Several GMC truck models are subject to an issue with wax coating peeling off the frame, resulting in the bare steel underneath rusting or corroding, with the issue and available fix now extended up to the 2024 model year by a recent GM technical service bulletin update.
The possibly affected GMC trucks include several different configurations of the 2011 to 2024 GMC Sierra pickup, including the GMC Sierra HD. Several SUV and van models are also potentially affected by the peeling wax, including the 2011 to 2024 GMC Savana commercial van and the 2011 to 2024 GMC Yukon SUV.
The updated GM service bulletin, identified by number 19-NA-255 and originally issued in November 2019, describes how the wax coating peels off the frame in patches, exposing the metal underneath. Water, road salt, petroleum products, and road chemicals all attack the surface, leading to rust, initially consisting of surface oxidation, but potentially eating deeper.
The images in this article come from the service bulletin and show a variety of affected vehicles.
The General blames the problem on a third-party supplier’s error, in which the supplier did not prep the metal of the frames correctly. As a result, the wax coating did not adhere properly, leading to it peeling off after exposure to the elements and driving conditions. GM has an available fix for this problem, offered at its dealerships.
The remedy for the wax peeling problem involves service personnel stripping the remaining wax from the areas of peeling, overlapping somewhat onto the adjacent wax. Surface rust is removed and new coating is applied to restore a factory look. The process should be used only on those parts of the GMC frames directly affected by wax peeling.
The service personnel should use Lloyds and Daubert metal cleaning and coating products according to GM recommendations. These products are the best match to the metallurgy of the parts and the chemistry of the coatings involved, the automaker says, and so yield the best results. The vehicle should be lifted on jackstands or a lift, after which the wax coating is removed. Rust is cleared away with cleaners and metal prep, with the final step consisting of applying Lloyds Kryptonite Metal Treatment High Temp Satin Black in several coats.
Careful inspection of the wax peeling site should be carried out. If the rust has corroded the part enough to reduce its structural integrity the entire frame part should be removed and replaced with a new, intact component instead of simply being cleaned, prepped, and refinished.
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Comments
Maybe GM should stop being cheap and just start painting the frames instead.
Agreed, literally everyone else is painting their frames. It’s never stopped me from buying a GM truck but I’ve always wished they would switch to paint.
Maybe Gm should paint their own frames with the bed liner spray material .
Is Roger Smith running GM from the grave? It’s something new everyday.
The wax works well if the frame is prepped right. With all the problems they have been having you would think GM would have gone back to painting. Only trucks that still have wax coated frames are full size pickups abd vans.
Toyota replaced frames that had issues. A good company that provides a reliable product. I would like to see GM pony up a repair on this damaged frame. Keep us on the road GM. We won’t leave you if you show the same loyalty.
So like the Silverado article I ask what is the cost, or is it free, and process to coordinate this with a dealer?
If they are going to charge $1000 parts and labour then they can F off. If it’s a free based upon dealer inspection and agreement the wax has peeled then that’s some key information needed
I called my Dealership in CT and explained that my 2014 G M C 3500 frame needed to be addressed. I was told that It was out of the bumper to bumper warranty period. Sounds like a BS story to me. O have been a GM loyal customer for long time.
My 2007 3500 is a rust bucket Motor mount gone I mean, gone rusted completely off on the driver side whole frame. You can almost put your fingers through for Chevy I ever had. That was a biggest rust bucket. I will never ever ever buy a Chevy truck again.
Is it going to be a recall
Rust is recycled along the road back into the soil. Now a galvanized frame could be recycled into a new frame or other metal when the mechanicals ware out. We just have to decide which is more environmentally friendly and cost effective.
So is this a recall? Good luck walking into a dealer and asking for your frame to be serviced for rust.
I did with my 2023 Denali and was told they will strip it prime and recoat it no charge under 3 year 60K warranty No charge but I also saw It looked like GM has extended it to 6 years 100km
I have very strong feelings about this issue. It’s my opinion that all truck frames should be powered coated inside and out and the frames go through a tunnel oven before going to the assembly line. Folks the price of the vehicles today are getting quite high. I believe in giving the customer real value for their hard earned dollar.
The fact is are you really getting what you pay for that is my big question?
The car manufacturers should look at the average income of their buyers and what they expect out of their products.
There is the old obsolete factor the executive at TRW said to me over lunch one day, “Geary if we build the parts to last longer we wouldn’t sell as many and we would make less money”.
So when you buy a vehicle today you are getting a more attractive vehicle but is it better? We need to stop and really examine the overall product.
