Buick Rainier, Chevy TrailBlazer, GMC Envoy

doc35

TB does not have cornering lights which are on the Envoy. These are lights on the front "corner" bumpers which illuminate a white light path at an angle on the corner you are turning. The LTZ TB and Envoy SLT do both have "side marker" turn signals on their mirror undersides.

Kirk

demodog1

Your dealer will charge you tax on your vehicle purchase then subtract out the GM card rebate or any other rebates/loyalty coupons that you might have.

badgerpaul

Depends on where you live. My GM Card earnings and rebate were subtracted, prior to figuring the tax.

shopper41

Is anyone else bothered by the length of the Envoy's front seat? It hit me squarely behind the knee, and seems designed for a tallish driver, not someone 5'5.

9t9wu8

Anyone here enthusiastic enough about their GMT 360 (GM platfom code for the Envoy, Trailblazer, Bravada) to be part of an Edmund's Owners Club?

We'd be able to have more specific topics relating to the overall ownership experience.

Check ou the section by clicking "Town Hall" then "Owners Clubs" .... the URL is too long to post.

Art

abtrains

Does anyone have information about the aftermarket DVD system dealers can install on the Envoy? Visited dealer yesterday and they said the system is $1,900.00!!! Seems a little pricey.

zeen

My wife is 5'4" and has not complained at all about the seat. Perhaps a back cushion which pushes you out farther would help.

An owners club would probably be worth trying. I'll check it out.

Finally, I drove the Bravada and Envoy before buying the Envoy. I think the Envoy drives just as well.

rpageau

Good idea.

try2keypup

I am also 5'5''. The seat on my Trailblazer hits me square behind the knee as well. It took some getting used to, but I don't really notice it anymore. I can say that everyone that has been in my TB raves about it. I loved it when I bought it, but am still pleasantly surprised how much my friends and family go on and on about how cool it is and how each time someone new gets in it, they do the same. I'm starting to get back the enthusiasm that I lost during the recall. I hope you enjoy your Envoy just as much.

axeman

Are Child Seat Restrain Anchors available in the T/B, Envoy or Bravada?????

ralfo

I noticed this Envoy recall on the NHTSA web site. Has anyone been notified by their dealer on a resolution? It involves the center console cover/armrest lid.

ralfo

The Envoy has three anchor points in the rear.

jeff237

Year: 2002
Make: GMC
Model: ENVOY
Manufactured From: OCT 2000 To: MAR 2001
Year of Recall: '01
Type of Report: Vehicle
Summary:

Vehicle Description: Certain sport utility vehicles fail to comply with requirements of FMVSS No. 201, "Occupant Protection in Interior Impacts." These vehicles have a console cover/armrest lid latch that could release at less than the 10g vertical load requirement of the standard.

In the event of a crash, the console cover could open and the cover or items stored under it could injure an occupant.

GM has not yet provided a remedy for this campaign. GM has not yet provided NHTSA with an owner notification schedule. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact GMC at 1-800-462-8782. Also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Auto Safety Hotline at 1-888-DASH-2-DOT (1-888-327-4236).

I have noticed that the center console lid is not very tight

rpageau

Odd that this would only affect the Envoy. I seem to remember the 3 sisters all having the same console. Just out of curiosity I checked my TB just now. While the console lid did not feel loose to normal prying, it definitely unlatched with very minimal pressure on the latch mechanism. No way it could withstand the 10g vertical load mentioned above. Man, that sure sounds like a lot of force to expect a plastic latch to stand up to. Oh well, nothing a little duct tape can't fix. Sure would hate to get impaled by a Fleetwood Mac CD flying around the passenger compartment!

jeff237

Russ you are funny!!

pbshann

Thanks to all who answered the questions in my last post. Was wondering if anyone has heard any prices for the DVD entertainment system? I saw 1900 on this board, but was wondering if anyone had heard of another number? If it is a reasonable amount I would think about ordering, but don't know how much longer I would have to wait for that!

envoyelroy

Dont pay MSRP. Of course this depends on where you live, but in Orlando i got an Envoy for $272 over invoice. The best part is that it was a newspaper ad and I didn't even need to negotiate. In fact the dealer honored the advertised price on a different color Envoy that he had to get from another dealer. And I got Edmunds TMV for my trade. All in all a great experience. After shopping for 13 months, evaluating and eliminating every SUV on the market as well as the newly introduced models, it was down to a 2002 Envoy or a 2002 Mountaineer. Both had +'s and -'s. Since I have owned 2 Fords, both with transmission problems, I went for the Envoy. 2 weeks later I feel good about my choice. Thanks to all posters over the past few months who have provided valuable info.

envoyelroy

I was sitting in a parking lot in my Envoy yesterday waiting for my wife. A guy saw the front of the Envoy and walked around and asked me "Is that a newly designed Yukon Denali?" I took it as a compliment that my SUV could be mistaken for one that costs almost $20000 more. I told him it was the new Jimmy replacement. He was very impressed by looks of the vehicle.

