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2014 Frame/Rear Axle Rust Action Team

23K views 85 replies 33 participants last post by  Copperhead 
#1 ·
My 2014 Silverado, which I got after having TWO lemon cars before it, has a rusting frame and rear axle at less than 2,000 mi. It gets worse by the week and sometimes I see the frame wax bits on my garage floor in the morning. Even where the dealer hoisted the truck up - the frame has a rectangle of rust in the shape of the hoist point! My 2011 Silverado (which I now miss) had ZERO frame rust at 22K, when I sold it for Lemon #2, which was a Mercedes CLA 250 (PM me about that experience; I'll NEVER buy an MB again). I should note: the previous Silverado was not the Lemon #1; that was in fact a Ford Fiesta that had to have the transmission rebuild twice and then finally replaced all before $38K! Why do I have this luck?! I'm sick of this crap. I want a friggin' vehicle that is not problematic!

I will be visiting my dealer today/tomorrow to see what they have to say about my (USA-built) truck's frame and rear axle. In the mean time, I will be planning a social media campaign for all 2014 Silverado/Sierra frame/axle rust owners to follow, even if my truck has been completely re-framed and re-axled to indestructible perfection. This kind of bean counter quality control cannot be tolerated. This campaign will involve Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and even traditional media outlets. Owners will need accounts, a video camera, a regular camera, and the willingness to stand up. Might be the only way GM fesses up! (Yes, I know there's a TSB out that seems to describe a 3-day effort. I also see, from accounts online, that the repairs tend to be ugly patch jobs, not the full TSB.)

When I called my dealer, I was told I need to talk to the Shop Manager in-person, not just drop the vehicle off and get a loaner - must be a common occurrence! I mean, he immediately stopped my explanation and said I'd have to come in and talk to the SM "when he's available"... :? because I have time for that. I'm not sure what the SM will say (ideally, "We will fix this perfectly for you as fast as possible and get you in a loaner, my apologies for the issue.") but, given my experiences of late at dealers, I'm hoping it's not, "It's just surface rust, it won't harm anything". It harms the look of my vehicle that was supposed to NOT rust in this places. Enough said.

Just like ya'll, I didn't pay for a truck that'd have a rusty frame (in less than 2,000 mi.). I paid for a truck that would NOT have an ugly, flaking brown frame/axle underneath it, just like my 2011 Silverado and just like every Toyota, for example, truck I've seen.

Obviously I'm a bit heated. And you know what, I can be. Vehicles are getting VERY expensive. I should not be buying rust.

I'll get pictures up later.
 
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#2 ·
I noticed this also. If you raise the truck with a frame lift, the pads on the lift will rub the coating on the frame right off. The surface treatment is not durable at all. It will protect the frame from rust unless it gets removed but it can get removed very easily. Keep us informed. For now I am just touching mine up with black spray paint any where it has been messed up.
 
#3 ·
Know that the frame coating is made by Daubert - the product is Nox-Rust® X-121B. Here's the product information:
http://www.daubertchemical.com/res/pdfs/pi_2011/121_X_BLACK_NOX_RUST_PI_Sheet.pdf

Note on the second page there's some performance information for salt exposure.

2014 is not alone, I have the same issues on my 2013. The rear axle, not so much, and I'm far less worried about that considering an axle housing is much thicker steel. The death of a frame, however, to rust (and eventually rot) is a serious issue that can either cost thousands to fix once the frame has failed or basically junk a truck.

I get the idea of using a 'self-healing' (as it says on the product sheet) coating as opposed to a traditional steel prime & paint, but this product does not appear to be working very well... I'm also curious that when the frames are 'dipped', does this product coat the INSIDE of the frame rails? This is where rust and rot commonly first starts, as drain holes become plugged and debris builds up, holding in moisture.

Long-term, the DIY class of people will stay on top of it and fare just fine. But for most owners who don;t even look under there, let alone wash anything or look for rust spots before the get out of control, this could be a big issues down the road.

Toyota recalled ~150,000 Tacomas (model years 2001-2004) for frame rust issues- and they were not kidding, the frames were unbelievably bad. My father had a 2001 Tacoma- the dealer via the recall program offered either a full frame replacement on their dime OR 1.5 times the KBB value cash (the second of which he accepted, which was $17k in 2007). I believe there were further recalls for Tundras of the same vintage.

