Newbie From Minnesota Has One Question

P71_CrownVic · February 4, 2009

Well, as you can probably tell, I am new here and looking to buy a GM truck. After being burned many times by my current Ford (see user name), I have decided to make the switch to GM products. My grandma has made the switch, buying a slightly used V8 Rainier a couple years ago...and she couldn't happier. I feel the same way, the V8 Rainier is a fantastic automobile. And that 5.3...what a gem! Even though it has lass torque than the 5.4 from Ford, the 5.3 sounds MUCH better and is not nearly as anemic.

Anyway, I am looking for some of that same happiness...rather than bills from my Ford. What I want is a 2006+ Silverado 1500, 4dr, 5.3, and the LT3 package. I would settle for a 2005...but I like the grille and hood of the 2006+ better. Is there anything that is common to go wrong with these trucks? Do the trucks built in Canada have less problems than the ones built in Mexico...or is that just a myth?

What else should I look for when buying?

-Matt

Z45 · February 4, 2009

It does not matter where the truck is built. I am not sure if Oshawa builds a crew cab. My E. Cab was built in Oshawa.

The market for used trucks should be very good (low prices) with all the new vehicle incentives. I prefer GMC styling over the Chevy but they are basically the same truck except for styling. You should look at a 2007 or even a 2008 as they might be within your range with the lower prices.

2006 up had better features IMO. No sure what year (05 or 06?) they went to electric fans and rear drum brakes but that's what you want. Don't buy one with rear discs if you are in a rust belt state, they will suffer from corrosion problems and the parts are expensive.

pwall · February 4, 2009

My '02 had read disc brakes, never an issue in the 6 years I had the truck.

I don't live in a rust belt state though ......just an entire country!

lvlagnum · February 4, 2009

Hello P71_CrownVic.

Welcome to this forum and hopefully soon, welcome to the GM family as well.

As far as mechanical problems go, each individual vehicle is different. One owner might have many horror stories to tell and the next owner who bought the same truck built in the same factory might never have had his in the shop except for routine maintenance. There are some trends as far as the infamous GM intermediate steering shaft clunk and such but I am sure someone who has a complete list of what to look out for will chime in soon to help you out.

Whether a GM truck comes from Canada, the USA or Mexico, they are mostly made with same parts from the same suppliers so the same problems keep comming up again and again. Having said that, there should be no difference in the quality of a vehicle no matter where it was assembled but unfortunately my experiences and those of other GM truck owners I know says that isn't so. I'm sure the other members of this forum will have various opinions of their own on the built in Canada vs USA vs Mexico debate but I will tell you what my experiences have been. I will point out right now that I live and work in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada where GM has a truck plant and many of my family and friends have worked and still do work in that factory but I do not directly work for The General myself. I do work in the factory where the Chevy Silverado front bumpers are manufactured so as long as you're buying a Chevy full size truck, it's all good to me. My company ships its bumpers to Canada, the USA and Mexico. So as long as you purchase a big beautiful full size Chevy Silverado machine with a bowtie on the front, I still bring home a paycheck.

I will limit my experiences to the three full size GM trucks that I have owned but I hope every little bit of information you get from me and others will help you.

1. 2002 GMC Sierra SLE 1500 5.3 Z-71 Extended Cab built in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. I traded the truck in for a new one at 1 year and 10,000km but in that first year I had absolutely no problems what-so-ever. I still see that truck being driven around town and the new owner kept in touch with me for a few years after he bought it. Up untill the last time I talked with him, the truck had had no problems other than routine wear and tear and the intermediate steering shaft problem which GM replaced for him under warranty. If I had not traded it in, I would probably still be driving it today.

2. 2003 Chevy Silverado LS 1500 5.3 Z-71 Extended Cab built in Pontiac, Michigan, USA. I owned the truck for 6 years and recently traded it in at 69,000km. With this truck, I had major problems right from the start.

