** Read Before You Buy a 2014/2015 GM Truck**

[fireaxxe]

I own a 2014 Chevy Silverado Double Cab 4x4 Z71 and wanted to share my experience as I approach 30K. When I first bought this truck it was great. I like the features, the ride, very smooth driving characteristics and overall design. Then the recalls started and so far I have had four performed that I know of. I also started noticing some issues that made me feel as if the 10K off MSRP I received was not enough of a discount. Below is recap and assessment of some issues I have seen in the last year and a half of ownership.

 

1. Paint- too thin and the appearance is blotchy, I am currently having some issues with adhesion as I watch the paint peel off the lower driver and passenger door, this will be covered under the warranty according to the body shop.

 

2. Recalls- mostly minor but I am sure as time goes on these recalls will increase in severity and inconvenience. GM should extend the bumper to bumper warranty, by a certain amount of time/milage, per recall.

 

3. Vibrations- there are several issues in this area. Tires are number one in my experience, then the v4 AFM mode and lastly the drivetrain are all sources for these vibrations. But if you look at the numbers on this site and do the math this seems to be an issue that only effects .5%-1% of trucks out there. Even with these statistics in some cases the vibrations have been eleminated.

 

4. Interior- nice to look at and touch but quality is a C+. Constant snap, crackle, pop, sounds heard mostly caused by thermo expansion and contraction. Then there are the rattles that are caused from cheap clips and loose components. One solution is to take everything apart and use dampening materials (carpet padding/expanding foam/electrical tape) to fill in void spaces and eleminate rattles.

 

5. Electrical- there are inconsistencies in the way the electronics perform. The radio sometimes emits a static/buzz sound through the speakers when I open the driver door. The bluetooth is temperamental, and the security locking feature sometimes has a delay.

 

6. Powertrain- GM has some work to do here. From the slip yolk clunk to the G80 rearend backlash knock, this area of the truck needs to be refined and shored up. There was also a leafspring knock that I had to deal with for awhile that I resolved by properly torquing the u-bolts.

 

Even with all this I give this truck a "B-" grade. The 5.3 ecotec MGP along with HP/Torque numbers, the 100k powertrain warranty/36k three year bumper to bumper, and overall performance including towing/hauling make up for some of these issues. I would recommend this vehicle to others but if you are looking take your time and test drive this for a weekend and look for these issues. There are some that are better than others and this is the number one thing when looking at MSRP/resale value.

[scott19677]

"B-" Still better than F_O_R_D. And I had two buybacks. On my third 2014. Sometimes you gotta' stop and think "Its a truck not a Cadillac".

[TxTruckMan]

The earlier units had more problems, but that's the case with any new body style. Most of the trucks have none of these issues. My 2014 was built in Nov 2013 and it had minor issues, but none of the ones you listed. Welcome to the world of $50k trucks with lots of integrated options. None will be perfect, by any OEM.

[El_Diablo_John]

I honestly don't get why people get so bent out of shape by recalls... they're a good thing. It means the manufacture is catching and issue and fixing it for free.

 

Ever bought a product, used it for a few days or weeks, had it fail and just had to toss it in the trash? Would you rather that be the case with your truck? As long as vehicles are designed and built by humans, issues will pop up, I take comfort in the fact that a manufacture is willing to correct something before it becomes an issue for me.

[Tattooo]

I honestly don't get why people get so bent out of shape by recalls... they're a good thing. It means the manufacture is catching and issue and fixing it for free.

 

Ever bought a product, used it for a few days or weeks, had it fail and just had to toss it in the trash? Would you rather that be the case with your truck? As long as vehicles are designed and built by humans, issues will pop up, I take comfort in the fact that a manufacture is willing to correct something before it becomes an issue for me.

I am with you on that....It's not the end of the world

[Ltz73]

Give my 2014 built in Mexico 5.3 CC Silverado an A+! not only by far the best truck I have ever owned (have had 6 all brands except Toyota) also the best vehicle I have ever owned. I have never been so satisfied and pleased as I am with this truck. Purchased new just turned 32,000 miles.

[abominable z71]

I have the highway vibration problem still not fixed. Opened the rear end and found teeth with chips in the heel waiting to hear from the dealer what they plan on doing about it, they would not inspect the rear end on it's first trip in for vibration issues because the vibrations were below GM's spec, so I opened it myself and took pictures to send to the service manager.

 

Trucks 5 months old, no paint or body issues at this point.

 

Slip yoke clunk is there like it has always been in GM 4x4s they need to go back to a fixed yoke on the t-case with the slip yoke in the driveline like they had in the NP203 and NP205 t cases of the 70's.

 

No problems with the AFM v4 mode.

 

G80 rear has a ton of backlash and slop in it.

 

Interior pops and creaks with thermal expansion, very loud pop from the center stack area when its hot and the AC starts cooling down the interior. hood release lever rattles on the freeway. Trim pieces on the center console rattle if your leg touch's the console while your driving. It is a beautiful interior though, best looking on the market IMHO.

 

No electrical issues or radio problems, everything works well, I have the bose system though not sure if that makes a difference when it comes to issues others are having with the radio.

 

I would enjoy this truck much more if it didn't vibrate at freeway speeds. I love the exterior and interior looks and features but it definitely is lacking in mechanical quality in some areas and lacking some features available in other trucks.

