cherryred21duramax

Thanks @newdude, guess I'll keep looking. Test driving so many trucks that have obvious things broken, I'm thinking "if they couldn't even be bothered to fix the power seat," what else is broken". Just drove a 2021 where the power seat motor was grinding/binding and wouldn't do anything but make a terrible sound. An owner that puts dents on the bumper, doesn't fix a seat motor, and had spotty service intervals (along with missing major services) doesn't give me the best of confidence. Amazed at the number of people that will finance a $60k+ truck, run it into the ground, then trade with a loan balance (every single one had "loan/lien reported" on the CARFAX at the last year of registration).

Does any of this change if the seller dropped the price to $22.5k? Mechanic is supposed to verify the transmission concern but they have not got back to me yet. Even if a transmission needed to be purchased, I'm looking at <$30k which puts me right back to where I started. In the meantime, I test drove 2 trucks locally back-to-back, one Denali and one SLE, the SLE was noisy, jerky, and did not inspire confidence, while the Denali was over $30k but just sold the other day. If $32k buys you a Denali with 100k miles and this truck can be had for $32k with a brand new transmission, with GM parts warranty, does that skew things? FWIW, all the trucks I drove locally had a much worse service history - emissions work, valve body work, one even had the whole transmission replaced with lower mileage than the one in TX. I'm guessing those were "short trip" vehicles, as they only racked up around 100k miles in 6 years - a lot less than 164k miles in just under 6 years.

Thank you. I am set on a 3.0 Duramax as my previous truck with a Ford Ecoboost had just as many, if not more, "common" issues. Cam phasers, timing chain issues, 10-speed valve body and CDF drum, emissions issues, etc. So I figured, why not get 2x the fuel mileage (these things got 27+mpg on every mixed city/highway test drive I put them through) and better towing capability with resale value to boot? My minimum, shortest trip will be 50 miles 1-way and I regularly go out of state with a travel trailer. I'm planning on using this for a marketing/event promotion business also, which would require regular towing of trailers for bands, DJs, sound and lighting gear, along with my personal camera gear for filming events. Looked at other trucks in the $30k+ price range but the issues seem to be everywhere, plus too many with gaudy mods. I'm literally sticking with RWD trucks because they tend to be actually used as trucks, vs. the 4x4 models I've seen with unsafe lifts, huge tires, and general mods that would affect reliability (I'm wondering if some of them were tuned, hence the aggressive throttle response and hard shifting). So my goal is to find a stock, 3.0 with 1 or 2 owners, in good physical condition, and decently well maintained. Can't seem to find that up here, everything in the $27-30k range has had multiple owners, smoke smell, issues, or body damage. Or the ridiculously modified trucks with 80k miles for under $27k but lots of problems...

Thank you, @Z45! NOTE - No all repair shop/Dealers reports to Carfax That is my main concern. The CARFAX looks way too clean for a 6 year old anything with 164,245 miles. Even something known for reliability (like many Toyotas) typically has a lot more replaced, like a Nav screen, interior trim, shock/strut, or brake pads. And surely the last set of tires (installed at ~58k miles) would be bald unless those were all highway miles. I'm tempted to pay a local dealer to look up the VIN, but am not sure if that will be worthwhile. Last time I did this, it was 100% useless, and I felt scammed - they noted the bumper was replaced years ago and that's it. A 5-year old could spot the accident damage, even though nothing was on the CARFAX. After giving the dealer a call, the truck may have a hard shift, but they have to verify with their mechanic if that's even a concern. And I've test driven about a dozen of these now, many near Chicago, and half the trucks shift hard/odd at all throttle positions. The ones with aftermarket lifts/larger tires shift terrible, and 3 stock trucks shifted so violently I thought the transmission valve body was going out. At this point I'm conflicted, as I need a vehicle, and am coming up short locally. Northern trucks in this price range tend to have either multiple owners, a lot of mods (lifts/oversized tires without re-gearing), and are generally in rougher shape. If this truck showed up in your neighborhood for $27k and you had to purchase it sight-unseen, with the possibility of needing a 10L80 rebuild, torque converter, or rear end - would you do it? I'm convinced most of the 10L80 trucks I test drove are broken, they can't all shift so bad, with massive flares/slipping/lurching and mis-matched downshifts like a teen driver learning stick.