From my experience with any type of coating that dries hard on a frame, it will crack, trapping moisture and making the rusting issue worse. Remember, truck frames flex, so any coating needs the ability to flex with the frame. My best bit is galvanizing or adding some chromium or nickel to the material composition of the frame. I replaced the bumper receiver combination on my Tacoma with an after-market one and before I installed it I had it galvanized then I top-coated it with an arosol spray paint. Two years in the rust belt and still no rust. The last time I repainted a bumper, had it powder coated it didn’t even make it through the first year without rust starting to form.
They frames have been peeling since 2008. One would think it would be fixed by now.
I wish they would do something about it!
I bought my first GM new in 2016 and within the first year rust was so bad and now it’s just a loosing battle. I still have truck with only 100,000km and it’s ridiculous. Never will I buy another gm, this isn’t my only gripe.
GM should address the AFM/DFM problem
Cause that’s a real issue
Or the fact that the 8 speed tranny is junk…
Oh yeah, less than a 3% failure rate is a real issue….
8 speed is great once the fluid is changed. Many happy reviews. Not sure what world you are living in with your views…
It mentions GMC Sierra
What about silverados they use the same frame
Seems powder coating before assembly is the best solution
My 05 is doing that. Why they only want to go back to 11
My guess is they can’t guarantee something forever
The frame and body issues go back to 99 just don’t buy gm products
I had my 2021 undercoated by the dealer. Do they spray the frame too? If so hopefully there won’t be a problem. If I do see any unprotected areas, I just spray them with Rubberized Undercoating. So far so good.
People complain about GM undercoating, have you ever seen a 3 month old Ford F150 . Lots of rust all over the frame and under carriage and they say it’s not a problem.
I’ve been noticing the new ford trucks frames are either painted or powder coated
That plus over 800,000 replacement engines.
Like some have commented, I agree that frames should be powder coated. I just got a new Ford F-150 this past Saturday and all my Ford’s have a fully painted frame, I notice they use a high quality paint as I have a 2018 in the fleet and the frame is just starting to show age rust.
Here in Northern Canada where we have extreme cold and salt on the roads in the winter, the Wax GM uses just chips off, especially on gravel or Oilfield use vehicles, it’s a known problem and nothing can be done about it as undercoat and other products don’t stick to wax and when the truck is in a warm environment the wax softens. It’s a real poor system just like the famous expensive transmission cooler lines leaking on GM vehicles that for some reason are never Warranty and they leak a week after the Warranty is up, you can set your watch to that problem happening like my last 4 GM vehicles have done and their horrible 5.3 engines with the top ends failing at an alarming rate, I here 800,000 engines replaced so far like Gyms said.
The ones with frame rusting problems are the ones with painted frames, can just leave it at that. Frames are not a weak point for GM. You rarely see an issue 10, 15, 20+ years down the road, but Toyota has been in the news, Dodge is fairly notorious about it and Ford hasn’t dodged (no pun intended) those issues. I will take wax any day. Easy to touch up and proven to continue working. I remember reading something about the company that does it where the oil actually penetrates the metal over time. Either way, GM has the least problems but clueless people are the most vocal because it is easier to have removed and looks the worse compared to the others. Who cares about looks, it is a truck. Too many box checker buyers with no business buying them being the most vocal, pretty sad the guys we live in society with today if you ask me…
I bought a 2015 GMC Sierra 1500 SLT like new with 38,000 miles on it in 2021. I didn’t get a chance to look underneath it because it was raining so hard on a Sunday afternoon. I asked the salesman if it had any rust on it anywhere. He lied to me. The sent me a $200 coupon. I did knock off the loose wax and sanded what I could. I put a coat of black rust-Oleum paint. I don’t know if they will still honor the recall.
Here is the full bulletin from the NHTSA.gov website with full procedure for service techs to follow
https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2022/MC-10227052-0001.pdf
They undercoated my 2022 right over the wax. It’s all sliding off and hanging off the bottom of the frame. Only 22k on the truck.
For the price GM is asking for these trucks, the frames should be galvanized. What would it cost to do it?
Funny they’ve known these frame were defective for at least 15 years and they care so much about their customers that they are still using them. Then they say they will stand behind them and fix them but they put out a bulletin that only takes care of less than 5% of the trucks. My dealership tells me to call GM and GM tells me to call the dealership aren’t us consumers tired of the blame game ponzy scheme finger pointing crap yet? Corporate America has been playing that game for decades now…….