120,000? Man it's just getting broken in. With regular maintenance you should be able to see more than double that. My '96 Tahoe has 161,000. Runs strong, shifts great and doesn't use a drop of oil between changes. No problems yet.
THANKS FOR THE ADVISED AND YES I'AM GOING TO KEEP THE REGULAR MAINTANCE, AFTER HAVING SEVERAL PROBLEMS WITH AN 2000 F-150 I WANT TO TRY THE CHEVY'S. WILL SEE WHAT'S UP ">
aeroplane said: 120,000? Man it's just getting broken in. With regular maintenance you should be able to see more than double that ____________________________________________________________________ That may have been true with the older Suburban/Tahoe but I don't think the new generation model year 2000 and up are as well built. Take a look at all the problems that are listed on this forum. Transmissions failing at 50K miles or less, water pumps and fuel pumps, instrument clusters, AC, you name it they just aren't lasting like they used to. I had a '92 Suburban that I drove for 14 years then bought a new '06. The '06 rides and drives a bit better but I can feel that the engine and tranny are just not as solid as the '92. I think we will come to find out at any of the newer models lasting up to 150K without major repairs will be the exceptions.
I have a 2000 Suburban with 349,000 miles. I bought it new with 4 miles on it. Aside from routine maintenance the mechanical problems I encounter the most are fuel pumps(4 of them) and steering idler arms(4 of them). I was stranded once when my tensioner pulley spun off at 116,000 miles- a maintenance item that should be replaced at 30,000 miles. I thought I would have replaced a starter or alternator by this point.
kruzen said: Aside from routine maintenance the mechanical problems I encounter the most are fuel pumps(4 of them) and steering idler arms(4 of them). I was stranded once when my tensioner pulley spun off at 116,000 miles- a maintenance item that should be replaced at 30,000 miles ___________________________________________________________________ Twenty five years ago replacing a fuel pump at almost any mileage was unheard of. Likewise steering idler arms. Granted, you do have 349K miles on your vehicle but that means you are averaging a new fuel pump every 85K miles and that to me is BS. And the cost to replace these pumps is HUGE. They are not making these Suburbans like they used to. But then again most buyers keep the vehicle for 5 years at the most and then buy a new one. It is the folks who buy and keep the vehicles who are paying for the GM policy of replacing fuel pumps, idler arms, transmissions, etc. Buy 'em, drive 'em, throw 'em away.
My '82 (non-Suburban) did! Low miles though (114k over 17 years).
I remember when a good friend back in the late 80's went from Anchorage, where I was living at the time, to LA and picked up an older California Suburban with about 130,000 miles on it and drove it home. Then he dumped $10,000 in in practically rebuilding the thing. He was on old car collector anyway and knew what he was getting into. We all thought he was crazy, but he said the Suburbans were built like tanks and most of the miles on this one were easy freeway miles.
You know the rest of the story - he was still driving it in '03 when I last saw him. I'll try to get an update.
Tidester said: Twenty five years ago, how many cars lasted 85,000 miles ____________________________________________________________________ You are kidding, right? My second car was a '51 Mercury that went over 100,000 miles for me and was stilling running strong when I sold it. I have owned many cars and trucks that were in the 150K range before I sold them. NEVER replaced a fuel pump or front end parts on any of them. I did replace a few water pumps around 100K miles, some U-joints and a few AC compressors....but certainly not transmissions, rear end parts, fuel pumps or major engine components.
Modern cars do last longer, at least the frames and sheet metal. Call me old-fashioned but I just can't seem to accept the fact that many on this forum are spending thousands of dollars replacing fuel pumps and transmissions at very low mileages. However, I do like the 7,500 mile oil changes and 100K mile tune-ups. And there is no doubt that tire life has been extended by many miles although the tires are not made by the auto manufacturers. GM could fix the tranny problems by going back to the TH-350 and TH-400 models. Those transmissions were pretty much bullet-proof under normal useage. And you would think GM could come up with a fuel pump that wouldn't cost upwards of $1,000 to replace in the Suburban/Tahoe.