[Keith93611]

2015 SLT Z71 4X4 Crew with 5.3, purchased in April 2015, i now have 20K miles on it and an oil leak was found by me while having the Oil changed, found out there was a service bulletin that went out saying not to tell customers of the oil leak unless it was out of warranty, at first they told me it was the rear main, while at the shop they recanted and said it was the oil pan, they resealed the pan and it leaked worse then when i took it in, they keep the truck another day and replace the pan, said the original pan was pitted and causing the leak, Just a FYI. So far this truck has had no issues other than the oil leak though and i fell it is a little sluggish under exceleration and having what i feel is stumbling before the trany kicks down a gear.

[Graphic]

My troubles were enough that I changed brands. I was so angry by the time I left the dealership the last time... A customer should never be lied to or given the run around like I was... As far as the recalls and all that, I expected them with a new model year. But long running steering issues and being talked to by one of the service advisors and the area rep like I was just going to have to deal with it was insulting... Laying on my back in the driveway taking pictures of the rust proofing coming off (that the dealer and area rep said was normal) I threw in the towel.

 

Wrote GM long letter detailing my experience day by day (kept it as a CYA thing) I have thought about posting here, but frankly it's just too darn long (like 8 pages) and I think most would lose interest after page two or so. They did call me back and asked what I wanted after they got the letter. I didn't ask for anything and actually told them in the letter that I didn't want anything. When she asked me, I said if you want to give me my down payment back, that'd be nice. (Not holding my breath, lol) After all the time I have been in a GM truck (25 years) I was fed up and couldn't take it anymore. This was by far the worst experience in buying anything or having any service performed that I have ever had. And it was the first "new" truck I had ever bought.

[mikedege]

Man, I wish I would have read this before I purchased, would have saved me alot of trouble. I would now be driving a Ford. What have I done!!!!!

 

Lol

[Graphic]

Man, I wish I would have read this before I purchased, would have saved me alot of trouble. I would now be driving a Ford. What have I done!!!!!

 

Lol

I think overall the trucks have been well received. I believe most are good vehicles. The issues that GM has with most people in this section of the forum is the bungling of taking care of those that get a bad one. It's systemic throughout GM and most companies. At least in my case, that is. Literally, the service rep passed to me the area rep told him I would have to live with it.

 

There were a lot of things that the Silverado was better at than my Ram, but other things it struggled with like throttle response, transmission gear selection, leaf spring noise, headlight illumination, rust protection, etc., I tried to get used to these things, but one can only accept so much. In the end, I am stil excited to get into the Ram in the morning and drive. By the time I was done with the Chevy, I hated looking at it in my driveway. It make me sick to my stomach thinking about how much money I wasted on it.

 

Again, if they had said "Our mistake, we'll take care of you" and actually done that, I would still be driving GM.

[Northside]

I bought my '14 Silverado in November of '13, It's a dreaded early build, August of '13. So far the truck with all the associated LTZ options, has been flawless. My next door neighbor bought a new '13 F 150 with the "acclaimed" Eco Boost. His motor blew and his struck is at a dealer 80 miles away from here. It's been over 3 weeks and though under warranty he's driving a little white loaner car. This is my fourth new Chevy truck, and they have all been great vehicles. No vehicle is going to 100% perfect, they are designed by, and to a degree built by humans. I still think GM manufactures the best quality American vehicles and I won't buy foreign. If it isn't a Chevy get a GMC.

[tnchevy]

I would say either read up on all of the makes/models before you buy or better yet, don't read a thing because you will be paranoid to buy any vehicle. I have to admit that after a year I still like my old 2002 better than my 2014 but I also liked it better than I do my 2012 Ford company truck. The biggest complaint which some of you will laugh at is that there is too much "going on" with all the new vehicles. My 2014 is not perfect, slight vibes at random times, transmission that has improved but not seamless, and a radio that can't pickup FM stations and goes blank every now and then. Funny thing is that my 2012 Ford work truck has the exact same problems and even a worse transmission. I test drove 3 different Rams as well last year and I did like the more instant throttle but I was not overly impressed with the 8 speed in it either. IMO all of these new trucks are not built as well as the late 90's early 2000's (except Dodge which has drastically improved). After 1 year and 8k miles I do not regret buying my chevy over any other brand but I do regret not keeping my 2002 for a few more years even though she was rusting out pretty bad, mechanically she was in great shape. Buy what you like and if it don't work out for you bite the bullet, take the loss, and buy something else.

[mikpsdad]

Man, I wish I would have read this before I purchased, would have saved me alot of trouble. I would now be driving a Ford. What have I done!!!!!

 

Lol

I LOVE my Excursion. I also love my 87 gmc sierra square body. My next New vehicle will be another excursion.

 

sent from my not so smart phone

[fireaxxe]

I honestly don't get why people get so bent out of shape by recalls... they're a good thing. It means the manufacture is catching and issue and fixing it for free.

 

Ever bought a product, used it for a few days or weeks, had it fail and just had to toss it in the trash? Would you rather that be the case with your truck? As long as vehicles are designed and built by humans, issues will pop up, I take comfort in the fact that a manufacture is willing to correct something before it becomes an issue for me.

 

No I would rather buy it for a premium price and have no problems and recalls for 100k miles as long as I keep up with the regular maintainence. This is the problem with modern day production and modern day consumers. We have been trained to accept a lower standard of quality over time in exchange for warranties and recalls that hardly ever fix the root cause of the issue which poor overall quality and the idea that no company wants to produce a great product they are only in it for profit. I had a 2012 GMC sierra that was perfect no recalls and no issues the paint was perfect and the ride was 100% smooth. Only issue I had was it was not 4x4. If it was I would not even have this 2014 "B-" rated truck.

Edited October 1, 2015 by fireaxxe