C7 3LT Dash Problems
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 1,131
Likes: 618
From: Houston Texas
Bought our 2016 in Jan 2018 with 19,500 miles. Checked the 3LT as I knew about the possible problem. Dash was perfect. Car is kept in garage and I always use a windshield shade, never any kind of chemicals on the dash when cleaning. By September dash was coming up around defroster vents and HUD.
Missed the 3 year warranty by 2 weeks, GM ended up paying 2/3rds, I paid 1/3rd - about $950. So far the replacement has been perfect.
Missed the 3 year warranty by 2 weeks, GM ended up paying 2/3rds, I paid 1/3rd - about $950. So far the replacement has been perfect.
Safety Car
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 3,515
Likes: 2,048
From: Columbus Ohio
Bought our 2016 in Jan 2018 with 19,500 miles. Checked the 3LT as I knew about the possible problem. Dash was perfect. Car is kept in garage and I always use a windshield shade, never any kind of chemicals on the dash when cleaning. By September dash was coming up around defroster vents and HUD.
Missed the 3 year warranty by 2 weeks, GM ended up paying 2/3rds, I paid 1/3rd - about $950. So far the replacement has been perfect.
Missed the 3 year warranty by 2 weeks, GM ended up paying 2/3rds, I paid 1/3rd - about $950. So far the replacement has been perfect.
How did you get GM to do that?
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 32,295
Likes: 4,625
I'd modify your statement slightly. Most have MINOR almost unnoticeable issues. Mine is likely one of those, I'd say its pretty common to have some loosening around the center vent, you might not even notice it unless you stare at it very carefully.
Mine has over the years gotten slightly worse. The issue is the dash is two pieces, the lower portion (below the stitch seam) seems to have had legitimate and problematic issues on 2014 and 2015 models. 2016 had some improvements and on mine for example I notice no issues on this lower larger portion. The upper portion is another story, and I think until the 2019 changes with extra staples and longer tabs with more glue there are issues. Most are a ever so slight lifting or bubbling on the lip of the vent. Mine was like that for years. Now I have some lifting on the vertical surfaces between the lip and the vent, but is it an issue? No. Would I have them rip out the dash to fix it, absolutely not. I might try a syringe to prevent it form getting worse. If my car wasn't asleep I'd grab a picture, because its 99% unnoticeable.
You are correct, people with MAJOR dash issues are an extreme minority. The design up near the vent is poor and it will eventually fail in some way unless you have a 2019 dash.
Mine has over the years gotten slightly worse. The issue is the dash is two pieces, the lower portion (below the stitch seam) seems to have had legitimate and problematic issues on 2014 and 2015 models. 2016 had some improvements and on mine for example I notice no issues on this lower larger portion. The upper portion is another story, and I think until the 2019 changes with extra staples and longer tabs with more glue there are issues. Most are a ever so slight lifting or bubbling on the lip of the vent. Mine was like that for years. Now I have some lifting on the vertical surfaces between the lip and the vent, but is it an issue? No. Would I have them rip out the dash to fix it, absolutely not. I might try a syringe to prevent it form getting worse. If my car wasn't asleep I'd grab a picture, because its 99% unnoticeable.
You are correct, people with MAJOR dash issues are an extreme minority. The design up near the vent is poor and it will eventually fail in some way unless you have a 2019 dash.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 1,131
Likes: 618
From: Houston Texas
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 3,945
Likes: 1,254
From: Northeast
Maybe also how much time the car spends in the sun. Hot climate like Phoenix may make a difference.
Has nothing to do with it.
My 2014 3LT with no dash problems. Of course mine is garaged at home. My employer also had solar panels installed over the parking lot, so it's sits in the shade when I take it to work.
Has nothing to do with it.
My 2014 3LT with no dash problems. Of course mine is garaged at home. My employer also had solar panels installed over the parking lot, so it's sits in the shade when I take it to work.
Yes it is
Again, luck of the draw, it had nothing to do with it. There is no ryme or reason when it happens, only that it happens on 3LT's.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 7,002
Likes: 2,679
Working in automotive I know how warranty and quality is tracked. Parts get changes for two reasons, one is they are changed to be made cheaper, two they are changed to fix a design flaw. The only reason to fix a design flaw is if the warranty cost exceeds the cost to change the design (yes, this is where they say automotive companies are heartless because it does come down to cost).
Anyway, the fact that GM has made multiple changes means the warranty cost is high enough to do so. Further statistics tells you that not everyone makes a warranty claim and not all failures happen in warranty. If there is a large enough monetary case to make a design change due to warranty then the problem is actually quite common if not present in some way on all units.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 7,002
Likes: 2,679
To just say its luck is actually a very ignorant thing to say. To say its due to a combination of disturbance factors some which are understood and others which are not is correct. Now maybe to an untrained person that looks like luck, but no part fails due to luck. There is a statistical distribution which can predict these failures and each failure has a cause and it can be documented.
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Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 3,945
Likes: 1,254
From: Northeast
It's not luck, there are reasons: environment, quality of the original unit (which again likely has to do with environment as much as manufacturing process), which design you have (there are design changes, and while perhaps not all 2019's have them it seems there are some with the staples).
To just say its luck is actually a very ignorant thing to say. To say its due to a combination of disturbance factors some which are understood and others which are not is correct. Now maybe to an untrained person that looks like luck, but no part fails due to luck. There is a statistical distribution which can predict these failures and each failure has a cause and it can be documented.
