Pos Sts

2494 Views 22 Replies 12 Participants Last post by Brett, Nov 16, 2003

2000STS

Discussion Starter · Oct 22, 2003

I currently drive a rusty 2000 STS. I am none too pleased to say the least as GM Canada has refused to do anything about it. The rust started under the bead of sealer on the inside of the rear door skin. There is a seam that is formed when the sheet metal is folded over to create the edge of the door and the rust is evident throughout the length of that seam. The rust has now advanced thru the door and is bubbling the paint on the exterior. Also the sealer has seperated from the metal on the inside taking chunks of paint with it.

My warranty is 4 years (I'm OK there) and 80,000KM. I have 95,000KM on the car so GM has absolved themselves. Both the dealer and GM corporate has refuse to assist me. 15,000KM is about
9,000 miles.

I am not driving a Cavalier here. In Canada these vehicles cost $70,000C plus the meriad of taxes etc. For such a vehicle to start rusting, especially from the inside out, in three years is disgusting in my opinion.

Any thoughts?

1 - 20 of 23 Posts

airbalancer

· #2 · Oct 23, 2003

does not GM have a long warrenty for rust?

Eldo1953

· #3 · Oct 23, 2003

airbalancer said:
does not GM have a long warrenty for rust?

Yes, I thought it was 6 years/100000 or something?

2000STS

Discussion Starter · #4 · Oct 24, 2003

Yes, they do have 6 year / 160,000KM coverage for an actual hole in the metal. The catch is that it must rust from the inside of the sheet metal through to the outside. Not from "inside" the car (as mine is) but the inside surface of the sheet metal skin. So.....if there is surface rust and it is left to rust through they will not cover it...their stand is that it should have been repaired immediately at the owners cost if beyond the original warranty of 4 years / 80,000KM.

I did intend for this thread to be in the " Consumer Report: What's YOUR opinion? We'd like to know..." section above but it ended up here.

In any case this thread is better represented at the "Rust" thread.

bob2231

· #5 · Oct 24, 2003

2000STS said:
Yes, they do have 6 year / 160,000KM coverage for an actual hole in the metal. The catch is that it must rust from the inside of the sheet metal through to the outside. Not from "inside" the car (as mine is) but the inside surface of the sheet metal skin. So.....if there is surface rust and it is left to rust through they will not cover it...their stand is that it should have been repaired immediately at the owners cost if beyond the original warranty of 4 years / 80,000KM.

I did intend for this thread to be in the " Consumer Report: What's YOUR opinion? We'd like to know..." section above but it ended up here.

In any case this thread is better represented at the "Rust" thread.

Have you contacted the BBB ? I'm not sure they have it in Canada, sorry. Back in the late 70's, early 80's GM turned out some pretty crappy engines and trans. combo's. My Dad had an Olds Cutlass that needed both replaced, out of warranty, and by going through the BBB, GM picked up some of the cost.
Some is better than none.

WAZR1

· #6 · Oct 25, 2003

You know, I just picked up a 2000 STS last week. I got it home and found the trunk mat damp. I pulled the trunk carpet and undermatting and found it soaked. I've had it out for a week trying to find where the water is coming in from (I'm in the Seattle area so there's plenty of water) but I have yet to find it. There is however a major body seam running through the trunk. Now I'm wandering if it is coming in from under the seam sealer? This weekend if it's dry I plan to dry out the trunk and hit the under side with a high pressure hose for a while and find out once and for all where it is coming in. Is it possible GM got a bad batch of sealer?

2000STS

Discussion Starter · #7 · Oct 25, 2003

Check your doors on the outside bottom corners too. There is a bead of sealer that runs over the seam. Push on the paint in that area and see if it has separated from the metal. The rust may not be showing (yet) but the paint layer or sealer may move or there may be rust along the seam.

My vehicle was manufactured April 2000 (from front drivers side door sticker). Let me know what you find and how you proceed please.

Sandy

· #8 · Oct 25, 2003

WAZR1 - Does the car have a sun roof?

2000STS

Discussion Starter · #9 · Oct 25, 2003 (Edited)

Sandy said:
WAZR1 - Does the car have a sun roof?

Cancelled

WAZR1

· #10 · Oct 25, 2003

No sunroof. I looks like the moisture is coming in from the spare wheel well somewhere. Originally I though one of the little adhesive stirps was the problem because a small chunk had been peeled up. I sealed it with some gasket sealer but tonight I found a fresh puddle under the spare tire.

GKR

· #11 · Oct 25, 2003

WAZR1 said:
No sunroof. I looks like the moisture is coming in from the spare wheel well somewhere. Originally I though one of the little adhesive stirps was the problem because a small chunk had been peeled up. I sealed it with some gasket sealer but tonight I found a fresh puddle under the spare tire.

Last winter I noticed my trunk carpet was soaked also. Pulled out the spare tire and found about 2 inches of standing water! Seemed that the carpet was the more wet in the right and left rear corners. I pulled the side liners out and went and siliconed all the seams for the wheelwells and any in the trunk floor. I then put a small bead of silicone (black) around any seam or split I could find in the weather stripping around the trunk lid. Very tedious to make it look good but I checked it the day after our recent record setting rainfall and it was bone dry. The only problem is I couldn't tell you if it was from sealing the floor or the top since I did it all at the same time.