My 2002 1/2 ton 4x4 Suburban LT now has 159,000 on it and we bought it new Dec '01. It's been the lowest maintenance and highest reliability vehicle we've ever owned and that's covered the gamut from other GM products to Jags, BMW's, Subaru's, Honda's, just about "you name it." I've replaced the 4 shocks at 100k, the idler arm at about 140k and had the front diff gone thru. Oh, and I did the spark plugs at 100k, which required a pair of special pliers. I use Mobil 1 synthetic and have changed the oil every 12k-15k miles, and I send in a sample to Blackstone Labs for analysis and the report looks good every time, so I'll stay on this schedule. Our driving is probably an ordinary mix of city and highway, and it stays inside out of the rainy NW weather at nite. I expect now to spend probably an average of about $500-1,000/yr on maintenance outside of routine stuff. This beats the cost of a new one all to heck and so we're driving almost free considering that the rig is mostly depreciated out at this point. I'll wait for the hybrid in a couple of years, and hopefully they'll make it a plug-in, and fix the abomination of those middle tumbling seats that make the cargo bay so short that it won't haul a 4x8 sheet of plywood or sheetrock. We also bought an '86 Sub (diesel) new and drove it for 256k miles but it needed an engine transplant at 160k, sadly. Based on the higher maintenance in many areas on the '86, I feel strongly that the '02 machine is of far better quality and it's certainly a pleasant vehicle for any kind of driving.
ramjet2 said: We also bought an '86 Sub (diesel) new and drove it for 256k miles but it needed an engine transplant at 160k, sadly ___________________________________________________________________ Unlike the Europeans, Detroit never learned how to build a good passenger car/SUV diesel. At 160K miles European diesels are just starting to get broken in.
AHH? WELL MY 2001 SUBURBAN 4X4 AS WELL HAS 89,000 MILES AND THE ONLY REPAIRS I HAVE DONE IS THE AC COMPRESOR THATS IT AND ITS BEEN A NICE TO DRIVE SUV AND THANKS TO THIS FORUMS IM BENN ABLE TO GET A COUPLE OF POINTER SO THANKS FOR THE COMMENT.
I have a 2000 burban, it has 133500 miles on it. I had my transmission pump replaced recently. I would like to know why my service engine light stays on. The technician got it to go off fat 24 hours, back on again, I notice that in the am. it idles some and the service engine soon light blinks. I usually let it run for a while and take off, then it stops blinking but stays on.
Hi valley64, well the service engine problem its maybe that you need to reset the light, drivers manual indicate step by step on how to do it, if that dont fixed the problem its maybe a electrical problem.
Happy Motoring, hope the Bur ban's give us thousand's of more miles. :shades:
As for me... I have a 2003 92k mile 5.3L gas LT Burb 4x4, no catastrophic issues so far - but the vehicle has been far from trouble free.
The issues have been: Fuel pump at 40k and again at 82k (both resulting in the vehicle having to be towed-in); speedo panel replacement (on GM's dime) at 67k; leaky CV boot replaced at 78k and that's pretty much it other than routine maintenance. Oil changes have been on more frequent intervals than the GM Oil Life System (OLS) call for, although I am considering going now to a synth and running the oil much longer miles.
Looking ahead to 100k, I'm figuring on doing the plugs and maybe converting to Mobil1. But not sure about that.
The Chevy dealer (who I see at church) is bugging me to death for buy one of his leftover 2009's. Deals are pretty agressive, but still close to $42k for a moderately-equipped LT. It's about $10k off the window sticker.
So, I am weighing my options - go forward for another 100k, no warranty taking my chances? Or, trade it for a new 2009 with less equipment and a payment for 5 more years. The 2003 still drives great and is kept inside at work and home, so it still "seems" pretty new.
I'd really love see this thread grow with a lot more information. In the new economy, surely lots of us are considering running our older vehicles longer.
How about the rest of you? What's your high mileage experience. Better to keep a Burb to 200K? Better to unload it at 100k for a new one?
Any other thoughts about going long miles in the 2000-2006 5.3L Burb?
All depends, mine is all ready 100 thousand miles on it is a 2001 4x4 LT auto ride, this one has all the godyes in it, and something similar to this is like you said, here in south California is over 45 grands so never mind I will keep mine until the wheels fall of, so far has been a very nice and comfortable SUV on and off road is very good, I normally go off road maybe 2 or 3 times a month pulling a 16 ft utility trailer with maybe 5,000 lbs on it and I can go up hill down hill go up on a normal step hill (not a extreme incline or step) but a pretty decent one and I haven't got any problem yet only one A/C condenser that's it, and my hopes are 200 to 250 thousand miles out of the 5.3 liter engine, the oil I used to put in it was mobil one but since 88,000 miles I made the change to Ams oil which has been really good if you know your vehicle you feel the difference (mine is all around stock, only the tires are mud terrain) so well see how this conversation go's on.
