Buying An 08 Silverado...what To Look For?

[cd1]

Hey guys...tomorrow morning I'm going to the auto auction with a friend who is a dealer. I'm going to be bidding on an 08 Silverado Crew Cab 4x4. The truck shows only 5,000 miles on it. I'll be able to inspect before buying.

 

Can you think of anything I should be looking for at inspection?

 

My second choice is an 08 GMC Sierra 1500 with about 16k miles on it.

 

Thanks.

[C. Charles Hahn]

Nothing much aside from the things you'd usually look for on a used vehicle.

[cd1]

Nothing much aside from the things you'd usually look for on a used vehicle.

 

Perhaps more to the point would have been "anything specific to this model that I should be looking for?"

 

I'm thinking that with only 5,000 miles on it there shouldn't be a whole lot that could go wrong...especially since it's still under warranty. But I've had enough truck to know that they each have their issues....some of them well known...and I've learned to ask about them before buying.

 

Any insight is appreciated.

[matt3]

It's probably under warranty.

 

When I traded in my 08 Sierra with 11,000 miles I forgot to take out the BB tune. Whoever got that truck was probably thinking "man this thing is a beast". Hopefully they don't have any major engine/tranny problems where a tech would look for a tune, not to mention the BB sticker is still on the back of the ECM/TCM.

[Stex]

Nothing much aside from the things you'd usually look for on a used vehicle.

 

Perhaps more to the point would have been "anything specific to this model that I should be looking for?"

 

I'm thinking that with only 5,000 miles on it there shouldn't be a whole lot that could go wrong...especially since it's still under warranty. But I've had enough truck to know that they each have their issues....some of them well known...and I've learned to ask about them before buying.

 

Any insight is appreciated.

 

 

Other than what you would look for on any used car, make sure it has not been wrecked or under water, over the hubs...check color of oil (it has been changed for sure) and trans fluid for color and smell...car fax would help, maybe...get under it and look for damage...good luck

[cd1]

When I traded in my 08 Sierra with 11,000 miles I forgot to take out the BB tune. Whoever got that truck was probably thinking "man this thing is a beast".

 

 

You seem to be another satisfied fan of teh BB tune. I need to look into that to see what it entails and what benefits it provides.

[truckofwinandawesome]

Nothing much aside from the things you'd usually look for on a used vehicle.

 

Perhaps more to the point would have been "anything specific to this model that I should be looking for?"

 

I'm thinking that with only 5,000 miles on it there shouldn't be a whole lot that could go wrong...especially since it's still under warranty. But I've had enough truck to know that they each have their issues....some of them well known...and I've learned to ask about them before buying.

 

Any insight is appreciated.

 

 

Other than what you would look for on any used car, make sure it has not been wrecked or under water, over the hubs...check color of oil (it has been changed for sure) and trans fluid for color and smell...car fax would help, maybe...get under it and look for damage...good luck

 

 

+1 on the Carfax.

[music]

I guess I'd be more interested in the "core" features than anything else, e.g., engine (assuming alum block 5.3), rear axle ratio, tow pkg, etc, to make sure it suited my wants/needs. Otherwise, check the VIN ahead of time to verify warranty status.

[pm26]

I would definitely get the VIN number and try to see if the vehicle has been serviced under warranty, and for what, and how many times. I hope not, but you never know, it could be one of those trucks that had an annoying vibration or an electrical problem that nobody could fix, so the owner dumped it. Why would any dealer auction off a 2008 truck with only 5k miles? This is a premium used vehicle for any dealer and they would first try to sell it on their lot. Dealers typically make a lot more money on used vehicles than on new ones. More than one new car dealer salesman told me that.

[uh6tdrvr]

Tell the dealer to pull the GM history....if they are a GM dealer. It will have everything that has ever been done to it by GM.

[dover179]

I would definitely get the VIN number and try to see if the vehicle has been serviced under warranty, and for what, and how many times. I hope not, but you never know, it could be one of those trucks that had an annoying vibration or an electrical problem that nobody could fix, so the owner dumped it. Why would any dealer auction off a 2008 truck with only 5k miles? This is a premium used vehicle for any dealer and they would first try to sell it on their lot. Dealers typically make a lot more money on used vehicles than on new ones. More than one new car dealer salesman told me that.

 

Alot of times, the auctions get big lots of Program cars, executive driven cars, demos, lease turn-ins and repos. Could be any one of those?

