Buyers Remorse?

[rbg1957]

I've posted a couple of times, but my frustration with my 2018 Denali Premium grows daily lately. I did not buy it new, bought it last year from a dealer when used inventories were tight. I paid cash, about 37k, and honestly did not do my research. We had owned a 2010 suburban LT that we'd also bought used and it was 100% reliable, sold it with 220k miles on it. I was enamored with the new updates on the Denali, and most of my driving consists of local 2 lanes.

My first issue was a water pump a month after I bought it. The dealer paid for most of it without a fight.

It needed tires when I bought it , so I got a credit on the price of about 1200 and put Cooper at 4 tires on it ( more on that later).

Within another 4 months the front magneride shocks took a shit. Dealer wanted $2200, bought after market and had fixed for about $700.

Next the running board on passenger side started acting up in super cold weather.

Then I discovered the adaptive cruise doesn't like bad weather, shiny semi trailers, or windy roads. I wouldn't even use it, but no one seems to be able to switch it to regular cruise.

Last week on a 2000 mile round trip to KY and TN, the tires started making a racket that was worse than a jeep with mudders . Turns out they flat spotted in 2 places. Tire dealer is going to make it right, but I think the truck is to blame. I hate the 22" rims and the $$$ price for any tire.

Bottom line, I like the room and v8 power ( don't and never will use premium fuel ) with the 6.2, but if I did it over ,I'd buy an SLT with leather, heated seats and whatever else is base equipment.

I don't care about any of this high tech crap, and bought this vehicle for our business. The 5.3 with 6spd Trans will actually tow the same with towing package. Again, my fault for not realizing all this stuff would be constant headaches.

I spent the last 8 years driving a Lexus and must've gotten spoiled. This vehicle was 1 owner, dealer serviced at the dealer I bought from , and had a clean carfax. Anyone else have this kind of luck? I don't believe in extended warranties, because with deductibles and upfront costs doesn't make sense when the vehicle is paid for.

 

[B-train]

I've had similar repairs, but bought the platinum extended warranty because they offered it cheaper than 1 moderate repair. 2017 Denali, 6.2L with 41K on it. GM partially covered wheels that had flaking clear coat on the 22 inch wheels (with help from a good dealership). GM also covered the trans shudder (8 speed) with fluid flush. Warranty covered front struts that started leaking oil at 80k. Warranty also covered seat vibrator, new radio/climate control, oil cooler lines (I may have forgotten 1 or 2 others). 2 new tires covered under warranty, but I hate the ride on bad roads with the 22 inch wheels.

I had to put in a thermostat and some other basic maintenance items. It has been a really good truck for us and is now over 150k on it.

The 1400 I spent on the warranty paid for itself multiple times over. One and only time I ever bought an extended warranty and it paid off.

While I think your issues are frustrating, most of them are normal wear items (shocks and tires). I never use the adaptive cruise because I hate it in traffic. The forward collision alert is OK, but I know how to drive and don't need a system to take over my vehicle without my consent, so that could be deleted for all I care.

I think if you stay up on good maintenance practices, it will prove to be a good vehicle. Also, find a set of good 18 in take-offs and have a much better ride and cheaper tires IMO.

 

[Fless]

Moved you here from the 2024+ section. Seems like the discussion is about a 2018, if I have that right.

 

[Doubeleive]

