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Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra Undercarriage Rust

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Comments

  • cmannscmanns Member Posts: 1
    Please help. I bought an 08 GMC Sierra a year ago from a chevy dealership. It is now turning into a rust bucket. I have no idea what to do. I did purchase an extended bumper to bumper warranty. Any info appreciated. I have worked very hard to get to the point where I could buy a truck that I could be proud of and I take very good care of it. But I am afraid Im swabbing the deck on a sinking ship. Any and all info appreciated
  • gmcustsvcsarahgmcustsvcsarah Member Posts: 1,964
    Good evening cmanns,
    The recommended underbody care is to (at least anually) rinse away any chemicals or road salts with plain water. We can also get you more information on your corrosion warranty, if you like. Please email us the last 8 digits of your VIN at socialmedia@gm.com

    Best,
    Sarah
    GM Customer Service
  • kendonhankkendonhank Member Posts: 61
    The GM warranty does not cover corrosion. They say that they do, but then they qualify it by saying they do not cover corrosion caused by the environment, which of course, is ALL corrosion.
  • kendonhankkendonhank Member Posts: 61
    Where did you buy the truck? How many miles? GM will likely tell you that they do not cover corrosion. That is their standard position, regardless of how old the vehicle is, how many miles, where it is operated, and how it is maintained.
  • craigmannscraigmanns Member Posts: 6
    edited August 2012
    The truck is an 08 GMC Sierra ext Cab. It has 39681 miles. I was it once a week including undercarriage. I live in Cape Coral Fl. It is SW Florida, but the saltwater is 10 miles away. I purchased from Roger Dean Chevrolet.
  • kendonhankkendonhank Member Posts: 61
    Email me with your phone number or email address and I will explain the GM warranty as they presented it in court and what your options are.
  • gmrustbucketgmrustbucket Member Posts: 8
    If you have one of the bad ones it's a losing battle. Don't listen to anyone telling you it's an area or salt on the road crap. I was speaking to someone recently about this issue and snapped a few pics of a NEW one on the sales floor that already has this starting and had less than 20 miles on it.. Not all of them have this problem so it must be a manufacturing issue. http://photobucket.com/chevyrust

    Good Luck and try to keep rust off.
  • craigmannscraigmanns Member Posts: 6
    Kendonhank....My email is craigmanns@hotmail.com.

    I appreciate it.
    CM
  • craigmannscraigmanns Member Posts: 6
    Craig,
    Thank you for your response. Unfortunately there isn't much I can do. I have documented your concerns for you. I apologize for your frustrations.
    Christina
    GM Customer Service



    -----Original Message-----

    From: craigmanns@hotmail.com
    Sent: 8/20/2012 05:35:10 PM
    To: "socialmedia@gm.com"
    Subject: RE: Good evening cmanns, The recommended underbody care is to (at least anually) rinse away any chemicals or road salts with plain water. We ca...



    Christina,
    I spoke to the Service Manager Gary Herrmann 2395743326. He said its normal surface rust and there isn't anything they can do. I've attached some photos. I have put 7000 miles on this vehicle in the last year that I have owned it.









