Newer Tahoe and Suburbans good bad ugly...

[2BLAZERS]

So just starting to look into what we can buy for 8-12K in cash. Should have the dough together by 06/01

I will daily drive it half the time instead of my dually so I can leave the Truck camper on my dually truck most of the summer.

My wife will drive it to when she wants more room then the Camry.

My 77 is my weekend truck, no A/C and lifted so can't use it for work.

It will likely be the roadtrip car for the family and dog.

It doesn't need to tow much other then a utility trailer with a quad or RZR in it. Have the dually for the big trailer.

We've had two Excursions but had to sell to get out of payments. newest excursions are now 10 years old and spendy, specially the diesel ones.

This will not be used offroad other then snow passes and draging a quad to the trails.

Thus we're looking into Tahoes/Subs.

Good bad ugly please....specially the 2007 newer style...
Any years to stay away from?

Please and thank you!

 

[Smokinthehippies]

I will say for that range I wouldn't plan on ending up with the newer body style. Might be different where you live but I was finding clean lower mileage 05-06 Tahoes for 8-10k. We ended up with a 06 for $7500 allowing us to buy some wheels and tires and what not

 

[skunked]

I haven't seen the 07+ in that price range either.

FWIW I have an 02 Z71 Tahoe and really enjoy it.

 

[2BLAZERS]

So is it just get as new as you can factorying in mileage?

Any years to stay away from?

Seen a lot of 2004-2006...And why do so many have ugly 20'' rims on them....

Looks like we will target the 2004-2006 with the 5.3....and might snag a 2007 but it will likely have high mileage....

 

[TREA18]

I owned a 97' Yukon and a 02' Yukon. The 97' had 5.7l and the 02' had the 5.3 now my truck had some extra weight (wheelchair lift) and 3.75" body lift but I really missed the 5.7. The 5.3 had a smaller fuel tank and my mileage wasn't any better. I liked both though

 

[skunked]

So is it just get as new as you can factorying in mileage?

Any years to stay away from?

Seen a lot of 2004-2006...And why do so many have ugly 20'' rims on them....

Looks like we will target the 2004-2006 with the 5.3....and might snag a 2007 but it will likely have high mileage....

01-06 are all pretty similar.

The 5.3 is a solid motor, try and find a lower mileage rig with documentation.

 

[89yimmiJ]

The '01-06 are probably as dependable as they come. I have an '05 with 90k miles on it and I don't expect any major issues but there are a few annoying little things that I have experienced or know people that have.

I personally don't know anyone that has killed a 5.3 with normal use.

I have 90k with no issues.
One of my uncles has 220k no issues.
Another uncle has two, one with 250k no issues, the other with 300k and has only replaced the fuel pump.
Another uncle has 225k and replaced his trans at 200k but he doesn't know how to drive.
A guy at my work has 500k on his. He has replaced the trans twice and rear axle once but over 500k on the truck and it's still his daily driver.

The blower motor resistors on mine go out annually. It takes 10 minutes to replace. The first one was around $100 but with the lifetime warranty I just walk in the parts store and swap it out.

The transfer case encoder and/ or motor dies every few years.

The oil pump in the transfer case can wear a hole in the case requiring tear down.

Leds in dash lights burn out.

Sunroof can go off track pretty easily.

Pretty minor stuff in reality for a vehicle that sees some heavy use on road trips, camping, towing the race car, etc.

 

[skunked]

Intake manifold gasket was an issue for many 5.3's, mine didn't act up until 190K or so.

 

[Blue85]

I have an '05 XL with 5.3 Flex and 3.42 gears. We use it mostly as the family wagon, similar to what you're describing. It's a snow rocket and can get 20MPG highway on summer blend gas. This is obviously the economy setup and not great for towing, but I do pull the occasional trailer load of firewood around in it with no problems. For long road trips, the ride and space are quite addictive.