I've posted a couple of times, but my frustration with my 2018 Denali Premium grows daily lately. I did not buy it new, bought it last year from a dealer when used inventories were tight. I paid cash, about 37k, and honestly did not do my research. We had owned a 2010 suburban LT that we'd also bought used and it was 100% reliable, sold it with 220k miles on it. I was enamored with the new updates on the Denali, and most of my driving consists of local 2 lanes. My first issue was a water pump a month after I bought it. The dealer paid for most of it without a fight. It needed tires when I bought it , so I got a credit on the price of about 1200 and put Cooper at 4 tires on it ( more on that later). Within another 4 months the front magneride shocks took a shit. Dealer wanted $2200, bought after market and had fixed for about $700. Next the running board on passenger side started acting up in super cold weather. Then I discovered the adaptive cruise doesn't like bad weather, shiny semi trailers, or windy roads. I wouldn't even use it, but no one seems to be able to switch it to regular cruise. Last week on a 2000 mile round trip to KY and TN, the tires started making a racket that was worse than a jeep with mudders . Turns out they flat spotted in 2 places. Tire dealer is going to make it right, but I think the truck is to blame. I hate the 22" rims and the $$$ price for any tire. Bottom line, I like the room and v8 power ( don't and never will use premium fuel ) with the 6.2, but if I did it over ,I'd buy an SLT with leather, heated seats and whatever else is base equipment. I don't care about any of this high tech crap, and bought this vehicle for our business. The 5.3 with 6spd Trans will actually tow the same with towing package. Again, my fault for not realizing all this stuff would be constant headaches. I spent the last 8 years driving a Lexus and must've gotten spoiled. This vehicle was 1 owner, dealer serviced at the dealer I bought from , and had a clean carfax. Anyone else have this kind of luck? I don't believe in extended warranties, because with deductibles and upfront costs doesn't make sense when the vehicle is paid for.

more bells & whistles means more maintenance, that's really the bottom line. Big difference between a LT and a Denali electronics wise especially on the newer models
the water pumps on the K2's do not seem to be as robust as previous generations but are generally much cheaper to repair depending on how it failed.
adaptive cruise, lane keep, forward impact warning, etc really only work in a perfect world and are not suited for every driving style, I turn all that stuff off because it's just annoying
as far as the adaptive cruise you may be stuck with it or do not use it, pressing long on the cruise button will tell you. some vehicles came with both standard cruise & adaptive and some did not.
power steps historically get funky, they need to be maintained (cleaned & lubed)
big wheels look nice, but they suck......both in ride comfort & function
if you have the 8 speed that is another problem waiting to happen
electronic struts on these K2's can start crapping out as soon as 40k, the gmt900 struts were made better and started crapping out at around 80k

I have done a crap ton of research and read a lot, test drove, etc
other things to look forward to failing sooner or later---- door & window switches, rear hatch lift, power mirrors, sunroof, power folding seats, external sensor failures, fuel injectors.

but hey it's a Denali, you either love it or you don't

 

[rbg1957]

I've had similar repairs, but bought the platinum extended warranty because they offered it cheaper than 1 moderate repair. 2017 Denali, 6.2L with 41K on it. GM partially covered wheels that had flaking clear coat on the 22 inch wheels (with help from a good dealership). GM also covered the trans shudder (8 speed) with fluid flush. Warranty covered front struts that started leaking oil at 80k. Warranty also covered seat vibrator, new radio/climate control, oil cooler lines (I may have forgotten 1 or 2 others). 2 new tires covered under warranty, but I hate the ride on bad roads with the 22 inch wheels.

I had to put in a thermostat and some other basic maintenance items. It has been a really good truck for us and is now over 150k on it.

The 1400 I spent on the warranty paid for itself multiple times over. One and only time I ever bought an extended warranty and it paid off.

While I think your issues are frustrating, most of them are normal wear items (shocks and tires). I never use the adaptive cruise because I hate it in traffic. The forward collision alert is OK, but I know how to drive and don't need a system to take over my vehicle without my consent, so that could be deleted for all I care.

I think if you stay up on good maintenance practices, it will prove to be a good vehicle. Also, find a set of good 18 in take-offs and have a much better ride and cheaper tires IMO.

My Lexus GX had 1 trip to the shop for a waterpump at 110k, and a mass air sensor recall repair ( free ). Tires, oil changes. I bought it with 90k miles and sold it at 245k. Brakes were still good. If Toyota made an suv that would fit a 4x8 sheet of plywood, I'd buy it. I'm not used to having a paid for vehicle that costs hundreds more almost monthly. I can't imagine if I had a 600 dollar payment plus all these issues. That's why domestic automakers like GM and Ford don't give a shit about quality. They figure you'll trade every 4 or 5 years. I never buy new any more, and keep vehicles a long time. Hopefully, these issues will be rectified soon and I can enjoy the vehicle.