    > Date: Mon, 20 Aug 2012 16:03:05 -0400
    > From: socialmedia@gm.com
    > Subject: RE: RE: Good evening cmanns, The recommended underbody care is to (at least anually) rinse away any chemicals or road salts with plain water. We ca...
    > To: craigmanns@hotmail.com
    >
    > Craig,
    > Thank you for the update. Please let me know how things go at the dealer. I look forward to your update.
    > Christina
    > GM Customer Service
    >
    >
    > -----Original Message-----
    >
    > From: craigmanns@hotmail.com
    > Sent: 8/20/2012 01:28:31 PM
    > To: "socialmedia@gm.com"
    > Subject: RE: Good evening cmanns, The recommended underbody care is to (at least anually) rinse away any chemicals or road salts with plain water. We can al...
    >
    >
    >
    >
    > Thanks Christina,
    >
    > I will take the truck to Roger Dean Chevrolet. They are in Cape Coral, FL.
    >
    > The truck is an 08 GMC Sierra ext Cab. It has 39681 miles.
    >
    > VR,
    > CM
    >
    > > Date: Sun, 19 Aug 2012 17:09:43 -0400
    > > From: socialmedia@gm.com
    > > Subject: RE: Good evening cmanns, The recommended underbody care is to (at least anually) rinse away any chemicals or road salts with plain water. We can al...
    > > To: craigmanns@hotmail.com
    > >
    > > Craig,
    > > Thank you for taking the time to email me with your concerns. How many miles do you have on your vehicle? Have you had your vehicle diagnosed at a GM dealer? If not, the first thing I will need you to do is take the vehicle to the dealer to have them diagnosis the concern. Please let me know when and where you plan to do that. Please include your complete contact information including mailing address. I look forward to your response.
    > > Christina
    > > GM Customer Service
    > >
    > >
    > >
    > > -----Original Message-----
    > >
    > > From: craigmanns@hotmail.com
    > > Sent: 8/17/2012 09:46:08 AM
    > > To:
    > > Subject: Good evening cmanns, The recommended underbody care is to (at least anually) rinse away any chemicals or road salts with plain water. We can also g...
    > >
    > >
    > > Im having corrosion issues with the underside of my truck. VIN 81229913
    > >
    > > Regards,
    > > Craig Manns
  • craigmannscraigmanns Member Posts: 6
    As many of you have found....GM is not going to stand behind their product. Ok who is the jack wagon that said maybe GM will help with the issue if you go about it professionally? Not happening. I'm posting pictures on Facebook and Floridasportsman and every social media site I can find.
  • craigmannscraigmanns Member Posts: 6
    Ken,
    Just wondering if you have sent that email? I am watching for it.
  • craigmannscraigmanns Member Posts: 6
    https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/542301_372725842795885_1125442709_n.- jpg

    Check this out. Truck only has 39000 miles
  • gmrustbucketgmrustbucket Member Posts: 8
    If the body is good then sell it fast before it's not worth anything or even driveable. Here's mine "> 4 yrs ago. Grinded it down and POR15'd the whole frame. Glad it's being sold.

    http://i1165.photobucket.com/albums/q584/qwaster/Rusted%20Chevy/2012-05-26_12-07- -33_882.jpg
    http://i1165.photobucket.com/albums/q584/qwaster/Rusted%20Chevy/2012-05-26_12-07- -50_818.jpg
  • kendonhankkendonhank Member Posts: 61
    Craig,

    Do not waste your time with Christina. She will simply input your complaint. She will not/cannot do anything for you because GM does not cover corrosion under their warranty, regardless of how severe it is, how old your vehicle is, where it is stored, how it is operated, or how it is maintained.
  • unaccceptableunaccceptable Member Posts: 3
    We also own a GMC Sierra. It is only used three months out of a year. It has very little mileage but the under carriage is nothing but rust. The brake line broke and other brake issues had to be address leaving us with a bill of almost forty three hundred dollars. My warranty just went out in March. If I would have known before there was a rust warranty on this vehicle I would have definitely put in a claim. I am very disappointe as this is our second Sierra. Our first wast totaled a few months after purchasing so we had little time to have issues with it.
  • unaccceptableunaccceptable Member Posts: 3
    If anyone has any positive results on getting this issue looked at by GMC I would like to have that person reply to my posting. Thanks
  • unaccceptableunaccceptable Member Posts: 3
    Patty my truck is in shop this very minute with a 4235.00 price tag. We had just taken my camper in for repair and was on our way home without the camper in tow when my brake line broke. I could have been hurt along with others in this situation. My brake light did not come on till I turned into a parking lot and the line broke. I am very disappointed reading these post and hope someone can get GMC to face up to this very serious situation.
  • kendonhankkendonhank Member Posts: 61
    GM does not have a rust warranty. They claim to cover the sheet metal, but then in the next breath they will tell you that they do not cover rust caused by the environment, which as you know, is all rust. The only way to force them to address this problem will be by complaining to the NHTSA, or a few high-profile accidents. They don't call them Government Motors for nothing.
  • pattipie3pattipie3 Member Posts: 25
    I am so sorry to hear of your issues. I have been trying to find a way to get a class action lawsuit or a new recall investigation on this issue, but I feel as though I have not gotten any where. I have a blog I started last year hoping I could get the word out... it is http://gmrustbuckets.blogspot.com/ ,,,, you will find a lot of useful information on it. From what I have found out the problem is a combination of poor metal used ( cheaper ) and poor design. The way the frame was designed water pools in the frame area. There was a recall investigation, but since the US government bailed out GM I doubt that will ever go anywhere.
    On that blog I posted a link to a gentleman who was very organized and was trying to get resolved with GM. He actually did get his repairs taken care of, not sure how, but I think it was like a part time job to do it.
    If anyone knows how to proceed with this, please please post on this site or my blog. We are not looking for a windfall, just a safe truck that does not disintegrate.
  • pattipie3pattipie3 Member Posts: 25
    AMEN!!!!!

