Chevy Tracker

ballfire8888 · July 2001

I too removed the $150 dealer supplied cross bars on the roof rack. Seems to reduce noise and drag plus look sleeker at same time.

Only regret is having to pay for the bars in the 1st place!

nick01 · July 2001

the center console in the Suzuki is identical to the Tracker. the armrest mounts on top of the center console and is secured by a couple of screws on both sides. Seems to be good and solid and sits high where you can actually use it to rest your arm on. It also flips up and out of the way when you dont need it. dont know about color but grey was the only choice we had for the tracker seats. I dont think the tracker dealer has it. But you could check and make sure.
Nick

sonjaab · July 2001

hELLO ALL
anybody out there tow with a tracker ?
A friend of mine got a 01 v6 4x4 and had a
hitch put on to tow a 1500 lb trailer.
Owners manual sez 1500 lb max.
She needs extended mirrors . Have seen the ones
that attach on to the factory ones. Any ideas
or where did u get yours. I said try a RV store.
Please post with ideas............Thanks Geo

sonjaab · July 2001

She wanted a blazer but 30 K was too much.
But that 2000 rebate and GM discount she
couldn't pass it up. And she loves it too.......
She did have a honda..

nick01 · July 2001

I had the small reciever type installed with the wireing for the brake and turn signals. Use it to haul a 5X8 trailer to do light work around the house. Lawn mower, plywood, lumber, dirt, landscaping shrubs, any light stuff like that. Its tucked up under the bumper and is hardly noticeable. Had it done at a small shop that does Mods and accesarys for autos. They had to order it from a local distributor. Took 2 days. Everything ,including the wiring and installation was $139.00. That also included the reciever 'bar'. Much cheaper if you dont have it wired, of course.
Nick

cosmo2 · July 2001

I bought my oil filter pliers at Schucks Auto Supply. They look like channel pliers, except the vice end is shaped to surround an oil filter. The grips have a slide adjustment to fit different size oil filters. I hand tighten the filter after replacing it, but by the time it needs replacing again, it's too tight to remove by hand.

carl815 · July 2001

Thanks for the info. I was about to take the racks off to see how much the wind noise would decrease. and thanks for the info on the arm rest. I am going to look into that one. Also I noticed ballfire8888 talking about oil filter pliers. I used an oil filter cup attached to an extention of my 3/8 ratchet works well for me because I can fit underneath the car to drain the oil, so while I'm there i use the cup and extention.

ballfire8888 · July 2001

So you can actually access the oil filter from the bottom? I did not think that was possible due to physical obstruction!

nick01 · July 2001

wish you guys wouldnt all jump in here at once. All these posts are putting a strain on my old PC

Nick

tronsr1 · July 2001

Does anyone know if the Chevrolet Tracker Suzuki
clone will have the extended version next year?

trifivenomad · July 2001

I don't see nearly as many messages posted to this discussion as there were a year ago.

Has Suzuki finally worked out the bugs, or have people stopped buying Trackers?

trifivenomad · July 2001

I remember when the XL-7 came out, Suzuki said there would not be a Chevy version.

Seems that Chevy is getting ANOTHER new, small SUV ready, in addition to the Tracker. Possibly based on the new Colorado (S-10) pickup.

dindak · July 2001

See tons of the new generation Trackers. They sell well as they are much cheaper than CR-Vs and RAV4s. I don't think they have any major issues these days.

What's the new Chevy SUV?

zeke707 · July 2001

We drive a 2000 Suzuki Vitara softtop (and a '93 Jeep Grand Cherokee)...love the Suzuki. Now have 7500 miles on it. Runs great, the A/C is good, the heater is excellent. For an around town vehicle, we are happy with our choice!

houstonman3 · July 2001

We have a 2001 LT 2WD V-6 Tracker. It just turned 11,000 miles.

The only problem with this vehicle was a squeeky brake pedal, which the dealer greased. No problem since that time. We have had the Tracker past 95 MPH for 15 minutes at a time and at those speeds it has been quite and a smooth ride. It is choppy over bumps, but it is a SUV built on a frame, not like a car i.e RAV-4 and CRV.

