GMC Suburban

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Price Paid:  $5500.00 from off ebay

Year / Model Reviewed:
1995 GMC suburban

Summary:
purchased at 112,000 and sold at 186,000 and only 2 problems were transmission wouldnt shift out of 3rd at 144,000.put a filter and fluid in it and shifted it manually for 50 miles and everything was fine.altenator at 130,000 but no biggie. 350 5.7 liter is a beast!moved a 6 stall horse barn,ford 600 tractor,and 11 acres worth of fencing.

Strengths:
engine,transmission,ride,seats

Weaknesses:
4x4 a little tuff to engage and back window pumps went out,$20 repair.

Similar Products Used:
97 gmc pickup,good power but radiator at 98,000.took out and had repaired for $40 and everything is fine.

Overall Rating
 2 of 5

Value Rating
 2 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
3.75 of 5, 4.00 votes

Price Paid:  $20000.00 from Sun Pontiac GMC

Year / Model Reviewed:
1997 GMC Suburban SLT K1500

Summary:
Great truck for hauling stuff. Lots of room. Way too many problems. Truck is in the shop on a regular basis.

Strengths:
Lots of room. Strong engine.

Weaknesses:
Power steering - replaced power steering pumps 3 times in less than 3 years. Power steering gear box - replaced. Radiator - replaced once. Undersized, which may have caused transmission to overheat and fail. Truck has tow package (engine oil and transmission oil cooler). Transmission failed. Rear A/C failed - A/C lines going to rear A/C rubbed on the frame. Door hinges - pins become loose when driving on bumpy dirt roads. 4X4 system - solenoids failed making the 4x4 system inoperable. Expensive to repair!

Similar Products Used:
Jeep Grand Wagoneer Jeep Cherokee Ford Explorer Land Rover Discovery

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 1.00 votes

Price Paid:  $10000.00 from 52,000 miles from 1s

Year / Model Reviewed:
1993 4wd GMC Suburban

Summary:
This is my 1st Chevy product purchase and I am very pleased! I needed the room the Suburban offers for people & gear. I also needed the ability to "Go" almost anywhere a news story or location shoot would take me. This vehicle does the job for me. I can even sleep in it,(remove 3rd seat-fold down the 2nd row seat), if I have to! I've added about 135,000 miles to it in 4 years and it'll use just under 1qt. of oil for every 2,000 miles of non-stop highway driving. I've replaced the 1)altenator 2)engine drive belt 3)muffler,(needs a new tailpipe now) 4)brakes 5)windshield wiper relay,(delay module) 6)oxygen sensor 7)coolant temp. sensor 8)new radiator 9)recharged a/c,(switched from old to new refrigerant type) 10)replaced elastic on both sunvisors 11)new fan clutch I have the 5.7 litre TBI fuel injection model. It seems to run best on 89 octaine or higher fuel types. The tranny has an aftermarket shift kit in it with an external tranny oil cooler mounted behind the grille. I'm using 17" wheels and seem to get 15/18 mpg,(hwy), depending on the terrain or prevailing winds. It has a very durable cloth interior, it cleans up well. The exterior paint is still in good condition, although the wiper arms and roof-rack black paint is fading and chipping after 11yrs. All electrical and both a/c & heating units are working just fine. The center console is a bit wobbly. The lighted vanity sunvisor mirrors seem to have a mind of their own at this time.

Strengths:
Rock solid chassis platform 4wd unit works on demand. All major operating components seem to be designed for long term use. Simple, dependable design at work here. Looks like they got this one right.

Weaknesses:
Power side view mirrors have dead spots. Rear window defogger has dead spots. Drivers seat foam non-supportive. Rear power door locks and windows are troublesome at times. Odd sized,(4" x 10")rear audio speakers.

Similar Products Used:
First product of this kind for me.

Price Paid:  $8000.00 from private indv

Year / Model Reviewed:
1998 GMC suburban K1500 4x4

Summary:
This is my 4th Suburban, I have a 1990 1996 and 1999. The 1990 and 1996 were great with lot of power and I got around 16-17 MPG on the highway. The 1999 only got 10-12 even at 65 MPH, so I sold it. This 1998 has been great and I get 16-17 MPG and I have 138,000 miles on it to date I sold my 1996 with 233,000 and it is still on the road here in my home town. Now tha problems....very poor brakes and don't bother turning the rotors, just buy GOOD replacment rotors, ie from Canada or US, but not the cheap ones. Buy the best brake pads you can. Also knock out the adjustment hole on the rear brake drums and make a habit of adjusting the rear brakes by hand. THis helps alot. I tow and 3200LB boat around 28,000 miles a year and I need the stopping power. I am looking to add a rear disc conversion, to improve the stopping situation. A/C compressor are OK only for 90,000 and don't bother with a rebuilt one, go with a Delco new one. I tried both O'Rielly's and Auto Zone and both died with in 2 months and they wouldn't pay for the labor to replace. So just spend the big bucks and do it right. ($600)Also if you tow something make sure you drop to drive and NOT overdrive. The trans will overheat and die on you. Make sure you flush the trans fluid once a year ($110) for pease of mind and good maintaince.

Strengths:
Power, room, comfort, MPG for size and great for towing boats, trailers, etc.

Weaknesses:
Poor brakes and poor A/C compressor design.

Similar Products Used:
1999 Ford super duty F-250 diesel, Chevy 3/4 4x4 P-U. Great trucks but not enought room and they ride pretty rough. The diesel has tremendous power and 20 MPG was a real plus, but the ride was tough on my wife. The noise in town was pretty annoying.

Price Paid:  $15000.00 from Buick dealer

Summary:
This was a factory executive vehicle with 5,000 miles on it. Now, 12 years later, it has 247,000 miles. It has had the starter and alternator replaced, a shift solenoid in the transmission and the usual maintenance items. We have pulled campers, boats, hauled kids, dogs, shrubs and trees. It uses NO oil and I still get 17+ mpg on the highway. The paint is coming off the hood and on top, but the sides still shine.

Strengths:
Reliability! It has never stranded me. Roomy, comfortable for long trips. Seats 7 easily. Smaller vehicles get out of your way!

Weaknesses:
Paint, but it is 13 years old. Could use some new parts in the front suspension, but nothing dangerous. I have never had the front end aligned.

Similar Products Used:
Recently bought a 1993 Suburban with 152,000 miles. Hope it does as well as the 1990.