    http://gmrustbuckets.blogspot.com/
  • casillacasilla Member Posts: 20
    I made the mistake of trading in a perfectly good Dodge Ram for a 2010 GMC Sierra, have all kinds of issues, rust, paint chipping, bad springs, drivers seat bottom keeps coming apart, now my lights are flickering all of the time, have had a torque converter and a rear main seal replaced, 2 alternators, the battery, the exhaust manifolds look like something from the 70's that was sitting in a field, cannot clean the interior plastic,etc, etc. I took a survey, the customer service dep't is doing great but when asked, "Would you but another GM truck?' I definitley said NO!
  • kendonhankkendonhank Member Posts: 61
    My theory is that there is something in the design that is creating an electrolysis or electrical circuit (cathode/anode) effect and accelerating corrosion of all the undercarriage metals. Could be poor grounding, or perhaps substandard metals in the frame. It's not just the frames. Something is causing the corrosion to spread to other components throughout the undercarriage. I have seen this on many fairly new vehicles, including those that have been garaged.
  • gmcustsvcgmcustsvc Member Posts: 4,252
    Good morning casilla,

    We're sorry to hear that you are having so many troubles with your Sierra and are here to look into anything further if you like. Please contact us via email at socialmedia@gm.com (include your name, contact information, the last 8 digits of your VIN, and the name of your dealership with your inquiry).

    Sarah, GM Customer Service
  • phil134phil134 Member Posts: 2
    I purchased this vehicle brand new. I use it very little 10000 miles since purchased. The entire undercarrage is rusted. The brake lines rusted through and my vehicle had to be towed. These trucks are not of the quality I thought it would be. Very disappointed that so many others are having the same problems and that GM is not addressing this. This is a total disappointment. Now my heat is not working not sure if I want to keep putting money into something that is rusting away rather quickly.
  • kendonhankkendonhank Member Posts: 61
    Phil,

    What year is your truck. Are you within the three year warranty. What did GM say? Where abouts are you located?
  • forresthforresth Member Posts: 34
    edited December 2012
    I had exactly the same issues on my 2004. You should also create a complaint on safercar.gov. You can search my posts for more people experiencing the exact same rust issues. I have had all my rotors replaced 2 times and all the lines replaced. The truck has less than 20k miles on it. I also had to have the power steering cooler replaced. The fuel lines will be the next to go.
  • phil134phil134 Member Posts: 2
    Located in NJ. The truck is out of warranty. I will not use a Chevy dealer for any repairs since the parts they are replacing are the same one that rusted out. No more Chevys after this one rusts away
  • redneck101redneck101 Member Posts: 1
    My 99 silverado Z71 is rusted and frame is rusted out!
    I would love to see chevy do a recall.
  • 2doorpost2doorpost Member Posts: 74
    I traded in a 2008 Silverado with no frame rust issues for a 2011 GMC Sierra thats frame is peeling its coating like its shedding its skin.

    Couple that with parking it on my new driveway, and the result is rust streaking all along the drive.

    The truck only saw one mild winter, and was parked all winter long for this past one.

    Just plain junk, plain and simple.

    I've been buying GM trucks since 1976. This will be my last.
  • casillacasilla Member Posts: 20
    Yup! my bumpers are rusting now, the exhaust manifolds and door hinges as well, I do not think it will last the 3 years I have left to pay on it! I wish I would have kept my Ram! I screwed myself and GM gave me the reach around!
  • gmcustsvcgmcustsvc Member Posts: 4,252
    Good morning 2doorpost,

    Are any of the body panels affected by this corrosion? Let us know if there is anything you would like for us to check into! We can be reached via email at socialmedia@gm.com (include your name and contact information, the last 8 digits of your VIN, and mileage).

    Sarah, GM Customer Service
  • kendonhankkendonhank Member Posts: 61
    GM doesn't care whether the corrosion is to your undercarriage or your body panels. They do not cover ANY corrosion caused by the environment, which is as we all know, is all corrosion. They are just jerking you around.
  • kendonhankkendonhank Member Posts: 61
    Contact me. I can help you with this. I have been through the whole process.
  • shooters1shooters1 Member Posts: 1
    can you give me a little help with this topic
  • a_usera_user Member Posts: 1
    Hi All! I bought my truck in California (orange county) in the summer of 2010. I recently moved to Florida, its only been 4 months, and have noticed that the undercarriage is developing rust on certain areas. THIS IS MY FIRST GM CAR AND MY LAST. This is totally unacceptable. I cannot believe the stories I am reading out here about other owners having the same issue. Even my hitch, which has never had anything attached to it, is developing rust!!!!!!

