hard to believe that GM does not know about this since it seems like a likely scenario for any truck with these vents.  I'm going to try a couple of solution ideas (like adding weather stripping around the seal), but I think this might be my last GM product after 40+ years of owning nothing but GM (78 Big 10, 86 Monte Carlo, 90 Suburban, 90 Astro, 95 Tahoe, 02 Avalanche, 06 Avalanche, 10 Yukon, and now the 2015 2500).  

 

The first of the pics below shows the obvious water trail mark on the inside cab wall below the vents - both sides look like this.  The second pic shows the dirt deposits inside the vent's seal (after I removed it) indicating that there has been water flowing there for quite a while.   So, that seal is good only for holding the water inside at the bottom, but not to keep it out from somewhere above.  ... and GM has never heard about this problem??  I doubt that!

Edited June 19, 2019 by paulwms

[raid0072]

YES THE FORWARDED TO THE GM. DISTRICT MGA AND HE FOUND THE CAB'S REAR VENTS FLAPS THAT LET OUT PRESSURE WHEN DOORS ARE OPEN OR CLOSED WERE DEFECTIVE, AS THE BROKE OR FELL OFF, AND THE WATER WAS ENTERING THE INTERIOR FROM THE BACK OF THE CREW CAB, BEHIND THE BACK SEATS, AND THE ONLY WAY TO GET TO THEM WAS TO REMOVE THE TRUCK BED AND FURTHER VERIFIED THEY WERE THE CAUSE. aS A RESULT SINCE THE CAR WAS STILL UNDER THE 36 MONTH THEY DECLARED IT A LEMON-LAW CLAIM EVEN THOUGH THE ACTUAL PERIOD TO FILE A LEMON LAW CLAIM HAD EXPIRED; BUT THE WATER AND HUMIDITY HAD COMPROMISED MOST ELECTRONICS, AND THEY WOULD HAVE TO COMPLY WITH FEDERAL STANDARDS FOR HAZARDOUS TOXINS LIKE BLACK MOLD, THE WORK COULD NOT BE CERTIFIED IN ACCORDANCE TO THE FED. STANDARD OF DISPOSAL.

THEY REFUNDED MY ENTIRE COST OF THE TRUCK LESS AND GM OR DEALER INCENTIVES AND THE EXTENDED WARRANTY WAS ALSO REFUND 2.5 YEARS AFTER MY ORIGINAL PURCHASE DATE. $62500 ttl w/tax.

**So.....Please be advised that Chevy Trucks have periodically had the same issues since 2004, on the faulty rubber cab vent rear pressure seals and GM has known about it even as the advised me that all my internet videos where not considered in the decision making process. ( I had submitted over 50 instances in which they also had to buy back the trucks as it was and inherent problem that they were made aware of in the past)

I can only advise you to advise the dealer to look specifically for the water intrusion from the rear cab seals as you will have to way to reach those seals without removing the truck bed first.

If I can be of help in any way please do not hesitate to post your contact info and I will do what ever I can to help.

The Bean counters @ GM figure it is cheaper to pay as you go than to file a national recall. That just did not sit well with me as I a an insurance agent and very familiar with water and mold damage, Laws rules and regulations that cover the hazards of mold and contaminate damages.

Regards,

Jack

[raid0072]

Paul:

Contact me thru My Scam-Free email :

 [email protected] . I have reservations about using G mail.

It is a problem GM is well aware of and in my case, they elected to buy back the truck, rather than file

a defective lemon law claim. That keeps it out of circulation from the public, but the truth cannot be covered up in the end.

Jack- (raid0072)

[paulwms]

Thanks for the info raid0072!  In addition to the pressure relief vents leaking, I also have water stains on my headliner at the rear of the cab and find standing water in the front floor as well.  So, it seems I have the perfect storm of a leaky $60000 truck. After contacting GM via their web site, I received a call from Chevrolet Customer Assistance Center (CAC) who arranged with my dealer to have the leaks investigated.   They have not yet found the source of the leaks in the front, but came up with a nearly $4000 estimate to fix a leak in the brake light, the pressure vents, and replace just the rear carpet and headliner.  GM offered to cover part of that but I'm not willing to shell out thousands to fix this lemon and it does not even address all of the leaks.  As soon as I get the dealer to send me the itemized estimate, I'll call the CAC back to discuss it.  In the mean time, I posted a video showing where my leaks are producing standing rainwater inside the cab when I have the carpet and pad lifted:  

 

[paulwms]

On 6/19/2019 at 4:14 PM, raid0072 said:

Paul:

Contact me thru My Scam-Free email :

 [email protected] . I have reservations about using G mail.

 

Tried to email using that address, but it got kicked back as undeliverable.  Typo maybe?

[raid0072]

Exact same area on rear bottom vents, and the rear brake-light infamous leak.

I am glad I was able to help in any way. keep me posted as you go along.

Jack

[mayaoung]

Indeed, water leaks and floods can lead to mold, while mold itself can lead to other severe problems.
If you've ever had water damage, you know what the consequences are. Therefore, I consider that hiring water damage repairing service is crucial. Also, it is crucial to hire a mold remediation service.
For example, when we had water damage, we hired a repairing service, and they helped us, but we noticed we have mold very soon.
Then, we hired this company https://www.ssrestore.com/mold-remediation-san-diego/, and they helped us get rid of it.

[Dontgowrong1]

So call the dealer and threaten him that if he refuses to do what you want, you will have to deal with this issue in court later. And believe me, this dealer will become more active and start cooperating with you. I had something similar recently, I had a flood in my house, and I turned to my insurance company so that they would pay for repairs. So they came up with a million reasons not to compensate me for the damage. I threatened them with court and proceedings, and they immediately said they would pay for everything and even recommended I visit https://www.lawtoncr.com/water-damage-restoration-service/, where excellent specialists in water damage restoration work.

Edited September 7, 2022 by Dontgowrong1