Have had airbag errors (sensor), TPMS faults (more sensors), rear wiper not working (liftgate switch), bad lines to the rear A/C (the fix is a long story, but you don't want to pay for new lines) and multiple failures with the auto-leveling part of the Autoride system. As far as getting us around, it's been very reliable, it drives great and rides great.

You don't need Autoride, but the failures are usually related to the leveling (compressor and air bags always fail eventually). The damping rate adjustment still works to make it ride smooth. I'm a big fan of the 2WD/Auto/4WD/LO selector. The full-time AWD (aka Denali setup) sucks your MPG down a lot and the Auto setting is perfect for when the road conditions are changing a lot from snow to dry, etc. I think that might not be available on the 3/4-ton.

 

[2BLAZERS]

Thanks guys.

So find 2004 - 2006ish, 5.3 lower miles the better.

Avoid air ride susension crap, avoid all time 4wheel drive and sunroofs.

What are the offered gear ratios, 3.42 and 3.73?
What did the tow package include? Mandotory for towing a utility trailer?

What was the max tow ratings?

I'd rather have some repairs then a truck payment on a new Tahoe...

 

[79rustyk10]

I'd look for the lowest gears you can find. I have 3.42s in my 06 1500 silverado, and at times I wish they were lower, but that may be the overly conservative factory tune too.

Mine took a new 2014 silverado in a drag race though, so maybe it's not that bad.

 

[Smokinthehippies]

I have an '05 XL with 5.3 Flex and 3.42 gears. We use it mostly as the family wagon, similar to what you're describing. It's a snow rocket and can get 20MPG highway on summer blend gas. This is obviously the economy setup and not great for towing, but I do pull the occasional trailer load of firewood around in it with no problems. For long road trips, the ride and space are quite addictive.

Have had airbag errors (sensor), TPMS faults (more sensors), rear wiper not working (liftgate switch), bad lines to the rear A/C (the fix is a long story, but you don't want to pay for new lines) and multiple failures with the auto-leveling part of the Autoride system. As far as getting us around, it's been very reliable, it drives great and rides great.

You don't need Autoride, but the failures are usually related to the leveling (compressor and air bags always fail eventually). The damping rate adjustment still works to make it ride smooth. I'm a big fan of the 2WD/Auto/4WD/LO selector. The full-time AWD (aka Denali setup) sucks your MPG down a lot and the Auto setting is perfect for when the road conditions are changing a lot from snow to dry, etc. I think that might not be available on the 3/4-ton.

Hey how did fix the air bag thing our passenger seat sensor is doing that in my wife's rig. It's super annoying.

 

[rjfguitar]

If you can muster up a few thousand more, you can get into an 07-08 Cadillac Escalade.

THe mommy wagon around here was an '03 Yukon for years. We traded it off at 178K, we had little trouble with it over all. Now she has an Escalade. The 6.2 is an animal and the 6spd auto is pretty nice too. We also like the AWD, I never have to worry about if she knows to put it in 4wd or not.

Yeah, the 6.2 and AWD pulls down the fuel mileage, but it's no biggie to us, we LOVE the Escalade over the Tahoe/Yukons, so much nicer inside, cooled seats, and I love driving around that 6.2, heck even if the 6.2 didn't make any more power, the way it sounds over the little 5.3 is worth it. The first time I drove an Escalade I thought it had an aftermarket muffler on it, I thought no way a factory vehicle would sound this throaty...nope stock.

 

[Russell]

I have an 03 Z71. I drive it in preference to my 14 2500HD. Its a comfy truck and has plenty of pep.

Mine is loaded less the sunroof and the rear facing DVD player. It was special ordered with a 5.3L, 4l60e, NP246, 3.42 gears, tow package and power extending tow mirrors. It's rated for 7400lbs towing capacity according to the hitch. I pulled a 16ft equipment hauler trailer with a lifted Jeep XJ on it through some of the steepest mountain roads we have in Alberta and it did just fine. As expected, the fuel economy was brutal in the single digits once you got off the flat highways in the prairies.

