Rear window leak

RadBrad · September 1, 2020

Hello all-

I just picked up a 2020 Sierra Denali yesterday, built 8/20 in Fort Wayne, and lone behold today it rained. The passenger side headliner is wet, water leaking down by the seat belt on the passenger back seat plastic parts. I'm afraid of what will come next, would prefer to not have it torn apart, scratched, etc after owning it for one day.

Looks like based on my truck alone, at least for the USA builds, this issue has not been addressed at the factory.

JAP90 · September 2, 2020

2 hours ago, RadBrad said:

Hello all-

I just picked up a 2020 Sierra Denali yesterday, built 8/20 in Fort Wayne, and lone behold today it rained. The passenger side headliner is wet, water leaking down by the seat belt on the passenger back seat plastic parts. I'm afraid of what will come next, would prefer to not have it torn apart, scratched, etc after owning it for one day.

Looks like based on my truck alone, at least for the USA builds, this issue has not been addressed at the factory.

That's awful. I would take that back and try to return it if at all possible. It should be embarrassing to them that this is still going on.

JAP90 · September 2, 2020

I had the caulk fix per the bulletin, and two days later it was leaking again. There is a crack in the window frame. I've now waited another week and a half for more spoiler bolts and a new window. They tell me a glass company will do the replacement, and I'm going to ask for a shitload of urethane seal along the top of the window. I'm just hoping to get the piece of crap to stop leaking long enough to get rid of it.

For what it's worth, I've asked about seven random people with 2019-2020 Silverados/Sierras and sliding windows if they've had a leak, and not one of them knew what I was talking about. There is no telling how many of them are leaking and the owners have no idea. I'll take a Tundra - I don't care if the interior is from 2012. I'm not crawling around in a $65k truck everytime it rains or I wash it. If it hasn't been fixed in two years, they're not too worried about fixing it.

RadBrad · September 2, 2020

1 hour ago, JAP90 said:

I had the caulk fix per the bulletin, and two days later it was leaking again. There is a crack in the window frame. I've now waited another week and a half for more spoiler bolts and a new window. They tell me a glass company will do the replacement, and I'm going to ask for a shitload of urethane seal along the top of the window. I'm just hoping to get the piece of crap to stop leaking long enough to get rid of it.

For what it's worth, I've asked about seven random people with 2019-2020 Silverados/Sierras and sliding windows if they've had a leak, and not one of them knew what I was talking about. There is no telling how many of them are leaking and the owners have no idea. I'll take a Tundra - I don't care if the interior is from 2012. I'm not crawling around in a $65k truck everytime it rains or I wash it. If it hasn't been fixed in two years, they're not too worried about fixing it.

Yea I have been researching and found two bulletins on this, one from like 2018 when they first started, and one from July of this year, which like you said means its just not that much of a concern, could be something like the 2014-2018 shake at highway speeds, where many bulletins were put out but nothing ever really got fixed.

My new one was built on 8/20, VIN LZ353431...I was waiting for it to get off the truck from the factory.

Its sad yea, I have the carbon pro edition, black on black, looks great on the outside, but man this really makes it tough. I am taking it back to the service department tomorrow. I really just don't know if I want them tearing it all apart, but I'm not sure I have a choice.

Steve-2019 · September 2, 2020

Not the service dept. Take it to the General Manger or Sales Manager and get your money back!!

greco2003 · September 2, 2020

Well add me to the window leak list owned it for almost a year a week shy of a year to be exact small leaks in the corners going to make an appointment today and since the windows leaking gonna have them look at the spoiler that’s popping I wasn’t going to mess with it since the window wasn’t leaking but now that it is they can fix the spoiler issue. Also my truck was bought as a service loaner and the window has yellow number on the drivers side makes me wonder if they tried to fix it before won’t let me upload both pics

greco2003 · September 2, 2020

As you can see it’s a very small leak doing the exact same thing on the drivers side in the same exact spot

Ranger522vx · September 2, 2020

1 hour ago, greco2003 said:

Well add me to the window leak list owned it for almost a year a week shy of a year to be exact small leaks in the corners going to make an appointment today and since the windows leaking gonna have them look at the spoiler that’s popping I wasn’t going to mess with it since the window wasn’t leaking but now that it is they can fix the spoiler issue. Also my truck was bought as a service loaner and the window has yellow number on the drivers side makes me wonder if they tried to fix it before won’t let me upload both pics

Mine has the popping sound too and I wasn’t going to mess with it for fear they would mess something up. Since I’ll be taking my truck in soon as well I’ll have them try to fix it. The popping is annoying and I hate explaining it to everyone that gets in the truck with me.

