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2007 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra - First Impressions
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I have driven every vehicle that any typical rental car company rents (40+ different makes, models, vehicle types) in addition to family owned vehicles which include Cadillac DTS, Lexus LS430 & LX470, Mercedes E350, Jaguar XJ & X-type. I can tell you, I wouldn't trade my Denali for any of them.
Aside from an occasional slight fraction of a second delay in acceleration, I've experienced no problems and have been absolutely delighted with the all new 2007 GMC Sierra Denali.
I would chalk up skytop1's problems to his vehicle being a true "lemon." It is truly unfortunate to hear about all of his problems from what should have been an exceedingly enjoyable truck experience.
Sorry for the late reply. Was out of town for a bit. Hopefully this is what you're looking for. FYI there are over 500 TSBs related to the 2004 Silverado. Took awhile to look through them.
Service Bulletin Num : 0408111002 Date of Bulletin: JUL 01, 2004
Component: STRUCTURE:BODY
Summary:
RAISED SURFACE, DIMPLE IN BODY SIDE MOLDING. THIS BULLETIN REPLACED PREVIOUS BULLETIN 04-08-111-002, DATED 05/01/2004.
hey, have you noticed the silly Bowtie at both ends of the new GMT-900's..............not sure why Chevy put the Bowtie on the tailgate, unless they are trying to copy Ford.
in the previous years i could understand it as the metal around the TG latch had distortions..........i already took mine off, and there are no distortions in the metal around the latch....hmmmmmm
So how's the truck doing? Still using Zaino? Works real good on black.
truck has a 1,000 miles on it now, not a glitch, squeak or even the usual burp i've had with any other vehicle i've owned........some complain about the throttle management that GM incorperated into these new trucks, but i like it.....with my '00, when i punched it i always felt like the engine was gonna lose it's lunch as it would drop into a gear at close to redline at times, but this one has a good broad punch to it without going into hyper RPM's. obviously they did it to get them through the 5/100K warranty. i've also read where guys claim their engines don't go into V4 mode for more than a few seconds, thereby claiming the Active Fuel Management is a gimmick. i've gone down a flat highway at 65 and had the thing stay in V4 mode for over 7-8 miles with no problem, so who knows.
The lots are full and dealerships are willing to sell. You may not get the rebates on the 08 as you would for the 07. I would buy the 07. It is the same truck with no changes. 5/100 warranty, etc. As for the gas mileage....well good luck with that!!! I have LT ext. cab 4x2 5.3, Active Flex Mgmt, 3.73 gear and the best I get is 19.2 and that is if I have wind at my back and every 5th sunday (haha). So, you can expect about 15 to 17 and that is highway. Just being honest and best of luck!
I do have one question though. When synthetic oil is used, is there a longer interval between oil changes? I put valvoline synthetic oil in at about 500 miles and the computer says that I'm at 52% oil life left. Seems that the synthetic oil may last longer or should I not pay attention to the computer and just change it every 5 thousand miles? Thanks,Troy
i see daddy's DIC mod works...lol.
You can email them and they will send you a package in which to send them the oil sample. Makes for a little extra peace of mind.
http://www.blackstone-labs.com/gas_engines.html
of course now i want the steering wheel audio controls......Doh!
thanks for the info. do you think that Labor Day will bring more incentives? Also has anyone noticed any differences in the ride and handling with or without z71 package as compared to 4x4 with 20 in wheels?
I have to wonder if anyone at GM even had the brains to try this terrible system out before approving it for production. Makes me wonder about a lot more concerning GM's weak ability to design vehicles.
:shades: Schlog
Out West, premium is only 91 octane whereas out East, premium is 93 octane. Current vehicles have the ability to adjust their timing to cope with varying octane ratings from a low of 87 to a high of 93+.
While your knock sensors "should" take care of any knock a good question would be if there ever is some damage due to knock would it be covered under warranty. I'm sure a GM dealer would use it as an opportunity to deny warranty coverage as skytop1 would probably agree.
A nickle here and a dime saved there might cost you more in the long run. Course as always the choice is yours.