To just say its luck is actually a very ignorant thing to say. To say its due to a combination of disturbance factors some which are understood and others which are not is correct. Now maybe to an untrained person that looks like luck, but no part fails due to luck. There is a statistical distribution which can predict these failures and each failure has a cause and it can be documented.
Last edited by Let It Ride; Nov 9, 2024 at 11:27 PM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2019
Posts: 5,516
Likes: 2,205
From: Loveland
The people that I want to hear from,,,,,,,,,, Those of you that have had your car since new, and have NEVER put anything on your dash. People that bought the car used, have no idea what the previous owner did. People that have put just a "LITTLE" on your dash don't count. People that have only used _______ on the dash don't count.
People that have only used a dry towel on their dash,,,, that counts. Please chime in.
People that have only used a dry towel on their dash,,,, that counts. Please chime in.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 7,002
Likes: 2,679
But also transport of the car, how long the finished car sat at the factory. What did the dealer do to it?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 7,002
Likes: 2,679
The people that I want to hear from,,,,,,,,,, Those of you that have had your car since new, and have NEVER put anything on your dash. People that bought the car used, have no idea what the previous owner did. People that have put just a "LITTLE" on your dash don't count. People that have only used _______ on the dash don't count.
People that have only used a dry towel on their dash,,,, that counts. Please chime in.
People that have only used a dry towel on their dash,,,, that counts. Please chime in.
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 3,945
Likes: 1,254
From: Northeast
You are totally disregarding the manufacturing process and latent failures. You do understand that not every car starts at the same point right? Things like to the week the car was built, the lot of glue, the specific line it was built on at the sub supplier, the shift. How long it was stored, where was it stored, how was it transported, all of those are disturbance factors. And by stored I don't mean the finished car. I mean the dash assembly.
But also transport of the car, how long the finished car sat at the factory. What did the dealer do to it?
But also transport of the car, how long the finished car sat at the factory. What did the dealer do to it?
Last edited by Let It Ride; Nov 10, 2024 at 03:22 PM.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 32,295
Likes: 4,625
It's not luck, there are reasons: environment, quality of the original unit (which again likely has to do with environment as much as manufacturing process), which design you have (there are design changes, and while perhaps not all 2019's have them it seems there are some with the staples).
To just say its luck is actually a very ignorant thing to say. To say its due to a combination of disturbance factors some which are understood and others which are not is correct. Now maybe to an untrained person that looks like luck, but no part fails due to luck. There is a statistical distribution which can predict these failures and each failure has a cause and it can be documented.
To just say its luck is actually a very ignorant thing to say. To say its due to a combination of disturbance factors some which are understood and others which are not is correct. Now maybe to an untrained person that looks like luck, but no part fails due to luck. There is a statistical distribution which can predict these failures and each failure has a cause and it can be documented.
You're wrong on ALL counts.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 32,295
Likes: 4,625
Here's why I can say you're wrong.
Working in automotive I know how warranty and quality is tracked. Parts get changes for two reasons, one is they are changed to be made cheaper, two they are changed to fix a design flaw. The only reason to fix a design flaw is if the warranty cost exceeds the cost to change the design (yes, this is where they say automotive companies are heartless because it does come down to cost).
Anyway, the fact that GM has made multiple changes means the warranty cost is high enough to do so. Further statistics tells you that not everyone makes a warranty claim and not all failures happen in warranty. If there is a large enough monetary case to make a design change due to warranty then the problem is actually quite common if not present in some way on all units.
Working in automotive I know how warranty and quality is tracked. Parts get changes for two reasons, one is they are changed to be made cheaper, two they are changed to fix a design flaw. The only reason to fix a design flaw is if the warranty cost exceeds the cost to change the design (yes, this is where they say automotive companies are heartless because it does come down to cost).
Anyway, the fact that GM has made multiple changes means the warranty cost is high enough to do so. Further statistics tells you that not everyone makes a warranty claim and not all failures happen in warranty. If there is a large enough monetary case to make a design change due to warranty then the problem is actually quite common if not present in some way on all units.
Every C7 3LT does not have dashboard problems.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2019
Posts: 5,516
Likes: 2,205
From: Loveland
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 3,945
Likes: 1,254
From: Northeast
This 3LT dash delamination has been beaten to death thru the C6 C7 C8 generations on here. Forum members from all walks of the environment have told countless stories of their dashes letting loose, or not. My guess? lol Been reading this forum for 13 years now and the garage queens are far far from immune. Like I said, luck of the draw. I used 10 as a round number just so I could differentiate half and half ( don't know what it is actually) it is a lot more than that tho. That is fact.
Last edited by Let It Ride; Nov 10, 2024 at 08:33 PM.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 32,295
Likes: 4,625
This 3LT dash delamination has been beaten to death thru the C6 C7 C8 generations on here. Forum members from all walks of the environment have told countless stories of their dashes letting loose, or not. My guess? lol Been reading this forum for 13 years now and the garage queens are far far from immune. Like I said, luck of the draw. I used 10 as a round number just so I could differentiate half and half ( don't know what it is actually) it is a lot more than that tho. That is fact.
I find the most vehemently opposed to 3LTs, have never owned one....
Crazy, yet true.
Go figure.......🙃