BIGDOGx · September 2, 2020

14 hours ago, RadBrad said:

Hello all-

I just picked up a 2020 Sierra Denali yesterday, built 8/20 in Fort Wayne, and lone behold today it rained. The passenger side headliner is wet, water leaking down by the seat belt on the passenger back seat plastic parts. I'm afraid of what will come next, would prefer to not have it torn apart, scratched, etc after owning it for one day.

Looks like based on my truck alone, at least for the USA builds, this issue has not been addressed at the factory.

Wow that is a raw deal right there, as far as not wanting it scratched or torn apart i hear you, plenty of pictures in this very post that proves anyone should be worried having a dealer attempt to fix this. I think it's safe to assume gm has taken the just fix it when they come in approach. You won't see this problem truly gone until a exterior redesign imo.

greco2003 · September 2, 2020

1 hour ago, BIGDOGx said:

Wow that is a raw deal right there, as far as not wanting it scratched or torn apart i hear you, plenty of pictures in this very post that proves anyone should be worried having a dealer attempt to fix this. I think it's safe to assume gm has taken the just fix it when they come in approach. You won't see this problem truly gone until a exterior redesign imo.

Yeah that’s my fear is they just pump it full of sealer and it looks like crap when there done. Or they break stuff trying to fix it. The popping was annoying but I could live with it. It would only do it a few times and wasn’t very loud. I agree I think a design change to the cab would fix it. I think the spoiler is the weak point. Also i think someone said some of the window leaks were from cracked frames.

BIGDOGx · September 2, 2020

12 minutes ago, greco2003 said:

Yeah that’s my fear is they just pump it full of sealer and it looks like crap when there done. Or they break stuff trying to fix it. The popping was annoying but I could live with it. It would only do it a few times and wasn’t very loud. I agree I think a design change to the cab would fix it. I think the spoiler is the weak point. Also i think someone said some of the window leaks were from cracked frames.

To me with the amount of cracked window frames, it scream too much body flex to me as the real issue. Don't see how they can fix that one either, what i would do is see if you can get a solid rear window put in instead of the slider, i don't believe anyone with a non slider has had troubles and for me a slider is not that important to have, especially not if they mostly leak or will leak causing further issues with mold and stained interior pieces.

greco2003 · September 2, 2020

36 minutes ago, BIGDOGx said:

To me with the amount of cracked window frames, it scream too much body flex to me as the real issue. Don't see how they can fix that one either, what i would do is see if you can get a solid rear window put in instead of the slider, i don't believe anyone with a non slider has had troubles and for me a slider is not that important to have, especially not if they mostly leak or will leak causing further issues with mold and stained interior pieces.

Yeah slider isn’t important for me either even with it being powered I’ll never use it.

UGADawgs · September 2, 2020

If body flex was an issue affecting these frames, the solid windows would probably shatter along with the front windshields.

RadBrad · September 3, 2020

My dealership said that I would need to make a service appointment because it is a warranty issue. Like always this was there response, "We have never heard of that issue here" There is two service bulletins out there one from last year in Oct or Nov, and one from this year in July that includes the HD trucks too. I almost think that your right in saying "I think lets fix it when it is an issue"

They absolutely had zero interest in taking it any further than a service appointment. I haven't attempted to have it fixed yet obviously, but I really don't want them to tear the whole thing apart at three days old. They cant get it in until the 14th. Fun stuff

BIGDOGx · September 3, 2020

18 hours ago, UGADawgs said:

If body flex was an issue affecting these frames, the solid windows would probably shatter along with the front windshields.

How so, the frames used on the slider are different then the ones without. How else do you think the frames crack, flexing is the only really valid reason for it to happen imo.

Just pop the hood and look at these trucks through the years and just how much support steel has been either thinned to the max or completely done away with for weight savings.