Welcome To My Nightmare....2016 GMC Sierra, Crew Cab SLT

doropallo · December 2, 2021

At the end of September my check engine light came on and the email from OnStar (basic) stated the transmission needed to be looked at. I made an appointment at the local dealer (I have an extended warranty) and 3 hours after I dropped it off, 7PM, I'm getting phone calls from the local police about the truck, did I lend it out, along those lines. I said no the truck is supposed to be at the dealership for service. Turns out some guy walked into the dealer and grabbed some keys and mine was the lucky one that got stolen. It was recovered within an hour because the guy was driving on a flat tire on the wrong side of the road. He hit something and did $17,000 worth of damage.

So the dealership has a body shop and everything is repaired, but the initial service work is never performed, because alas its not showing any codes. I pick it up and was driving it for about a week when I stepped on the gas to accelerate and change lanes and the truck basically looses electric, stalls momentarily, screen goes dark and then kicks back in. I call and make another appointment to drop it off. Here's another strange quirk, when I drive with the headlights and on the voltage gauge reads around 14 volts, when I turn the lights off it immediately drops to 12 volts and stays there. Service calls and says that is normal (my truck never did that before) and there are no codes in the voltage areas of the truck. I guess no one can really troubleshoot any more, don't need meters to read volts or ohms or solid connections. Another thing I noticed since I got it back is that the mileage is 3mpg lower. And yet my truck is fine. Now I'm just frustrated and at a loss of what to do . I was planning on driving the truck to Georgia but I don't have any confidence I'll make it out of Jersey anymore. Truck has 67,441 current miles on it.

Rant over.

dieselfan1 · December 2, 2021

I couldn't trade it in fast enough.

In fact I would have told the dealer when the truck was repaired that they will be taking it on trade for a new truck and never see it again.

I'd never go back there again either.

What dealer just leaves keys laying around?

M1ck3y · December 2, 2021

I feel for you, I would have gone off the deep end if that happened to me. I think with everything that's taken place, you don't have too many options left. You can trade it in like diesel said, or you can drive it until it throws another code.

Shouldn't onstar have a record of what the vehicle was complaining about? ~~I'm also wondering if perhaps the notice wasn't a problem, but part of regular maintenance. Maybe you hit the mileage gm recommends a transmission flush?~~

Edited December 2, 2021 by M1ck3y

doropallo · December 2, 2021

I really don't want to trade it in, there's hardly anything out there and I don't want a payment. I'll definitely check the code next time. Getting all pissy and worked up doesn't get far these days. It sounds like a lot of damage but I got 2 new headlights and a new grill and bumper, right there is 6 grand. Freaking lights are 1500 each. Lots of little stuff. I'm just disappointed that there aren't any good techs out there.

M1ck3y · December 3, 2021

2 hours ago, doropallo said:

I really don't want to trade it in, there's hardly anything out there and I don't want a payment. I'll definitely check the code next time. Getting all pissy and worked up doesn't get far these days. It sounds like a lot of damage but I got 2 new headlights and a new grill and bumper, right there is 6 grand. Freaking lights are 1500 each. Lots of little stuff. I'm just disappointed that there aren't any good techs out there.

There is a lot of good techs out there.

lovecars · December 3, 2021

Sorry for the long post.... but I felt some things have to be said about the sad state of affairs at GM with their light duty trucks.. 1500-2500

On the soap box

There is no better time to get rid of it.

My 2017 that I owe 20,000 on it, is worth 35,000 plus.

Of course there is no way to replace it in this market.

But if you are willing to buy a beater. youll have money for a down payment on a new on next half of 2022.

I've always leased my truck because I'm self employed and could write it off. Now I'm semi retired and the business can not afford the leased truck. So I bought the one I have now.

I regret it because although I love chevy trucks, they are becoming total pieces of ******, specially the ones we get in the West Coast from Silao Mexico. horrible quality control. luckily I know my way around cars/trucks/computers/etc... so I'm not too scared..

So my recomendation is DO NOT buy another one, lease it if you drive less than 15000 miles a year.

GM has been on rush to catch up to Ram trucks and Ford trucks. so instead of spending 3-4 years on testing and getting all the bugs out, from 2016 on they started selling trucks that were only road tested for 2 or so years. So we customers become beta testers for GM.

Now as the newer trucks come out since the architecture has been the same for the last four or so years.. then the bugs have been worked out pretty much...

The Achilles heel are the transmissions...

