2015 Gmc Sierra 3500 on 2040-cars

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Fullsize GM SUVs have a problem that's making owners sick

Some fullsize SUV owners are getting sick, thanks to a buffeting and vibration problem in 2015 model year examples of the Chevy Tahoe and Suburban, Cadillac Escalade, and GMC Yukon. According to owners' complaints to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the issue can vary from an annoying vibration inside the cabin to an experience so severe that it leads to dizziness and headaches. General Motors is aware of the complaints, but the fix isn't so simple. According to spokesperson Tom Wilkinson to Autoblog, the company "has been tracking this issue for a while." The problem has a fairly low incidence rate, but when it does occur the issue can be "uncomfortable and annoying for owners." There's no precise cause for the issue, Wilkinson claims, and in some cases, simply balancing the tires or changing the door seals can make it go away. However, not all of the fixes are so simple. AutoGuide dug deep into the problem and discovered a GM preliminary information bulletin that advised dealers to remove the headliner and to check the roof's bonds to the bows that go across the vehicle. However, that document included a note that the solution might not entirely eliminate things. According to AutoGuide, adding Dynamat insulation to the roof sometimes helped the problem. A GM spokesperson also told AutoGuide the company fixed the problem at the end of the 2015 model year, and didn't go into any more detail. This roof issue seems linked to some of the worst droning in these SUVs. According to one complaint from a 2015 Suburban owner to NHTSA: "Roof will not remain attached to the roof bows. This causes the buffeting similar to a window being down when all are up. The results span from annoying to painful." A 2015 Yukon owner claims to have another alleged cause for the problem in a NHTSA complaint from February 2015. This person brought their SUV to the dealer seven times over the course of four weeks for vibrations. The dealer replaced the driveshaft, suspension components, and more, but nothing worked. According to an engineer to the service adviser: "In an effort to prevent roll overs, they designed the frame and body mounts too stiff. There are 40 engineers working on issues, they have no solutions that work across the board." Wilkinson told Autoblog that GM is working with customers on an individual basis to rectify things. Since these are newer vehicles, dealers should also fix the problem under warranty.

New Toyota Tacoma, Ranger, Colorado/Canyon fight for midsize truck dominance

Sam Wedll has been driving his Toyota Tacoma pickup on the rugged roads of Northern California for seven trouble-free years, racking up almost 100,000 miles, so he’s interested in the redesigned version of the truck coming later this year. He paid $34,000 for his truck in 2016, loading it with plenty of options. HeÂ’s eyeing the new gas-electric hybrid Toyota Motor Corp. is going to offer, but Wedll, who does his own repairs, isnÂ’t interested in paying luxury prices. “The hybrid is pretty interesting to me because I like the idea of the fuel efficiency,” says Wedll, 47, a casino operations manager in Blue Lake, California. “IÂ’m just trying to save some costs wherever possible.” The Tacoma, known as the Taco to its legions of loyalists, is the leader of the pack in midsize pickups, one of the fastest-growing auto markets of the past decade. With outdoorsy weekend warriors and do-it-yourselfers looking for a truck that could fit in their garage, sales of midsize pickups more than doubled from 2010 to 2020. General Motors Co. and Ford Motor Co., which abandoned the market segment when sales slowed early this century, returned with new trucks to take on the Tacoma, which has dominated the medium truck market for almost two decades. Although it's easy to predict that the most lushly appointed versions of the new Taco could approach $50,000 (prices wonÂ’t be announced until later this year), Toyota insists it isnÂ’t backing away from budget buyers even as it rolls out fancier trucks. The current Tacoma starts at $28,030, and the company says affordability is critical to its success. In fact, Toyota will continue to offer the Taco with an old-school stick shift. The Tacoma controls 42% of the midsize truck market and outsells FordÂ’s offering 4 to 1. ThatÂ’s a role reversal from the full-size pickup market, where FordÂ’s F-Series has ruled the road for 46 years. Tacoma sales in the U.S. surpassed 237,000 last year, more than twice the number of GMÂ’s No. 2-ranked Chevrolet Colorado, according to consultant LMC Automotive. But as growth in the overall segment slows, the midsize market is developing into more of a turf war, with manufacturers vying for the sweetest highest-margin spots. “This segment is likely past its prime growth spurt,” says Jeff Schuster, president of the Americas for LMC Automotive.

2024 GMC Canyon AT4X AEV Edition pushes the limits even higher

The GMC Canyon AT4X is already a formidable off-road pickup truck, but now it’s getting even more capable with the addition of the 2024 GMC Canyon AT4X AEV Edition. If youÂ’re familiar with the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Bison, then by proxy youÂ’re familiar with GMCÂ’s version of it already. Like the bow-tie version of the pickup, the AT4X AEV Edition is lifted an additional 1.5 inches beyond the regular AT4X, giving it 12.2 inches of ground clearance, which is identical to the ZR2 Bison. You also get to work with a 38.2-degree approach, 26.0-degree departure, and 26.9-degree breakover angle. ItÂ’s fitted with AEV beadlock wheels wrapping 35-inch Goodyear Wrangler Territory mud-terrrain tires and uses hot-stamped boron steel skid plates for the radiator, steering gear, transmission, transfer case, fuel tank and rear differential. Appearance-wise, the AEV Edition sports a new front fascia with integrated fog lights and larger fender flares that facilitate the bigger tires. It uses AEV stamped-steel front and rear bumpers that include heavy-duty recover points, and the front bumper is compatible with a winch. The rear bumper (below) is particularly clever, as it has easily removable plastic corners that can be replaced with 10 millimeter-thick steel skid plates for a little extra protection on the trail. YouÂ’ll find an AEV in-bed mount for the spare tire, too, as the big 35-inch tire doesnÂ’t fit in the usual under-bed storage spot. GMC wasnÂ’t ready to provide hard numbers for payload or towing, but expect the Canyon AT4XÂ’s specs to go down in a similar manner as the ZR2 Bison that lost 230 pounds of payload capacity and 500 pounds of towing. And yes, the AEV Edition retains the AT4XÂ’s high-output four-cylidner that produces 310 horsepower and 430 pound-feet of torque. You get all the other AT4X goodies, too, including things like the Multimatic spool valve shocks and electronic-locking front and rear differentials. It also gets the sweet off-road launch control system that initially debuted on the Bison that can adjust power in real-time based on the traction available off-road. On the inside, the AEV Edition adds three standard auxiliary switches that you can hook up off-road or overlanding accessories to. The truck is also fitted with AEV-embroidered headrests and AEV all-weather floor liners. Pricing for the AT4X AEV Edition isnÂ’t available quite yet, but GMC says itÂ’s expected to be available for customer orders later this year.