A. I had to take the truck back to the dealer twice for fit and finish problems. The first time was to have all four doors re-aligned because of excessive noise while driving due to air leakage and also for water leakage. When that didn't work, I had to take the truck back to the dealer a second time to have all the door weatherstriping replaced. The body shop people at the dealer told me that everything was so out of alignment that adjusting and shimming wouldn't fix it and the best way to remedy the problem would be to replace the weather striping on all four doors. Even replacing all of the door and body weatherstriping didn't completely work and the passenger doors still leak to this day.

Mechanical problems included:

B. Four-wheel-drive system disabled as indicated by lights and fault message in Driver Information Center (DIC). PCM re-flashed. Repaired under warranty at 16,765km.

C. Intermediate steering shaft clunk. Replaced under warranty at 19,051km.

D. Clank in front end. Lower insulators on both front shocks replaced under warranty at 32,772km.

E. Intermediate steering shaft clunk. Regreased and repacked under waranty at 40,000km.

F. Full four wheel brake job including new premium pads and new premium rotors. Replace defective right rear brake caliper. Bleed entire brake system with new brake fluid. Repaired out of warranty costing $2,400 at 55,135km.

G. Intermediate steering shaft clunk. Truck no longer under warranty so I just learned to live with it. You get used to it, really you do. In fact, if it had stopped clunking, I would have thought something was really wrong.

H. Left front wheel bearing. Replaced out of warranty costing $800 at 58,300km.

I. Airbag system fault as indicated by light and fault message in DIC. Scanned and found B0100 fault code. Not repaired and was still present when traded in.

J. Anti Lock Brake (ABS) system fault. Indicated by erratic ABS brake system function and various other symptoms. Scanned and found fault code. Not repaired and was still present when traded in.

K. Possible transfer case leak. Indicated by fresh fluid spray after repeatedly whiping underbody dry. Not repaired and still present when traded in.

Don't get me wrong. I liked that 2003 Silverado but it was starting to get a wee bit scary as far as reliability and repair bills goes. That and the fit and finish problems soured me on the idea of ever getting a truck built in the Pontiac assembly plant again.

2009 GMC Sierra SLE 1500 5.3 Z-71 Crew Cab built in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. No problems as of yet but then I've only driven it 300km so far. The reason I went to a Crew Cab is that I got tired of the hassles of trying to get rear seat passengers in and out of an Extended Cab especially in the tight parking spots found in mall parking lots and such. I find the Crew Cab to be very much more convenient. I miss having the longer bed that my Extended Cabs had but for me having four full doors makes up for that.

So, which country or specific GM plant builds better trucks? I have honestly never owned a vehicle assembled in Mexico but several of my relatives and friends have and they all tell me they have had fit and finish and mechanical problems that they never experienced with Canadian or American built cars or trucks. Judging by all the technical service bulletins I've seen concerning Mexican built Escalades, Avalanches and such, I'm thinking there just might be something in what they are telling me. I personaly think that certain assembly plants have better fit and finish quality than others and from what I've read, J.D.Powers and other auto industry experts seem to agree with me. I know that with me, the choice was a clear one. Of the aproximately 400 GMT-900 Chevy Silverados and GMC Sierras available to me on local dealer lots, only about 10 were Canadian built and fewer than that were American assembled. If I had not been able to find a Canadian or at the very least and American built truck with the colours and options that I wanted, I simply would not have traded in untill I could find one. I personaly have nothing against Mexican built Silverados and Sierras but I wasn't about to be a Guinea Pig and be the first person I knew to buy one. there must be a lot of folks who agree with me because around here, the Mexican built trucks sit on the dealers lots all covered in snow while the Canadian and American assembled Silverados and Sierras are sold as fast as they are unloaded from the auto transporters.

My sincere apology if my replies seem a bit long winded but I like to make sure that I include all of the details I think are important and word my posts so no one misunderstands what I have to say. Again, welcome to this forum and good luck on your choice of truck. If there is any other way that I or any of the other members of this forum can help, do not hesitate to ask.

