URGENT FEEDBACK NEEDED - Extremely Stiff Ride (vibration) on 2017 Denali XL

[Jeremyf0923]

Hey everyone - have scoured the forum and have seen a number of posts that seem to be about an issue similar to mine, but at this point not sure so starting my own thread for feedback.

I have a 2017 Denali XL. Bought it in December 2016. Loved everything about it for first 6,000 miles then things started going south. Everything has been fixed by the dealership except for one thing, which is the absolute most annoying. So for the first 6,000 miles it drove flawlessly - in fact I would always tell my friends/family that for a truck this size it was amazing how it felt like it just floated on the highway - such a smooth ride. Then the ride began getting rough. When I say rough I mean we begun to feel every little bump in the road, even on newly paved perfectly smooth highway I can feel even the slightest road imperfection. Comparatively, I have a Mercedes AMG C63S - and it drives smoother on the highway in Sports+ mode than my Yukon! Obviously there is something wrong with my truck!

That said, I took it into dealership. They rotated and balanced the tires and sent me on my way. Made the mistake of not taking it for a test drive before leaving. The rotate and balance made the condition worse. So brought it back in and they road force balanced it. Seemed to make the vibration a little less for first week or so and then it came back (in fact the improvement may have just been in my head). So brought it back yet again this past week. The Lead service technician drove with me this time and said he could feel it immediately. He said the vibration was caused by the magnetic ride control suspension and there was likely nothing they could do about it, but would speak to a GM engineer to assess any potential fixes. I asked why it drove so well the first 6,000 miles and all he could say is that the magnetic ride control suspensions seem to firm up over time and this is typical on trucks with this option. Had I known this was "typical" I would have NEVER bought a truck with this option. And what infuriates me is that it drove perfectly as I said for the first 6,000 or so miles.

Anyway, the GM engineer has no fix so I am picking it up tomorrow with the same damn issue! This is an $80K truck that obviously LACKS a drive/suspension mode option to change it from comfort to sport - and it seems to have a default suspension setting of SUPER sport. And I now have no option but to just grin and bear it until I get so fed up that I sell it. I am beyond frustrated and just can't imagine that there is absolutely nothing that can be done to correct this situation. I also know that I can't possibly be the only one out there with this problem so I am hoping that there are forum members that have experienced what I am going through and their service department found an answer.

Please let me know your thoughts - and many thanks in advance for any support/guidance that you can provide!

Jeremy

 

[Blueinterceptor]

Check tire pressure alignment and balance. Road force balance. I don't like the continental tire. I'd get Michelin defender ltx ms tires

 

[mizzouguy]

Someone on here told their story on their new truck with 22 inch wheels (i could be wrong on the size) and the tires would lip on the rim, throwing the balance off immediately. Have them mark the tire and wheel with chalk and go drive it to see if they slip....suggestion.

 

[NathanJax]

Sounds like you need to take it back 2 more times and then use the lemon law...

 

[CruiseGuy24]

I have a 2017 Denali XL bought in Oct 2016. Have about 11k miles. Over the last 2 weeks I have noticed some similar things that you describe. It seems to be getting slowly worse. I have not yet brought it to the dealer and have no suggestions for you. I actually came on here tonight to see if anyone else reported the same thing and had a solution.


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[JWBGMC]

Hey everyone - have scoured the forum and have seen a number of posts that seem to be about an issue similar to mine, but at this point not sure so starting my own thread for feedback.

I have a 2017 Denali XL. Bought it in December 2016. Loved everything about it for first 6,000 miles then things started going south. Everything has been fixed by the dealership except for one thing, which is the absolute most annoying. So for the first 6,000 miles it drove flawlessly - in fact I would always tell my friends/family that for a truck this size it was amazing how it felt like it just floated on the highway - such a smooth ride. Then the ride began getting rough. When I say rough I mean we begun to feel every little bump in the road, even on newly paved perfectly smooth highway I can feel even the slightest road imperfection. Comparatively, I have a Mercedes AMG C63S - and it drives smoother on the highway in Sports+ mode than my Yukon! Obviously there is something wrong with my truck!