I just bought a brandy new 2007 chevy Silverado 1500 ext cab LTZ truck and am looking for some ideas on how to spruce up the sides. It looks like it needs something, a stripe ? My kid wants flames painted on. Can anyone point me to a site that has customized pictures of 2007 Silverado on? Can't seem to find one.
Terabyt1
Schlog :sick:
...........On to my '07 Silverado
Problems I ham currently experiencing are;
1. Drivers side airbag produced a malfunction message.
2. Front passenger side wheel sometimes produces a low air message, but there is no air leak of any sort.
Both issues are being addressed this saturday under warranty coverage. Otherwise This truck has had a new AEM brute air intake added, fantastic responsivness. Line-X spray bedliner, still working on deciding which brand locking bedcover to acquire. I am also looking to install new stepbars - Im tending to like the GM accessory on that decision, just searching for a decent nondealer price break.
Just came back from a 7 1/2 hour nonstop trip from KY to MD, and this truck was simply powerful, from uphill shifting (4 shift is smooth and even) to down hill solid braking. Extrmely impressed with how this truck handles. Also the interior is always spacious and comfortable (LTZ) (no leg cramps) although my wife putting her feet up to the right hand corner of the window/door jamb inadvertantly tripped the heated seats button on the door manifested a funny scene to behold.
No complaints so far!
I'd appreciate you keeping me posted as to what they find with your driver airbag, I'm guessing that it is the locking tab that holds the plug into the firing squib on the backside of the airbag module causing intermittent connectivity. Once the plug falls out of the squib (@1/8" out)a shorting clip falls across the firing posts and creates a short circuit thus rendering the firing circuit dead. Please keep me posted as to what you find out.
As for running boards.... man I spent countless hours trying to find one that looked like the GM offerings, after deciding I wasn't giving up that much loot, decided to purchase a set of Aries straight oval tubes from Ultimate Auto Accessories. I wasn't sure at first if I was going to be happy with them but now I can honestly say they look good on the truck. Also, they are placed in the correct position that they are actually useful for climbing in and out. Previous curved step tubes I've owned never seemed to be placed in a beneficial position that your foot dropped to while stepping out. You may want to take a look, I paid $325 delivered.
I too have Rhino Lined the bed and installed a Fold-A-Cover which locks fore and aft - which is great for long trips with lots of luggage.
To date we've put 7600 miles on the truck and absolutely are in awe of the power of the motor (5.3) and silky smoothness of the transmission, often pulling a 4000 pound camper. We went last month to the Smoky Mountains, a round trip of almost 3000 miles and averaged 16.7 mpg! I was floored as our last truck guzzled the stuff pulling the same camper at 11-12 mpg. I've owned GM trucks for 23+ years in some form or another and have had a very good run with them. That is why I'm compelled to tell my story when given the opportunity, and no one is paying me to say that. The only one I never cared for was a 1985 S-10 stripped down 4 cylinder which had absolutely no frills and no power.
It's all good!
I had to waste yet another day going back to the dealership to REPAIR The REPAIR. Yes, this is what happens at the GMC dealerships these days. There is simply no excuse for these kind of screwups and customer abuses.
Don't bother replying because you've already made your incredulous acrimonious position quite clear to everyone reading these boards.
I have heard horror stories in all walks of life and I have to say this one is memorable,
to the point of.... abusurdity.
Well written stories mind you, yet a waste of the true space this website is appointed for.
as for the problems I have experienced I still have yet to get my [non-permissible content removed] in my dealership (whom I ave no problems with) to get them corrected.
Not that this is a direct parallel, but I think it has it's message. Go to Burger King and be their burden for a while and stop eating here, you have tired us.
Peace Homies :shades:
Schlog
P.S. My local dealership is always pleasant with me and willing to answer or look at anything I have a question about. They've even provided the first 3 oil changes free and take me to work and pick me up at lunch to go get my truck. They are genuinely nice hometown people who even call me to see if everything was satisfactory after the service. That tells me they care. Can't make up anything bad if there's really nothing to complain about, clear and simple.