After reading the posts here for months i completely(almost)checked out my vehicle when I picked it up. Fit and finish were great with none of the problems I have seen mentioned. However, I have noticed a lot of wind noise coming from the sunroof when the sunroof is closed. Does anyone else have this problem. The sun shade is very heavy so it drowns out most of the noise when it is closed, but then i can't let the light in. My wifes car is a VW Passat with a quiet sunroof, so I know there shouldn't be much noise.

iukstu

I had to add a quart of oil with less than 3000 miles on my 2002 Bravada. Anyone one else check their oil lately?

9t9wu8

Are you sure it's the sunroof or could it be the roofrack cross rail? I haven't tinkered with the rail position enough yet to confirm best location. "Over rear door opening" is a little vague.

ralfo

My Envoy has a little over 1000 miles on it now. I too had to add almost a quart of oil. I'm guessing that these things were probably shipped this was. I can't see a new engine consuming this much oil.

lyndellw

I changed oil on my Envoy @ 2000K,it was still on the full mark. I have another 1000K on the change,still on full mark.
I see a potential problem with the top windshield seal/moulding. Mine is loose in the channel it fits in,the otherday after I washed it and drove down the road at 70/75 mph to blow the water off,I heard this loud noise like someone throwing large rocks hitting the back of the car.I was the only car around,so figured something had broke. I stopped,checked under and all around,nothing. Looked up at the windshield and the right half of the seal had blew out and was beating the top of the car which is very thin gauge metal. No damage,but sounded real bad. I have checked other Envoys/TB's,and they all seem to be the same way. The rubber seal can be secured with silocone sealer, but a new redesigned rubber seal would be a better fix. I will wait a few weeks and see if a TSB comes out on a fix. Also, the plastic cap on top of the rear hatch glass needs a TSB issued. The bottom edge is secured to the glass with a strip of moulding tape. I have seen several that has come loose just below the 3d brake light. I replaced the tape on mine,so far it's holding.

rthammer

I just heard from my dealer that GM is offering a $3000 rebate on the TB (I'm sure it will include the other two siblings as well), Has anyone else out there heard this? They still don't have a TB in stock yet, their first one is being built this week so maybe it will be here within a week or so. Any news on the rebate, please post.

Thanks
Ron

darionlow

Since the 2002's are selling so well, GM has no reason to give the rebate on the new ones.
And the 2001's have almost nothing in common with the 2002's.

smith53

while having my vehicle serviced this week i saw new trailer blazer having new engine installed. dealer said strange noises coming from inside the engine. vehicle had less than 1000 miles on it

fletch45

The rebate is for the 2001s, and varies from no rebate, to $3500, depending on where you live. Too bad it is not for the 2002s...I am picking up my new LTZ Monday, and a couple grand in my pocket would be nice!

jim f

http://www.edmunds.com/new/2001/chevrolet/blazer/trailblazer4wd4drsuvwonstar43l6cyl4a/prices.html

rpageau

1000 miles is way too early for me, but I was kind of hoping for some strange noises around 59,000 miles (conned GM into extending my B to B warranty to 5/60 after the recall).

envoyelroy

I am pretty sure its not the cross rails. It almost sounds like there is a leak, it's that noisy. I have stuck my hand up there when the noise is the loudest(at higher speeds) and I can't feel any air coming thru. Maybe it's sticking up just high enough out of the roof to generate loud noises?

tkunkel

I love the look of the painted trim bar on the front of the LTZ TB but will be getting a TL for budget reasons. Has anyone looked into the cost of buying the unpainted trim bar for a LTZ TB, having it painted body color and installing it on their TL? I am going to the dealer tomorrow to order a TL if I can get my price and was looking for an idea on the cost of replacing the chrome trim bar on the TL TB.

