New 2012 Sierra - Paint and Interior Issues

[C. STORR]

New member here, hope I'm posting in the right spot. Thanks in advance for any advice...

I bought a new 2012 Sierra 1500 in Silver at the end of 2012. It had 30 miles on it when I took delivery. I took advantage of some of the yearend rebates etc, and traded in my GMC Yukon Denali.

After a week I noticed some 'cloudiness' in the paint on the front of the hood, about the size of a basketball, and then notices some 'streakiness' in the paint on the top of both front fenders. I took it in, showed it to the GMC dealer's body shop, and manager there agreed there was definitely an issue. He said to set up an appointment to re-paint the fenders and hood, and said that 'it wouldn't be exactly the same as a factory paint job but nothing ever is'. The truck had 300 miles on it at the time. I have not yet set up the appointment due to time constraints.

A week ago, a client of mine who drives Fords exclusively made fun of me for my doors appearing 'blotchy'. I noticed it too -- the thing is that the paint issues only show when the truck is in a certain light i.e. dusk, dawn, and on overcast days.

Now I'm concerned that the truck will need a complete re-paint, and I'm not sure that I'm good with that. I bought a new truck, and expect it to exhibit new-truck qualities. I want a quality long-term, properly sealed and clear-coated, consistent paint job.

There are small issues with the interior, like a driver's seat that 'pops' every time I sit on it, and the driver's seat door pull (the horizontal one, not the vertical one) in the armrest that feels weak and has a lot of 'give' on the plastic piece along the backside (inside) of the pull. I didn't have any of these issues with my Denali, and feel a bit concerned about having spent good money on a brand new truck only to not have it feel brand new...

Some people have told me that silver paint 'just has issues' but I don't believe that. I've owned silver cars before, including my wifes current Toyota Highlander which has flawless paint.

I guess I'm wondering if anyone has suggestions on what to do as far as if I have any recourse or options with GM? Anyone have any experience with this?

 

[zates]

You shouldn't have to contend with those issues. Keep complaining. Ask to speak with the regional GM rep. In all seriousness, you should get a new truck.

 

[Cbuzz]

I agree with zates you have to keep on them (GM) while the truck is still new and under warranty. They should be able to arrange a loaner vehicle for you too while you're truck is down. I own a silver 2012 silver 2500hd with about 6500 miles on it. I haven't had any paint or mechanical issues with it as of yet knock on wood. We pay too much money for these vehicles to have issues that early in the ownership. You deserve better.

 

[C. STORR]

Thanks for the reply. I have updates. I've called GM Customer Service and spoke back and forth with a rep based in the Philippines for a few weeks, who then transferred me to a different 'regional' department here in the states and have been dealing with someone called a "District Specialist". Here's the way it went:

1. He wanted me to take the truck to the dealer to have them confirm the paint issues.
2. I took the truck to the dealer, who confirmed paint problems on the hood and two front fenders. I told him that all four doors also had issues but he couldn't see them under his light. He said to come back on a sunny day.
3. I told the district rep what the dealer told me. He said to wait for a sunny day and that he would follow up.
4. I took the truck back in and dealer confirmed seeing issues on both passenger side doors, but still couldn't see the issue on drivers side.
5. I told district rep what the dealer told me. He said he would like to close the file until such time as the dealer found other affected panels. I told him I would rather keep it open.
6. Talked to district rep next day, who again asked me to close the file until the dealer could confirm issues with the remaining panels. They were trying to determine whether they would need to paint just the passenger side doors, hood, and front fenders, or if they had to paint whole truck. I told rep that I figured for things to blend properly on a silver truck it would likely all need painted anyway, but that my preference was not to have a body shop paint job on my brand new truck. He again asked to close the file until body shop confirmed the scope of work. He assured me all it would take is a call from the dealer to reopen, so I told him fine. I'm guessing he gets incented to 'close files' as a rep and that's all he probably cares about.
7. Now, I still have a faulty paint job on a truck that should be 'factory new'. I'm concerned that a whole new paint job will trigger a carfax reporting event. I'm also concerned that a dealer body shop may not be as 'quality' as a good custom job or a factory job.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. Do I live with a 'splotchy' truck? I asked about the possibility of a replacement, and rep told me that I signed a contract to take this truck when I drove it off the lot, but I don't buy into the theory of 'buyer beware' on a brand new purchase.

UGH

 

[Chappy96]

Sorry to hear about your issues. Unfortunately, customer service at some places is nothing more than lip service. I'm a big fan of "the squeaky wheel get the grease", so I'd stay on top of them. I'd probably even go back to the dealer and speak with the General Manager or the highest person you can find about your paint issues.

I had a '94 For Lightning that had a unique issue that took Ford 3 months to resolve, but they fixed it to my satisfaction and it didn't cost me a dime.

So where are you with this now?