Looking for honest opinions

[Ben400mod_85]

New to the forum  and I guess I'm looking for some opinions. I have a 2010 GMC Sierra 1500 4x4 with a 5.3 and heavy duty tow package.  it has been a great truck I bought it with 30,000 on it and it now has 169,000. I shut off the afm right at 30,000miles.I have kept up on all the maintenance and it has never given me any problems.   But I'm on the fence with either getting a new truck in a year or so or sticking some money into the truck I have now.  I have been religious with doing oil changes at 3,000 miles. Tranny flushes every 40,000 it still has the original transmission in it. I don't drive it every day anymore it sits mainly cause I have a commuter car for work.  I use it mostly for pulling my boat ,hunting and snowmobiling. The heaviest thing I pull is my 4 enclosed place snowmobile trailer and fully loaded  it's 6200lbs and the truck honestly pulls the trailer great. Knock on wood I haven't had any collapsed lifters. Again it's been a great truck I spray the underside with fluid film every year cause the Wisconsin winter salt is rough on vehicles.  Body only has a couple rust bubbles on passenger cab corner  and drive side fender has a couple bubbles.   I don't need a new truck and in my opinion most of the new stuff is a lot of problems it seems like. But my truck has a rear main seal leak, it's getting kinda annoying dripping on the drive way,  it is also starting to puff blue at start up but stops fast. It also has a slight tick but I think it is a manifold leak cause it goes away when it's warm.  I like the truck so I'm on the fence if I should stick some money in it or sell it in a year or so and roll the dice on a new one.ive owned the truck for 12 years probably the best one I have ever owned.

 

But how many more years can I expect to get out of it?

 

Sorry for the long post.

[CamGTP]

No matter which way you go, you are taking a chance. You could stick $1,000-2000 into this truck over the next year or two and that will be the only money you stick in it. Or it will be that money and something else big fails, costing you a hell of a lot more.

 

Or in the 1-2 year future you sell it and buy something newer but then that newer truck also has a problem that you didn't know was coming, which ends up costing you more money.

 

The only good thing is that a "cleaner" truck of that generation has basically stalled in value and will stay that way for a while. A good runner with not a lot of body rot is still going to be in that $5,000-8,000 range. Atleast that's what I see them selling for around here.

 

 

But if you are talking a brand new truck, I'd go that route if you know you can afford it. There is some relief in knowing you have 3 years and 36,000 miles of bumper to bumper coverage and 5 years 60,000 miles of power train warranty. In my head that is a long time knowing I'm covered on a ton of things for a while.

[TrueBlue]

It's hit or miss with newer trucks, with pretty much all manufacturers and most models. Engine and/or transmission reliability are the big money losers for those that end up with problematic ones. And GM for instance, doesn't seem to be overly interested in doing what it takes to build an ultra reliable platform. But, lilke I said it's hit or miss. I've had no issues with my truck outside of a couple of times when the active shutters refused to cycle in cold weather. But two months before I bought this one, I traded in my two month old 2.7L LT because it started leaking oil before I even had enough miles on it to do an oil change. Time has shown that those engines seem to be prone to oil leaks. Truthfully I was happy to do it because I really didn't want a four cylinder to begin with. Cost me extra to trade in a new truck, but at the time new trucks in the models I was interested in were kind of hard to come by.

I was thinking of trading this one in with 10K on the clock but next years new engine options seem to also include DFM, and that would be the reason I'd trade this one in to begin with. So I'll keep mine until another proven platform comes along, and hope that my engine doesn't eat a lifter or my transmission a valve body. Hit or miss.

 

[Ben400mod_85]

I am really learning towards just keeping this truck I have stuff a few grand into it and hope it last 2 more years.  I really only put on 4 to 5,000 miles or less on it a year.  I could just not fix the oil leak but it's more annoying then anything.  If I did buy a different  truck it would be a brand new truck. I've been a Chevy / ford guy my whole life but with all the horror stories and recalls you hear about with all the truck brands im very unsure about buying a new truck.

Edited April 3 by Ben400mod_85

[KARNUT]

With the miles driven I would do a low mileage lease. If there’s issues you just walk away without the worry of unloading. If it passes the muster then buy it. If buying is the only consideration whoever has the longest warranty. I wouldn’t be in too much hurry to unload the old one. Experience has taught me you can drive a vehicle once a month about 20 miles and they’ll stay ready to go. 

[diyer2]

I would look at used. You have the time to find a low mileage truck with the options you want.

[Ben400mod_85]

I'm gonna try and get my truck in next week or the week after for a estimate on the rear main, oil pan gasket and pick up O ring at the local shop by my house. I trust the guys there, they have worked on other vehicles I have and are always honest with me. I try to do as much work on my vehicles my self but I don't think I wanna tackle this job. Either way I'm not gonna be selling this truck out right. My oldest son is gonna buy it from me whenever I wanna let it go.

[TrueBlue]

I think if you put the money into a truck that you like, and that you know well, making it once again the truck that attracted you before you bought it, you'll come out ahead of the game. Especially if you were going to finance a new one. The interest you would pay in a 48 or 72 month plan might come to more than what you'll have put into your 2015. 

Better to dance with the devil you know....and all that.

 

Oh, and fwiw I have a friend that I've always told he could tear up a steel ball. He uses things, hard. Well years about he bought a 71 Monte Carlo with a 350 in it. And he drove that thing like he does all of his vehicles, full out. But he does take care of them and keeps up on the maintenance himself. He had about 300K on the clock when he sold it. And it still ran great. If you know your truck and it's treating you well, outside of the leaks, you could do worse than to keep it. Your 169K is not near the limit that motor and trans will likely take you.

Edited April 3 by TrueBlue
added content

[richard wysong]

To do the rear main it will require pulling the transmission or engine so the oil pan need not be removed unless it is leaking also. You might want to replace the torque converter while it's apart with a quality aftermarket before it fails and takes out the transmission

[newdude]

23 hours ago, Ben400mod_85 said:

New to the forum  and I guess I'm looking for some opinions. I have a 2010 GMC Sierra 1500 4x4 with a 5.3 and heavy duty tow package.  it now has 169,000. I shut off the  Again it's been a great truck I spray the underside with fluid film every year cause the Wisconsin winter salt is rough on vehicles.  Body only has a couple rust bubbles on passenger cab corner  and drive side fender has a couple bubbles.   

 

But how many more years can I expect to get out of it?

 

 

 

I know you say you spray the underside...but...the first thing I'd be doing is having that frame inspected thoroughly for holes, rot and cracks.  These frames 07-18 are absolute garbage and rot from the inside out.  People around me use Ziebart and that accelerates the rot on these, not prevents it.  

 

Only then knowing the frame condition, would I weigh fixing it further. 

Edited April 4 by newdude

[KARNUT]

There’s state that don’t have inspections. Texas just became one in most counties. It’s a good idea to go to the dealer or a trusted shop if you can’t do it yourself. I get a check up at the dealer once a year with my vehicles. Quick lube shops for the most part don’t check much. 

[Ben400mod_85]

I was gonna have the oil pan done cause I wanted to have the o ring done. I don't know if its the rear main or the oil pan I just know I have a steady leak. I had my truck into the GMC dealership for a recall on the throttle body and they just said the rear main was leaking or the oil pan.  The frame is good I have been pulling a wand through the frame spraying fluid film once a year. I'm a steamfitter by trade and have welded enough of my buddy's Toyota frames  I don't know if the Chevy frames of those years are as bad as the tundra/Tacoma frames, seems like they just dissolve. 

Edited April 4 by Ben400mod_85