A 2021 GMC Yukon owner was surprised to see their new SUV was delivered with a liftgate that was a different color than the rest of the vehicle.
The owner posted photos of their 2021 GMC Yukon in a Facebook group, confirming that their Summit White SUV was delivered with a liftgate painted in White Frost Tintcoat. Summit White is a no-cost gloss paint, whereas White Frost Tintcoat is a $1,095 option and has a metallic finish.
Obviously quality control at General Motors‘ Arlington Assembly plant in Texas should have picked up on this rather obvious flaw, but it somehow went unnoticed. The dealership also could have picked up on the issue, but delivered it to the customer anyway. The owner says they drove it around for three weeks questioning whether or not the liftgate was supposed to be a darker, shinier shade of white before realizing that it was a mistake.
The COVID-19 pandemic caused problems for GM as it tried to ramp up production of its new line of SUVs this year, which includes the 2021 GMC Yukon. With the automaker working hard to try and get as many SUVs out the door as possible, it’s perhaps not so surprising to see some quality issues here and there. The first model year for any new-generation vehicle typically goes through some teething problems, as well.
GM offers ten colors to choose from on the 2021 GMC Yukon: Hunter Metallic, Cayenne Red Tintcoat, Midnight Blue Metallic, Pearl Beige Metallic, Onyx Black, Satin Steel Metallic, Smokey Quartz Metallic, Dark Sky Metallic and, of course, Summit White and White Frost Tricoat. The 2021 GMC Yukon XL, which is slightly longer than the regular Yukon, is offered in the same ten exterior colors.
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Comments
Wow, if this was missed, what else may have? Guess you can’t expect much for a vehicle that can top $80k!
Honestly my experience with a new 2015 Yukon Denali with litterally every options is exaclty this. A mess of quality control issues with the product. Doesn’t surprise me.
Repairs to my vehicle 127k miles as of today.
1. Steering column replaced. (Bearing 2 times under warranty 3rd failure out and required to replace). ~$1700
2. XM Radio antenna replaced twice. Warranty.
3. Transmission Solenoid. Warranty. Reprogramming transmission not covered even though it was required after repair. Negotiated to $100 from $400.
4. Magnetic Ride Front Shocks replaced. ~$2000.
5. Radiator Failed, thermostat, water bottle, water pump. ~$1000
6. Front AC condenser, rear AC condenser ~$1600
7. Lifters, valve springs, cam and injectors ~$5500.
8. Rear LED tail lights failed. $400 for aftermarket for 2. OEM are $400 each.
I am sure I forgot a couple of things. In the past 10 years, I’ve owned 6 vehicles. This vehicle has cost me more in repairs than all other vehicles combined. (Lexus, Honda, Nissan, Tesla)
Such an antiquated car….
Sounds like that Jonny Cash song “One piece at a time.”
My guess is it was damaged either at the factory or more likely at the dealership and the painter used the wrong color code for repair. I would bet you my lunch money if you took the inside door panel off it would be the right color.
I’m betting it was the dealership. That’s some really lousy paint job.
What’s going on in that third picture there? Is that like scuffs… dents… overspray… What’s the deal there?
Also this looks like total crap, and I’m surprised anyone would drive it around for 3 weeks without deciding it wasn’t right.
My Z71 had a misaligned front fascia, one wiper was installed too high compared to the other 2021’s and the pocket over the filler neck was blocking half of the filler neck. They let too many get to dealers that should have had better quality control.
That is a color matched part added in general assembly at the GM plant. My guess is that the vehicle was damaged in transport and the dealership ordered the wrong part. The dealer then installed it and delivered the car. Highly unlikely that it was delivered like that from the factory.
Body parts are all painted in one shot at the factory. That mismatch happened after it left the factory.
Always ask for the manufacturer’s final inspection card when buying a new car. This card follows the vehicle from the beginning of its manufacturing process until it reaches the dealership. This card is supposed to have notes for every defect that was discovered and repaired. Obviously this is not available for used vehicles, but for new ask for them and if told they are not available, walk away.
No way I would buy a new vehicle from GM with the quality control level on 2.
They said awhile back they were adding salaried people to the production line because of a shortage due to covid. Probably going to be some things falling through the cracks! They should increase inspections to catch this stuff at the plant!
Using Covid 19 as an excuse for an obvious quality control issue is shallow. It is weak.
Can’t speculate what failed, but how much does it have to cost to get it right. Really calls for an investigation.
My problem was similar. Only it happened at the body shop. Should have been Pearl White but shop painted the bumper White White. Then he tried to convince me they it was a match. Then he tried to convince me to correct the error the cost was on me. Smile.