Cheers, lvlagnum.

P71_CrownVic · February 4, 2009

It does not matter where the truck is built. I am not sure if Oshawa builds a crew cab. My E. Cab was built in Oshawa.

The market for used trucks should be very good (low prices) with all the new vehicle incentives. I prefer GMC styling over the Chevy but they are basically the same truck except for styling. You should look at a 2007 or even a 2008 as they might be within your range with the lower prices.

2006 up had better features IMO. No sure what year (05 or 06?) they went to electric fans and rear drum brakes but that's what you want. Don't buy one with rear discs if you are in a rust belt state, they will suffer from corrosion problems and the parts are expensive.

Interesting.

I have looked at '07s, '08s, and even '09s that match my mileage (30K or less) and price criteria ($25K or less). There are plenty available, but not with the LT3/LTZ package I want. Plus, and I am ashamed to say it, as much as I like the exterior of the new trucks, I like the old interior better. Not sure why...I just do.

My '02 had read disc brakes, never an issue in the 6 years I had the truck.
I don't live in a rust belt state though ......just an entire country!

Do they use a lot of salt up there? They use TONS here...but I wash my car quite often.

P71_CrownVic · February 4, 2009

Hello P71_CrownVic.
Welcome to this forum and hopefully soon, welcome to the GM family as well.

.......................

Cheers, lvlagnum.

Wow...what an informative post. Thank you very much. Most people won't take the time to type such an informative post.

I am hoping that your truck (Chevy) was an...um..."unique" example. Good to hear about the success with the GMCs.

Is the steering shaft a common issue among many years...or just a specific few?

Anyway, I plan on paying to have the factory warranty extended no matter what. My grandma paid to have the warranty extended on her Rainier. Not necessarily because of the powertrain (Not much can happen to a GM V8), but I was worried about all of the electronics crammed into that thing. And her warranty almost paid for itself already. When at the dealer getting a free oil change, they noticed that the front pinion seal and oil pan gasket were leaking...but only very slightly. It was fixed for free due to her extended warranty. Can't argue with a bill that ends with $0.00!

bubba33 · February 4, 2009

How can anybody spend 2400 dollars on a brake job.

CHEVIN · February 4, 2009

.

Is the steering shaft a common issue among many years...or just a specific few?

welcome CrownVic

someone correct me if im wrong but i think its 99 to 2004

lvlagnum · February 4, 2009

bubba33.

To some folks, $2,400 might seem like a lot of money for a brake job but to me, my safety and the safety of my family is priceless. Three things I refuse to cheap-out on are batteries, brakes and tires. I HAVE always, and as long as I can afford it, I WILL always, put the best batteries, brakes and tires on my vehicles that I can afford. It's not critical if my truck coughs and sputters as I'm driving it around but I need to know that it will start up, stay on the road and that it will slow down or stop RIGHT NOW!!!

That doesn't necessarily mean that the most expensive of anything is the best. That's why you should research what ever you're buying and find the best quality item at the best price. Too many people shop at Walmart and think that's as good as life gets. That simply isn't so.

My vehicles are daily-drivers that see a lot of stop-and-go rush hour city driving so brakes are important on a heavy ride such as a truck. Originaly, I went to that expense because I had no intention of trading that truck in. I thought I had all the big issues fixed but when more things started going wrong with that truck, I decided it was time to move on.

Also, if you read my post carefuly, you would have noticed that I had a defective right rear brake caliper replaced at the same time. There were a few other odds-and-sods on that bill as well but I've been told that my posts can get a wee bit longwinded so I didn't want to bore you too much.

I've seen far too many drivers get into accidents of one kind or another because of faulty tires and brakes and it's my personal opinion that many of those could have been prevented by people not cheaping-out so much with their cars and trucks. I'm sure that most people reading his post will feel the same way about public safety and the safety of our families as I do.

The new owner of that truck has a full list of what repairs have been done to it and I'm sure he appreciates knowing that he probably won't have to worry about the brakes for a long time to come.