The ride in these trucks takes some getting used to. The rear suspension actually behaves quite a bit like a modified offroader in that it has a lot of wheel travel and squats / unloads as you hit different bumps and dips in the road. Sometimes I think some stiffer valving on the rebound side would do the truck well to clear up some of that unloading it does off a big bump. I've had the back end get loose during the winter when it does that. That said, it handles a load surprisingly well and doesn't squat down too badly when pulling a trailer at all.

There are a few common things with these trucks that go wrong:

1. Gauge needle stepper motor die on the instrument panels. My tachometer has been dead for several years.

2. Dash and instrument back lights fail a lot. My work trucks are usually dark inside with the lights being turned on all day / night whenever the engine is running. My Tahoe had it's first light die on the gauge back lighting a couple months ago.

3. Speakers separate if you listen to the music too loud, for flat out quit working. My passenger side door speaker failed the other day. My work trucks usually have only 1 or two working speakers in them. Mine has a BOSE system in it and it actually sounds really good when all the speakers are working.

4. Anti-rattle clips fail on the calipers making them click and clunk on each bump. It took me a while to figure this one out. I thought it was balljoints for the longest time but couldn't get any movement out of them. The sound went away after I did a brake job which clued me in. The Napa brake clips I put in there only lasted about 6 months. I'm going to put OEM parts in from GM next time.

5. The e-brake assemblies tend to fall apart on the 10 bolt axles. I just recently rebuilt mine when I did my brake job and I have one occasionally making bad scraping sounds. I'm guessing the friction fell off one of the shoes and occasionally piles up.

6. The transfer case shift motors and position sensors have a tendency to go bad too. While the truck was still under warantee GM had to replace a failed position sensor and re-flashed the transfer case control module.

The 5.3L is a super reliable and dependable engine. I've done nothing but change the oil and replace the starter once. That's hard to beat with 115k on the truck.

I absolutely hate the way the 4l60e shifts, but it has never given us any trouble since new. It is designed to be driven like a luxury car and it shifts like one too. Slow, smooth and sloppy. I'd far prefer it to shift quickly and firmly into the next gear and downshift consistently. Sometimes it drops back 2 or 3 gears and launches off at high RPM, while other times it just takes it's time to accelerate in whatever gear it is in. If I do goose it and get it to downshift, it does not immediately upshift when I let off the throttle to catch the next gear. The transmission and I are definitely not in sync. Re-programming can deal with this issue.

The auto-trac transfer case works well enough for me. Despite saying that it is in 2HI it is actually an AWD transfer case and the front output and gear set always turn regardless of if you are in 4x4 or 2wd. 2wd just means that the front center axle disconnect is released. When my front axle is locked in the truck is very loud. It howls loud enough that I worry there is something wrong up front, but at the same time I know the gear set turns all the time. The Auto 4x4 function is kind of useless in my mind. When you put it in Auto it locks the front end into place and the transfer case releases the front output clutch until a speed difference between the front and rear is detected. It then clamps down on the clutch to send power to the front wheels. I'd rather if it had an NP243 electrically shifted transfer case. That one is true 2wd or 4x4 and doesn't have all the clutch, shift position sensor and pump rub issues.

I absolutely love the interior, automatic heat controls, leather seats and enormous cabin space in this truck. With the seats flopped down and a sleeping bag + foamy I can comfortably sleep in the back while camping or travelling. I'm trying to figure out a way to get the rear heat to run with the ignition turned off and a hydronic heater coolant heater running for automatic hvac control out back while sleeping.

All in all I'd recommend one of these trucks. Like the pickups they are stout, relatively simple to work on and very reliable. I'm planning to swap mine out with a solid front axle and upgrade the rear axle to a semi float. Eventually I may even swap an LBZ duramax into it as well. I'd love to be able to use it to haul the race jeep down throughout the US and be able to live out of the back of it on the road.

