Advice on 2001 Suburban

[kmk008]

Everyone - I’m looking at purchasing my first Suburban (although I’ve owned a 2004 Avalanche & 2007 Silverado) as a spare vehicle and wanted some advice on this deal.

This is a 2001 Suburban LT 1500 4x2 with 220k miles for $1,900. With that said, it’s being sold by an older gentleman who purchased it brand new and has been letting his daughter drive it lately. Also, this truck has spent its life in Texas so rust really isn’t an issue.

The owner mentioned having done some engine work to seal some oil leaks and replacing the injectors but it still has an occasional misfire. Otherwise no mechanical issues, but some typical window motors dead/dying. My personal concerns are basically the transmission, engine and AC system but for the price it seems like a good deal to me. I sold the Avalanche and Silverado both around 160k miles without any major fixes so I’m not sure what to expect with the extra mileage. Does anyone have any pointers of specific items to look for and what some potential upcoming repairs should be expected and what kind of budget for those repairs?

Thank you!

 

[RaiderRodney]

Honestly, if it's clean with no rust and has been taken care of...I'd get it. Yes the transmissions aren't great in these trucks and I'm sure you will be looking at some other random failures here and there but for the money this would be a no brainer for me. Besides the transmission some things that comes to mind would be fuel pump, hvac door actuator, 4wd selector, brakes, rotors, possibly suspension parts, etc. But if you do any maintenance yourself it isn't too bad.

Good luck and welcome to the forum

 

[Big Mama]

Welcome to the forum from Virginia. Sounds great but you can always have your mechanic look it over before buying.

 

[S33k3r]

How comfortable are you with a wrench? The reason I ask is that you should buy it and, if it doesn't work out like you want, you can EASILY part it out for that or more in parts. Not that I'm advising you to buy it and part it out -- just that your investment is pretty well secure if you have those capabilities.

What part of Texas are you in?

 

[kmk008]

How comfortable are you with a wrench? The reason I ask is that you should buy it and, if it doesn't work out like you want, you can EASILY part it out for that or more in parts. Not that I'm advising you to buy it and part it out -- just that your investment is pretty well secure if you have those capabilities.

What part of Texas are you in?

I appreciate the replies, I definitely don’t mind doing at least some work on my own - especially as it’s a second vehicle for me. I just don’t want to be endlessly pouring money into major repairs on it, but that’s a really good point about parting it out. Located in the Houston area.

 

[blueinkd]

With it being a used vehicle, don't buy unless you are prepared to fork out cash for the unexpected. No matter what you see or previous owner tells you, things will come up and need replacing. It's just the nature of the beast. Best be ready now than hate the vehicle later because the obvious happened.

 

[S33k3r]

Our rule of thumb is that if it takes less than $1k in the first year, it's a good deal. Less than that, a great deal. More than that... Well, your mileage may vary.

 

[ak_yukon]

I got my 01 for free from a family member who was the original owner with 165k miles. They fixed anything that was obviously broken and did scheduled maintenance but I still spent $4k in the first two years of ownership on things that had been over looked or broke after I got it. Check over the front end, steering, ball joints, etc. look for leaks in the diffs, cv joints. Basically get it in a lift and go over it with a mechanic. Even if everything looks good have a grand or two set aside, it’s a twenty year old vehicle with over 200k miles, things will break.

 

[sparkvark]

I have a 2001 Yukon XL with 414,000 miles. I am the original owner. What engine does it have? If it's the 5.3L you can expect the knock sensors to need replacement soon. I had to pull the intake and replace mine at 220,000 and 400,000. If you have the rear heat/AC system look at the hoses and tees at the firewall. Those will need replacement soon. Might check and see if they have ever replaced the cabin air filter. Several posters have already made good suggestions.

 

[steve45]

I had a 2001 Suburban. Bought it to use for work. Transmission failed at about 90K. Changed jobs shortly after that and sold the 2001 to buy a 2000 4x4 Suburban. It has about 270K. The only major expense so far has been rear seal on the engine. It's had it's share of sensors, window tracks & motors, etc. in the last year or two.

Oh, yea, the parking brake design on that model is a complete joke! I have to take the back wheels off each year and adjust them so it will pass inspection. The brake bands are not properly supported and rub constantly on the drum.