So, I am weighing my options - go forward for another 100k, no warranty taking my chances? Or, trade it for a new 2009 with less equipment and a payment for 5 more years. ____________________________________________________________________ Dollar wise this is a no-brainer....keep your current vehicle. 5 years of car payments will cover a lot of repairs on your 2003...and chances are those repairs will be far less than the car payments as you run up another 100k miles...and at that time you will have a vehicle that is still worth some money so you can trade it in or sell it and start over. Remember, it is the depreciation that is the biggest cost factor of owning a vehicle, not repairs.
Good points Rockman and thanks much for the reply. Think that's what I've decided to do (99%) sure. I did demo a 2009 for a weekend and it's really nice - but so cotton-picking expensive - especially given the new economy. Honestly, I've never kept a vechicle past 100k (other than one time and that was German-made Diesel car 15 year ago - different animal, trouble free until about 200k)
I bought my 99' burban 4 yrs ago with bout 88k on her. I now spun her to 200000 with mostly mainteance repairs, brakes,oil ect. The biggest job was my intake manifold gasket job, had coolant running into my crankcase. The mechanic that pdid the job had to do it twice, because the kid that worked on it didn't use enough sealant across the top of the block. needless to say he didn't make much money on that job, as it was warrentied work. Anyway i'm all for the high mileage, its just a number. Maintenance costs definitely outway the monthly payment, for me anyway. 95 percent of the work i do myself so that helps out also. Can't trust to many guys to work on your cars anymore. Good luck!
I have a 99 burb with 202000 mile. Bought it with 88000 on her and have done regular maintenance on it. The biggest problem were the intake manifold gaskets, and just last week the distributor burnt out. My ABS malfunctions but i leave the module unplugged, at inspection i plug it back in and noone knows the difference. The truck has its quirks with the service engine light, but nothing i cant work around. Looking to get my next 50000 miles on it now.
I have a '99 Suburban with 132k on it. I'm trying to change the spark plugs. Is there any special tool or technique to remove them? The wires seem to be quite difficult to remove.
I have a 2001 4x4 Tahoe LS with over 185,000 on her. She has been all over the US and into Canada, sometimes pulling a boat, sometimes pulling a camper, sometimes just loaded with kids and ball equipment and on the daily commute and back and forth to out of town schools and athletic events and vacations. She is the most reliable vehicle I have ever owned. We're having some gas gauge issues these days, but other than that, just like her predecessors a 1991 Suburban (stolen with nearly 200,000 miles) and the 1985 Suburban (traded with only 105,000) she starts every time and takes good care of her family. Can you tell we love the Taheezie?
No special tool just a 5/8 plug socket and ratchet maybe an extention. The wires are hard to pull off because they have not been off probably since they were new. Grab the boot of the wire and give it a twist first to free it up frome the porcelin on the plug.
I need help! I have a 1993 suburban with 387.000 plus miles. I need to know what the timing is. The under hood sticker that has that information is gone. If someone would look at theirs I would appreciate it. Thanks.
i have a 1999 suburban 1500, that had a 5.7 vortec that is now gone, i was wondering if a 1997 350 v8 suburban engine would work, or do i have to stick with 5.7 only from only a 1999, or is a 5.7 vortec, the same as a 350 v8?
Wow! My mechanic says that the 92-99 represents the longest-lasting Suburban body style ever produced. Industrial strenght 350 cast-iron engine and built really well from tip to toe. So, you may make a million!
My 2003 just passed 98k and I am seeing lots of signs of aging, nothing that will ground it - just little things (well one big thing - the front differential is spitting up metal shavings and we are changing the gear oil every 2k to see if it stabilizes - if not, that's about $2k).
2001 LT 4x4 99K - has a high idle and shifts late and hard when hot. Suggestions would be most appreciated.
Wife wanted a knew suburban, so we went shopping the other day. There are some decent deals out there for low mileage used suburbans, but would still mean payments for us. Prefer to fix the one we have and drive it as long as possible.
I've enjoyed reading this thread and hope that it picks up as well.
I have a 95 suburban 260,000 + miles and other then normal maintence and few typical issues of things just waring out this dang thing wont die. lol. yes original 350 engine. purrs like a kitten. I love this thing!!
I bought my '03 Suburban new, just turned 205k with no issues other than maintenance stuff. I've been shopping for something with lower mileage, but I think I've just decided that I'm keeping it for the duration. I just can't justify the money when it's been such a great truck, and shows to signs of slowing down.