Would you guys believe that a partership between Ford and Chevrolet worked on the new multispeed transmissions for three or so years.. Multi speed = 6 spd to 12 spd

Ford came out with them 5 years ago, even the mustang had an 8 speed and I think now a 10 speed.

Meanwhile the same F****g transmissions GM can't get them to survive 100,000 miles on the 1500's trucks.

Most of the thing's I've mentioned are available on Google or on SAE.org (Society of Automotive Engineers.

OK I'm off the soap box

JimCost2014 · December 3, 2021

Did you have the opportunity to turn the theft into your insurance???

Or was everything just handled (theft, recovery, police report) handled through the dealership?

Was awfully nice of them to just do $17000.00 worth or repairs on their dime. Something does not sound right.

JimCost2014 · December 3, 2021

1 hour ago, lovecars said:

Sorry for the long post.... but I felt some things have to be said about the sad state of affairs at GM with their light duty trucks.. 1500-2500

On the soap box

There is no better time to get rid of it.

My 2017 that I owe 20,000 on it, is worth 35,000 plus.

Of course there is no way to replace it in this market.

But if you are willing to buy a beater. youll have money for a down payment on a new on next half of 2022.

I've always leased my truck because I'm self employed and could write it off. Now I'm semi retired and the business can not afford the leased truck. So I bought the one I have now.

I regret it because although I love chevy trucks, they are becoming total pieces of ******, specially the ones we get in the West Coast from Silao Mexico. horrible quality control. luckily I know my way around cars/trucks/computers/etc... so I'm not too scared..

So my recomendation is DO NOT buy another one, lease it if you drive less than 15000 miles a year.

GM has been on rush to catch up to Ram trucks and Ford trucks. so instead of spending 3-4 years on testing and getting all the bugs out, from 2016 on they started selling trucks that were only road tested for 2 or so years. So we customers become beta testers for GM.

Now as the newer trucks come out since the architecture has been the same for the last four or so years.. then the bugs have been worked out pretty much...

The Achilles heel are the transmissions...

Would you guys believe that a partership between Ford and Chevrolet worked on the new multispeed transmissions for three or so years.. Multi speed = 6 spd to 12 spd

Ford came out with them 5 years ago, even the mustang had an 8 speed and I think now a 10 speed.

Meanwhile the same F****g transmissions GM can't get them to survive 100,000 miles on the 1500's trucks.

Most of the thing's I've mentioned are available on Google or on SAE.org (Society of Automotive Engineers.

OK I'm off the soap box

Sounds like you are in the market for a 2022 Tundra, let us know how you like it......

Yotaman · December 3, 2021

I feel for you. The stolen and damaged really sucks I would be livid with the dealer but damm criminals today letus not even get started. Do a search on Ground 218 on this site. It sounds like you may have that issue and if it is that the good news is it is a easy fix. best of luck and keep us updated.

22R

Truckboattruck · December 3, 2021

That's some rotten luck getting it stolen, further still with the issues you've been having. I bought used at about 100k miles a week ago and am having some rotten luck with the brake system and tranny, getting it warrantied for the last three days. Seems they are both common issues, my dumb butt thought just because I see twenty examples of decade old models on the road every day that they would be just as reliable more recently in production. I feel your pain.

doropallo · December 3, 2021

7 hours ago, Yotaman said:

I feel for you. The stolen and damaged really sucks I would be livid with the dealer but damm criminals today letus not even get started. Do a search on Ground 218 on this site. It sounds like you may have that issue and if it is that the good news is it is a easy fix. best of luck and keep us updated.

22R

Funny how I searched Google for g218 and there's a TSB on it, the exact same symptoms my truck is having. I can't believe a good tech would miss it. I'm dealing with the managers of 2 departments at the same time. Funny how I'm getting better responses from the body shop guy, he's pissed they gave me the truck back without his department detailing it.

Yotaman · December 3, 2021

I have a 2014 Sierra 5.3 it was recalled 21 times and luckily I have not had any engine or transmission issues. I have had the cycling thermostat, AC condenser and right now I am going to replace my front control arms cause the ball joints are getting loose. It is ashamed I really the looks of the truck, the interior and the fuel economy but I do not have the most faith long term. My advice to anyone is get on this forum and read about your model and get interested in doing mechanical work if you want to own a GM truck. And yes I said the same thing about my loose drivers seat the dealers had no fix for but the guys on this site have a fix that stopped it. Hope the G218 fixes ya up. My co worker has a 15 year old Tacoma and it just keeps going and going with no repairs just maintenance.

22R