El Dobro

· #12 · Oct 25, 2003

The trunk weatherstrip is known to let water into the trunk on the 98+ Seville. You can either pull the weatherstrip, clean the lip it seals on and try to re-seal it or you can replace it with the current 04 weatherstrip. I chose the latter. The new part # is 25762219. It fits back to 98 and works great. I haven't had a drop of water in the trunk since.

rickko

· #13 · Oct 25, 2003

WAZR1 said:
...I plan to dry out the trunk and hit the under side with a high pressure hose for a while and find out once and for all where it is coming in. ...

How about putting an extremely bright light under the car while you search for potential openings in a darkened trunk.

..rickko..

WAZR1

· #14 · Oct 25, 2003

I've tried a light, saw nothing, but didn't crawl in the trunk and close the lid to look. I've re-greased the weather strip with silicone grease, no luck doing that. I'll try pulling the weather strip next and using some light sealant under it next. I'd like to hit it all at once, but would really like to know exactly where it's coming from. I've thought about taping down sheets of newspaper to the entire trunk floor and watching it for signs of water damage, that way if it's ending up in the tire well but not coming in there I should be able to see the trail. Either way it sounds like GM had some problems keeping these dry inside. Mine was CA car and I'm the second owner after lease was up on it so there's no road salt induced rust. So far, this is the only major issue I've found.

WAZR1

· #15 · Oct 27, 2003

I think I found my leak.

After washing my car I had standing water in the spare tire well again. It was dry when I started. It appears that water is\was getting by or around the seal where it attachs to the body right above the latch striker. I pulled the weather stripping back ways and loaded the channel with more silicone sealant and pressed it back into place. I'll try it out again tomorrow and see if it's sealed or still taking on water.

WAZR1

· #16 · Oct 29, 2003 (Edited)

Re: I think I found my leak.

I found my fix on CaddyInfo.com. Water is getting in the channel that attaches the seal to the body. When it makes it to the bottom it has no where to go but in. My silicon just moved the entry points out as described in the write up. Tonight I'll dry it out once again and cut the notchs in the seal and see if that once and for all takes car of this. On the plus side, my trunk carpet has been out for almost two weeks and is completely dry.

At least it wasn't coming through a body seam so I shouldn't need to worry about rust out back yet, but with the rainy season starting in Seattle I'll be glad to have it fixed!

2000STS, I haven't checked the doors closely yet, I'll check them tonight and post my findings. My in service date was in February 2000 according to the warranty papers so I'm guessing it was a late 99 or early 00 production run. Being it has been a west coast car all it's existence I could be lucky. Back in MO, EVERYTHING driven in winter rusted into the ground eventually. Then there's the 73-79 Chevy trucks that were designed to rust... I have one of those too.

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WAZR1

· #17 · Oct 29, 2003

2000STS said:
Check your doors on the outside bottom corners too. There is a bead of sealer that runs over the seam. Push on the paint in that area and see if it has separated from the metal. The rust may not be showing (yet) but the paint layer or sealer may move or there may be rust along the seam.

My vehicle was manufactured April 2000 (from front drivers side door sticker). Let me know what you find and how you proceed please.

I cut the notches tonight as listed in the article on CaddyInfo.com, then sponged out about a gallon of water from last night and todays rains. After I was done cutting, I closed it up and hit it with the hose for a good 10 minutes from the back. I opened it up and it was dry as could be!

I noticed while hosing it down that there was a steady stream of water from the drivers side notch and I believe that was the side most was coming in from. Does the 04 trunk seal come with notches pre-cut?

I also checked out all four door corners. The sealer is good. I gave them all a good hard squeeze and detected no compression. I miss the midwest sometimes, but I'm learning to love having a rust free car out here, rust free so far that is.

2000STS, how goes the battle with GM on the rust coverage?

2000STS

Discussion Starter · #18 · Oct 29, 2003 (Edited)

I dropped the car off at the GM dealer last night, just got off the phone with the body shop manager and he tells me that the rust is coming from the inside of the door cavity. When I looked for drain holes the other night I couldn't see any in those corners. He says they may be in only the front corners. He is going to check all along the bottom of all doors, remove the sealer and repair the rust where necessary. His recommendatioon is that I get the car rustproofed after his work is done paying special attention to the door cavities.

As for GM they are not responding. I will be endeavoring to make as many people aware of the rust problem I am having and the response I am getting from GM. I will be letting as many dealers (Cadillac, Lexus, BMW, Mercedes) know that I have a three year old Cadillac that is rotting away. I'm sure it will be a great sales pitch......at least for some of them.

2000STS

Discussion Starter · #19 · Oct 29, 2003

I don't think I've mentioned it on this thread so check:

www.geocities.com/myrusty2000cadillacsts

for updates.

By the way I appreciate all of the supportive comments from this board....my wife says I'm a whiner....maybe I am but I am so %%#^* off I don't care.

JJhomer83

· #20 · Oct 29, 2003

2000STS said:
I don't think I've mentioned it on this thread so check:

www.geocities.com/myrusty2000cadillacsts

for updates.

By the way I appreciate all of the supportive comments from this board....my wife says I'm a whiner....maybe I am but I am so %%#^* off I don't care.

Whine more for me. I would be pissed off at that. That is bs that you have rust on it.

1 - 20 of 23 Posts

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