[cd1]

Well...the auction was cool. There was a bit of "fog of war" present but it worked well. I had my list narrowed down to 3 vehicles. An '08 Silverado, an '08 Sierra, and an '07 Silverado. Before we even got there the Sierra was off the list...someone bought it the night before the auction...but an '08 F150 Super Crew popped up so I still had three to look at.

 

When I got there one of the trucks wasn't a crew cab...entered wrong so it was off the list. One seemingly didn't exist so it wasn't an option. The one left was an '08 Silverado with 15k miles. There was some front bumper damage, a big crease in the drivers side quarter panel, and some type of epoxy had spilled in the bed leaving a 10 inch section of dried yellow glue. The a/c controls in the dash were also a bit messed up. Other than that it was a decent truck. I figured I could live with it.

 

The auction hadn't yet started and I figured that I'd look around the lot and see if there was anything the wasn't on the list. On the way back I found an '09 Silverado 1500 LTZ in be-u-ti-ful condition. 24k miles, black with black leather interior. I mean it was sweet.

 

I did a long walk around...long enough that the auction started without me. I could see them pulling 4 rows of cars at a time into the warehouse. I used my iPhone out on the lot to subscribe to CarFax and do a VIN check, checked the Kelly Blue Book price then ran back to the auction house.

 

When I got there my original target was just rolling into the bidding lane. I didn't even throw a number at it because I was hopeful to get the much better LTZ. The '08 Silverado with the panel damage sold for 23,700.

 

I took in about an hour and a half of the excitement of the auction...4 auctioneers and their helpers yelling and carrying on and interacting with the crowd is a fun thing to witness.

 

I told my buddy I'd be willing to go to at least 27,500...might go a bit higher depending on the action. They start high and drop the price 'til someone hits and then they work it back up from there. They start my truck at 34,000...it drops to 30,000 before someone hits. Ultimately the '09 LTZ with 24k miles sold for 30,800...not to me.

 

I'm going to another one Thursday...might have better luck. This afternoon I found what I think might be the one I buy. A local dealer has an '09 1500 LT crew cab 4x4, black with black leather, with only 6,000 miles on it that I can get for 28,800.

[fsrtwo]

Well...the auction was cool. There was a bit of "fog of war" present but it worked well. I had my list narrowed down to 3 vehicles. An '08 Silverado, an '08 Sierra, and an '07 Silverado. Before we even got there the Sierra was off the list...someone bought it the night before the auction...but an '08 F150 Super Crew popped up so I still had three to look at.

 

When I got there one of the trucks wasn't a crew cab...entered wrong so it was off the list. One seemingly didn't exist so it wasn't an option. The one left was an '08 Silverado with 15k miles. There was some front bumper damage, a big crease in the drivers side quarter panel, and some type of epoxy had spilled in the bed leaving a 10 inch section of dried yellow glue. The a/c controls in the dash were also a bit messed up. Other than that it was a decent truck. I figured I could live with it.

 

The auction hadn't yet started and I figured that I'd look around the lot and see if there was anything the wasn't on the list. On the way back I found an '09 Silverado 1500 LTZ in be-u-ti-ful condition. 24k miles, black with black leather interior. I mean it was sweet.

 

I did a long walk around...long enough that the auction started without me. I could see them pulling 4 rows of cars at a time into the warehouse. I used my iPhone out on the lot to subscribe to CarFax and do a VIN check, checked the Kelly Blue Book price then ran back to the auction house.

 

When I got there my original target was just rolling into the bidding lane. I didn't even throw a number at it because I was hopeful to get the much better LTZ. The '08 Silverado with the panel damage sold for 23,700.

 

I took in about an hour and a half of the excitement of the auction...4 auctioneers and their helpers yelling and carrying on and interacting with the crowd is a fun thing to witness.

 

I told my buddy I'd be willing to go to at least 27,500...might go a bit higher depending on the action. They start high and drop the price 'til someone hits and then they work it back up from there. They start my truck at 34,000...it drops to 30,000 before someone hits. Ultimately the '09 LTZ with 24k miles sold for 30,800...not to me.

 

I'm going to another one Thursday...might have better luck. This afternoon I found what I think might be the one I buy. A local dealer has an '09 1500 LT crew cab 4x4, black with black leather, with only 6,000 miles on it that I can get for 28,800.

 

What part of the country do you live?

[cd1]

What part of the country do you live?

 

 

Tennessee.

[C. Charles Hahn]

Nothing much aside from the things you'd usually look for on a used vehicle.

 

Perhaps more to the point would have been "anything specific to this model that I should be looking for?"

 

 

I know that's what you meant to ask... and that answer is to the question you meant to ask.