Since this vehicle comes with full body cladding, running boards, chain driven cams, V-6, AT, PW, PL, AC, luggage rack, spare wheel cover, 5 Mag Wheels, and all for a drive out price of $19,300. It is a great value.

So far we have had no problems, but time will tell. There could be a little bias here, but we are happy with it so far. You can't get close it it in price with a Honda or Toyota. Kia is close in price, but not build quality or similiar offerings (I am talking from 2000 and 2001 vehicles). Last year Suzuki sold 1.8 million cars and trucks, so someone is buying them other than me.

ckyeung · July 2001

Hey guys,
After reading this forum and doing a lot of research, i finally bought a brand new 2001 silver CHEVY TRACKER 4x4 LT!! woohoo!! i have put a thousand miles on it already and so far so good. I added ABS and Leather seats to my LT. Its a handsome unit, i must admit (may be with bias, hehehe). Once i get used to the engine and the brakes, i start to get a much better ride. The engine first seems not very powerful to me. But its getting better and better and it definitely has more power than a honda CRV. We havent really tested the 4x4 yet. I am sure i will have a lot of chance to do that in winter. Another good thing about the tracker is of course its price!
Well, about the reliability of the car, only time can tell. But the warranty includes free towing and free loaner car, which make me feel better when i purchased this car. I noticed that from this forum people were having troubles with the 99 models. I hope that they fixed those problems in 2001 models. I did check the Sidekick/Geo tracker reliability ratings and they are ranked average to above average. So far i am happy with my purchase!
Thank you guys for all your input in this forum. I will keep updates every several thousand miles.
Until then, enjoy tracker-ing!!!

bbrowne74 · July 2001

Well I got my Impala LS about 2 mos. ago, and then the wife wanted to trade in the purple Ford Escort LX Sport we had (thank god!)

Shopped around for sporty cars for her and settled on the Olds ALero. Yesterday took her to the Chevy dealer to look @ the Tracker since she saw a cool one on the road, and we pick ours new black LT (minus Leather) on Monday!

I may stick her w/ the Impala for awhile so I can drive teh 4x4!;>

nick01 · July 2001

Hey Brad...thats what my wife and I did. We bought the 01 LT Tracker 6cyl black/silver bottom in Febuary. Then bought the 01 Impala 3.8/leather in March. Its been a great combination.
My daughter has a 96 tracker convertible 4 cyl, a 2000 Jeep 4dr and a 01 Chevy Blazer. When the weather gets really bad and snowy she takes the little Tracker. That should tell us something.

Nick

bbrowne74 · July 2001

I saw that awhile back in the posts that you had an Impala as well. We parked our 2 babies together tonite - and MAN did tha tlook good. Picked up the Tracker tonite, and it is a nice little vehicle. It is PERFECT for my wife!

HOw do you like your Impala?

nick01 · July 2001

I like the Impala. I havent found anything really bad about it except the cabin noise when you are on rough pavement. I think it is like a guitar string(the suspension)transfering the road noise to the cabin(the sound box). On smooth roads its smooth and quiet.And I love that 3.8 engine no matter what car its in. I think thats one of the best engines that GM has built. Like to have it in the Tracker

The tracker was a bit sluggish when we first got it even tho we had a 99 tracker 4dr 4cyl to trade in, and was used to the low power. Somewhere around 1500-2000 miles the 6cyl started to come on strong. I have no complaints about the power at all now at 2400 miles. Gets me around 20 mpg around town. None of my other 4wheel drive vehicles ever got that kind of mpg. I thought about waiting to see if GM would get a version of the Suzuki X-7. But with the extra length, the extra row of seats, and the extra weight, it would the offset the 15hp gain of the 170hp X-7. I think we done the right thing by buying the LT. Its a good looking little thing aint it.