More info on that:
http://editorial.autos.msn.com/blogs/autosblogpost.aspx?post=87e1d0d5-d392-48c9-969b-ca0ea4bbd554

Horror-story Tacoma frame rot pictures- let's hope that a few years down the road, we don't have a Silverado frame rot horror story picture thread:




 
#4 ·
I think the thread and the issue as a whole would get a lot more traction if forum users posted pictures of there trucks with the following info:

Year/make/model
Date of picture taken
Location
Any notes about any other product applied to the frame
Use of vehicle (commercial, snow plowing, just driving it, etc)

With that kind of detailed info growing and very visible, GM may start to take notice. Keep in mind it took the Toyota frame issue years to get to the point where Toyota took action, as trucks were literally splitting in half (as you can see in the horror story pictures). Developing a solution of this scope takes time- but given GM's recent QA problems and recalls, I think the LAST thing they want on their hands is another QA/recall story in the media, fueled by internet posts like this one.

Dealers are not going to have magic solutions in the near-term. They are certainly NOT going to be handing out free new frames with a different coating any time soon. I think its basically a waste of time to be bothering your dealer to just, 'fix it' when the only solution they have is to patch it and apply the same product that failed in the first place. Only when and if GM acknowledges the problem and chooses to REALLY address it will dealers have a real option to help you.
 
#7 ·
Linked to are photos of my situation as it stands at 1,800 mi. Not the worst, but not acceptable. This can only progress. I want to nip this in the bud right now before it becomes any sort of problem. This should have never happened. There should be galvanized hoist points if they are going to have to jack up the truck via the frame and thus destroy the coating. Why is this not a given?

https://www.flickr.com/photos/kilphotog ... 742295049/

I will document the progression or, more ideally, resolution of this at the same link as above. I don't expect the quick fix the dealer is likely to do to actually last. Self healing my patooty. It can't self-heal over rust... the frame has rusted in GEORGIA. I mean... wow.

Also, I'd like to know what genious thought it made sense to have this exposed electronic contraption and looped wire attached to it (pictured in attachment) that extends below the frame rail on a flipping Z71 off road package-equipped truck. Um, hello?! That's just asking to get ripped out by a branch or something. Gonna have to get a plate to cover this now... goodness.
 

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#8 ·
sirbOOm said:
the frame has rusted in GEORGIA. I mean... wow.
That is quite telling, this may have a lot less to do with road salt that I suspected. Recently, more New England and upper-midwest states have gotten away from rock salt and sand and moved towards HIGHLY CORROSIVE calcium chloride, which is more effective at melting, but will eat through anything metal. Funny enough, State of CT DOT sprays all their snow plow trucks with diesel underneath before leaving to plow!

But back on-topic... I am very curious to see where GM goes with this. The Toyota truck frame recall(s) were unprecedented and there are A LOT more GM trucks on the road than the number affected in Toyota's case(s). Can GM kick this can down the road, most likely alienating customers towards buying Dodge or Ford in the process? Could you imagine a Dodge Ram or Ford commercial campaign that somehow spun it as they have less rust issues? People would really tune into that- in New England, vehicles rarely die from traumatic mechanical failure, they die from RUST- and everyone knows it.

So how about it, GM? We know this forum is very visible, how about a statement on the Silverado and Sierra frame coating & rust issue?
 
#9 ·
cooltc2004 said:
CT2500HD: I'm pretty sure the TSB says to strip the problem areas of the wax crap and paint the frame, not apply the same stuff.
Noted. And if GM wants to do a frame-off on every affected frame, media blast it, prime, paint it, and put it all back together- that is a real solution (of which Toyota was doing for frames worth saving). If GM waits too long, they'll just be buying back vehicles at a premium or sending out new frames to be installed (if they follow Toyota's solution for the same problem).

The longer they wait, the more expensive this will get.
 
#10 ·
Welcome to the rust club bud. I've been reading up on it for a few months now and I am currently attempting to have mine fixed. I went to my dealer and they kinda brushed me off about it and said they've never seen it before (i live in Maine and find that to be hard to believe). They referred me to some other 3rd party shop who sells Fluid Film. I contacted GM Customer Care who reached out them and now they're willing to do it and from what they've told me, its covered under warranty but it may peel off again. Honestly They need to go back to the hard coatings they used to use. Even if it doesn't become a safety issue for 10-15 years its unsightly and shouldn't be a concern on a vehicle any less than 5 years old, minimum (though my 11 year old Escalade had almost zero frame rust and was a North East driven car as well). It's a known problem for a while now, they need to recall them and fix the frame but until the find a new way to coat them, they wont.