I last posted this here in 2008: "My 2002 1/2 ton 4x4 Suburban LT now has 159,000 on it and we bought it new Dec '01."
Now our Suburban, named "Hammerwhang" has 260,000 on it and it's still running perfectly and continues to be our lowest maintenance vehicle out of 40 that we've owned and also the most reliable.
Since my 2008 post, I've continued to change the oil about every 13,000 miles, optimizing the runtime of the Mobil 1 EP synthetic oil by having Blackstone perform their excellent spectroanalysis after each oil run and it continues to run very clean. This service has been key to saving money on filters & oil (even though synthetic oil is expensive) and it's also given peace of mind about the internal status of the 5.3 engine.
Routine maintenance aside (which I mostly do myself in my home shop), in the last 6 years I've replaced the control arm & idler arm, the alternator and one window lift motor ($50 new on eBay, took 45 minutes). That's it. However, this month I'm going to replace all the moving parts in the front end for its first-ever rebuild: Hubs with ABS sensors, CV shafts, axle seals, tie rod ends, all 4 ball joints, and bump stops. I'm having this work done rather than do it myself because it's just a little outside of my expertise and I have a guy who's done hundreds of these and runs his own small shop @$50/hr. I will also replace the 4 shocks on the Autoride suspension for the 2nd time. This will all cost about $3,000 but when you consider that the entirety of repair bills only come up to $4k in the last 6 years/101k that's only 4 cents/mile which is cheaper than any other car we've owned. In fact, even if I include regular maintenance items it only totes up to 6 cents/mile.
As always, we keep the truck inside, drive it ~15k/year nowadays, mixed city & highway. Several times per year we fill the cargo area up in a way that no other regular vehicle can match and we occasionally tow our 5,000 # travel trailer. The Sub's been around all 4 corners of this great country several times, it's moved our kids and businesses, handled countless errands short and long, taken my wife & I on memorable trips in fabulous comfort and has never let us down save for the minorly inconvenient alternator failure at 255k miles.
I hate that GM wrecked the cargo area design on the '07 series Suburban, which in my opinion removed much of the "U" from this amazing icon of an SUV, and the '15's are no better and perhaps worse (yes I've driven one and loved everything else about it but I refuse to spend $75k on an ill-designed-cargo-space S_V).
We fully intend to drive our '02 Sub to the end of it's useful life, or ours, whichever comes first. I will fix whatever it needs and run it forever and then will it to our kids because it's the last of the Great American SUV's. They just don't make them this way anymore. If I lost it somehow, I'd look for the best same-series '06 and buy it immediately.
The fuel pump problem is most likely from running low on fuel too much.The fuel is used to cool the fuel pump. Yeah i know,I don't remember this problem years back. I guess fuel injection needs a better pump. I would consider going crazy on filters. Aftermarket fuel and transmission filters could save big money. A bypass filter for the engine and a filter for the power steering also. Leave the stock air filter box on and the paper filter. Change the brake fluid and go over wires and connectors.Think about how much a new vehicle costs. Add in that Suburbans really haven't changed much over the years. I write this after much research and the thinking about what year Sub. to buy. I think of them as a big four wheel drive station wagon for the family,That can tow good.
My family is looking into buying a 2007 Suburban with 148k miles on it. We like it, but are worried it may not last as long as we think it will. How long do usual Suburbans last, both mileage-wise and year-wise?
There's no way to answer that, because unlike new cars, which are all the same out of the box, used cars are all different. So 148K on one car may not be a cause for serious concern, but 148K on another example of the same used car might foretell utter disaster. You can see this by the previous posts.
High miles is high miles, be they "city" or "highway"--all those parts have been going round and round a long time.
Statistically (like with people), there is a limit to longevity. With a gas engine car, the life expectancy is around 175K to 225K. As with people, one that has been well taken care of has a better chance of making the far end of that spectrum, or even exceed it; a neglected one might be all washed up even before life expectancy is reached.
The best advice I can offer is:
1. Ask to see any service records 2. Get a CARFAX report 3. Take the vehicle in for a pre-purchase inspection 4. Make your offer on the price based on proper deductions for high mileage.
Suburbans can run a long, long time. Could it run to 248K? Sure. Some people here have achieved that. But that's probably not the norm--at least not something you could count on.