    I have noticed something peeling off from the frame where the rust is forming. I've also noticed that rust tends to form on spots where there is rubbing on the frame; If a brake line or a harness rubs against the rame rust will start forming there.

    I am very dissapointed with this issue.

    Other than this, I love my truck.
  • gmcustsvcgmcustsvc Member Posts: 4,252
    a_user,
    We would be happy to get you more information on the corrosion warranty that may still be in effect upon your vehicle. Please send your inquiry, as well as the last 8 digits of your VIN and mileage, to socialmedia@gm.com .
    Sarah, GM Customer Service
  • pattipie3pattipie3 Member Posts: 25
    This is an ongoing issue with so many trucks. I can not believe that GM and the NHTS can not offer help the the owners of these trucks. Please make sure you put in a formal complaint with GM and the NHTS ..... MAYBE if enough people do they will have to address this matter. You can look up my User name for all the info.
    PLEASE ANYONE ON THIS FORUM WHO HAS A SIMILAR ISSUE...YOU MUST PUT IN A FORMAL COMPLAINT. THIS WILL BE THE ONLY WAY TO GET ACTION.
  • greensilveradogreensilverado Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2002 silverado 1500 8' bed 4x4 4.8 v8. I bought the truck new at the end of 2001. this has been the best trouble free truck I have owned so far except the rust and rot. my rocker panels started rotting a few years ago from the inside out. when replacing them I was under the truck I noticed excessive rust like large chunks of flakes. on top of that i recently replaced my rear leaf spring shackles have both been replaced due to rot. I simply thought the rust was because the truck is over 10 years old and saw a lot of new england road salt. as I said before this has been a great dependable truck for the last 220,000 miles. I have done my best to protect the frame from further rotting by painting it with POR 15 rust protector. shame on GM.
  • scagg0486scagg0486 Member Posts: 1
    Greetings all. I recently purchased a 2004 GMC Sierra 1500 and also noticed a LOT of rust underneath which has infected the frame and basically every part underneath. Shame on me for not looking closer before buying. I have two questions that are really simple to answer, but I am unsure what those answers are and am looking for help. This may have been discussed, but I want to perhaps bump these questions up in the thread again so that folks don't have to read through 191 replies -- most of which are just complaints instead of helpful suggestions.

    Here's my questions:

    1) I was told by a trusted friend who is a mechanic that my brake plates and shocks need to be replaced, and that would cost me an extra $1000 or so. My question is: What are the other parts in order of importance/safety concern that would be a good idea to either get checked out again or replaced altogether if this type of rusting continues to progress (which it will I am sure)?

    2) What is the most cost effective way to prevent further rusting or help reverse the process before it gets any worse? The truck is already almost 10 years old, and not sure how long this has been going on.

    3) How concerning is this issue on a scale from 1 - 10 (10 being worst)?
  • obyoneobyone Member Posts: 7,841
    You state that the frame is rusted. Depending on the severity of the rust you will need to replace the frame which at that point you may want to junk the truck again depending on the severity as frame failure is usually catastrophic.
  • kendonhankkendonhank Member Posts: 61
    Sell that truck. It is defective. I had one just like it. Sandblasted the undercarriage repainted, replaced all brake lines, sensors, ABS etc. Rust got up in the instrument cluster, everywhere. Get rid of it, the rust will only progress. This doesn't happen in a normal truck.
  • vettedivavettediva Member Posts: 1
    edited April 2013
    Click on this link: http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchResults.action;jsessionid=zpM5R0cXWn9Q- gKvyF1zzQ585RdhYhnG1LHDxpMhGfbFQsyFTPBN7!-1677216329 and look at the service bulletin # PIT-3749D, NHTSA ID # 10037570 stating that your vehicle is part of the :SUMMARY:
    GM: ON SOME TRUCK MODELS THERE IS SOME FRAME CORROSION. *RM UPDATED ON 5/2/2012.
    Not exactly sure what this means or if dealership will do anything about it.
  • pattipie3pattipie3 Member Posts: 25
    Thank you for the information.... I will research this.
  • pattipie3pattipie3 Member Posts: 25
    http://trucks.about.com/b/2011/09/23/nhtsas-ongoing-investigation-of-gm-truck-br- ake-line-corrosion.htm#gB3