Also documenting my progression in a separate thread. trucks not even 2 years old now... its a shame
 
#11 ·
MPSilverado said:
They referred me to some other 3rd party shop who sells Fluid Film.
Using Fluid Film on the frame wax WILL soften it further, I'm surprised a dealer suggested doing that.
 
#12 ·
Here's my 2013 2500HD bought new in March 2013, just hit 16k miles.

Its been through one New England winter here in CT.
I do not plow.
I do not go off-road (or rather to the point that the frame contacts anything- rocks/brush/etc), just dirt roads and fields on our farm.
Religiously washed in winter to remove road salt.
Nothing applied to frame.

View attachment 2

View attachment 1

 
#13 ·
CT2500HD said:
MPSilverado said:
They referred me to some other 3rd party shop who sells Fluid Film.
Using Fluid Film on the frame wax WILL soften it further, I'm surprised a dealer suggested doing that.
I don't know if they'll be stripping it and prepping the frame for application. I never stopped in to ask, it seemed ridiculous that i need to have an outside party apply something to a brand new truck once a year to protect the frame. THE FOUNDATION OF THE VEHICLE ITSELF. ya know?

My truck has only seen its second Maine Winter but my Escalade got the same, plus 9 more New York and CT Winters. I also religiously clean the ENTIRE vehicle to remove salt and other chemicals from it through out the winter. We seem to be getting boned here
 
#14 ·
MPSilverado said:
I don't know if they'll be stripping it and prepping the frame for application. I never stopped in to ask, it seemed ridiculous that i need to have an outside party apply something to a brand new truck once a year to protect the frame. THE FOUNDATION OF THE VEHICLE ITSELF. ya know?
Absolutely. I would have zero complaints about this truck (and a lot of great things to say) except for this frame rust issue (let's see how many times the term, 'frame rust' can be used in this thread and it'll turn up higher and higher in search engine results). Dealers are just dealers, they're caught in-between. This is a systemic problem originating from design, GM has got to handle this or they'll be known for a legacy of an era of pickups that all were in the scrap yard due to rotted frames before they hit 100k miles.

Maybe I'll swing by the dealer lot and see if I can find any NEW trucks there with frame coatings failing already, that would be interesting.
 
#15 ·
CT2500HD said:
Absolutely. I would have zero complaints about this truck (and a lot of great things to say) except for this frame rust issue (let's see how many times the term, 'frame rust' can be used in this thread and it'll turn up higher and higher in search engine results). Dealers are just dealers, they're caught in-between. This is a systemic problem originating from design, GM has got to handle this or they'll be known for a legacy of an era of pickups that all were in the scrap yard due to rotted frames before they hit 100k miles.

Maybe I'll swing by the dealer lot and see if I can find any NEW trucks there with frame coatings failing already, that would be interesting.
Guarantee they can find quite a few, its sad really. i'm in the same boat. I love my truck, its been excellent so far. It made a long haul not problem, Maine to Long Island, picked up my parents boat and hauled it all the way to Florida, We drove for almost 20 hour straight only stopping for gas and you couldn't even tell we we're pulling a 6000 lb boat, full bed of cargo and 4 people in the cab. I daily drive it now and it hasn't taken any off road abuse what so ever. Most off road I've gone so far is on a gravel driveway. It makes monthly trips from ME to NY too. It really is a great truck, I'm just disappointed with the frame peeling and rusting.
 
#16 ·
Someone beat me to it- 2014 1500 on the lot brand new with the beginnings of rust on the rear frame cross member tubes. Fast-forward to about 1:47

 
#17 ·
My goodness GM i just watched that video and this is just horendous. Merica!...oh I mean MEXICAN! and there terrible quality control. USA truck made in mexico? Canada was bad enough...Times have changed fellas.
 
#19 ·
jacobrmiller05 said:
I'm in the same boat with my 2013. The Toyota recall was crazy there were people in western pa pulling them out of junkyards for a few hundred bucks and getting 15k for them.
Yep, notice how few earlier Tacomas you see on the road now. Anyone I happen to pass by I kindly ask them if they knew about the recall- every person driving one said they had the frame replaced. There was a clause that said you had to own the truck prior to a certain date before the recall was announced to prevent people from trying to make $$ off it all, but appears that wasn't always enforced.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Tac ... .932004.29

The 2000-2003 Tundras also had a frame replacement recall.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Tundra#Safety_recalls

Both recalls involved replacing the frame or offering 1.5 times the current KBB value cash for the vehicle. That kept the respect and loyalty of a lot of Toyota owners.

