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Hummer H2

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  • h1vch1vc Member Posts: 295
    "this H2 will incorporate a removable roof
    section over the cargo area"

    Is this a marketing term for the movable bike rack system or is this a real removable roof like the one on some new GM suv/truck with the tailgate that can open down to to the side? Thanks.
  • rpols5rpols5 Member Posts: 2
    I've had my H2 for a month. Its amazing how nice it is on the road, for the capability it has off road....and no I haven't had the chance yet to take it off road. Only problem so far is the molding on the A-pillar at the windshield. The rubber part came off the plastic. I have already had the new replacement part installed by the dealer and all is ok. My wife was even surprised how nice the inside was, and how nice it is to drive.

    Mileage has averaged 12-13 on highway/city mix. No desire for tire rack either. There is a decent amount of room even with the spare, and if I need more, I'll just leave it at home.

    I will keep updating on any issues, but right now I am VERY happy with my H2.
  • h1vch1vc Member Posts: 295
    Good to hear you're enjoying your h2

    That molding is supposed to be held on by doubleside tape. The guy on the assembly line forgot to take the plastic off the tape and just pressed it on. So it was installed improperly. Another problem you should watch out for is weak grab handles. They're held in place with plastic tabs, put too much pressure on them and they'll break off.
  • grunt03grunt03 Member Posts: 15
    Are you referring to the grab handles on the hood, or the ones to assist entry?

    I wonder if someone will come out with some headers to improve fuel mileage. I had a full size Dodge Van years ago we used to travel to motocross races in. I installed a set of headers and the gas mileage improved to 2-3 mpg.

    Keep us posted for any updates.

    Thanks
  • h1vch1vc Member Posts: 295
    entry handles.
  • sbcookesbcooke Member Posts: 2,297
    the other night. Just driving by a dealer the other night around 9:30. A salesman was on his way home...taking the H2 with him. I asked him if he could take me for a spin. It rides real nice. We only went 30 MPH, but it was spongy, yet firm over potholes. Very nice ride. The 9 speaker stereo needs some work though.
  • h1vch1vc Member Posts: 295
    I just read that a few people in GA were ticketed because they had white reflective lettering on their spare tire covers. If any of you have them you might want to check if they're legal where you live.
  • h1vch1vc Member Posts: 295
    The traction control dash light kept coming on when I first got my H2. I thought I had a brake pad dragging. Hard braking seemed to have fixed the problem but it didn't. The problem reappeared. It was a problem with the self-adjusting brakes on the rear. The brakes are supposed to adjust themselves when you back up. Well, something was out of line. They said that they had another H2 in with the same problem.

    The front driver's assist handle located on the windshield side interior leaks water after heavy down pours or going through the carwash. It leaks where the cover plate screws/bolts to the windshield frame. (Sounds to me like this is related to a sunroof seal leak or a windshield seal leak.)

    After running the H2 through a carwash, the upper front corner on the driver's side of the sunroof makes a gurgling noise as if air and water is trapped inside the drain tubes for the sunroof. It doesn't go away until you hit the highway above 60 MPH and let the air force it out. (There have been 4-5 complaints of seal problems with this new sunroof.)

    Had a problem with the "seal" around the sunroof. I noticed this after washing the rig for the first time, and crawling around on the roof to dry the top. Not good, as it appears this seal keeps water from getting between the roof and sunroof.

    The sunroof visor molding was not seated?

    The horizontal dash grab handle above glove box was loose on left side. (it is similar to assist handles loose/pulling out.)

    In the center storage compartment there are 2 "posts" on the driver side like maybe they forgot to give us a coin holder that slips over the posts. Other GM vehicles have exactly that.

    Two H2's delivered to dealer with only 1 ignition key each; still waiting for 2nd key. (Actually they should provide 3-4 of these keys (for "spares") as they are a pain (and $$$$) to have made at a later date).

    No good place for the left foot when extended out while driving. There is some form of plastic
    "box" down there probably electrical or heating-have not looked yet.

    Wire harness around parking brake control exposed/loose.