Nick

nick01 · July 2001

dont forget to take the cross bars off the roof and store them till you need them. That will eliminate the low rumble noise you hear starting at about 30-35 mph. The manual says slide them all the way to the rear, but that doesnt get rid of all of it.
Nick

bbrowne74 · July 2001

Thanks for the tip! I actually put them on and took them off based on just that talk about the rumble. I wanted to make sure all was there and they worked.

I love the little thing - I prefer driving that right now (prob. because it's a bit newer) then my Impala - never drove a 4x4 before! It's VERY nice!:>

nick01 · July 2001

Had my first towing job today. Had to pick up some 6ft folding tables and some metel clothes racks for a neighborhood garage sale. I have a 4 1/2 ftx8ft trailer With the 2ft iron rails and the drop-down-drive on iron and steel mesh tailgate and the 15" wheels. Dont know the trailer weight. I've towed this trailer behind full size trucks and several s-10's. I was completely satisfied and couldnt tell the difference between the S-10 and the tracker as far as handling. Of course there wasnt very much weight but I think the tracker would handle the max allowable with ease.

Nick

randyrhodes · July 2001

Hi Everyone,
I am looking at buying a new 2001 Tracker LT 4dr 4x4.Sticker price is 21000+/-a few $'s. What is the lowest price I should pay? Thanks for reading this.
Randy

nick01 · July 2001

The amount of your rebate would depend on what part of the country you live in. Northeast, southeast, north central, south central, ect. And it would help if one of your close reletives or yourself was or is an employee of GM were you could get the A-buyer discount.

Nick

nick01 · August 2001

I was thinking that the next time I buy I might get 'his' & 'her' Trackers. One 2 wheel drive and one 4 wheel drive. Come vacation time, rent a cadillac or buick for the long trips. I'd save a ton of dollors and still have the big car for the trips. As much as I like the big comfy cruisers, there is 50 weeks out of the year that I dont really need one.
What do you think??

Nick

wkerickson · August 2001

Does anyone know the maximum size of tire that can be
put on a stock 93 geo tracker, without problems rubbing
against the suspension and/or body, and without requiring
a body or suspension lift? I'm interested in getting a little
more clearance without any major body/suspension changes.
In going to a larger tire, is anyone familiar with necessary
changes to the speedometer / transmission / transfer case
to compensate for the change?

And maybe for down the road, does anyone have comments
on aftermarket body/suspension lifts? The Calmini products
look interesting...

Thanks for your comments!

Bill

rolanddt · August 2001

Congratulations on everbody who bought a new Tracker, I hope they do not cause you a headache like mine has.

Now my Tracker, 4dr 4WD has had numerous problems since I bought it back in 1999, but recently the transmission, which is manuel by the way, completly messed up. The dealer had to rebuild the thing and then I got it back. After awhile the transmission again messed up, somehow losing a few gears and being almost undriveable. I was quite frustrated by that time and contacted the Better Business Bureau autoline to force Chevy to give me some kind of compensation. Well that plan worked well because I talked with the BBB and GM last week and was offered an extended warranty of a maximum of 72 months and up to 100,000 miles, without any deductable of course.

Do not get me wrong, I really enjoy my vehicle, it drives nice with the modifications I put on it, which are as follows: bigger 225/70/r15 offroad tires, nice 15X10 inch alloy rims, which really help ride quality becausae of the width difference between stock 15X7 and these, a nice spray on liner from the apperance package strips on the sides down to the frame, and other small modifications.

You people with the V6 should not complain so much about having a lack of power, although it would be nice if Chevy offered a manuel transmission with their V6 but oh well. I have the 2.0 four cylinder with the 5-speed and it works rather well, in fact the engine has a lot more power at 33000 miles than it did at 1000 miles. The only thing I did to add power was add a K+N airfilter and mess with the airbox a little to add better flow.

Regarding the last question: I am not sure how much clearance older body styled Trackers have but you can proably safefully use 235/75/r15 tires or maybe even 30/9.5/15, those are my guesses however.

matt

bbrowne74 · August 2001

Well I have my '01 Impala for my work (Travel as an engineer assisting Sales force around the state) and I love it! We got the Tracker for the wife to tool around the city and to work - she travels between a number of hospitals as a financial analyst.