Looking at purchasing a truck in Texas, which is approximately 1,000 miles away. The truck looks spotless from a physical perspective, but I'm not sure if the "Emission System Checked" at 130,271 miles is a cause for concern. Also, no mention of transmission fluid changes or flushes over 164,245 miles, which (since these are hard to change without an electric pump) probably means the fluid was never touched. Does this give any red flags or trigger a "don't buy"? Last thing I want to do is fly out to Texas and have a breakdown, or realize that it needs a major emission system repair, transmission repair, or other costly failure. They are asking $27,****** out the door (before taxes) with prep fees and documentation. https://www.alwaysmotors.com/pre-owned-cars/detail/2020-GMC-Sierra-1500/1521482 CARFAX report attached, hoping someone has the ability to check this in the GM database for recalls and repairs. Thanks in advance! CARFAX Vehicle History Report for 3GTP8DET0LG444836.pdf

Thank you. I really appreciate the well wishes. I'm an engineer in the telecom industry, I know hardly anything about marketing. Over the years I did some videos for nonprofits and web sites for small businesses and the seed was planted. Agree with over-buying, I started shooting on an iPhone before I got my first DSLR and tripod. I'm looking at trucks with potentially 150,000+ miles to keep the cost of entry low while focusing on the client experience and equipment. Good wireless mics for interviews, the right lenses & lighting to look professional. But I don't want to be late or break down, the stress of emptying a trailer & securing a rental truck right before a gig would negate any savings from buying a junker. So anything that leaks water, has extensive rust, or generally unreliable I'd like to avoid. Does GM/Chevy overbuild these trucks for upfitting? I talked to a local upfitter, they sometimes tie lights & other 12V into existing circuits, which I always thought was bad. Which is why I enjoyed the AUX upfit switches on previous trucks (odd they mostly come with off-road or work truck packages).

Thank you, it looks like I have to get a topper or a box van. Unfortunately, the only vans that can tow what I am looking for are going to be 3/4 ton vans, which may ride rough if I am going to use this on the road extensively. I may also use it to take marketing clients out on the road. Not knowing anything about starting a business, my goal is to start small, use things I already have & keep everything in good working order. I have a small box trailer, need to install lights in it, and same for the topper itself. How easy does Chevy/GMC make our trucks to upfit if we decide to add things like a topper and lights? On Fords, the upfit process was rather easy. Just tie the +12V of the lights to the AUX relay panel and the - to chassis Ground.

Looking to purchase a used Sierra and want to have a tonneau cover put on at the dealer if possible, to avoid the back-and-forth with shipping & delivery of a cover. Does anyone have a tonneau cover they can recommend that is completely watertight? I've had BakFlip MX4, Retrax, and it seemed like everything leaks water from light rain to a heavy downpour. I've been asked by several clients to start a marketing business, I did marketing videos for them pro-bono over the past few years and they think I'd be great to do it professionally. So the truck may have drones, laptops, cameras, and video production gear. Everything is in Pelican cases, but I'm sure something will get wet such as paperwork or a backpack like I have experienced before. The rest of the time this truck will be used for long trips towing a travel trailer, so I'd think a tonneau cover can also help if I'd like to equip the truck with bed rails to haul mountain bikes or a kayak. I am even considering a topper if that would be best for the combined marketing/video/event production business & RVing use the truck will see.

Thank you. I ended up passing on that truck, it was $29k with 99k miles and local to me (Illinois). Played that game once before, passed a much better condition vehicle for one that was closer. $10k in engine work and $6k in transmission work later, it never drove right, and by that point the age & mileage made it worth close to nothing. I now remind myself, a plane ticket and an Uber is a lot cheaper than buying the local truck with issues and having buyer's remorse. Now looking at this for $26k: https://southernwholesale.net/vdp/23915469/Used-2021-GMC-Sierra-1500-SLT-Crew-Cab-Short-Box-2WD-for-sale-in-Trussville-AL-35173 And AutoCheck looks good: https://autocheck.dealercarsearch.com/Default.aspx?VIN=EPWlh9Ow3ceghogyxJFSf4bAycMno2xr4%2fK1GUasMDw%3d&DealerId=25052 This one from Carmax is high ($32k), but some people swear by the Maxcare warranty: https://www.carmax.com/car-detail/27952269 And this one for $33k seems insanely high priced, but it got a new engine at 120k, and no mention of transmission work except for fluid changes: https://www.alejandrocars.com/inventory/2021-gmc-sierra-1500-127941 Just trying to not repeat my first used car purchase, being so underwater I had to sell it to a high school w/vocational shop class because nobody would buy a recently repaired lemon.