I have a 2009 suburban. I was thrilled last week when it hit 115 thousand miles. Yes over the years I survived cutting my hand from the door opener latch and replacing hubs when the bearings went bad. Not replacing for 1200 dollars the electric heated driver seat. But wow I never had a car make it past 100 k miles. My excitement was short lived as a day later cylinder #6 lifter failed to lift. Engine was shaking wildly. Turned it off immediately and flatbed it to dealer. Estimate $5800.00 and no promise that there would not be more engine problems. You all know the cost of a new one so since it has a perfect frame for $7100.00 I get a new gm engine with 3 years or 100 k mile warranty. I said okay. Time will tell, do you all think my decision was a mistake?
Bit of a tough call - that's a lot of money to throw into old iron.
Old friend of mine rebuilt his Suburban back in the 90s and spent almost $10,000 doing so. We all thought he was crazy. He went on to drive that one for another decade before replacing it with a newer, high mileage one he found in LA.
I convinced my wife that our last minivan could go to 200,000 miles. It did, but the last 8 months was expensive and painful.
All in all, I'd rather go with a crate engine with a warranty as you did than a shop rebuild.
I have a '99 gmc suburban with a 5.7 engine, 3.73 rear, with 245,000 miles and counting. Transmission still holding up well. Just hauled a 5,000 pound trailer from NJ to Missouri, back to North Carolina and then back to NJ. About 3,000 miles in 6 days. Love that thing. Would love to get it to 500,000 miles. It creaks and squeaks here and there. I don't consider those flaws, just character. A new one would be nice but price tag is a bit out of my range.
Hello All, I'm shopping for a used Suburban (or Yukon XL). I was reading some reviews and it said the years around 2000-2005 have been good ones for this vehicle. Other than liking the ride and space it offers, i am no expert on these vehicles. I don't mind high miles but not terribly high like way over 200k. I like doing my own car work whenever possible so I would like the normal wear items to be doable for DIY such as oil change, brake work (pads and rotors), tune ups (spark plugs), shocks. I've been spoiled with my Honda Accords that are practically trouble-free.
Since I have not owned an older vehicle like I plan to get I am a bit apprehensive thinking that I will be spending more time fixing something than enjoying the vehicle. Many GM vehicles seem to have idler arm and steering linkage issues. Does this mean that once they are fixed that they will not recur? I've also read engines and transmissions being replaced. I had a coworker who had to replace the instrument cluster in his suburban.
These issues are all foreign to me bc of having Hondas and Toyotas that are trouble free. Although for a while, I kept 3 1980s Mercedes 300D diesels. They all required some TLC but those were 20-30 year old vehicles. But never any engine or transmission problems.
Whatever you can share about these vehicles I would appreciate. And what you whould be checking if you were looking at one. Thanks
I have a 99 K1500 that I ordered from the factory in 98. GM workers went on strike 4 days after ordering. It was delivered Oct 98. This was the last year of the 5.7L Vortec. I currently have 382,000 miles. This is a daily driver that has not been used as a "work" truck. My daily commutes have never exceeded 25 miles round trip 4 days a week. It is also my fishing, camping, snow ski vehicle that are up to 600 mile round trip runs. Motor is original but did have to have transmission rebuilt at 250,000 (sun gear where you lose Rev & 2nd). Rebuilt by an Aamco and same part failed in 30,000. They would not stand behind work/part telling me that they could not even tell me where they got the part from. When I told them that I was considering having an independent mechanic rebuild, they asked me if he had the same year warranty which he did. His next question was if the independent would be around in a year. My response was that he has been at same location since 1969 and the 2 guys at their shop I dealt with are no longer there after 18 months. I had front differential repaired at 95,000 under my 100,000 mile extended warranty. Other repairs have been intake manifold gasket, water pump, oil pump, fuel pump, idler & dummy pulleys, radiator where the metal line meets the radiator at the top drivers side, mufflers, catalytic convertor, O2 sensors, EGR valve, PCV valve, mass airflow sensor, thermostat, shocks, battery, tune up(plugs,wires & points, driver & passenger door internal & external door handles, left rear barn door handle, center console latch. 2 deer damage repairs. Mountain driving is tough on the brakes so multi changes. Lifters and rocker arms are very quiet. I just had front seats reupholstered this week. That distance is the equivalent of to the moon and over halfway back!