    Just one more of many many many articles about this problem.... please read, and if your vehicle is affected, please put in a formal complaint.
    thank you
  • rona51rona51 Member Posts: 1
    GM Does NOT cover Rust! I've been through this on the 2005 I bought new that had Holes coming through the rocker panels within 3 years! 2 rear brake lines were replaced within the first 2 years of ownership. The frame had excessive rust all over within the first year of ownership. I got NO help from GM. The last Silverado/Sierra's worth owning were the GMT400 models produced from 1988-1998. Starting in 1999 they began production of the GMT800 models. Produced from 99-early07. These are RUST BUCKETS of the highest order! I cannot emphasize this enough! They have horrible resale value now. Rocker rot, bed rot, bumper rot, brake line rot and frame rot are all par for the course. As is the infamous instrument cluster failure issue GM never stands behind. And I never could get a the trim ring around the tailgate to keep from falling off. On a 3 year old truck! They also have the infamous Piston Slap. Here's the kicker, the new model in late 07 to present which is the GMT900 Also has these issues! Wax dipped frames where the coating comes right off an the frame rots and fast. Everyone else paints their frames. Go look at a Ford. Another Major issue with the new trucks is sheetmetal just like the former model. The new Silverado/Sierra's are even worse because the metal is so thin. Look closely and you'll see how wavy it is all over. The rear quarters on the bed are extremely wavy right above the tires for the Chevy model. Look at a brand new Silverado at an angle in the sun sometime right above the rear wheels and you'll see wavy sheetmetal.

    These trucks also have the pistonslap issue. There have been websites all over the net documenting these issues. And they wonder why Ford has been outselling Chevrolet and GMC trucks combined over the last several years? Because people have been catching on. Even Dodge and Toyota have seen huge gains on Chevrolet. After having so many issues with my 2010 I will never own a GM truck again. I'm a thrilled customer of a 2013 Tacoma after being a Chevrolet truck owner for many years. I've had several Chevy trucks from used 1960's models up and never had problems like this. The GMT800's were the nail in GM's coffin in my book and to every former Chevy/GMC truck owner I know. The GMT900's are so bad I consider them the funeral. Never again! Take a look at the following complaints pages I've been through myself.

    Here's the Rust- http://s818.photobucket.com/user/JimSmith1955/library/#/user/JimSmith1955/librar- y/?sort=6&page=1&_suid=136703016465409417985507955904

    Here's more metal issues - http://www.gm-trucks.com/forums/topic/119648-acorn-damage/

    Here's the Piston Slap - http://www.pistonslap.com/
  • kendonhankkendonhank Member Posts: 61
    That's right. That is the position from the top of company. GM does not cover ANY rust caused by the ENVIRONMENT, which as we know is ALL rust.

    If you buy your truck new and it rusts to the ground in six months, GM will not cover under the warranty. They might replace it out of sheer embarrassment, but never under the warranty.

    That is why they are GOVERNMENT MOTORS!
  • kendonhankkendonhank Member Posts: 61
    In court they will say you didn't wash the undercarriage enough, or did not have it garaged, or did not store it in a climate controlled facility, or lived in a snow belt, or too close to an ocean, or a river, or didn't smear enough POR-15 over the rust to keep it from spreading.

    Yes, if you want your "professional grade" GM truck to last more than a year or two, you must bathe it daily and meticulously, and of course store it in a class 5 clean room facility.
  • pattipie3pattipie3 Member Posts: 25
    When my husbands brake line failed ( due to being rusted out ) the GMC tech. said off the record he sees this all the time, and it was part design flaw and part inferior materials. So GMC IS aware of the situation...... not that they will do anything. I am just hoping if enough people complain they will HAVE to do something!!!
  • casillacasilla Member Posts: 20
    Does anyone know if they have painted the frame on the 2014? I spent 4 hours removing rust from my 2010 Sierra and made little progress, I noticed the rails that hold the bed to the frame are starting to get bad, as well as the a frames, steering knuckles, axles and body mounts. I owe a lot of money on this pile and I do not think it will be worth a cent if it makes it to the end of my payment book., I do live in NY where they use salt, but I wash and wax this religiously! I think GM owes us all some money for selling us these things!
  • kendonhankkendonhank Member Posts: 61
    Have you been to the dealer yet?
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