Owners of 2014 Chevrolet Silverados are hot about AC problems
One forum I checked has 19 pages of complaints dedicated to the air conditioning issues. The last post, in September of 2016, pretty well sums up the frustration. This 2014 Silverado owner says he has had to take it in for repairs every three months. “This was my first new car to me. I was planning to buy one for my daughter, but not with this track record. I just had the AC fixed 2 months ago. Today, on the way home from work, the compressor seized and the belt broke. Now it's Friday, no service centers are open, and I live in the south so it is hot and I have no AC. I was planning to take the kids out on the boat, but I am not putting them in a hot truck with no AC. This may very well be the last Chevy I ever buy.”
This owner reported his problem, in late August of 2016. “So I have a 2014 Silverado crewcab. Last year during the height of summer with my kids in the truck my ac broke. I bought this thing new in June of 2014. So I take it in and it was a broken line. I was just a hair over the 36000 miles already in a year but the service guy took care of me. Well here we are now with the temps in the 100's in San Antonio 13 months after the ac was fixed, and it's broke again. I hate this truck.”
Other drivers are reporting similar issues. What appears to be the most upsetting is that the same issues keep reoccurring. The air conditioner suddenly starts blowing warm air. The owners say the repairs take time and never fix the problem for long. “Turns out the compressor and a
hose went out on it. Warranty took care of it but I was left without a vehicle for a few days and upset that practically a new vehicle was already having issues. Got my truck back and about 2 months later guess what? You guessed, the a/c went out again and another compressor went bad.”
A check of the website that monitors complaints about all vehicles, finds that there have been 11 formal complaints made about the ongoing problems with the air conditioning on the 2014 Chevrolet Silverados.
One owner named Brad, from Little Rock, says a dealership finally levelled with him and told him what the real problem is. Brad says they told him “They have a design flaw in the metal part of the hose so we replace the hose and add a support bracket. I asked them why the 2016 models do not have the bracket and was told the a/c hose was redesigned for them and the new hose would not work on a 2014 model.” Brad is furious because he had to pay for the repair and General Motors will not reimburse him.
Another owner, from Texarkana, adds “Was told by the dealer that a bracket had broken and a hose came loose and it would be 550.00 dollars to fix. Time to change brands.”
There have not been any recalls issued for the hose and bracket problems, but it sounds like the issue is wide spread enough that dealers should be aware of the proper repairs. If you are having your AC repaired, It might help to point out all of the complaints and see if you can get it replaced under warranty, or if they will work with you on bringing down the price.
Mary Conway covered the Detroit Three for more than twenty years for the ABC affiliate, in Detroit. Her affection for the Motor City comes naturally. Her father ran a gas station while Mary was growing up, in Wisconsin. Follow Mary on Twitter at @maryconwaymedia.