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Quality control problems?

7K views 21 replies 15 participants last post by  Smokin SRX 
#1 ·
I recently purchased an Enclave CXL & its quite a vehicle! Can't say enough good things about it however I'm getting a little concerned about final inspections/quality control at the point of manufacture. I can't totally relieve the dealership of some responsiblity as I would think things like this would be checked.
1) XM portion of radio didn't work & after messing around trying to get it activated decided to take it back to dealer. After diagnosing for an hour & a half they determined the XM module was defective & would have to be ordered. Took a week & a half to get the part & today it was fixed. I'm told that even though your XM radio is not activated Ch01 should always work...obviously wasn't checked at either location.
2) While waiting for the XM part to arrive I noticed that the side mirror turn signal indicator wasn't working so when I took the vehicle in to get the XM module replaced & mentioned the turn signal indicator, assuming a bad bulb or whatever kind of light is in there. I was informed by the service people that it wasn't the "bulb", they have to order a completely new side mirror assembly! Who knows how long that will take as it of course has to be color matched.
These 2 items should have been checked as they are pretty simple things to see/hear. Hopefully this isn't just the start of things to come!
 
#2 ·
firebird said:
I recently purchased an Enclave CXL & its quite a vehicle! Can't say enough good things about it however I'm getting a little concerned about final inspections/quality control at the point of manufacture. I can't totally relieve the dealership of some responsiblity as I would think things like this would be checked.
1) XM portion of radio didn't work & after messing around trying to get it activated decided to take it back to dealer. After diagnosing for an hour & a half they determined the XM module was defective & would have to be ordered. Took a week & a half to get the part & today it was fixed. I'm told that even though your XM radio is not activated Ch01 should always work...obviously wasn't checked at either location.
2) While waiting for the XM part to arrive I noticed that the side mirror turn signal indicator wasn't working so when I took the vehicle in to get the XM module replaced & mentioned the turn signal indicator, assuming a bad bulb or whatever kind of light is in there. I was informed by the service people that it wasn't the "bulb", they have to order a completely new side mirror assembly! Who knows how long that will take as it of course has to be color matched.
These 2 items should have been checked as they are pretty simple things to see/hear. Hopefully this isn't just the start of things to come!
I can't comment on the quality checks at the factory but I have found that dealers basically do little to no inspection on the vehicles they sell. Wash it, throw the mats in, fill it up, and call it a day. My Enclave still had some of the protective tape on the exterior of the vehicle. Granted, it took me a day or two to notice it.
 
#3 ·
I found that the chrome trim surrouding the brake light is coming off. And same with the passenger door rubber seal its peeling on side, that I noticed right at the dealership, but before we had settled down, the dealership was closed, I guess i took a little time putting the car seats and checking out the vehicle meanwhile everyone left the dealership and it was closed!

I have talked to the dealer he will be taking care of both, along with the lease contract, they had some mistakes in it. :eek:hno:
 
#4 ·
I have seen the same thing. I have four open quality issues for which GM/Buick only have an answer for one and no time frame for fixing any of them.

1. Passenger Turn Signal in the Mirror Assembly Does Not Work. This is looking to a popular quality defect from what I can tell. And the entire housing has to be replaced meaning paint matching might be an issue. No ETA for the part.
2. Trim Under the Analog Clock. The service department determined this to be a defect and out of allignment by 1/32". This has been sent to the GM techline with no answer as to when the case will be resolved.
3. Air Vent Whining. Leave all of the air vents open except one with the AC blower on high. The one that is closed might whine because there is not a good seal. In our Enclave, the whiny vent is the far passenger one. Dealership confirmed the defect, and again, this has been sent to the GM techline with no answer as to when the case will be resolved.
4. Back Seat Pocket Netting. I still believe this is a miss. Buick customer care is looking into it.


On each of the top three above, the dealership found multiple instances of these same issues on in-stock Enclaves. With the air vent, they found an example where each air vent position had a problem. All three are quality issues and I hope they have corrected them on the line already or with their suppliers.

I have to agree with another posting regarding the Buick Customer Care line -- they are a waste. I logged a ticket with these quality issues and my dissatisfaction with their courtesy transportation policy (another thread in the future) and they ZERO help. None. Acura's customer care line would have had this resolved already and at a minimum a date for when we would have a resolution. Not with GM/Buick.

I still like the product. I am starting to have concerns over the quality and more importantly, GM's response to correcting those issues. Very Poor.
 