We've been switching off cars lately since I wanted the rear cargo room. We talked today and she'll drive the Impala when I'm not travelling that day and leave me the Tracker. We love the others car!

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my Impala, but the Tracker we got for her is a DIFFERENT drive then my Impala or my previous Altima, Saturn, Colt Vista, LeBaron, etc. It's very "trucky".

We've got about 800 Miles on the tracker so far and the power isn't like oyu'd find a sports car, but we didn't buy a sports car. It seems to have a lot of power available if we need it (Switch to POWER shifting, turn off overdrive, 4WD High, any/all of the above).

Love 'em both. I'm a GM Convert!

nick01 · August 2001

I agree with that Brad. As nice as the Tracker and small cars and suv's are, you need a larger vehicle to navigate the freeways. For comfort and safety.
I'm retired now, so I just make sure the wife gets off to work(she's got 7 more years to work)and then I can go play. It's kinda like it was when you were 16 and on summer vacation, except the vacation never ends. It's great!

Nick

zeke707 · August 2001

Does the transmission in a 2000 Vitara (2 lire)have a filter?
Thanks

bbrowne74 · August 2001

We just hit 1G miles on our 2k1 Tracker, and I have to say teh V6 in it seems to have OPENED UP bigtime around the 1K mark. It doesn't seem as sluggish off the start, and it's gotten quite peppy. IT is VERY noticable.

ewj2 · August 2001

I bought a 4WD 4 cyl 5sp Tracker with only roof rack and CD player as options. Pricing is excellent $2500 rebate plus dealer took off an additional $1000 and I had $3500 in GM rebates. so for $10700 I have a new car. With 2500 miles on it so far I am very pleased with it (No problems yet). At 1K miles the engine performance did improve noticeably. Went on a trip with 4 people, 4 bikes, and filled to capacity with luggage and got 25 MPG. It does wander with strong cross winds and the power is just "acceptable" but its fun to drive and is definitely worth considering even without GM dollars. Gas consumption is between 24 and 27 MPG. Only car I have ever had that beats federal rating. If Chevy sold the V6 with 5sp that would be perfect.

cosmo2 · August 2001

I'm glad you like your Tracker. I have a 1999 4 dr 4WD with A/C, power windows and power locks, adjustable steering wheel, rear wiper, and cruise control, and I could not be happier with my selection. However, I disagree with your wishes for a V6 with a standard shift. Once you add the V6 and its dismal gas mileage, you might as well dump the Tracker/Vitara and look at Jeeps and Nissan's as alternative recipients of your hard earned money. They give you comparable fuel economy, performance, and purchase price, and a lot more interior/cargo room for your money.

nick01 · August 2001

I had a 99 4dr 4cyl automatic. I got about 20 mpg in city driving. Traded for the 01 4dr 6cyl auto and still get 20 mpg in town. Dont know about highway milage.

Nick

nick01 · August 2001

my daughters 01 4dr jeep gets 16 mpg and sometimes less.
Nick

rolanddt · August 2001

These vehicles will not ever be truly fast unless Chev and Suzuki put in a larger V6, something that puts out around 200 HP. Although I have read that a GV with a V6 and 5 speed can go 0-60 in the mid 8 second bracket, not too shabby for a small engined vehicle.

On the whole power issue, I have gotten to the point where it does not matter, I guess maybe its because I am not that old yet, mid twenties, and that I have been in or owned quick vechiles. If I had wanted power I could have kept my 97 1/2 ton Chev truck, except that I live in the Pac Northwest and this area tends to have long winters and rainy falls and springs. Thus I was tired of having 2WD vehicles that still sucked in the snow even using nice studded tires. Its nice to know that I can run my off road tires on the Tracker in every season and still get around fine because I have 4WD.

So I guess its all relative, I took traction in this case over power. If I lived in the Southwest I would probably take the powerful vehicle though.

matt

ballfire8888 · August 2001

HI Y'ALL

We have a 1999 Chevy Tracker 4-door 4WD 2.0 L with approx. 50,000 km (30,000 miles) on the odometer. Is it time to replace the OEM fuel filter? If so, where is it located and is this a do-it-yourself project?