Me, a 2003 Suburban with 150K miles. I bought it with 98K for $10K and since I've put a fair amount of maintenance into it. @105K a pitman arm and master door/window switch. @120K O2 sensors and both catalytic converts. @140K new transmission (I do drive it like a sports car) now at 149K the front end squeaks and I need all new tie-rods and ball joints (both sides of the front end) plus a water pump and steering gear box. So all repairs described = about $6K. I've yet to pull the trigger on the last set of repairs (everything I listed at 149K). I've been vacillating between repairing and keeping for hopefully another 150K miles.. Engine doesn't' burn any oil. Or getting into something new but it seems most economical to do the repairs and keep it. It otherwise runs and drives great, I'm happy with it outside of the repairs that come with more frequency than I'd like but maybe that's about normal. Oh yea my instrument cluster is out but I missed the warranty on that, but I don't really care either, I use Waze to see how fast I'm going.
Hi all, I am driving a 2009 Suburban with 282000 miles! Bought it used and it is still going strong. Replaced the ball joints, shocks and spark plugs this year.
Comments
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That may have been true with the older Suburban/Tahoe but I don't think the new generation model year 2000 and up are as well built. Take a look at all the problems that are listed on this forum. Transmissions failing at 50K miles or less, water pumps and fuel pumps, instrument clusters, AC, you name it they just aren't lasting like they used to. I had a '92 Suburban that I drove for 14 years then bought a new '06. The '06 rides and drives a bit better but I can feel that the engine and tranny are just not as solid as the '92. I think we will come to find out at any of the newer models lasting up to 150K without major repairs will be the exceptions.
THANKS FOR THE COMMENT. :shades:
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Twenty five years ago replacing a fuel pump at almost any mileage was unheard of. Likewise steering idler arms. Granted, you do have 349K miles on your vehicle but that means you are averaging a new fuel pump every 85K miles and that to me is BS. And the cost to replace these pumps is HUGE. They are not making these Suburbans like they used to. But then again most buyers keep the vehicle for 5 years at the most and then buy a new one. It is the folks who buy and keep the vehicles who are paying for the GM policy of replacing fuel pumps, idler arms, transmissions, etc. Buy 'em, drive 'em, throw 'em away.
Twenty five years ago, how many cars lasted 85,000 miles?
tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper
I remember when a good friend back in the late 80's went from Anchorage, where I was living at the time, to LA and picked up an older California Suburban with about 130,000 miles on it and drove it home. Then he dumped $10,000 in in practically rebuilding the thing. He was on old car collector anyway and knew what he was getting into. We all thought he was crazy, but he said the Suburbans were built like tanks and most of the miles on this one were easy freeway miles.
You know the rest of the story - he was still driving it in '03 when I last saw him. I'll try to get an update.
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You are kidding, right? My second car was a '51 Mercury that went over 100,000 miles for me and was stilling running strong when I sold it. I have owned many cars and trucks that were in the 150K range before I sold them. NEVER replaced a fuel pump or front end parts on any of them. I did replace a few water pumps around 100K miles, some U-joints and a few AC compressors....but certainly not transmissions, rear end parts, fuel pumps or major engine components.
It was a rhetorical question underscoring the fact that modern cars do last longer than their predecessors.
tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper
I use Mobil 1 synthetic and have changed the oil every 12k-15k miles, and I send in a sample to Blackstone Labs for analysis and the report looks good every time, so I'll stay on this schedule. Our driving is probably an ordinary mix of city and highway, and it stays inside out of the rainy NW weather at nite.
I expect now to spend probably an average of about $500-1,000/yr on maintenance outside of routine stuff. This beats the cost of a new one all to heck and so we're driving almost free considering that the rig is mostly depreciated out at this point. I'll wait for the hybrid in a couple of years, and hopefully they'll make it a plug-in, and fix the abomination of those middle tumbling seats that make the cargo bay so short that it won't haul a 4x8 sheet of plywood or sheetrock.
We also bought an '86 Sub (diesel) new and drove it for 256k miles but it needed an engine transplant at 160k, sadly. Based on the higher maintenance in many areas on the '86, I feel strongly that the '02 machine is of far better quality and it's certainly a pleasant vehicle for any kind of driving.
'er y' go.
Agreed!
tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper
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Unlike the Europeans, Detroit never learned how to build a good passenger car/SUV diesel. At 160K miles European diesels are just starting to get broken in.
HAPPY MOTORING :shades:
No oil leaks or burning oil.
Change oil every 3,000.
Change trans fluid before and after tow season.
Family driver
K&N air filter
Thorley headers
3" exhaust
Jet performance chip
trans cooler.
