My 2002 Silverado has heavy rust on frame and other areas. Does anyone know if GM is doing anything about this?

 

There’s no recalls, if that’s what you’re wondering. Rust and corrosion repair and prevention are the owner’s responsibility.

Which areas are rusted? Is it falling apart?

 

Gumby22, Thank you for your response.

That is unfortunate. I have had many GM vehicles over the years and never had rust issues like this. The whole frame is rusting, I have replaced the drivers side rocker panel, The "A" frames are rusted so bad you cannot make any alignment adjustments, the brake calipers have no bleeders as they have rusted off, the backing plates on the rear are rusted through and must be replaced, the rear rotors are shot, (this is the third set of rear rotors), 92,000 miles. I'm afraid that the truck is going to break apart some day! I never thought GM would produce such a piece of junk! I am VERY disappointed in GM after being a GM person for many years. I am going to purchase a new truck but this time I don't think it will be a GM product.

 

Sucks about the body and frame. Sounds like you have some bad road conditions.

Backing plates rusting off is pretty normal occurrence. Bleeders can be replaced.

I've never heard of rotors rusting so badly that they're unusable. But they're just naked steel and have no defense against rust.
Not sure what the rotors have to do with GM, unless you're buying OEM each time and you think they rust worse than the other brands.

 

Don't know where you're from but I have lived in MD for 78 years, other GM vehicles didn't have this issue. Evidently GM is using inferior materials in later models.

 

Watch a few South Main Auto repair videos (200 mi from you). Most of the customers come in with the car bottoms caked in rust and and a good deal of backing plates falling off, and rusty frames. The bulk of his work is replacing rusted out brake and suspension parts, and it's not just GM vehicles.

Good luck with your next vehicle!

 

Did you buy this truck new? For only having 92,000 on it, it must not be driven very often.

It’s not the material GM is using - it’s where the truck has been the past 18 years. Maryland gets winter, so I’m guessing it’s primarily the salt and brine mix used to keep roads clear during winter.

I’ve seen some awful frame and body damage on our customer vehicles because that stuff gets trapped everywhere underneath, and once it starts eating away at the frame and body, it’s almost impossible to stop. It takes meticulous washing (crawling under it with a power washer, not just an automatic car wash) to keep it cleaned out. Even consistently applying under coating, it’s difficult to prevent because the salt and brine are extremely corrosive to all metals.

Even Ford’s new all aluminum trucks aren’t immune to the corrosive nature of that stuff. If your truck had spent its life in some western and southern states, there’d be next to no rust on it at all.

As for brake rotors, they will rust no matter what climate they’re in. The contact area on rotors has to be bare metal, so even just sitting overnight, a very light surface rust will form. If it’s heavy, it can be cleaned off by burnishing as long as the calipers aren’t dragging.

 

I don't doubt that GM uses inferior materials to what they used 78 years ago. So is every other auto manufacturer though. And in case you haven't noticed, nothing today is made the way it was 78 years ago. That's just how things are. Vehicles getting passed down through generation is a thing of the past.

 

I agree with Gumby22, its all in the maintenance, for the most part, steel is steel, unless we are talking galvanized or alloy, but that is a whole different animal. I think you just have a truck that despite having low mileage, is rusting away. In fact, maybe that has something to do with it because all the salt and road grime might have had a chance to just sit on the the truck and rot it away. If I where you, look at the vehicles around you, they might be rustier than you thought. If you can, don't blame GM, blame whoever has owned the truck before you. I do hope you can save the truck though, you might look into a product called POR15, maybe it could help, or slow your problem.

 

Thanks for the reply. I use the truck for fishing once a year and odd jobs around town and drive it about 1500 to 2100 miles a year, I purchased it in 2005 with about 48,000 miles on it. Older vehicles I have had over the years never had rust this bad or even at all as far as I know so that is why I am disappointed in this truck. I like the truck but am very unhappy about the amount of rust and how quickly it has rusted. The truck is 18 years old but still it shouldn't be as bad as it is. I do take care of the truck, thorough maintenance, washing, waxing, undercarriage washing, etc. I have a 2010 KIA that has no rust at all on it and the rust on this truck has been getting worse for the last 11 years! I have had Chevrolet, Ford and Dodge work vans and trucks for years and had no rust, this Chevrolet 1500 is very disappointing. That is why I said GM must be using inferior materials.
Thanks again for everyone's comments.