    The removable u-steps should have had more of a "punched" tread for the holes. It will be slippery in the winter.

    The driver's floor mat is sort of "slippery" when driving and resting your right heel. Foot slides around on the "rubber/plastic".

    The 3 overhead compartments to hold eyeglasses should have a more soft lining on the part where the glasses rest. Only one side is covered with "felt" and whatever is up there makes noise when bouncing/sliding around.

    The plastic housing above the rear hatchback that holds the large center led brake light, was misaligned. This caused the rubber strip that sits between the front of this part and the roof to warp and "catch" on the roof when the hatchback was opened. This caused the left side of this brake light housing to violently separate from the top of the lift gate and slap back down with a loud crack. It damn near had me hitting the dirt, as it had an uncanny resemblance to "small caliber arms fire". This whole piece had to be replaced.

    The check engine light illuminated with about 1/8 tank of fuel left (1400 miles). After filling the tank, the light returned to normal.

    Hood latch on the will not lock the hood. (An H2 I saw at a dealer had some fiberglass damage where the hood latches to the body due to misaligned hood catches.)

    Lack of door protection from other vehicles dinging the H2 doors. (Evident at one dealer with a 2-week old H2, with U-steps installed.)

    Extreme variation in dealer pricing of an easily installed rear swing-away tire carrier, dealer cost $509, retail $795, installed, $1200-$1400.

    Difficulty telling if/when AC is on due to indicator button being reverse of normal. (AC off when button indicator is lit.) Also, there has been considerable discussion that the A/C (besides being hard to tell if it's on), is inadequate for this vehicle. (I've test driven 3 H2's and each time the AC had to be set at 60 degrees to cool down the huge interior and keep it cool...humid-90 degrees outside....it never got to 60 degrees...at least in 20 minutes).
  • grunt03grunt03 Member Posts: 15
    I can relate to the AC not cooling properly. I couldn't get the AC to cool the inside down enough to be comportable even set at 60 for over an hour.

    It turned out the AC system was overcharged. Apparently it was charged to specs if the vehicle has rear air (3.8 lbs of 134). The tech at the dealership found it as soon as he got his AC service machine hooked up and evacuated the system and recharged with 1.8 lbs.

    The service manager also noticed the seal at firewall to inside was missing. They were able to seal it with some of the old black stuff we used years ago to seal ac lines going thru the firewall. A quick check of another H2 nearby, showed no seal. Service manager called factory to see if this was a problem.

    Also had to disconnect the battery to reset the fresh air supply door.

    It's cooling much better now.
  • h1vch1vc Member Posts: 295
    Thanks for the info.
  • SporinSporin Member Posts: 1,066
    Those sound like typical first year car problems. You want to be the first guy on the block with one... you have to put up with junk like that.

    Just make sure to have the dealership fix each and every issue, no matter how small.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Coming up in the Pine Barrens of NJ. Check out http://isuzu-suvs.com/events/pb-09-21-02/index.html for details. It's a very tame/beginner trailride. All are welcome to come on down and join the fun and get your SUVs dirty!


    -mike

  • h1vch1vc Member Posts: 295
    You're right. They're just 1st year problems. None of them are serious. It looks like the H2 is pretty good, I'm suprised that it doesn't have more serious problems.
  • SporinSporin Member Posts: 1,066
    Well, the major mechanicals are all tried and true GM truck stuff. But th erest o fthe package is bound to have teething pains. :-)

    Get that thing dirty!!!!! :-)
  • h1vch1vc Member Posts: 295
    I can't, don't own one.
  • SporinSporin Member Posts: 1,066
    Now I'm confused...

    #212 of 219  Partial problem list by h1vc  Sep 09, 2002 (05:45 pm)

    The traction control dash light kept coming on when I first got my H2. I thought I had a brake pad dragging. ...


