2019 Denali...I'm quite disappointed

dave07 · November 20, 2018

Does anyone else NOT notice body panel gaps? They don’t really stick out to me when purchasing a vehicle (unless it’s really horrible and really noticeable). I would have never noticed it on this High Country. Not discrediting OP in anyway because I find that unacceptable on such an expensive truck.

I think it’s an older generation thing, like 50+. Both my dad and my uncle pointed out my bumper gaps on my 2015, which I never noticed after 6 months of ownership.

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DONWT15 · November 20, 2018

Perhaps it's generational, being way past 50 (well past 60 and retired actually) we old school types walk away from such poor workmanship and would not present something that crappy to a customer. I won't pay for something that looks like it came from a body shop using off brand parts.

j-ten-ner · November 20, 2018

Thank you all for your thoughts in this matter.

Some say that they don't care much about a two or three Millimeter difference in the gaps between the body panels, but still agree on that it is not acceptable for a "professional grade" vehicle.

Maybe everything else on this particular truck is perfect. But what impression does it have on me or the next interested guy?

I use to tell my boys at work that the first thing the customer will see is your work truck. Then he'll see you. His mind about you and your performance may be already made up before he can even see how good you're at what you're doing.

You have to double up on your craftsmanship just to make up for a bad impression you may have made when you drove your dirty and beaten up truck on the job site. I hope you get my drift.

I'm happy with my current truck. Despite the oil consumption and the rusting frame. I thing that GM is really outstanding when it comes to overall longevity. I've had many GM vehicles in the past and except for one occasion, I've always made it home.

The comments about other trucks having problems too is correct. But I don't care about other trucks.

Like my dad used to say..."...all other students have a "D" in the test? It doesn't matter because you still only have a "C"...".

Know what I mean?

so long

j-ten-ner

hildech19 · November 20, 2018

11 hours ago, DONWT15 said:

That why groceries keep going up? Can't grow anything with out an $80,000 truck every couple years?

If you check grain prices you’d think groceries would be down. Unfortunately it’s not the person taking the risk of crops in the field that profit heavily

DONWT15 · November 20, 2018

How are body panels on that Ram?

Is it a Laramie or Long Horn model being used as a work truck? Did it matter what it looked like when you got it?

mookdoc6 · November 20, 2018

2 hours ago, j-ten-ner said:

Thank you all for your thoughts in this matter.

Some say that they don't care much about a two or three Millimeter difference in the gaps between the body panels, but still agree on that it is not acceptable for a "professional grade" vehicle.

Maybe everything else on this particular truck is perfect. But what impression does it have on me or the next interested guy?

I use to tell my boys at work that the first thing the customer will see is your work truck. Then he'll see you. His mind about you and your performance may be already made up before he can even see how good you're at what you're doing.

You have to double up on your craftsmanship just to make up for a bad impression you may have made when you drove your dirty and beaten up truck on the job site. I hope you get my drift.

I'm happy with my current truck. Despite the oil consumption and the rusting frame. I thing that GM is really outstanding when it comes to overall longevity. I've had many GM vehicles in the past and except for one occasion, I've always made it home.

The comments about other trucks having problems too is correct. But I don't care about other trucks.

Like my dad used to say..."...all other students have a "D" in the test? It doesn't matter because you still only have a "C"...".

Know what I mean?

so long

j-ten-ner

What you did not notice is...The Aluminum is the culprit. you can almost stick your pinky finger under the lip? You can pull the material like it's bubblegum..get two finger behind the panel hem and you can bow it out and crease it...No rubber seal behind either on the whole door like K2's. Bend over check out the stupid Hem or left in place HEM on cabs going back to FERD,DODGE crap look K2's were tight and clean....

The problem is the Aluminum....GM is and always has been good at panel gaps and alignment...These crap skins are gonna be very hard to look clean and taught like the STEEL K2's Could be worse I mean look at the rear bumber job FERD did on this generation? Ugliest refinement and attachment of Rear bumper I have ever seen? Wait maybe the crooked Door handle holes on whole GMT-400 run? I digress.............

swathdiver · November 20, 2018

All this talk about panel lines reminded me of this commercial:

twoheeldrive · November 21, 2018

It doesn't have anything to do with the cost of a vehicle. It doesn't cost any more to get panels on correctly. When I brought home a new Accord, many years ago, my dad looked it over and was amazed how good the gaps were. He worked in a GM plant for a while and paid attention to those things. Oh, and he never bought anything that wasn't GM... well he had one Ford car... and bad mouthed it for the rest of his life, LOL.

I guess the bottom line is... that these are trucks, not luxury cars. I know, they are priced like luxury cars... (which I don't understand). Expecting luxury car fit and finish, based on how much they cost, is probably not fair.

pickmeup · November 21, 2018

What happened to the days of a truck being ......well a truck? LOL. Hell it was not a truck until you had a couple dings and dents in her . Fit and Finish you say ....Yup it Fit but was a little hard on the finish Dad !!!!

f8l vnm · November 21, 2018

58 minutes ago, pickmeup said:

What happened to the days of a truck being ......well a truck? LOL. Hell it was not a truck until you had a couple dings and dents in her . Fit and Finish you say ....Yup it Fit but was a little hard on the finish Dad !!!!

Those days are gone. People want and will pay for luxury options.

NWI Denali · November 22, 2018

6 hours ago, pickmeup said:

What happened to the days of a truck being ......well a truck? LOL. Hell it was not a truck until you had a couple dings and dents in her . Fit and Finish you say ....Yup it Fit but was a little hard on the finish Dad !!!!

Those days were when a truck cost 1/2 as much as a new Corvette. Not the same price.

j-ten-ner · November 22, 2018

9 hours ago, twoheeldrive said:

It doesn't have anything to do with the cost of a vehicle. It doesn't cost any more to get panels on correctly. ...

...Expecting luxury car fit and finish, based on how much they cost, is probably not fair.

I'm confused.

so long

j-ten-ner

DONWT15 · November 22, 2018

11 hours ago, j-ten-ner said:

I'm confused.

so long

j-ten-ner

Same here.

L86 All Terrain · November 22, 2018

No surprises there. All automakers are decreasing quality along with increasing the MSRP at a rate that well exceeds inflation. They put out crap, add 20% on the msrp each generation, lower the warranties, yet we all run in there to buy these things. Automakers have recently realized that they can overcharge the customer double for trucks, then make all the parts in China and assemble them in Mexico, use thinner steel and more plastic, then add 15 unnecessary Chinese computers and modules to control features we don't want, all in an effort to make you NEED to trade it in 5 years later so you don't go broke trying to keep it rolling. Why sell a truck that will last 20 years for $40,000 when you can charge $70,000 and have it fall apart in 8 years, thus leading the customer back in your front door to spend $143,000 + tax on the next generation of truck. It's getting ridiculous. I didn't put a single dollar into my 2010 w/ 120,000km, my 2015 with 30,000km has already had nearly $10,000CAD in warranty work, confidence inspiring...