TIA

andre1969 · August 2001

My roommate has a '98 Tracker, which is the same design as your '93. He has 235/70/R-15's on it. I think it originally had 195/75/R-15's. He hasn't had a problem with clearance, but I wonder how much traction that thing has in the rain now, with such a light weight and increased tread area.

rolanddt · August 2001

The fuel filter is hard to get at, I know because I changed it myself. It is located underneath in the rear part of the vehicle, on the top, right up against your gas tank.

You should pay a shop to do it, because it was a point and time consuming when I changed it.

matt

nick01 · September 2001

while the preacher was saying his words to marry us, my good friends were outside smearing limberger cheese on my manifold. Now that is real car stink you cant get rid of. But that was years ago and a 1949 ford.
My 99 tracker never gave me one minutes trouble in 2 years. No smells, no breakdowns, no sqeeks. creaks, or rattles. It was a good vehicle. For every couple hundred good cars or trucks(any make) they make one like yours. They should have dropped yours into the 'crusher', but sometimes the bad slip thru no matter what.

Nick

tombayer · September 2001

I used to own a junker 1982 GMC pickup and guess what? Recently received a $2000 rebate check in the mail towards the purchase of a new GM vehicle because of the settlement of a class action lawsuit about the gas tanks in these vehicles. I have also accumulated $1200 in GM card rebate. Also Trackers now have a $2500 rebate. Also I can get a 5% employee (about $1000) from relatives. Lets see that's $6700 off on a new Tracker, Should I get one? Why?? We love the one we have now and have never had any problems with it. It's almost paid for, and only has 23,000 miles on it. 1998 was the last year for the first generation bodystyle which I prefer to the newer ones. We don't need the V-6, when we tow our trailer, or need more room, we use our AWD Astro Van.

bouy · September 2001

I own the 99 Tracker automatic four-door. Can anybody tell me if it is normal for the Tracker to make vibrations through the speeds between 40mph and 45mph when decelerating. I believe my Tracker should not vibrate at this speed and pursuing a BBB case. If you have this problem can you tell me if you resolved it. Although the vibration does not affect the performance, I believe a new car should not vibrate-GM claims otherwise.

leeyahyun · September 2001

Hi: I am looking to buy a Chevy TRacker ZR2 4WD/4DR. I was wondering what is the reliability history of this mini-ute compared to RAV4 or other similar products. I also was wondering how much people have been paying before the "rebates"...negotiated amount. If people are not comfortable posting this you can send email to elee@valleyhealthlink.com and I can post a summary for the community if there are people wanting that info. Thanks in advance.

bbrowne74 · September 2001

We're at 2500 and counting. It's a fantastic little Ute - the wife takes my Impala when I'm not traveling the state on business and I get the Tracker. We are quite impressed, it's our "get around town" vehicle. Having 4-wheel in it is nice, esp. with the rain-soaked roads here in the midwest.

No problems so far! The "Pickup" on accelleration increased some at 1K miles and BIGTIME at 2K. IT's got some pep!

nick01 · October 2001

I guess everyone either sold their Tracker or they sold their computer. That had to be a tough choice to make.

Nick

stever · October 2001

A couple of the SUV discussions are slow at the moment. Maybe the weather has been good or everyone is afraid to shop at the moment, or maybe SUVs are out and Wagons are in. The Xterra crowd is missing in action too. Keep posting - someone will pop back in.

Steve
Host
Vans, SUVs and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards

nick01 · October 2001

OK steve...I'll stay tuned in. When the snow starts to fly things will pick up. Thought my post might scare up a little flurry of more posts.

Nick

stever · October 2001

heh, don't use the "snow" word. It's still hitting the mid-70's here and is dang nice outside.

Steve
Host
Vans, SUVs and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards

bbrowne74 · October 2001

I'm not ready to give up golf yuet for the year!

Chevy Tracker

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