cardboard-ish fender liners?

[ExYukon]

I have a new 2023 Silverado 1500 crew cab short bed 4x4 LTZ with 1000 miles on it.  I was looking around under the hood and found a hole about the diameter of a pencil in the right front fender liner.  I could see the ground though the hole.

 

I noticed the liner was some kind of pressboard-type material, not plastic like I have seen in other vehicles.  What is this stuff? How long has GM been using it? Does it hold up over time? 

 

BTW, I have the original Alenza tires on the truck, and I have only driven about a half mile on gravel so far, so the liner has not had a hard life.

[2016 Sierra Owner]

11 hours ago, ExYukon said:

I have a new 2023 Silverado 1500 crew cab short bed 4x4 LTZ with 1000 miles on it.  I was looking around under the hood and found a hole about the diameter of a pencil in the right front fender liner.  I could see the ground though the hole.

 

I noticed the liner was some kind of pressboard-type material, not plastic like I have seen in other vehicles.  What is this stuff? How long has GM been using it? Does it hold up over time? 

 

BTW, I have the original Alenza tires on the truck, and I have only driven about a half mile on gravel so far, so the liner has not had a hard life.

Do you have a picture? I'm not sure what they changed it to on the 23s. My 20 and my 16 had what most people refer to as carpet for the liners. It's a cloth type material molded to fit the wheel well. I believe my 14 was the last time I remember molded hard plastic in the front wells.

 

[jaxcam02]

The fender liners on almost all GM vehicles are a fiber pressed material. They use this instead of plastic for a variety of reasons but the main appreciation I have for this material is sound deadening, specifically with rain water. My three trucks and two camaros over the past decade had this and they held up just fine and I use my pressure washer to clean them when needed.

Edited February 14, 2023 by jaxcam02

[ExYukon]

Thanks.

 

I'm glad to know this material holds up well.

 

I took another look at my truck today, and saw that the other front fender liner has a small hole that matches the first one I found, so those holes must be on purpose.

[GETGONE]

I still think they're garbage material. They hold mud and salt and cause anything touching it to eventually rust because the salt never comes out.

[BigBadSierra]

I had my passenger side one replaced under warranty for the exact same issue I could put my entire finger through the hole. It was an issue when they moulded it.

 

Regardless it let water and mud spray up all over the engine.

 

The replacement didn't have the hole but still had a small gap just so it would bend probably during installation.

 

I actually added a little RTV just to seal it.

[ShelbyGT]

I have 2024 Silverado LTZ Z71 with 6100 miles and the first snow I drove it in, it packed snow behind the liner pushing it out so the tires rub on them. 

[ExYukon]

That sounds ugly.  Did this happen on the fronts or rears or both?  Do you have anything aftermarket like mud flaps or super-aggresive tire tread?  Have you looked to see if all the factory fasteners are present on the liner?

 

I have never driven my truck in significant snow so I have never been exposed to the conditions you encountered.