Thanks
Tom

tkunkel

The spell checker change my LT to TL. I was typing about a TB LT.

Tom

kozak1

There is a TSB out for the sunroof on the Envoy

fletch45

I read a once that wind noise is almost always always the sound of air escaping the cabin, rather than entering. That would explain why you don't feel anything. With the windows closed, turn your blower to high and try switching your AC back and forth between fresh air and recirculate. Listen for the wind noise to change. If switching changes the sound, you have an air leak. If not, the sound is outside. This worked very well on my Silverado with the familiar leaky quarter windows.

If you determine that you do indeed have a leak, you can find it very easily. Turn the blower to high-fresh air. Mix some dish soap and water, squirt some on the seal on the outside and watch for bubbles.

Now you can show the service people exactly where the leak is.
jim f

doc35

Ladies and Gentlemen, may I introduce Martha Stewart's brother "fletch45" You should also include a little ditty on some additional uses for the fender holes, such as "they make nice inverted stem vases and at speed will provide a lovely flowering effervescence for your fellow highway travellers."

Just teasing, I am only trying to complement you on your ingenuity on the air leak "finding" technique and the ability to point out to the Tech. Nice going....

Kirk

ducky87

seems like an awful lot of people are reporting problems, i had some very serious problems with my envoy and strongly recommend anyone considering envoy/trailblazer/bravada to look elsewhere. this model years edition will go down in history as a real loser. i repeat, you are urged not to buy one of these gm dogs, they are unsafe. more recalls to come

rpageau

It looks like the Profit of Doom is back on the board.

rpageau

Based on my experience getting running boards for my TB after the sale, I would guess the painted trim piece shouldn't cost any more than your first born.

Do not...I repeat...do not wait until after you get the truck to get this detail priced. Get a firm commitment on an acceptable price to you for the painted trim piece before you sign on the dotted line. It is the last time you will have the dealer's attention. Adding the trim piece after the sale will just be a way for the dealer to recoup some profit he didn't make on the truck!

When you have the dealer to his bottom line price, just casually say you will buy if he throws in the trim piece. What's the worst thing that can happen? He might say no, but I bet he will at least sell it cheaply at that point.

By the way, I need to share my running boards experience with you guys/gals. It is hysterical! I'll do that next week, which is when the story should be complete.

zeen

Ducky: It's too late. Why didn't you tell us all BEFORE we bought our Envoys? Other than some little trim things, I have had no problems and love the Envoy. What are your problems?

Kunkel: As for the painted bar on the TB LT grill, I'll bet a good body shop could sand that piece from your LT, prime it and paint it for less than the cost of ordering the part and painting it. Should be easy.

zeen

Lyndell: You were right on target with those little problems you noticed. I checked the plastic piece near the 3rd brake light and saw the same problem although the seal above my windshield seems fine...for now.

Some minor problems I've had are rear passenger door which is a little out of alignment and doesn't close easily, a wire I believe above the eyeglass holder (I have no sunroof) that knocks around against the roof and a slight alignment problem (Pulls to left and could be related to recall fix). I have also confirmed that the center console latch is useless. I guess I'll wait for the recall on that.

Notwithstanding the above, it drives beautifully and my wife who is the principal driver loves it.

iukstu

ralfo,

You might want to keep an eye on your oil. I told my husband your theory and he said that he checked to fluid levels when we got it. It definately used a quart of oil. I haven't taken it in for it's first oil change but I plan to do it this week. I have a few other things I need corrected also...console lid is crooked, seat belt locks up and won't release, steering wheel is crooked since they fixed the recall problem, etc. Just little stuff but I really worry about the oil. I only know one other person with a 2002 Bravada and they were a quart low after 2000 miles. Worth keeping an eye one.

Anyone else get a check today form Oldsmobile? Pleasant surprise!

trapjack

Just found this site and haven't had time to read all 1200 messages so maybe my ?'s have been answered. Took a TB LS for a short test drive today and thought the ride was a little soft from side to side compared to my 96 Explorer. Anybody else notice this? Also did a comparison of the TB and Explorer on autosite.com. They showed the TB being an inch longer at 39.7". I measured it today and got 34" between the top of the back seat and the hatch. Not long enough for my dog kennel. Also the manual states if you are going to be towing a trailer over 1000 lbs. you need trailer brakes. I really don't want to retrofit my '68 trailer. Also, Ford says there would be no problem braking with the Explorer and a 1500 lb trailer. Any comments? Also any MPG figures?