Cheers, lvlagnum.

MarkD · February 4, 2009

$2400 brake job isnt bad if you are getting new rotors, calipers, and pads from a company like brembo or SSBC.

bubba33 · February 4, 2009

That sounded high to me for what you had done. Your happy with it thats the main thing. But I do think that alot of guys on here , most likely do there own brakes. I do not buy walmart brake pads ,didn't realize they sold them. I have never had a brake failure on the cars and trucks i have put brakes on. I have been working on cars and trucks for over 25 years.

pwall · February 4, 2009

My '02 had read disc brakes, never an issue in the 6 years I had the truck.
I don't live in a rust belt state though ......just an entire country!

Do they use a lot of salt up there? They use TONS here...but I wash my car quite often.

Oh yes!

kylea · February 4, 2009

Just thought i would say, welcome to the site from another minnesotan!

jrrod2004 · February 4, 2009

I'll chime in with GM quality and products (as a former GM employee):

1993 Cavalier - Bought new off the dealer lot in Oct 1992 and still have it to this day with 189,957 miles. only problem on that car was the brake lines that needed to be replaced under a recall.

1994 GMC Safari - Bought new off the dealer lot in december 1993. Had a problem with the CHMSL and that was replaced under warranty. vehicle was given to brother in law and he killed it (cause he is that stupid).

1996 Chevrolet Silverado (C1500) - Bought new off the dealer lot in march 1996. Had an issue with 'wind noise' since it was an extended cab but that was fixed after a month or so. Truck was last seen in a wreck

2001 Chevrolet Cavalier - Bought new off the dealership lot in feb 2001. Still have it to this day. A recall for the ignition switch was not performed properly so it had to go in again. Trunk would not latch until dealership addressed it. Now it looks like it is ready to fall apart - trans is slipping and the damn check engine light seems to crop up every few days. may end up replacing whole engine/trans and keep it since it is paid off and it would be cheaper than a new car payment.

2006 Chevrolet Silverado - Bought new off the dealership lot on April 27, 2006 and still have it to this day. The truck killed its OEM trans because some idiot at the factory did not 'fill the trans with the correct volume of fluid'. I Shaft was replaced at least 4 times. Right front bushing was replaced once. Alternator belt and pulley were serviced twice. All the radio speakers shorted out. OEM head unit failed. Headliner was sagging and buttoned up. front passenger seat creaked like old wood. rear seat head rest was jammed. Tie Rods were replaced three times. I plan to keep this vehicle since the engine and new serta trans have not given me anymore problems.

2007 Chevrolet Colorado - Bought used as a dealer demo off the lot on June 02, 2007. Truck went in for a check engine light and it turned out to the the infamous I-5 engine problem. No others have shown. Plan to get rid of it as soon as I can - I-5 down right sucks.

All the vehicles with the exception of the Colorado and the Silverado were made in the USA (each VIN starts with "1").

P71_CrownVic · February 4, 2009

Is the steering shaft a common issue among many years...or just a specific few?

welcome CrownVic

someone correct me if im wrong but i think its 99 to 2004

Good to know...thanks!

My '02 had read disc brakes, never an issue in the 6 years I had the truck.
I don't live in a rust belt state though ......just an entire country!

Do they use a lot of salt up there? They use TONS here...but I wash my car quite often.

Oh yes!

Good to know.

Just thought i would say, welcome to the site from another minnesotan!

I'll chime in with GM quality and products (as a former GM employee):

Good read.

My parents had a 1994 Lumina APV with the 3.8...that thing was bullet proof. Even after blowing a hole the size of a golf ball in the side of the trans, it got me across my city and home. And the body was excellent. All plastic, never rusted and looked great it's whole life.

My dad now has a 1998 Lumina LTZ with the 3.8. Mechanically, it has been a dream...one starter and one alternator...and it has 178K on it. The rest of the car is not the greatest...but it continues to serve him well.