I had feathering of the tires at 300 miles. Vibrations from 45-60. Truck sat level with no slope like most pickups. Chunks of rubber started falling off the tires. Rear quarter windows made excessive wind noise at freeway speeds. You could literally push the windows 1/4" open when it was in the locked position. Doors would take an excessive amount of force to close. Primer showed through the paint on the quarter panels. Orange peel all over the truck. Water dripped from the condensor onto the O2 sensor. The bed used to shudder going over speed bumps.
When I approached the service manager I got the usual shrug and was told that's how they are. So basically I was somewhat in the same dilema that skytop1 is in with the dealer being no help at all. Trade the truck? I had just done that with a month old '99 for a '00.
Fortunate for me I had this forum to question the things I was told by the service manager. I also bought the factory manuals, sent a fax to the VP as this was a huge company with seven dealerships Chevy, Mazda, Volvo, Ford, Buick, GMC well you get the picture. The VP had called the GM of the dealership regarding the issues that I had and asked him to resolve it. Lucky me.
After a year and a service folder 2" thick. The issues were finally resolved. Why didn't I dump the truck prior? Well I had about $10K of mods in it. Yeah stupid me.
The resolutions? The vibration was finally resolved via a TSB from the factory. Apparently a new rack and pinion was needed which could be welded to the frame to eliminate the front end vibrations. Course by then I had gone through 4 sets of General Tires which was under recall (just so happened) and a last set of Michelin LTX M/S which vibrated worse than the Generals cause the tire changer forgot a 2 oz weight in the tire when mounting it.
The truck was sent to a shop to be repainted and wet sanded to remove the orange peel. Nice work by the shop. The rear windows was also replaced under a TSB stating the new windows were being sent at the older ones had a defect in the latch. The welds on the door hinges had to be broken and rewelded as GM thought that buy saving on bolts and welding the hinges would cost them less money. A shield had to be fabricated and welded on to protect the O2 sensor from the drips. The rear springs had collapsed causing the truck to sit level and had to be replaced. I had installed velvet ride shackels and helper springs to eliminate the shudder over speed bumps.
The service manager and my service writer couldn't believe the problems with the truck. When I had requested buyback from Chevy just to see what they would offer, the GM rep called my service advisor regarding my truck and was told that my file was over 2" thick. The rep offered me 7/100 Major Guard extended warranty no deductible which was worth close to $2700 at the time. Course I accepted and lucky me since my a/c went kaput at 37000 miles and my rack started to leak at 40K.
I ended up keeping the truck for 5 years and it was a real topic of conversation with two of my friends who own independent shops. During my period of working with the dealership, I had tipped the service writer a $50 here and there and $200 for Christmas as I knew who needed who.
Soooo...skytop1 I feel your pain. I also understand your frustration. If you truly feel that your truck is a POS you really should consider buyback through the BBB if you qualify. If not trade it on a Ford Harley Davidson as that truck rocks. Life is short. And its getting shorter with the stress the truck is causing you.
Posting negative comments about trucks that people recently bought and are happy with will not get you any sympathy. More so posting the same thing over and over. Well I'm sure you have found that out.
Good luck!!
Thanks for the post. Yes, I have outfitted the truck with much improvement including a $2K ARE cap. It took quite a bit of frustration before I decided to go the route you suggested. I am in the final stages now.
I only hope that people contemplating purchase of a GMC hear both sides of the Denali story. Most people are in the honeymoon stage when they take delivery and are not prone to make any complaints since it would infer a poor purchase decision on their part. People can read these posts, do their own due dillegence, and then make a more educated decision. User reviews are valuable resources available to all now and should not be overlooked.
Sorry to read about your lengthy difficulties with your GM truck. Regards/
If your feelings are hurt because I said something about GM that just doesn't make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, I regret it. It is not my intention to hurt any one's feelings but rather to disseminate on these boards the frustrating madening treatment I am receiving at the hands of GM service.
Oh yes, to correct you....I did not have a bad experience at one GM dealership. I was directed by GM to go to two dealerships and I went to an additional two for a total of FOUR dealerships. My experience was virtually the same at all FOUR dealers. As far as my new Denali and its computer systems are concerned, the service people are simply not trained, not equipped, not apprised of how the systems operate. Yes, I have a truck that is plagued with many, many defects. It has indeed proved itself to be the proverbial lemon. However, I made serious and many, many repeated earnest attempts to get the vehicle serviced and repaired. The results were uniformly unproductive.
