Is My Truck A Lemon Or Is It Behaving Typically

tomseeley · September 15, 2009

I'd like some gut feel opinions on how my truck has behaved mechanically over the 4.5 years I've owned it.

I bought it used in March 05. It's a 2002 GMC Sierra 2500HD duramax. It had 45,000 miles on it when I bought it. It has about 130,000 miles on it now.

Overall, I've been satisfied with how the engine and tranny have behaved, and as a tow vehicle it has performed well at all times.

But over the period I've owned it, when I consider all the other repairs I've needed, my perception is that I bought a pig in a poke! I'm trying to decide if that's the case, or if, instead, the rate of repairs and types of repairs I've needed are actually closer to other truck owners' experiences.

Not to add too much data, but here's a snapshot of the major stuff I've had to do on it:

new U joints 1 month after I bought it, at 45,000 miles; brake repairs, 84,000; all 8 new injectors, 94,500 (GMC paid for that, thank heaven!); idler pulley and serpentine belt, 99,500; leaking coolant reservoir, 106,000; replaced 7 of 8 broken wheel studs on right rear wheel, 108,500; all new rear brakes (again!), 117,000; replace idler arm and pitman arm, 117,800; new front brakes, rotors, etc, 119,500; new power steering gear box and 3 of 4 power steering hoses, 119,500; A/C condensor, A/C compressor clutch, receiver dryer, and expansion valve, 124,700; replaced steering gear, 126,000. And I'll know this Thursday if the slow drip I found last night out of the oil pan plug is just a bad plug or if the whole pan is rusting out and has to be replaced, as my mechanic thinks!

In addition to all this, I've been diligent about all scheduled maintenance, I've bought 2 entire sets of new tires, and because of an accident I replaced the entire transfer case, front axle actuator, rear U-joint, etc, at 81,000 miles.

Overall, I've put more than $10,000 into this truck in repairs alone, not including new tires, routine maintenance, etc. I am trying to decide if my experience is somewhat unique or more common to other experience. I may try to use this as one indicator of whether to junk it and start over because I think it'll keep breaking down because it's a lemon, or it may just be wearing out at about the rate other simlar trucks wear out.

What d'ya all think?

Kodiak450 · September 15, 2009

Did the 7 out of the 8 wheel studs need replacing all at once, or was over time? Curious how they broke off to begin with...Unless one or two broke then went unnoticed and the remaining broke off.

With the little amount of miles you have on that duramax, you technically have just boken it in. A diesel engine lasts a very long time.

Did you know any history of the truck before you purchased it back in 05 at 45,000 miles? Was it used as a plow truck before you or haul a big trailer?

Kenbow · September 16, 2009

IMO, some of the issues may have been accident related, some may be due to a over zealous mechanic using cheaper replacement parts, the lugs most likely were over torqued at some point to have 7 of 8 break.

davzog · September 16, 2009

It does sound like a lot of repairs, but how bad was the accident. My wife bumped the rear of a Ford Ranger last year and we have had constant residual problems with A/C, radiator, alignment, etc., etc., etc.

Actually, I have never owned a vehicle in which the A/C worked after 100K miles or so....just my luck I guess.

I don't know that I would call it a lemon, but probably higher repair costs than most folks.....sorry

BlackSilver · September 16, 2009

That's an ungodly amount of "non-typical" failures.

It strikes me that a lot of those problems are all clustered in the front of the truck, and have surfaced after an accident....... maybe coincidence, or maybe there was non-obvious impact stress which is surfacing as time passes. If you still have the same insurance policy, I'd approach my agent/adjuster for an analysis.