Toyota has actually historically acknowledged and handled design problems fairly well- the late 1980s-mid 1990s 3VZE V6 found in their pickups and 4-Runners had a serious head gasket problem, they honored a full head gasket job and fix for free for years after. I had a 1989 Toyota pickup and had the job done for free at the dealership in 1994.

Now... let's see if GM will step up.
 
#20 ·
FYI

My Denali frame is all rusting from 2 winters in Michigan.

The frames, differentials are stored outside (for who knows how long) at the plants till they need them. There is a video on youtube from Arlington SUV assembly where it shows the frames coming into the plant and they are having to blow ice off them before they can start to assembly the chassis. From the time they are made (could be many months) till they start production, they are stored outside.

Just remember: GM only HAS to worry about 100,000 miles...beyond that; (1) it's YOUR problem, (2) they're off the hook, and (3) the stealer-ships MAKE money replacing expensive parts.
 
#21 ·
#22 ·
Here's my 2014 sierra SLE CCSB 5.3 4x4 built in Jun 2013 I think in silao. Bought November of 2013 in Hawaii. Had it there for a month until I moved to Norfolk VA in Jan. As far as frame rust, didn't really see any. Pics below are rear axle connecting to both wheels, rear shock mounts and front brake calipers. This is the first time I looked into these so idk if this is normal. Definitely going to get this checked out...
 

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#23 ·
Okay folks. I'm at the dealership right now (Terry Cullen Chevrolet) to have the frame and rear axle rust looked at. Not the one I bought the truck at (which is out of my way and, to be honest, in in "the hood" - that's what my salesman described it as). So far the SM has been nice and indicated they "might have to do an undercoating or something". They are looking at the truck now. I've heard the right words then heard the wrong words later so often lately that I'm not getting my hopes up for a proper fix the first time, but this dealer has not screwed around before with me on my 2011 when I had random actuators go out in the climate control causing freezing air in the winter, so I hope that trend continues. The service adviser I had when I had the 2011, Steve G., was awesome - you know how they ask you to fill out the survey with all top ratings - well this guy earned them. Hoping the experience stays the same. :?

Silvery13 - I did not see that post, no. Thanks for pointing me to it. If things go south, I'll hand it over to them and request this all be done. As you may know, searches on forums are next to useless - at least in my experience. I have googled myself into this and other forums but never saw that specific post. Regardless, the point of this one is not necessarily to complain and show my experience, but instead to band together and get GM's attention. I've already been documenting the experience on Twitter and Facebook and will provide the prescription for others to follow so that the same keywords are used, similar wording, etc., etc. This will help gather viral attention.

My frame isn't as bad as the photos I've been seeing. But the fact that it and my rear axle has rust AT ALL and I just crossed 2K mi. in Georgia where I have driven in nothing more harsh than rain about 4 times is absolutely f'ing ridiculous. The only reason I didn't get a Tundra was because of the Toyota's terrible (comparatively) gas mileage. Well... I have never seen a rusted Tundra frame (the last two generations). I try, try, try to buy American and made sure mine was made in the US vs. Mexico.

I'm also noticing that GM didn't bother to refine the 6-speed transmission since the NNBS. Still a clunk box if you have 4WD. Annoying... I decided to dump my Mercedes and the Ford I mentioned above because they were taking me away from work and the bosses (yes, plural) were noticing. I cannot afford any longer to have a service center queen.
 
#24 ·
Well, of course, the SM told me that GM will not be doing anything with regard to surface rust because it has no immediate or long-term affect. I'm on hold with GM right now for the past 45-min, being dropped twice (probably my cell phone, but still). I will not accept this. I told the SM that GM put rust protection on it and its rusting and they aren't going to warranty a repair? I'll be reminding GM of Toyota frames that had just a little bit of rust when still new and then turned into a bent V after some years. I couldn't believe it - he was pushing me to the dealer I bought it from, seeming to suggest that I try to get the vehicle swapped out. Really? Wow. I tried to be as calm as I could but, being Italian, it was hard and I just had to walk away. I forgot to get a receipt with their diagnosis so I'll have to go back. Unreal... unreal. Even if this is just cosmetic, it's not what I paid for.
 
#25 ·
^ To some, I'm sure this isnt a big deal, but IMO I'd be like you and really livid!

I've been lucky so far, my 2013 has not had any of the rust protection fall off, and combined with the fact that I had it Krown rustproofed immediately when I bought it, I have no rust at all.

I live in the snow-belt of Ontario and deal with salt/sand/brine on the roads all winter, and my frame is still nice and black.

I wish you luck with your efforts to have GM look after this!
 
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