Is there anything more uncomfortable than driving around without air conditioning during a North Texas summer?
Just a few hours can be brutal, but imagine a few months.
Several General Motors customers have been waiting that long to get the A/C repaired in their vehicles. Many have complained — dozens of you to us. Now, we have some answers.
The problem is happening in some of GM’s full-sized SUVs, including the ones made in Arlington. There are 2014 and 2015 Tahoes, Yukons and Silverados — just a couple of years old — with air conditioning that has gone bad.
"I couldn't understand why a vehicle that was only two years old was having trouble with air conditioning," said driver Mark Kuffel.
The Kuffel family had just returned from vacation when their air conditioner died.
"To get it fixed would be 10-12 weeks for the part to come in," Kuffel said.
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
The fix would cost an estimated $1,400 — coming out of their own pockets.
This family is not alone.
Auto mechanic Cesar Vega posted a demo about the problem on YouTube.
"I've replaced four or five. Tomorrow I have a 2016, same problem. They really need to get these fixed, maybe issue a recall," Vega said.
That idea is echoed by some of the unhappy GM owners who recently reported their air conditioning failures to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Many others are speaking online, saying they've waited multiple weeks but can't get their hands on the needed part. Some fixes are in the $4,000 range.
GM initially told NBC 5 Responds the back-ordered parts would be fulfilled by the end of August. That was nearly three weeks ago. After calling again for an update this week, the GM spokesperson refused to comment.
The customers who have been able to get new parts, including the Kuffuls, did have to pay out of pocket for those repairs if the car was out of warranty. We’ll keep checking with GM about the pace of these repairs.
