Did I get scammed.... 2500hd ?

[snowplowguy]

I've spent the last few weeks reading through these forums but just registered this morning.

 

My question/problem is that I recently bought a used 2003 GMC Sierra SLT 2500HD crew cab 4x4 from a GMC dealership in Ontario but I'm really starting to think that it is really a 1500HD. Either the badging has been deliberately changed or it was wrong to start with. The badging on the side of the vehicle clearly says 2500HD.

 

The GVWR is C6P-8608lb, GT4-3.73 axle ratio, LQ4-vortec 6.0litre, MT1- 4spd auto/overdrive tranny, and 8 lug aluminum 16" wheels.

 

It seems to sit considerably lower than the 2500hd's that I have seen.

 

I managed to obtain a username and password for h**ps://www.autopartners.net and got the vehicle build from the GM Vehicle Inquiry System.

 

It shows, to my surprise... TK15743 - 2003 SIERRA SLT 1500HD CREW 4WD.

 

 

It's not that I'm unhappy with the vehicle, but I truly expected to be getting the vehicle that I had been searching for for the last 6 months.

 

 

I will probably keep the truck but wanted to do some things to it such as a Rancho 4" suspension lift and some other things that differ in part numbers between a 2500HD and 1500HD (ie rancho part RS6548 vs RS6550) so I'd really like to know which vehicle I really have.

 

 

I guess my real question would be is there a definitive way of me determining that this truck is actually a 2500hd or a 1500hd. GM badging doesn't seem to mean much.

[AlanTDickey]

One easy way would probably be to look at the tailpipe. Pretty sure the exhaust pipe is a different size for the 1500HDs and 2500HDs.

Also, see: http://www.gmc.com/sierra/photos.jsp?vehicle=2500hd

and http://www.gmc.com/sierra/photos.jsp?vehicle=1500hdcc

Because of the 2inches of extra body lift on the 2500HDs, they appear to have a plasticky thingy between the bumber and the grill to fill up that space (I'm a master of technical lingo, I know), which is absent on the 1500HDs.

[builderpaul]

All 2500HD have a 9200 GVW so yours must be the 1500HD.

[whitesnake01]

Does any of the paperwork from the dealership say 2500HD? If so, you have every reason to go back to the dealership and get a refund.

 

Even if you like the truck, you bought what you tought was a 2500HD and you actually got a 1500HD. Two different trucks, two different market values (albeit close). If you sell

this truck as a 2500HD you are no better than the dealer.

 

If it was me, I'd want to get to the bottom of who initially did this. The dealer will probably claim ignorance. The previous owner might have done a decal swap prior to a trade. If that is the case, it might be fraud. Worth nailing the bastard, if you want my 2c, and then square off with the dealer.

[Silverado4x4]

Your dealer had to know what kind of truck it was by running the vin number. I would be doing some legal procedings on this because if you bought a 2500 and got a 1500 you lost some serious money. Have another dealer run the vin for you and that will tell you what you have.

[99silveradoz71]

That definitely sucks.

[chevyman16]

It could have happened at the factory. When i was looking at a new 1500HD last year, one door had 1500HD on it and the other had 2500HD. It really was a 1500HD. Salesman called the porter to take it and get it fixed.

[highchevy]

Dude raise HELL! You got less of a truck. From the frame to the axles and I believe the suspension and brakes are different also! I know you say you like the truck but you should deffinantly be compensated for your loss for what ever it's worth!

[HillHound]

Yep I'd take it back and demand to know what's going on.

 

That's a real irrresponsible thing for a dealer to do whether he knew it or not. He's an auto dealer and he a duty to know it and at least tell you the truck is mis-badged. I mean what if he'd sold it to a guy who didn't know alot of details about trucks like you do and wanted to use it as a tow vehicle? The 1500HD 4x4 tow rating is I think only 7900lbs while the same configuration of 2500HD 6.0L 4x4 is 10,100lbs.

 

That's a 2200lb difference in rating and if you decided to tow a 9600lb trailer you've just overloaded the truck and are responsible if the extra weight causes you to wreck and injure somebody.

 

Maybe the previous owner re-badged it. I don't understand why guys do this stuff. Somebody around here drives a 2500HD with Z71 stickers on it-last time I checked it was only an option for 1500s. Also saw an F150 with Triton V10 (only available for F250/350s) badges where the V8 badge normally goes.

[MS3DALE]

You got a 1500HD,I can tell from the model desc. you gave from the GMVIS: TK15743

T=GMC

K=4WD

1=1/2 TON

57=Short-Bed

43=Crew-Cab

Your VIN will also help you denote this,your VIN should start out like this:

1GTEK1... again the "K" Means 4WD and the "1" means 1/2 Ton.

Hope this helps.

[snowplowguy]

Well first of all I'd like to thank you all for your replies. I got some sound advice and good info from this thread. Whitesnake; I would never represent or sell this vehicle as a 2500HD. In fact if I keep the truck I will replace the badging with the correct 1500HD badges.

 

I followed the advice of you fellers and emailed the salesman this morning as follows.........

 

This may seem strange but I have some questions/concerns as to which vehicle I actually purchased.  It was my impression that this vehicle is a 2500HD.

 

The badging on the truck doors clearly indicates 2500HD but I have done a considerable amount of research and discovered, somwhat to my dismay, this vehicle does not appear to be a 2500HD but rather a 1500HD that has been mis-badged or re-badged by somebody (factory, dealer or previous owner).

 

The 2003 model year 2500HD was built on a 1 ton chassis with the frame being approximately 20% thicker, full floating rear axle, 10,000lb maximum towing capacity, and about 2.5" higher than the 1500HD.  It has the same frame, suspension, axles, and brakes as the 3500.  The GVWR of any 2500HD is 9200lbs.

 

The 2003 model year 1500HD is built on the 3/4ton chassis with the frame being approximately 20% thinner than the 2500HD, semi-floating rear axle, 8000lb maximum towing capacity, and about 2.5" lower than the 2500HD.  The GVWR of the 1500HD is 8600lbs.

 

 

I was particularly interested in the 2500HD model of truck and not necessarily the 1500HD.  I have a print out from the AutoTrader.ca indicating a 3500 SIERRA SLT HD  (stock #7031).

 

 

My main questions that I would like you to find out if you could are; 

 

Is this vehicle really a 2500HD or a re-badged 1500HD?  It does make a difference when ordering some parts and other things. 

 

The other issue I would like to get resolved is how and why did this vehicle end up with incorrect badging if it is indeed a 1500HD?  This is mis-representative of the vehicle by somebody no matter how it happened and I would like to get to the bottom of it.

 

I would appreciate if you would get back to me on this.

 

regards

 

 

I'll let you guys know how things turn out.

[042500HD]

sorry for the unfortunate mishap man. Hope everything works out for ya.

[KurtMcMouth]

What does the front of the hood look like? The front of the 2500HD hood is taller than the 1500HD hood, unless someone was that deliberate and swapped out the hood too.

[Metz Motorsports]

What does the front of the hood look like?  The front of the 2500HD hood is taller than the 1500HD hood, unless someone was that deliberate and swapped out the hood too.

 

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But are the GMC HD's hoods/grills any different from the LD's?

[Truckman031]

What does the front of the hood look like?  The front of the 2500HD hood is taller than the 1500HD hood, unless someone was that deliberate and swapped out the hood too.

 

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It's a 2003 GMC, so the grille is nearly identical.