Should I keep my Tahoe or buy a newer one? high miles

[dramirez]

Hello guys, I am new to this forum, in fact my first time to be part of any forum.

I bought a black 2003 Z71 tahoe with 171K and in 4 months I have put 10k which puts me at 181k. I do drive alot, but in this instance I made alot of road trips these past 4 months.

At this point, I realize the truck is in that stage "replace as you go" parts. I dont have any info from the previous owner. All i know is the motor sound/runs good and the transmission was rebuilt by eagle transmissions at 133k with all the paperwork.

Things replaced; alternator, front end suspension components, ac system
mods; k&n cold air intake, dual flowmaster 10 exhaust, cooper atp tires, aftermarket wheels.

I will be commuting up to 85 miles daily starting next month and I really love this truck. I am a huge fan of these trucks and I know owners of tahoes and suburbans that are still running their trucks in top condition after 250k miles... the only things I can see happening being somewhat expensive is the waterpump going out, fuel pump, any other ideas?

The big question here is, all of you who have more than 181k, what problems have you experienced and round up how much youve spent on the repairs... I dont really like the newer models, so I would love some feedback and hopefully Its worth keeping my tahoe. I am a proud user of AMSOIL!

 

[Origin]

Good luck getting an answer. I asked a similar question over the weekend. more than 50 views on mine, and over 70 on yours and not a single person seems willing or able to dole out some advice. I was thinking of fixing mine up, with 300,000 on the odometer. But now I'm thinking of just trading it for something newer.

 

[dramirez]

Well I wonder if its the forum of just the fact that it was a monday yesterday.
Anyways, 300k is a lot! How is the motor running? have you ever had the transmission rebuilt and what problems did you encounter with that many miles on it?

 

[Origin]

Well... it looks like it's the forum after all, and not the day of the week.

Yeah, 300k miles on it, still runs good. Never had an engine or a tranny rebuild. I do have a slow oil leak and slow coolant leak. So, I need to get those checked out in the next week or two.

 

[07burb]

Well... it looks like it's the forum after all, and not the day of the week.

Yeah, 300k miles on it, still runs good. Never had an engine or a tranny rebuild. I do have a slow oil leak and slow coolant leak. So, I need to get those checked out in the next week or two.

Yes, this IS a slower forum in all aspects. If you want a Tahoe/Yukon forum that is a little more busy you can hit up tahoeyukonforum.com. It's owned and ran by the same folks but has more traffic

To answer the question, it just depends on what you want. On one hand you have a vehicle with higher miles on it but you know what you have. Yes, it'll need repairs in the future but that's all part of upkeep. On the other hand you could go out and get something else. If you're getting used you don't know what you're getting really and the vehicle although newer will probably still need repairs (either now or down the road). There's always a reason why a previous owner decided to get rid of it and we rarely know that reason. If you get new then you're going to pay an arm and a leg but everything is under warranty so you'll be driving with peace of mind for a while.

So those are the choices. If it's me....I just keep driving what I have. Repairing it as I go. Then if the thing seems like it's nickle and diming me and in the shop more than on the road I start looking for something else. The 2000-2006 SUVs can go for a LONG time when well maintained. It's not uncommon to hear of them going 250-300 miles or more really.

 

[Origin]

Yes, this IS a slower forum in all aspects. If you want a Tahoe/Yukon forum that is a little more busy you can hit up tahoeyukonforum.com. It's owned and ran by the same folks but has more traffic

To answer the question, it just depends on what you want. On one hand you have a vehicle with higher miles on it but you know what you have. Yes, it'll need repairs in the future but that's all part of upkeep. On the other hand you could go out and get something else. If you're getting used you don't know what you're getting really and the vehicle although newer will probably still need repairs (either now or down the road). There's always a reason why a previous owner decided to get rid of it and we rarely know that reason. If you get new then you're going to pay an arm and a leg but everything is under warranty so you'll be driving with peace of mind for a while.

So those are the choices. If it's me....I just keep driving what I have. Repairing it as I go. Then if the thing seems like it's nickle and diming me and in the shop more than on the road I start looking for something else. The 2000-2006 SUVs can go for a LONG time when well maintained. It's not uncommon to hear of them going 250-300 miles or more really.

Thanks for the reply. Yeah, I think I'm gonna stick with what I've got. I looked into some new SUVs... lookin' at $60k for a new Tahoe/Yukon, or even $40k for a basic Explorer. And with those I'd still have to put money into it to do what I want... Mine was free and is in good condition. I bet for $15k I could turn it into a beast and still have no car payments.