Is it possible to write a follow-up article on what exactly happened? Thanks.
99% chance this was the dealers doing, not the manufacturers
Speaking from a painters view it was probably damaged and got a quick fix or replaced and painted off truck. If you get pearl white bumpers painted at a body shop dnt expect them to match perfectly even if fenders or 1/4 panels are blended. Factory bumpers hardly ever match from the first place , fact is you are trying to compare metal versus plastic.
The problem actually occur in the paint shop, the Robots that paint the lift gate, do what is call clean out, of a previous color and the purge time was to short or gun fail. But their is no excuse for does vehicles getting out of the paint shop and the factory.
This is the manufacturers fault A. it’s the paint shops fault in the plant or that other piece was painted some where else and assembled on the truck. Just like the bumpers, gas lids and other plastic painted parts. This is well known by gm and they pray there customers don’t notice. My neighbors cruze gas door is a darker red then the car. My 2014 terrain rear bumper is more darker gary then the rest of the suv. Most plastic parts from gm cars are spread some where else that creates this issue as stated above.
Three stage white is hard to match. In this case you have plastic and metal being painted. They are going to look different somewhat. But for no one to notice…that’s laziness.
I bought a 15′ Yukon (first year of last generation) It spent a lot of time at the dealership working out the bugs. Also had several paint/body flaws. I am going to wait a year or two before buying this generation
See reply to first post. I suspect we had similar issues…. This will be my last GM.
Why you’d anybody buy the same crappy product from the same crappy manufacturer.This is why American car companies are underground.Buy a Toyota or Honda and you’ll have none of these problems.My God.!?
It took them 3 weeks to figure it out
I worked for GM for over 37 yrs at the truck plant in Oshawa mostly in paint shop. Upper management only wanted numbers out the door for there bonuses. I saw new pickup truck leave without the lower two tone. LOL Just think Denali are coming from Mexico with seat bolts loose and loose dashboard wire harnesses. As long as my pension check clears every month who cares!!!! I also own 2 Fords !!!! LMAO
Better them then my Escalade ESV
Believe it or not, GM is having trouble with an insect (mayflies) leaving some type of greasy deposit on many of their vehicles. Causing re-painting of the affected parts. Hope this helps.
Not A Surprise, I own a 2008 G6 with mismatched paint from the factory, My hood and front doors are silver with no metallic and the rest is with metallic, the vehicle has been in the family since new and no panels have been replaced. GM is just a company with atrocious quality control
The top part comes painted from a supplier. The bottom is painted at the factory. Most likely the upper was damaged during production. And it probably wasn’t found until it was outside the plant. A white part was called for, a white was delivered. Just the wrong white. Doesn’t excuse the mistake, but I’d bet that’s what happened. I caught this very issue myself before. Different suv though.
Who cares? I mean a non story just clickbait that I fell for….obviously it will get fixed…things happen with early runs on a few vehicle line.
Now if it starts to make people pass out when idling as the Explorer did then maybe that is a story. Instead you wasted my time and I wasted my time and others again for your worthless story. damnit as it is all my fault! I fell for the trap
The piece that is off color is a plastic applique that is painted by a 3rd party supplier and then assembled to the painted body at the plant. Chances are it may have been a repair after build and they grabbed the wrong part by accident, or it was coded wrong at the original manufacturer. Not too hard to solve the case, as the part will have a bar code that will determine if it was mislabeled. GM can track the build data to se if the part was replaced during assembly.
Typical poor quality work done by your typical UAW union member…
GM needs to tool up another plant for full size trucks and SUVs. When you run plants well over 100 percent capacity these things happen.
Sounds like you average GM quality control which really hasn’t changed much over the past 50 years. Sometimes you get a good one sometimes you don’t. My better GM products were usually the ones in there last few years of production and avoiding the first year or two of any new intro is a smart thing to do!
That is beyond ridiculous and yet another reason this company keeps shrinking and losing market share as time goes on. I can understand a few items like wheels bearings, a water pump and possibly some suspension components needing replacement by this many miles but come on. the engine and transmission should still be like new along with the steering column. And I thought LED’s were supposed to last forever and totally outlast traditional lights. So much for that I guess!
Saw a Nissan rouge with the “Nissan” tailgate emblem upside down.
Bring it by ill fix it for ya!!!!!
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The only way GMC is going to change: The power is in your hands,don’t buy their products and I bet you they’ll do something about it. There are so many great other brands out there,why go thru the headaches when you really don’t have to, and if they continue making junk they’ll lose their name which by the way happened once already. So there!