Not sure if anyone else has every dealt with this, but I purchased a new 2014 Cruz Diesel and 2 weeks after I bought it, it was struck by lightning while I was driving down the road. Once the car was towed back to the dealership I bought it from, it pulled over 70 error codes in the computer. They simply reset the computer and fixed the 7 codes that would not reset. That included the BCM, ECM, TCM, and glow plug module. Insurance paid the claim, and GM did not void my warranty, which I am very thankful for. But since then I have had my car back at the dealership I bought it from 4 times and a second Chevy dealership 3 times. Problems range from radio issues and bluetooth issues, where my bluetooth will disconnect my phone calls and pause audio even though my phone does not pause. Also, a DC adapter shorting out, A/C controls changing from vent to feet, radio stations changing (meaning I have it on one station, kill the engine, start it back up and the station has changed), and most recently the A/C blowing hot air for over 20 minutes. It also had the diesel particulate filter light come on and not go off, which the dealership said was not suppose to happen in the 2014 models. Both of these went away as soon as the engine was turned off and then started again. The other issue I had was that the car locked myself and both of my children out of it while running. I started the car, put my cell phone down and shut the door to go back in to get my kids and when we came out all four doors had locked. Now, I even double checked to make sure I couldn't have done it, and the lock button on the Cruz is by the gear shift, not the door. Thank goodness for OnStar or we would have been in a bad situation. These are just the majority of the issues I have had since the initial dealership told me the car was "fixed". I have been told there is nothing wrong or they can't get the problem to "duplicate" but feel that no one is really trying to find what the problem is. The second dealership drove my car for over a month hoping something would duplicate, which of course it didn't. It has yet to have had anymore actual diagnostic tests done to see if possibly something that was replaced could not be working correctly. I even was told by the first dealership when the car locked itself that "there could have been another car in the area that someone was trying to lock and it locked yours instead", I think that was a poor excuse on their end. So, just curious if anyone else has dealt with continual problems not being address or fixed.

I don't know how you can blame the dealership (or the manufacturer) for issues related to a lightning strike. Sounds more like an insurance claim to me.

Lightning strikes can cause devastating damage to a car'* electrical systems.

they should give you a new car, document the issues and what they say is or isnt wrong, then contact gm customer service if they tell you nothing is wrong. kind of sucks that insurance would be involved at all, you may have to notify them the car is not right still.


they may just have to total it

First off I'm glad that you and yours were ok after the lightening strike on your vehicle, if it was me I would try to get your insurance to total your vehicle or depending on your state and with the dealer history you have to back you on repairs I would try and go for what ever state lemon law you have. I'm an old buzzard so maybe the complexity of modern vehicle electronics is way above my head, but I have a feeling if you keep this car your will be constantly chasing electrical issues, e.g. control modules, shorts from fried wiring, ground issues, etc. Lightening bolts contain millions of volts of electricity and even though your tires insulated you from harm, undoubtly this voltage has affected the electrical systems on your car before it chased ground. Commercial aircraft are engineered for lightening strikes, automobiles, not so much.

2004 Bonne SLE
1971 Chevelle SS (backup transportation in case of emp'* or lightening strikes)

I am not really blaming GM for this, and the thing is insurance isn't refusing to pay out claims, the claim is still open and will always be open as long as I own the car, nor are they saying there is no way they will total it. What they are saying is that they have to have the dealer or mechanic tell them that there is no way to permanently fix the problems it is having. And not once has either dealership looked at the computer or the vehicle control module. My husband has been a diesel mechanic for 12 years, and knows something is not right with the car. I am just going in circles with dealers and insurance with no one really doing anything. And I wasn't sure if there was a department with GM I could even contact about something like this.

Kali you can contact Gm and since it is a Chev here is the contact info:
Chevrolet: 800-222-1020 or @ChevyCustCare
General Motors | Customer Care | GM.com
I had a car hit by lightning once it was a 72 Vega, hit the antenna..(radio was off) blew the radio & removed the ball on top of antenna as it glowed red LOL..Just kept on driving it down the freeway...
Modern cars and computers as mentioned do not fare well I'm sure with a strike.
Where did it hit..did it splatter across the windshield or ..??
Anyways best of luck and call GM and keep us informed!

quite a difference in the number of electronics from 72 to 2014 im sure, thats why i would not want the car. you have literally thousands of little wires that could have melted the solder enough to be interment connections or melted the plug or wire insulation, just waiting to cause more and more trouble. the only way to fix the car is to completely disassemble the car replace every single wire and electronic device in it and reassemble. im pretty sure that would be more than just replacing the car

Insurance will get annoying with this one. Every gremlin will need to be diagnosed and connected to the strike. Dealership will have to turn in a supplement for everything. The annoying part is that it sounds like a bunch of intermittent gremlins and likely won't show up while at the dealership.

I agree that everything needs to be replaced, wiring harness, computer, ect and yes that would be much more than just replacing the car. And no it never shows at a dealership. I did contact Chevy via email yesterday, but have not gotten a response yet. My main concern is that it will have more than just small electric problems will happen and could cause an accident hurting us or someone else.

You are the one stuck between a rock and a hard place....



What they are saying is that they have to have the dealer or mechanic tell them that there is no way to permanently fix the problems it is having.

Well, the dealership had your car for a month, and could not DUPLICATE your problem....Can you duplicate your problem in front of them?



And not once has either dealership looked at the computer or the vehicle control module.

Of course they did....did they not clear codes? They had to read data and clear any codes from the modules and then check if they came back...since the insurance company was paying, they would have replaced any modules they thought was at fault....



My husband has been a diesel mechanic for 12 years, and knows something is not right with the car. I am just going in circles with dealers and insurance with no one really doing anything. And I wasn't sure if there was a department with GM I could even contact about something like this.


This is one of those situations, car hit by lightning, that the car manufacturer is not responsible for.....your only hope is that the insurance company totals it.....It sounds like you want a new car....GM is not going to give you one, if it can't find anything wrong with it, especially since it was hit by lightning......lemon law does not come into play here, with evidence of the vehicle being hit by lightning....

You may have to trade the vehicle in, for your own piece of mind.....yes it sucks, buy I think that is your only option if the insurance co. doesn't step up to the plate....

This reminds me of brand new cars that were sold out of state, after having been exposed to flood waters.....they were sold with a "salvage" title.....cars sold with this type of title, even though a "new" car, are NOT covered by a manufacturers warranty.....cars look and smell new, run fine for awhile, and then tend to develop electrical problems.....

I had one, chased an electrical problem, that we could recreate, intermittently......finally pulled some harnesses during electrical checks, and found green corrosion in the harnesses......when we did a search on the VIN of this vehicle, we found a salvage title......

We had a couple hours into this....told customer, vehicle did not have a 3 year/36K warranty on the car....that she was going to have to pay for the diagnosis....customer refused.....owner took the loss.....customer had to get an attorney, to go back on the used car dealership that sold them the car....never found out what happened.....

Cars with salvage titles, are driveable.....but that title has to be made aware to the owner, so the owner is aware of his coverage and possible problems.....My cousin had a flood car, and never had a problem....

I tell my friends....you buy a new car today, and you plan on keeping it longer than the warranty period, get an extended warranty....and get a manufacturer'* extended warranty...not one of the insurance warranties, where if break down away from the dealer you bought it from, and have to have repairs done at another dealership, they may not honor it......they will fix your car, you pay up front, and then you have to go after that insurance warranty company, if it'* still in business....have seen that happen, too.....