trapjack

pbshann

Was wondering if anyone was able to use this special financing that Edmunds.com lists as being available for new 2002 TrailBlazers. While I am listed as being in an area that is eligible for this financing no dealer has seen it or will give it to me without first calling to GMAC to verify. Since no dealer in my area has exactly what I want right now and I am not ready to buy from their stock, they have not checked it out with GMAC. So I was just wondering if it really exists. Maybe the hosts could have Edmunds double check this?! Thanks in advance!

fletch45

I was at Bob Brown Chevrolet in Des Moines Iowa Thursday. They have a Trailblazer in the showroom, and there was a big sign on the windshield about the special interest rate incentives that GMAC is currently offering...the same ones that Edmunds is showing. So yes, they do really exist.
jim f

jjc77

Ordered: Feb 10
Delivered: May 14
Drove Home: May 19

SLT 4WD- Pewter, running boards, Sunroof, the only option not taken was the 4.10 rear-end. I spend between 10-12 hours per week driving and in the time that I have had my Envoy, I wish I could drive even more. So far I have not had any of the problems that people talk about. People claim that the brakes feel mushy, if you have never driven a car with 4 wheel disc brakes then I could see your point. As for the steering, I have driven a Yukon and my last car was a 99 Grand Prix so the steering feels like a combination of the two. I also do not believe in the old idea that you should not buy a vehicle the first year it was built.... If everyone did that, every vehicle on the road today would only be a concept vehicle.

rpageau

jjc77: Excellent point on the first year of a new vehicle!

Your comment on the brakes is interesting. This is my first 4-wheel disc vehicle, and I also thought the brakes felt "mushy" at first. It may be my imagination, but they seemed to get a tighter feel over time as if they required a certain amount of break-in time. Maybe I just got used to them, but they certainly don't feel as mushy now as when I first got the truck.

envoyelroy

Thanks very much for the sunroof noise info. It is a leak and I found exactly where it is. Posts like that, helpful and informative, make this board great.

Also, what is a TSB and how can I find the info on it for the Envoy sunroof.

Thanks all.

envoyelroy

I love my Envoy! I, and probably everyone else who has bought one of the triplets, expected some first year annoyances. I weighed the pluses and minuses of waiting until 2003 or buying now and decided to buy now. Post 1280 makes a great point about first year vehicles. Any model year, or any product you buy for that matter, can have problems. Hell, I sell books for a living. Sometimes they come thru with pages missing. As long as the dealer does their best and fixes the problems I will be happy.

I must admit that the oil usage bothers me, but at 600 mile I'm ok and now know to check often. Hopefully the cause is not too serious.

To focus on the positive, these are great looking SUV's, I have already been told so by complete strangers. The inline 6 is powerful and quiet. They are just the right size, not too big, not too small. My list could go on an on. I have and will continue to recommend these SUV's to others.

envoyelroy

I plan on holding on to my Envoy for at least 10 years, but here is a list of some improvements I think they could make for the next model year to help future buyers. Anyone have more to add?

-a larger gas tank. Explorer has a 22 gallon, I wish my Envoy did, that's almost another 100 miles between fill ups.The initial RX300 had a small tank too, but Lexus eventually fit a bigger one in.

-better cd holder. This is really minor, but annoys me. If they just changed the size of the console slightly, cd's would fit in so you could read the labels instead of looking at plastic edges.

-ugly geometric interior trim on Envoy SLE. I wish it was just plain black. I plan on replacing it as soon as something is available.

-2 last biggies, 5 speed automatic transmission and independent rear suspension.

fletch45

Glad you found your sunroof problem.

TSB = Technical Service Bulletin. The Automakers issue TSBs to their dealers when there is a widespread problem, or maybe a change in repair procedure. You can use the link below to search for bulletins for a particular vehicle, but the text of the TSBs on the NHTSA site is abbreviated, and sometimes it is hard to understand what they mean. Your service dept should be aware if there is a bulletin on your problem, but it seems that is not always the case. Forums like this are good about passing TSB info on diffrent problems, making those who read it aware of the bulletins, and allowing them to mention a TSB (and give them the number if you find one) to their service people.

http://www.autopedia.com/html/NHTSAtsb.html

BTW: there is a bulletin on the Envoy sunroof, but it sounds like a service procedure, not a problem...try the search and read for yourself.

jim f

envoyelroy

Thanks again for all your help.