That said, I took it into dealership. They rotated and balanced the tires and sent me on my way. Made the mistake of not taking it for a test drive before leaving. The rotate and balance made the condition worse. So brought it back in and they road force balanced it. Seemed to make the vibration a little less for first week or so and then it came back (in fact the improvement may have just been in my head). So brought it back yet again this past week. The Lead service technician drove with me this time and said he could feel it immediately. He said the vibration was caused by the magnetic ride control suspension and there was likely nothing they could do about it, but would speak to a GM engineer to assess any potential fixes. I asked why it drove so well the first 6,000 miles and all he could say is that the magnetic ride control suspensions seem to firm up over time and this is typical on trucks with this option. Had I known this was "typical" I would have NEVER bought a truck with this option. And what infuriates me is that it drove perfectly as I said for the first 6,000 or so miles.

Anyway, the GM engineer has no fix so I am picking it up tomorrow with the same damn issue! This is an $80K truck that obviously LACKS a drive/suspension mode option to change it from comfort to sport - and it seems to have a default suspension setting of SUPER sport. And I now have no option but to just grin and bear it until I get so fed up that I sell it. I am beyond frustrated and just can't imagine that there is absolutely nothing that can be done to correct this situation. I also know that I can't possibly be the only one out there with this problem so I am hoping that there are forum members that have experienced what I am going through and their service department found an answer.

Please let me know your thoughts - and many thanks in advance for any support/guidance that you can provide!

Jeremy

I replaced my 2015 Escalade with a 2017 GMC Yukon Denali that now has 18,000 miles. I also find that it has a stiff ride. But I just live with it. I also hear noise in the left-front suspension. Dealership fixed that but the noise has come back. Also, air-conditioned passenger seat constantly rattles. Dealership acknowledges it but cannot repair it. Might be why 2018 Yukons have only ventilated front seats rather than cooled front seats. The passenger seat never vibrates if a passenger is in it.

 

[Blueinterceptor]

I replaced my 2015 Escalade with a 2017 GMC Yukon Denali that now has 18,000 miles. I also find that it has a stiff ride. But I just live with it. I also hear noise in the left-front suspension. Dealership fixed that but the noise has come back. Also, air-conditioned passenger seat constantly rattles. Dealership acknowledges it but cannot repair it. Might be why 2018 Yukons have only ventilated front seats rather than cooled front seats. The passenger seat never vibrates if a passenger is in it.

Seats are held in place by 4 bolts. I would imagine you could put a couple of o rings in there and tighten things up

Ask them to try to tighten up the nut that holds the shock in place

 

[gary645]

Regarding noise that seems to be coming from left front suspension. TSB PIT5477A addresses this issue - then need to replace the "jounce bumpers." Had mine replaced and the noise is gone.

 

[Blueinterceptor]

One other thing the rough ride...
Do you have the max trailer omg package? If so. Considerable stiffness comes from that. I don't know if they can turn off the load leveling air bags in the back

 

[gat0r]

speaking of auto ride, others have posted about issues w/ the ride height sensor link for the auto ride causing issues w/ harshness. might be something to check

 

[ezstriper]

on older one when the electronic struts go thats how they act, super stiff, they have had issues with them after hanging on a lift for any length of time

 

[Jeremyf0923]

Talked to the dealership on Friday and they are replacing my front and rear springs. This will likely "fix" my problem for a period of time and then will go right back to my very stiff, harsh ride - just like it did when I first bought it (drove great at first and slowly stiffened up). I guess my next step is to contact GM although not optimistic that it is going to do me any good. Still baffles me why in a truck with the amount of technology that resides in it, that they don't have an electronic suspension option with different modes - comfort, sport, etc. And what's worse, magnetic ride control (MRC) is NOT an option - it's a standard feature...a feature I don't want! Of course, when I bought the truck, not a single person mentioned the implications of having MRC. I want my truck to drive like a luxurious $80K SUV, not like a Z06 Vette!!