Would the best option be to use a local dealer? I'll be flying into town, most dealers I've called want to charge to do a used car inspection. Can get expensive if I'm comparing 3+ trucks on the same day, not to mention scheduling. All I see on CARFAX reports is "Engine/powertrain checked" or "Emissions system serviced" and on a few, "Transmission replaced" or "Valve body replaced" which is concerning. A lot of "Transmission Replaced" prior to 140k so I guess I'll have to plan for some extra cash in case of an emergency. Is it normal for the 10L80 to downshift hard and flare when coming to a stop? I've now experienced it enough (along with some rear end noise when test driving) that I don't know what's a normal 10L80 in non-sport or Tow-Haul mode. Some trucks downshifted cleanly, others lurched and jerked as the RPMs jumped around even in Normal mode.

Ouch, that's why I left Ford. Both my 10R80 and a friend's 10R80 had valve body problems. And on his, he barely towed. Mine eventually got the CDF drum, but it never drove right, so I ended up selling at a loss. So it sounds like a thorough check of the transmission (assuming these have a "fast relearn" mode) will be a good idea. Or look for one that's had its 10-speed recently rebuilt. Haven't touched the radio settings, but yes - almost every truck had bass at or near +12 and treble at +12. Felt odd as on Fords and Rams, especially with premium audio, the door panels would be shaking with such settings. Goal is to tow a travel trailer cross country and use the truck for long trips. No in-town driving or local use, I have a car. I see some with ultra high mileage (160-200k) going for the same price as lower mileage units, would you think those may be a better buy? Here is an example with higher mileage (161k): https://www.alwaysmotors.com/pre-owned-cars/detail/2020-GMC-Sierra-1500/1521482 And here's one with lower mileage (113k) for the same price: https://www.shawnsmotorcredit.com/vehicle/used-2021-gmc-sierra-1500-slt-4x2-4dr-crew-cab-58-ft-sb-5195481 Here's one with under 100k but priced insanely high: https://www.group1auto.com/inventory/used-2021-gmc-sierra-1500-slt-rwd-crew-cab-3gtp8det9mg411755/ And one I'm almost hesitant to even look at, it's way cheap: https://www.taylorgrubaughchevy.com/used/GMC/2020-GMC-Sierra-1500-e7201fe2ac1810998925e011ba32db79.htm Given trucks like the above, would the 161k version with recent repairs be a better buy than the lower mileage ones? I could care less about what the odometer says, I would rather have one that is more reliable and doesn't leave the trailer stranded at a campsite.

First Sierra purchase, have been a Ford truck owner and want to try something new. I'm looking at a 2021 3.0 Duramax with the SLT package, preferably with 8" touch screen and Nav. What should I look for when test driving used trucks? I've driven 3 so far and they felt dramatically different, some had a lot of engine noise while others were super quiet. One had a noticeable downshift while coming to a stop, while the others didn't flare when shifting. Some had a very sensitive throttle (checked that they were all in the same mode, put in Normal before test driving) and others had the normal turbo lag you'd expect from a diesel. I'm finding it odd that all of these trucks are between 99-120k miles. Is there something specific that results in people trading these in around this timeframe? Most were 1-owner, used personally, and CARFAX showed "engine/powertrain checked" or "emissions system checked" but doesn't show the actual repair. Looking at both GMC dealerships and independent car lots, is there any benefit to going to a tier-1 dealership (such as Carmax) for warranty options? I have never purchased a used car and bought the extended warranty. Last, what's up with all the trucks having the Treble cranked to +12 on the radio (both Bose and non-Bose options)? Every single one I drove was set that way by the previous owner. Are the speakers lacking, or did I test drive 3 back-to-back with the dash tweeters blown?