Happy Motoring, hope the Bur ban's give us thousand's of more miles.
:shades:
As for me...
I have a 2003 92k mile 5.3L gas LT Burb 4x4, no catastrophic issues so far - but the vehicle has been far from trouble free.
The issues have been: Fuel pump at 40k and again at 82k (both resulting in the vehicle having to be towed-in); speedo panel replacement (on GM's dime) at 67k; leaky CV boot replaced at 78k and that's pretty much it other than routine maintenance. Oil changes have been on more frequent intervals than the GM Oil Life System (OLS) call for, although I am considering going now to a synth and running the oil much longer miles.
Looking ahead to 100k, I'm figuring on doing the plugs and maybe converting to Mobil1. But not sure about that.
The Chevy dealer (who I see at church) is bugging me to death for buy one of his leftover 2009's. Deals are pretty agressive, but still close to $42k for a moderately-equipped LT. It's about $10k off the window sticker.
So, I am weighing my options - go forward for another 100k, no warranty taking my chances? Or, trade it for a new 2009 with less equipment and a payment for 5 more years. The 2003 still drives great and is kept inside at work and home, so it still "seems" pretty new.
I'd really love see this thread grow with a lot more information. In the new economy, surely lots of us are considering running our older vehicles longer.
How about the rest of you? What's your high mileage experience. Better to keep a Burb to 200K? Better to unload it at 100k for a new one?
Any other thoughts about going long miles in the 2000-2006 5.3L Burb?
Brad
All depends, mine is all ready 100 thousand miles on it is a 2001 4x4 LT auto ride, this one has all the godyes in it, and something similar to this is like you said, here in south California is over 45 grands so never mind I will keep mine until the wheels fall of, so far has been a very nice and comfortable SUV on and off road is very good, I normally go off road maybe 2 or 3 times a month pulling a 16 ft utility trailer with maybe 5,000 lbs on it and I can go up hill down hill go up on a normal step hill (not a extreme incline or step) but a pretty decent one and I haven't got any problem yet only one A/C condenser that's it, and my hopes are 200 to 250 thousand miles out of the 5.3 liter engine, the oil I used to put in it was mobil one but since 88,000 miles I made the change to Ams oil which has been really good if you know your vehicle you feel the difference (mine is all around stock, only the tires are mud terrain) so well see how this conversation go's on.
GOOD LUCK ON THAT BURBAN..........
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Dollar wise this is a no-brainer....keep your current vehicle. 5 years of car payments will cover a lot of repairs on your 2003...and chances are those repairs will be far less than the car payments as you run up another 100k miles...and at that time you will have a vehicle that is still worth some money so you can trade it in or sell it and start over. Remember, it is the depreciation that is the biggest cost factor of owning a vehicle, not repairs.
Thanks again.
B
I don't have any manuals for that vehicle, but you are due a hearty congrats for getting that kind of mileage!
good luck
My 2003 just passed 98k and I am seeing lots of signs of aging, nothing that will ground it - just little things (well one big thing - the front differential is spitting up metal shavings and we are changing the gear oil every 2k to see if it stabilizes - if not, that's about $2k).
Wife wanted a knew suburban, so we went shopping the other day. There are some decent deals out there for low mileage used suburbans, but would still mean payments for us. Prefer to fix the one we have and drive it as long as possible.
I've enjoyed reading this thread and hope that it picks up as well.
I last posted this here in 2008: "My 2002 1/2 ton 4x4 Suburban LT now has 159,000 on it and we bought it new Dec '01."
Now our Suburban, named "Hammerwhang" has 260,000 on it and it's still running perfectly and continues to be our lowest maintenance vehicle out of 40 that we've owned and also the most reliable.
Since my 2008 post, I've continued to change the oil about every 13,000 miles, optimizing the runtime of the Mobil 1 EP synthetic oil by having Blackstone perform their excellent spectroanalysis after each oil run and it continues to run very clean. This service has been key to saving money on filters & oil (even though synthetic oil is expensive) and it's also given peace of mind about the internal status of the 5.3 engine.
Routine maintenance aside (which I mostly do myself in my home shop), in the last 6 years I've replaced the control arm & idler arm, the alternator and one window lift motor ($50 new on eBay, took 45 minutes). That's it. However, this month I'm going to replace all the moving parts in the front end for its first-ever rebuild: Hubs with ABS sensors, CV shafts, axle seals, tie rod ends, all 4 ball joints, and bump stops. I'm having this work done rather than do it myself because it's just a little outside of my expertise and I have a guy who's done hundreds of these and runs his own small shop @$50/hr. I will also replace the 4 shocks on the Autoride suspension for the 2nd time. This will all cost about $3,000 but when you consider that the entirety of repair bills only come up to $4k in the last 6 years/101k that's only 4 cents/mile which is cheaper than any other car we've owned. In fact, even if I include regular maintenance items it only totes up to 6 cents/mile.