 

[Danny3737]

I would have asked the first to borrow a set of wheels and tires from another vehicle and taken it out for a test ride. You could still have a tire issue not visible to the naked eye.

 

[iamdub]

I don't see how the springs would stiffen up over time. Springs get weaker with use (and a lot more use than 6,000 miles), so the ride should get softer, not firmer. Now, the SHOCKS (dampers) could very well be at fault. Could even be a software issue where the system is erroneously firming them up. Of course, as always with these, the wheels and tires need to be investigated.

 

[ezstriper]

springs do not stiffen over time, they go the other way, the electronic shocks have been the issue as they stick in the very hard position and do not return to normal, so changing springs alone is useless

 

[gat0r]

your dealership is clueless or trying to screw you somehow.
as others have mentioned, springs dont get stiffer.

the couple of denalis that i rode in felt like riding on a marshmellow. i didnt like it, no sense of control on road. has dealer done any software updates to MRC? there are updates avail. from what others have posted in other threads.

i agree w/ dub... look @ wheels/tires, then shocks, then MRC software.

did dealer double check the ride height sensor link yet?
what have they done thus far?

 

[007matman]

Harshness is usually caused by the MRC system. On some vehicles if they've been transported long distances and not secured properly it'll damage the system and it'll get stuck in firm mode. I've seen it several times in these forums.

Replacing springs is going to do nothing. Have them replace the shocks (front and rear). I bet they're damaged.

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[Jeremyf0923]

Apologies - been traveling on biz this afternoon and just now checking replies. I posted earlier springs and meant shocks. Not sure what I was thinking at the time. Anyway, hopefully it is that the shocks are damaged and the new ones will make a difference. They did check for software updates and even anything that could be done to supersede current programming in the MRC and supposedly there is nothing available. Really appreciate all of the replies/guidance/feedback!

 

[Jeremyf0923]

Picked up truck today. All shocks were replaced and it drives substantially better - not near as stiff. Technician said this is likely only a band aid - that they will stiffen up over time and it will likely go back to the way it was. Yet again I was told "this is what you get when you get a vehicle with MRC". That is really NOT what I want to continue to hear! Number one, it is a standard feature on a Denali XL so it's not like I had an option and number two there is no disclaimer whatsoever anywhere about the implications of having a vehicle with MRC (VERY stiff ride)! Had I known, I would have never bought this truck. And again, GMC could have easily remedied this with a couple of electronic suspension settings rather than it being only a default. Enough ranting from me...we'll see what happens. I will update everyone periodically.

 

[007matman]

Picked up truck today. All shocks were replaced and it drives substantially better - not near as stiff. Technician said this is likely only a band aid - that they will stiffen up over time and it will likely go back to the way it was. Yet again I was told "this is what you get when you get a vehicle with MRC". That is really NOT what I want to continue to hear! Number one, it is a standard feature on a Denali XL so it's not like I had an option and number two there is no disclaimer whatsoever anywhere about the implications of having a vehicle with MRC (VERY stiff ride)! Had I known, I would have never bought this truck. And again, GMC could have easily remedied this with a couple of electronic suspension settings rather than it being only a default. Enough ranting from me...we'll see what happens. I will update everyone periodically.

I totally do not agree with that statement.. will you need to replace the shocks again? Yes. Unfortunately, Magnaride shocks have been well known for failures.

From what I understand, the new shocks have a 2yr warranty. If it gets stiff again I'd be knocking on their door telling them to replace them again.

Rear shocks are a piece of cake for really anyone to replace. The fronts are more involved but definitely in scope for your average DIY guy.

I did have one shock fail (the airbag actually). I had put them on myself (purchased though Amazon) and they took care of it.

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