    Sorry. thought you owned one. I don't either by the way, just think they are cool is all. :-)
  • h1vch1vc Member Posts: 295
    Nothing to be sorry about, it is a little confusing. I'm on a H2 list. THe owners on there have been posting their problems. I just copy/pasted their reports. Also afaik no one has had all the problems listed, most only have a few of the listed. I've seen a few H2s at dealers. I think they have too much plastic. The Hummer is MUCH cooler!
  • stockstimingstockstiming Member Posts: 27
    A pretty nice H1 can be had for the price of a new H2.
  • h1vch1vc Member Posts: 295
    But I still don't have enough money. Anyone want to make a donation to Hummers for h1vc fund? You can paint your company logo on it for advertising.
  • grunt03grunt03 Member Posts: 15
    I agreed with H1vc, there is too much plastic.

    I can understand saving weight, but I would like to see the grill in stainless or polished alum.
  • h1vch1vc Member Posts: 295
    I think they should atleast offer heavyduty steel front/rear bumpers as an option.
  • wishnhigh1wishnhigh1 Member Posts: 363
    So does anybody have some real off-road experience in the H2?

    I am talking trails where you get to the end and only Land Rover Defenders, Toyota FJ40s and Jeep CJ5s have made it. Can the H2 handle this?

    What about snow...anybody been doing any summer glacier climbing? Any Sand experience? Mud?
  • SporinSporin Member Posts: 1,066
    I think comparisons to the H1 are purely apples and oranges.

    The H1 certainly beats it off road, but it is a completely uncivilized vehicle with very little passenger space and zero ammenities. Portal axles kick butt, but you couldn't pay me to drive an H1 on road.

    Frankly, for the cost of an H2, I'd spend $25k on a Jeep Wrangler Rubicon for off roading and $25k on a nice sedan.
  • h1vch1vc Member Posts: 295
    I think the H2 should be good off road. I don't have personal experience, but right before the H2 went on sale AMG/GM let independence Hummer and hml/hcml members take a couple H2s off road. Afterwards they said the H2 was good, it went everywhere the Hummers did, these were the same guys that were basically bashing the H2 daily because they didn't think it would live up to the Hummer name. Also during Homecoming some H2s went to silver lake and drove on the dunes, I think everyone said the H2 perofrmed well.

    I think the Hummer is far from uncivilized. It has all the ammenities a normal vehicle has. The ride on road is alot better than the reviews make it out to be, I've driven 2 and ridden in 2. Space in front is good, I'm over 5'11", the rear legroom is tight with the front seat all the way back, but with the seat a little foward rear leg room is alright, better than my cousin's 02 accord. It is noisy, but all diesels are like that.
  • stockstimingstockstiming Member Posts: 27
    The H1 is very civilized AND great fun to drive on a daily basis on the roads. It's actually my wife's car as she is the one that got the bug for it when we saw one that "lives" in our neighborhood. We'll see how it performs towing our performance boat to the Colorado River next week.
  • jrosoffjrosoff Member Posts: 10
    Just wanted to let you all know the the "Unofficial Hummer H2 Page" has been updated: lots more information, lots of pictures, and now FORUMS for your discussions.


    Again it can be found at:


    http://www.elcova.com/h2

  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    Edmunds Terms of Use does not allow promoting "other auto forums that provide message boards or chats."

    tidester
    Host
    SUVs; Aftermarket & Accessories
  • SporinSporin Member Posts: 1,066
    . . . which is nothing short of ridiculous. But you can't fight city hall.

    the fact is that this BB, as entertaining as it is, is geared almost solely to new consumers and has a very shallow TECHNICAL depth.

    In cases where people are looking for in depth information and technical know how related to a specific vehicle, there are far more informative web sites out there.

    This is no slam on Edmunds, but I find it ludicrous that a site dedicated to helping consumers would not want those same people to be pointed toward the BEST place for their questions, where ever that might be.

    I'll get off my soapbox now.
  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    sporin,

    We don't have a problem with members mentioning other sites that have message boards. The key word was promoting and it's sometimes a fine line. No other commercial sites tolerate posters encouraging members to leave and go elsewhere. It is a reasonable policy.

    Also, notice that the post "in question" was not removed as I concluded the poster was providing useful information to the rest of the group. His use of the word FORUMS (capitalized, no less) might have been construed as promoting the other site. I felt a simple cautionary message was appropriate.

    I hope that helps.

    tidester
    Host
    SUVs; Aftermarket & Accessories
  • SporinSporin Member Posts: 1,066
    Hey.. no problem, it's your house and I am happy to abide by the rules. I just wanted to get that off my chest. :-P
  • h1vch1vc Member Posts: 295
    Police are still investigating. This is an interesting case and something will break on it, fairly soon I hope. The driver told me about a week ago that he never had a seizure, that his right foot slipped off the brake, onto the accelerator, and he tried braking with his left foot which only pushed down on his right ... That's what he said. Police say he had a seizure and may have a history of seizures. All this still to be worked out somehow. I promise you that we're not letting it pass by, but at the moment law enforcement authorities are driving this.
    Injuries to all people were fairly minor, including the driver of the Dodge truck which was the last vehicle struck. That driver and the
    Hummer driver were the only ones who even visited the hospital, as far as I can tell. As for damage to other vehicles? The last two struck by the Hummer were much damaged, especially the Dodge, which was totaled. Don't know about the others. The Hummer was totaled.
  • h1vch1vc Member Posts: 295
    Problem: Windshield wiper fluid coming out of front and rear glass nozzles, staining plastic a lovely shade of green
    Fix: Reduce amount of fluid in reservoir, learn to love green spots

    Problem: Molding loose on rear doors
    Fix: Push back on, good for about three weeks

    Problem: Headliner sagging below sunroof molding
    Fix: None, hope GM will issue a service bulletin on this, needs a couple of screws to attach it to the bottom of the roof (not screws through roof) or extend and strengthen lip of sunroof molding

    Problem: Corrosion inhibiting paint on chassis gouged when grounding screws were attached at the factory

    Problem: Winch has to be removed to open hood

    Problem: Shift handle rotates somewhat, sloppy

    Problem: Occasionally feels like I have very little brake

    Problem: No locking gas cap

    Problem: Some people have bad reception with their radio

    Also I read GM is offering 0% financing on leftover 02 Hummer/H2s.
  • glamourlifeglamourlife Member Posts: 49
    I don't believe there are any 02 H2's. The waiting list is 60-90 days, and dealers are often times charging more than MSRP. There are no discounts currently. Maybe if the economy continues to slide, things may change, but right now, the H2 is one of the hottest new vehicles.
  • h1vch1vc Member Posts: 295
    http://media.gm.com/news/releases/020919_incentive.html


    As far as I know, I and few other Hummer addicts are the only ones that calls the original, Hummer and the new one, H2. Everyone else, including AMG/GM calls them H1/H2, and together they are Hummers. GM's release says 0% on Hummer and others.

  • megasuvownermegasuvowner Member Posts: 64
    Hello everyone

    I finally picked up my new 03 Black H2 yesterday from the dealer, and i had been waiting since the beggining of August when i first put my name on the list, wasn't that long. I had the two TV screens installed in the headrests which should be fun for the kids. The truck is great. I currently own 5 vehicles and my driveway is getting crowded. Im still deciding whether or not to keep the Escalade which currently has 13,000 miles on it and many after-market options. I cancelled my request for a Mercedes CL600 because it was taking too long and am currently looking for a nice weekend sports car to replace my beloved Testarossa. Anyways, the H2 is great......So far, ill update this post with any new info or whatever sometime in the near future.
  • h1vch1vc Member Posts: 295
    Glad you like it. Very interesting that you have a H2 and a G5. If you take them off road can you please tell us which you think is better and why? Thanks.
  • sbcookesbcooke Member Posts: 2,297
    I don't know if this has been posted here. It is a bit long winded, but H2 owners might like it.


    http://www.motortrend.com/hummer/1.html

  • glamourlifeglamourlife Member Posts: 49
    Any of you new H2 owners have reports? What is the real world Gas mileage like? Any discounts from dealers? How is the performance?

    I wonder if the H2 is meeting GM's expectations? I don't see many around yet? Cool looking truck, although the interior seems a little too pedestrian.
  • h1vch1vc Member Posts: 295
    I'm not an owner but I hear other owners say anywhere from 11-low 13s mpg in mixed driving. No real discounts right now. I was wrong with the 0% financing, sorry. It's a 3+ ton truck, so its not fast. Offroad performance is good, recently 3 H2s went offroad with a group of Hummers, and the H2s did everything the Hummers did. For the most part the dealers are selling every one they get, so I think GM is happy. If you want slightly better mpg, www.breathlessperformance.com makes some parts for the H2 that will increase it by ~1.5mpg.
  • glamourlifeglamourlife Member Posts: 49
    Thanks H1vc for the info. I really like the H2, but I can't imagine paying MSRP for any GM product. Especially not in this era of 0% financing and cash back incentives.

    I remember the Escalade used to command MSRP when it first came out, but now you can get $7K plus off a 2003. I wonder if the H2 will see incentives once the supply picks up a little?

    I test drove one and was impressed with the overall experience. Didn't get a chance to do much off road beyond a gravel/dirt road and a couple of curb sized dips.
  • h1vch1vc Member Posts: 295
    Any chance you like the Hummer (the original)? Right now at Lynches (one of the best if not the best Hummer dealer in the world) you get anywhere from 13-19000+ off msrp on 02s and more on 01s plus your choice of 0% or 5000 cash. I don't see the price coming down anytime soon, it's new, has a limited production, and is one of the most capable vehicles out there. IIRC AMG is making 20,000 H2s this year. They can produce 40 per year but the SUT should come out next year, so numbers should be the same.
  • glamourlifeglamourlife Member Posts: 49
    Wow, that is a tremendous deal on the H1. The H1 is a BEAST. It's road manners are not tame, but off road it has no equal.
  • h1vch1vc Member Posts: 295
    The 0% on 02s have expired, sorry! Should have checked before posting. But the prices are still good.
  • sooner71sooner71 Member Posts: 1
    Hi everyone. I'm new here so bear with me. I know this may be a stupid question but how's the overall reliability of the H2 so far? As far as in-town driving, halling the kids around, etc, how does the H2 seem to be holding up so far? I'm mainly looking for info from actual owners who drive one day in & day out to see if it's realistic to expect reliable, daily driving abilities from an H2. Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated.
  • h1vch1vc Member Posts: 295
    Seems like the H2 is pretty reliable, I haven't heard of any new problems since my last problem post. I also hear that driving/parking is easier than similar sized suvs because the H2 is boxy. There isn't a lot of owners/activity here, you can find more owners on the H2ML at www.hummerh2.net.
  • araftcoaraftco Member Posts: 23
    I have had my H2 for 2 months now and can't say enough about it. I have been off road (mud only) and it does quite well even with the stock all-terrain tires. I also own a 2001 Yukon Denali XL and I believe the ride and comfort is at the same level as the Denali but it is definitely easier to maneuver downtown.

    The turning radius is one thing that helps so much. As far as gas mileage, I am averaging about 11.5 MPG in mixed driving. This is coming from the Denali averaging about 17 MPG and it has the same engine, but the Denali has a 3.73 rear end.

    One simple thing I would strongly suggest is that you buy the wrap-around grill guard. The way the top tube is on the front end, it makes it much easier to tell where your 2 front corners are and makes maneuvering much easier.
  • tgravo2tgravo2 Member Posts: 70
    Do you mean your H2 has just as a luxurious ride as a denali XL?? I would think the H2 rides stiffer.
  • paul555paul555 Member Posts: 8
    A true report from Motor Trend during their SUV of the Year testing.

    "The most memorable moment of our off road test came when we pointed the Volvo XC90 up a trail only the most dedicated trucks tackled. With stoic Scandinavian reserve, the five-cylinder SUV methodically plodded up the trail--not once but three times to ensure it wasn't a fluke. To measure how great a feat that was, we attempted to run the H2 up the same hill in street mode (four-wheel drive in high-range, but without locking the differentials). It didn't make it. No Joke."
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