I was able to ask two of the techs that worked on my truck what the problem was with the 6 speed. Both told me they had no specific training on the computerized drive by wire adaptive learning, torque control transmission. They did not have a clue how it worked. The GM engineering department stated straight out that they acknowledge the probems but unfortunately have no repairs or fixes since the technology is too new for them and their people are unfamiliar with the operation of the computer operated transmission and computer operated A/C environmental systems. The simple fact is that GM is selling vehicles and they don't know how to repair them. The GM engineering department said, and I quote "we won't have a repair for at least 6 months and possibly longer."
So please, don't even think that I had a problem with just one little 'ol GM dealer. I went to FOUR dealers. It is the entire GM vertically integrated system that is uniquely unprepared and unqualified to repair the Denali systems from the top engineers in Detroit on down to the dealer "service" techs. Maybe the low tech Chevys and standard Sierra can still be fixed by GM but that is clearly not the case with the '07-'08 Denalis. Those are the facts so please learn to live with it.
So... anyone out there have an honest and NEW first Impression??
Schlog :shades:
Too bad your entirely off base and still don't get it.
You are without a clue, my friend.
kcram - Pickups Host
Schlog
For the record, I had a bad experience with a 1983 Z28 and didn't go back to GM until the new Silverado. So, at least I'm consistent in my inconsistency.
Also keep in mind, this isn't Toyota's first rodeo. They started with the T100 (flop), then went to the older style Tundra (didn't set the truck world on fire, but better than T100), before arriving at the new one. It would be surprising if it wasn't a decent truck (which it is).
1offroader
I think I'm going to hold for a while after reading this forum. I can't believe that most of you know your respective dealers so much, both the good and the bad ones. Now, is knowing your dealer so well and dealing with it many times after the purchase a good thing or a bad thing? I think its the later. Those that are vehemently defending their dealer tells me that you have a bad truck as well. How else would you explain that? Car dealership is like the walking beer vendor at a ball park always selling overpriced beer. Sometimes they'll give you a cold one and sometimes not so cold ones. But not once have I thought of wanting to know them intimately after the brief transaction unless this vendor looks like Jessica Simpson in a tube top. Most of the time the vendor looks like Roseanne Barr, also in a tube top. Just give me a cold one please, thank you. I'm going to keep my Schwinn for a while then. Its low maintenance and no problem with gas.
On a serious note, I must be one lucky dude because I've yet to see any of the guys from the dealers after my two purchase of a new car. I have a 2002 Subaru WRX and a 2006 Honda CRV. I still own both and have been very happy with both of them(incredibly troublefree), but I really would like a truck to either add or replace my Subaru car. I like the way the new GMC Sierra look but now have doubts after reading this forum. There is also a news regarding some GM dealers tampering with customer surveys. The only good truck left are the Tundra and Ridgeline on my list. Both of them are proven reliable, good quality trucks. Both are also ...how can I describe them...yeah, ugly for my taste. Arrghhh!!!! I'm particularly dissappointed with the Tundras interior. Buck Rogers flash if you know what I mean. As for the Ridgeline, its like the Japanese modern version of the El Camino with the added DNA of Godzilla in ruggedness and sex appeal.
The search continues....
Being the first redesign year for the Sierra/Silverado, I would seriously consider waiting another year before purchasing so that they can get the bugs out. Same with the Tundra. You may want to buy that Ridgeline soon as the way their sales are going it may become a classic. Seen one with 22" rims and it did warrant a second look as I've never seen anything like it.
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/automotive/toyota_tundra_brakes.html
It is always good to wait a while before you throw down your hard earned cash. And if you don't plan to use your truck as a daily driver, then get something used. Lots of good deals out there. But do you research! Everyone I know is getting a '88-'98 Chevy/GMC 1500/2500 model because it's cheap and reliable. It won't win any beauty contests but for the money, its a hell of a deal.
Spend wisely,,
Schlog... to some a dog :sick: