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GMC Yukon and Yukon Denali Problems

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#51 of 779 Yikes based on all these posts, should I buy a Denali by theham Nov 18, 2003 (1:02 pm)
kbmorton. It is really up to what you like and could potential deal with. All cars have the potential to have problems(In my experience GM vechicle are more likely to have problems). However my wife has a loaded 2003 Nissan Pathfinder LE and we only have one problem which is a cracked manifold. However with all of the complaining on here there are many other people who may not have problems and like their GM vehicle. Here are my impressions of the denali after a week of ownership.   Some Pros: Has plenty of power. Handles extremely well for the size SUV it is. Great sound system. Comfortable seats. I like the exterior looks   Some Cons: Besides my problems listed earlier. Interior fit and quality does not seem to be up to par for a SUV in the $40's. Out pathfinder with leather feels and looks like a more finished product than any GM product I have owned. Second row seats are hard to fold down when driver seat is back and bind against the back of the driver seat when all the way back. Gas mileage of course. but who cares if you can afford the truck. Minus environmental concerns. No commitment from GMC to stand behind their vehicles. Be prepared if you have any problems with this vehicle. the service shops may be nice but GMC will not be.   Hope this helps
#52 of 779 kbmorton by dako_tian Nov 18, 2003 (1:21 pm)
It's really hard to tell what the expected repair rate is from reading these forums. You're looking at three people who have wanted a new vehicle or a full refund. In reading the Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna threads, I am sure I've seen at least that many very serious complaints for those -- and those are brands with much better reputations for quality. I'm also guessing that, as relatively low as the sales volume is for GMC, it probably still exceeds that of those two minivans.   I can tell you that I was perusing the reliability ratings for all of these vehicles in the new Consumer Report Buying Guide that arrived just yesterday. The Yukon XL/Denali/Suburban and the Yukon/Tahoe/Denali product lines rated within one-half rating on one item (I forget which one) of the best Honda has to offer (Accord). The aging results did not fall off as badly as you might expect either.   In fact, as I skimmed through the ratings of all the vehicles listed in the CRBG, I was surprised that there were few, if any, obvious "losers" in the reliability race. Some were better, of course, but all were surprisingly good. All the vehicles we are talking about were well above average.   I think that the dealer where you go for service will have more to do with the relative pleasentness/horridness of your buying experience.   If you're in the North Dallas area, I think I'd recommend Ewing Buick Pontiac GMC in Plano. They are still family owned and seem like they may actually care about their clients (they have to, I think, because the average age of their customers falls safely within the AARP range and the expectation of service is consequently high).   You might still get a lemon, but a dealership with a long view that extends back into the Service Department will go a long way to soften that blow as well.   Good luck and happy motoring.
#53 of 779 theham by orwoody Nov 18, 2003 (8:15 pm)
A decent dealer would have shaken those problems out of a new rig before letting anyone drive it. I'd question the competence of their people that prep the vehicles after delivery. I can't speak to the newest years but my 2001 D (first year for this new model) has run over 40k with nary a nit to pick. I have friends and neighbors that have had many more problems with their Expeditions, Navigators and Sequoias.
#54 of 779 Dealer Service by avolvofan Nov 19, 2003 (9:25 am)
Is absolutely key to a good ownership experience. If the dealer is not making the commitment to the infrastructure (diagnostic computers, excellence in service technician competence, management support, etc.) necessary for servicing the vehicles they sell, you will have a nightmare if your vehicle requires service. I would almost advocate spending more time determining how the dealer's service department fares than attempting to get the absolute lowest price possible.
#55 of 779 orwoody by theham Nov 19, 2003 (9:30 am)
yes i agree. To some point you should be able to expect a new car off the assembly line to only have minor problems that can be easily fixed. However from what I am reading the transmission clunking on the denali is definetely a recognized problem by GMC with a TSB on it but they are trying to explain it as normal. That is where this really sucks. I took the car into today and am driving a 4 year old toyota coralla that is just nasty, dirty and smells really bad. But at least the coralla's transmission does not clunk into gear. LOL. What are my impending options if they wont fix the clunk. I see them as:   1) Arbitration: you know this will be a pain but probably the best way to start. 2) Washington State Lemon Law relief. However if they refuse to fix the problem the lemon law say they have 4 attempts to fix a problem or in the shop for i think 30 days or more. So if they refuse to fix how can i take it back to allow them to fix it 4 times. 3) Just deal with a crappy car until I can sell it. and never buy a GMC again and advise everyone everywhere not to buy a GM or go to the dealer I went to.   None of those look promising. I gues I have to wait and see what happens.   I drove to Idaho to get a good deal on the car too. So not much help will come from my dealer. They should not have let this car off the lot. But in the auto industry someone has to take the hit adn its always the consumer.
#56 of 779 avolvofan by theham Nov 19, 2003 (10:28 am)
For the case of a problem that is known and reproducable. For example a transmission clunk like mine. Where anyone who drives the car and feels the clunk and thinks they just ran over something or got hit from behind. It is extremely obvious to all that there is no way a car manufacturer sat down with a team of engineers and said lets design a clunk into our transmissions. Therefore the problem must be abnormal. However GM knows of the problem and has no fix for it so they tell service shops its normal through a TSB explanation. Then the service shops tell the consumer its normal and refuse to work on the vehicle. What actions can you take? If they refuse work then you will never satisfy the lemon law. Then its a game of defining normalcy in a vehicle between you and the manufacturer. Are there certain laws that force a manufacturer to try to fix a consumer problem even though they wont recognize the problem. Anyone have any experience with this.   thanks
#57 of 779 Denali XL by lobsenza Nov 19, 2003 (4:39 pm)
I have an 01 Denali XL and am pleased with the vehicle (I have 45K on it). The panel fit is definitely not what it should be.
#58 of 779 Lemon Law, ctd. by avolvofan Nov 19, 2003 (11:42 pm)
Please understand that I am in NO way attempting to give legal advice; I am merely exchanging information. Any questions should be referred to an attorney that is qualified to practice law in your state of residence.   Now that the disclaimer is out of the way, there appears to be a larger problem with Lemon Law coverage if you bought the truck from a dealer that is located out of your state of residence. As a general rule, Lemon Law coverage applies in the state in which you purchased the vehicle.   If you purchased the truck from a dealer that is located in your state of residence, then the fact that there were four refusals to acknowledge a problem may require an independent assessment of the problem, such as through a binding arbitration. You could take the truck to four separate dealers and ask each one to repair the clunking. You will have the initial paperwork that proves you attempted to get the truck repaired and the dealer refused to repair the truck. Depending on the lemon law of your state, that should provide the ability to trigger a lemon law proceeding. The fact that a TSB exists to explain away the clunking may not cut it with the Judge/Arbitrator - clunking is not normal behavior.
#59 of 779 avolvofan -- amen to that! by dako_tian Nov 20, 2003 (6:52 am)
"clunking is not normal behavior."   Except in "clunkers" which is not what GMC purports to sell!
#60 of 779 thanks avolvofan by theham Nov 20, 2003 (10:42 am)
I love the disclaimer. I appreciate your advice though and realize you are not giving legal advice.   I did some research and I am not covered under Washington State lemon law which states that the vehicle must be purchased and registered in washington. However I am covered under Idaho state lemon law which states the vehicle is purchased OR registered in Idaho. It justs mean if arbitration would fail and I had to go to court for lemon law, then I would have to drive to Idaho. Which I would gladly do If need be.   I got a call from the service shop last night. They said they are doing the 8oz weight thing for the vibration which is caused by the muffler. Hopefully that fixes the vibration and doesn't look bad. I am not sure where they hang the weight but it should not change the appearance of the vehicle. The transmission though I could tell he was avoiding and hesitant on describing. Basically said they are still seeing what they can do. It's not looking good. Although I am enjoying they aromatic smells coming from the seats in the loaner toyota. Nothing smells better than a loaner car thats a few years old.

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