As always, we keep the truck inside, drive it ~15k/year nowadays, mixed city & highway. Several times per year we fill the cargo area up in a way that no other regular vehicle can match and we occasionally tow our 5,000 # travel trailer. The Sub's been around all 4 corners of this great country several times, it's moved our kids and businesses, handled countless errands short and long, taken my wife & I on memorable trips in fabulous comfort and has never let us down save for the minorly inconvenient alternator failure at 255k miles.
I hate that GM wrecked the cargo area design on the '07 series Suburban, which in my opinion removed much of the "U" from this amazing icon of an SUV, and the '15's are no better and perhaps worse (yes I've driven one and loved everything else about it but I refuse to spend $75k on an ill-designed-cargo-space S_V).
We fully intend to drive our '02 Sub to the end of it's useful life, or ours, whichever comes first. I will fix whatever it needs and run it forever and then will it to our kids because it's the last of the Great American SUV's. They just don't make them this way anymore. If I lost it somehow, I'd look for the best same-series '06 and buy it immediately.
Yeah i know,I don't remember this problem years back. I guess fuel injection needs a better pump. I would consider going crazy on filters. Aftermarket fuel and transmission filters could save big money. A bypass filter for the engine and a filter for the power steering also. Leave the stock air filter box on and the paper filter. Change the brake fluid and go over wires and connectors.Think about how much a new vehicle costs. Add in that Suburbans really haven't changed much over the years. I write this after much research and the thinking about what year Sub. to buy. I think of them as a big four wheel drive station wagon for the family,That can tow good.
My family is looking into buying a 2007 Suburban with 148k miles on it. We like it, but are worried it may not last as long as we think it will. How long do usual Suburbans last, both mileage-wise and year-wise?
High miles is high miles, be they "city" or "highway"--all those parts have been going round and round a long time.
Statistically (like with people), there is a limit to longevity. With a gas engine car, the life expectancy is around 175K to 225K. As with people, one that has been well taken care of has a better chance of making the far end of that spectrum, or even exceed it; a neglected one might be all washed up even before life expectancy is reached.
The best advice I can offer is:
1. Ask to see any service records
2. Get a CARFAX report
3. Take the vehicle in for a pre-purchase inspection
4. Make your offer on the price based on proper deductions for high mileage.
Suburbans can run a long, long time. Could it run to 248K? Sure. Some people here have achieved that. But that's probably not the norm--at least not something you could count on.
Old friend of mine rebuilt his Suburban back in the 90s and spent almost $10,000 doing so. We all thought he was crazy. He went on to drive that one for another decade before replacing it with a newer, high mileage one he found in LA.
I convinced my wife that our last minivan could go to 200,000 miles. It did, but the last 8 months was expensive and painful.
All in all, I'd rather go with a crate engine with a warranty as you did than a shop rebuild.
Good luck!
I'm shopping for a used Suburban (or Yukon XL). I was reading some reviews and it said the years around 2000-2005 have been good ones for this vehicle. Other than liking the ride and space it offers, i am no expert on these vehicles. I don't mind high miles but not terribly high like way over 200k. I like doing my own car work whenever possible so I would like the normal wear items to be doable for DIY such as oil change, brake work (pads and rotors), tune ups (spark plugs), shocks. I've been spoiled with my Honda Accords that are practically trouble-free.
Since I have not owned an older vehicle like I plan to get I am a bit apprehensive thinking that I will be spending more time fixing something than enjoying the vehicle. Many GM vehicles seem to have idler arm and steering linkage issues. Does this mean that once they are fixed that they will not recur? I've also read engines and transmissions being replaced. I had a coworker who had to replace the instrument cluster in his suburban.
These issues are all foreign to me bc of having Hondas and Toyotas that are trouble free. Although for a while, I kept 3 1980s Mercedes 300D diesels. They all required some TLC but those were 20-30 year old vehicles. But never any engine or transmission problems.
Whatever you can share about these vehicles I would appreciate. And what you whould be checking if you were looking at one. Thanks
Keep 'em Rollin.