 

[Smokinthehippies]

for the gauges there is a guy called gmguageguy that you send them to, and he replaces the steppers with an improved style and also will change the bulbs so you can get different lighting effects.
I found that out cuz the trans temp guage on my SS needs replacing.

http://www.gmgaugeguy.com/

 

[readymix]

I made this offer the other day to Russell, and I'll extend it to any CK5 member that might be able to use it.

I will replace all of your gauge stepper motors and all the gauge lights for you. Just buy the parts and ship the whole thing to me. 1 to 2 day turn around easy. I've done dozens of then already.

 

[Stomis]

I made this offer the other day to Russell, and I'll extend it to any CK5 member that might be able to use it.

I will replace all of your gauge stepper motors and all the gauge lights for you. Just buy the parts and ship the whole thing to me. 1 to 2 day turn around easy. I've done dozens of then already.

This is why this place rocks...

 

[skunked]

I absolutely hate the way the 4l60e shifts, but it has never given us any trouble since new. It is designed to be driven like a luxury car and it shifts like one too. Slow, smooth and sloppy. I'd far prefer it to shift quickly and firmly into the next gear and downshift consistently. Sometimes it drops back 2 or 3 gears and launches off at high RPM, while other times it just takes it's time to accelerate in whatever gear it is in. If I do goose it and get it to downshift, it does not immediately upshift when I let off the throttle to catch the next gear. The transmission and I are definitely not in sync. Re-programming can deal with this issue.

I finally had to replace my 4l60e about 4-5 months ago (208K miles) and the one thing the transmission guy recommended was upgraded servos from a corvette for a firmer shift. Noticeable difference for sure.

 

[Smokinthehippies]

I finally had to replace my 4l60e about 4-5 months ago (208K miles) and the one thing the transmission guy recommended was upgraded servos from a corvette for a firmer shift. Noticeable difference for sure.

Another thing that helps is when you get a tuner. They bump the shift pressure and responsiveness noticeably.

 

[Chevy305]

I have a 2000 Tahoe LT. Its got 188k miles and no major problems. The old guy I bought it from took ocd care of it and documented every service. I got it bone stock but decided to personalize it a bit with wheels, tires, exhaust, and a custom tune. Even if you want to leave it stock, (which it sounds like you want to) I highly recommend getting a tune. (I'd recommend it on ANY vehicle) But on the Tahoe it was flipping a switch. It takes off faster now, shifts firmer, shifts a little higher, and is more responsive. It makes it quite a bit more fun to drive as factory tune was pretty lazy.

Anyways, before I started touching it, it was like riding around in you living room comfortable. After cranking the torsion bars it got a little stiffer but after upgrading to some Bilstein 5100s the soft ride returned.
For that I'd recommend trying to find one without the auto-level system. It will break on you and it is expensive to fix if you want to repair it. However its easy to delete by replacing the shocks with non-autoride ones and installing a resistor between 2 pins on a connector to keep the lights on the dash off. If you find one with a working system that's the right price/mileage/condition I wouldn't let that system stop you buying it.

Some minor quirks to mention:
- Driver seat tends to wear and rip on the edge from sliding in and out all the time.
- Window regulators can fail from time to time but are pretty cheap and easy to replace yourself. (youtube videos can walk you through it)(otherwise a dealer will bend you over to have it replaced)
- The rear door hinge spring keepers like to squeak like crazy after a number of years. Again replacing them aren't bad and you can do it yourself.
- Transfercase encoder ring can go out from time to time (easy bolt on replacement)
- The Tow/Haul button can stop working as over time the action of the shifter will break the wire. You have to replace the whole shifter handle as it comes with the pigtail but again its easy to do.


There are so many Tahoe/Suburbans out there in the '00-'06 style that you have the benefit of not having to settle for what is a mediocre deal or truck. its a buyers market, remember that. There were some people trying to charge far too much for junk with interiors all ragged out by kids but the deals are there. I bought mine for $3500.