#5 ·
back seat netting is not a miss, we were told sometime ago by an insider in another thread, that they removed it from all the lambdas because people were complaining of getting caught in it when entering and exiting the vehicle. so, they didnt put it on the enclave at all and none of the other 08 lambdas have it either.
 
#6 ·
dfc101a said:
2. Trim Under the Analog Clock. The service department determined this to be a defect and out of allignment by 1/32". This has been sent to the GM techline with no answer as to when the case will be resolved.
:ditto: The left panel is little higher (or not properly seated) than the right panel. I tried pressing it but it doesnt go all the way in.
 
#7 ·
On the back seat netting...

Then why the heck did they leave the elastic cord? It looks silly. I will probably try to have an aftermarket upholstery shop add the netting to make two additional pockets. It is all in the plastic back of the front row seats so it probably comes apart. I am sure it is possible...especially since the elastic cord is sitting there screaming for a pocket!
 
#8 ·
they left the cord so you could hang your headphones
 
#9 ·
Mama2Girls said:
On the back seat netting...

Then why the heck did they leave the elastic cord? It looks silly. I will probably try to have an aftermarket upholstery shop add the netting to make two additional pockets. It is all in the plastic back of the front row seats so it probably comes apart. I am sure it is possible...especially since the elastic cord is sitting there screaming for a pocket!
I completely agree.
 
#10 ·
For all of youse having Quality Issues that can't seem to get resolved, just make a note of them for future reference. There will be Buying Experience and Quality Surveys soon. Every Dealer wants a High Grade. Just remember the Problems and put them on paper. 8)
 
#11 ·
they left the cord so you could hang your headphones
For hanging headphones, eh? Don't buy it. A hook of some sort would be easier than pulling out a cord to slip the headphone thru....But, then again, I think people would get caught on a hook more than a flat net pocket. Who gets caught on a flat net pocket? Th Ody's have several of them...never been caught in a net getting in and out of my sister's Odyssey!!
 
#12 ·
Mama2Girls said:
For hanging headphones, eh? Don't buy it. A hook of some sort would be easier than pulling out a cord to slip the headphone thru....But, then again, I think people would get caught on a hook more than a flat net pocket. Who gets caught on a flat net pocket? Th Ody's have several of them...never been caught in a net getting in and out of my sister's Odyssey!!
ask a fish :jaw: :rofl:
 
#14 ·
Well, I may be lucky. My order of July 13th may take a couple months to get here. Perhaps some of these issues will take care of themselves. Can't believe the seat back issue. Doesn't run true with Buick's effort at near luxury. I hope they are sincerely looking for corrections.

Good luck to all of you!
 
#15 ·
rocketman said:
For all of youse having Quality Issues that can't seem to get resolved, just make a note of them for future reference. There will be Buying Experience and Quality Surveys soon. Every Dealer wants a High Grade. Just remember the Problems and put them on paper. 8)
I agree. Those surveys are closely watched. Also, if you are having any problems I would recommend getting a case number through Buick Customer Care even if I happen to think they are worthless. Call and case number volume, type, and resolution must be reported to determine priorities and where a common issue needs to be addressed through Technical Service Bulletins or other avenues.

I would have thought that many of the issues listed in the forum would have been worked out while running the Acadia and Outlook for 5 months. But the most discouraging aspect is not that there are any problems but rather GM's response to correcting them. And the best way to show GM their customer service levels are below par is to fill out the surveys and log a case number through the customer care line.

I will be filling in the GM surveys along with the Consumer Reports one and keeping TrueDelta updated. Buick/GM customer service will taking a beating
 
#16 ·
coop said:
:ditto: The left panel is little higher (or not properly seated) than the right panel. I tried pressing it but it doesnt go all the way in.
Are you both referring to the "chrome" trim underneath the Analog Clock? If so, then ours is like that as well. Left side is a bit higher than the right and won't go all the way down. My wife noticed this right away. I didn't think it was that big of a deal but maybe I might look at it a bit closer to see how much it really stands out.
 
#20 ·
Top Dog said:
I checked my Enclave Clock Chrome and it is aligned O.K. Mine was made May 21st.
Mine was built early on, I think April or May. Visually it looks fine. When I run my finger across, there is a slight misalignment. I would have never noticed it if it was not brought up on this forum.
 
#21 ·
The left side trim below the clock on ours turns up slightly where it meets the right side, my wife noticed it too. Will be getting a new piece installed, these are the little gremlins that we are going to run into buying a first run vehicle, but they will correct them, eventually.
 
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