 

[Thrust]

You can't turn adaptive cc off and still use cruise control. My CT6 has adaptive cruise but you can turn it off and have normal cruise control. Why GM didn't do the same for the SUVs is confusing.

 

[rbg1957]

I've had similar repairs, but bought the platinum extended warranty because they offered it cheaper than 1 moderate repair. 2017 Denali, 6.2L with 41K on it. GM partially covered wheels that had flaking clear coat on the 22 inch wheels (with help from a good dealership). GM also covered the trans shudder (8 speed) with fluid flush. Warranty covered front struts that started leaking oil at 80k. Warranty also covered seat vibrator, new radio/climate control, oil cooler lines (I may have forgotten 1 or 2 others). 2 new tires covered under warranty, but I hate the ride on bad roads with the 22 inch wheels.

I had to put in a thermostat and some other basic maintenance items. It has been a really good truck for us and is now over 150k on it.

The 1400 I spent on the warranty paid for itself multiple times over. One and only time I ever bought an extended warranty and it paid off.

While I think your issues are frustrating, most of them are normal wear items (shocks and tires). I never use the adaptive cruise because I hate it in traffic. The forward collision alert is OK, but I know how to drive and don't need a system to take over my vehicle without my consent, so that could be deleted for all I care.

I think if you stay up on good maintenance practices, it will prove to be a good vehicle. Also, find a set of good 18 in take-offs and have a much better ride and cheaper tires IMO.

How do you shut off adaptive cruise? I have not been able to, even after viewing you tube, and my gmc salesman was also unable to shut it off when I stopped at the dealer yesterday. It is a completely useless nanny / trial lawyer feature that I loathe.

 

[rbg1957]

You can't turn adaptive cc off and still use cruise control. My CT6 has adaptive cruise but you can turn it off and have normal cruise control. Why GM didn't do the same for the SUVs is confusing.

If that's the case, I'm going to be getting rid of this POS. Why people make excuses and put up with shoddy quality and stupid features out of some sense of loyalty to " American manufacturers " is beyond me. It's ALL of them. Ford has gone to only boosted 6 cylinders in the expedition, and don't even get me started on the new wagoneers crappy quality. These really are disposable 90k vehicles now. I enjoy the ride on the highway, but waiting for the next tech feature to fail is not worth it. I used my Lexus GX like a rented mule, pulled an enclosed work trailer all over the state, and even towed a 24ft Bayliner 250 miles with it. It never skipped a beat. Wish I'd have kept it now.

 

[B-train]

How do you shut off adaptive cruise? I have not been able to, even after viewing you tube, and my gmc salesman was also unable to shut it off when I stopped at the dealer yesterday. It is a completely useless nanny / trial lawyer feature that I loathe.

Not sure. I'll play around with it when I get back home in a few weeks. I'll try to remember to report back

 

[K2 Kaiju]

If that's the case, I'm going to be getting rid of this POS. Why people make excuses and put up with shoddy quality and stupid features out of some sense of loyalty to " American manufacturers " is beyond me. It's ALL of them. Ford has gone to only boosted 6 cylinders in the expedition, and don't even get me started on the new wagoneers crappy quality. These really are disposable 90k vehicles now. I enjoy the ride on the highway, but waiting for the next tech feature to fail is not worth it. I used my Lexus GX like a rented mule, pulled an enclosed work trailer all over the state, and even towed a 24ft Bayliner 250 miles with it. It never skipped a beat. Wish I'd have kept it now.

Yeah you really need to get rid of it. God only knows what kind of hissy fit you will throw when you need a real repair (possibly due to you refusing to use the recommended fuel). You could pick up a new GX/LX/Sequoia with that "reliable" boosted 6 they all have now...