Buying Higher mileage Tahoe/Yukon/Suburban, Major concerns?

[sneasle]

tl;dr- What should I watch out for with high mileage Yukon/Suburbans? I'm thinking of buying one as a 3rd vehicle for cargo needs and would like some insight on what is good for the price.

Hi all! I'm new to the board and was hoping ya'll could help me with some information. I've spent the last few days reading through various threads about these trucks and it has greatly helped me getting over my fears of buying a higher mileage used vehicle. That said, I could still use a bit more help. If I do anything wrong here, please let me know and I'll adjust my thread. Beware, wall of text below.


Currently my wife and I both drive smaller 4 door sedans. This has worked well for us as most of our driving is city driving, but since we bought our first house 2 yrs ago I'm finding that my need for a larger vehicle has steadily increased with the more projects I take on around the house. Up until now I have relied on the generosity of friends and neighbors, but I think it is time for us to pick up a third vehicle, one with more space.

I've batted around a bunch of different ideas (we've considered Jeeps, Tahoes/Yukons/Suburbans, Rav4's, Explorers, Edges, and almost everything else on the market), but I keep coming back to Tahoes/Yukons/Surburbans as the best bang for my buck when it comes to the combination of cargo capacity and comfort. I am not the kind of person that enjoys really long car rides, and the extended trips we've taken recently in our sedans have been almost painful for me. I'm really looking forward to having the extra space to spread out and be comfortable.


That brings me to the subject at hand, what are the biggest things I should be worried about when looking at higher mileage versions of these vehicles? My budget for this is about $8k. Near the top end of that I get 05's with 125k miles, near the bottom of that (~4k) I can get 05's with 250k miles. This range includes mostly Yukons and Suburbans, in all the different trim levels. Since this would be a third vehicle for us and I am not afraid to get dirty, I'm ok with putting some work into a higher mileage truck, but I also don't want to buy a lemon.

There are quite a few vehicles available in my area, some of them peak my interest more than others. Ideally I'm trying to find something with 4x4 or AWD capabilities (We do like to head into the woods every so often), and I would greatly prefer to find something with 2nd row bucket seats. I'm currently aiming big, primarily looking at Yukon XLs and Suburban's, but that might change later.

These are a few of the options in my area I am eyeballing, do any of these jump out from a quick look as good/bad?

2004 Suburban Z71 192k miles ($6900, private)
Silver w/ gray leather, bose sound, drop down dvd, heated power seats, 2nd row bucket, 3rd row bench power sunroof, tow package, 4x4

2005 Suburban Z71 240k miles ($7900, Dealer)
White w/ tan leather, 3rd row seat, 2nd row buckets, headrest TVs, moon roof, rear air, 4x4

2005 Suburban Z71 124k miles ($7900, Dealer)
Tan w/tan leather, 3rd row seat, 2nd row bench, drop down dvd, sunroof, rear air, 4x4

2003 Suburban LT 208k miles ($3800, Dealer)
Grey w/ grey leather, 3rd row seat, 2nd row bucket, sunroof, was 'top of the line' when new. Dealer say's it is 'rough' with some dings on the outside and no the greatest interior. Pictures look ok, nothing a seat cover won't fix inside. It does have some bruises on the outside, but I don't intend to baby it. Wife might not agree to it though.

2004 Yukon XL Denali 161k miles ($8600, private)
White w/ tan leather, looks clean, haven't called the seller yet.

2004 Yukon XL Denali 255k miles ($3800, private)
White w/ tan leather, 2nd row bucket, 3rd row, tow package. Interior has some wear, AC works but needs work, Nav isn't working, gauge cluster is finicky, and is having a 'glitch' that causes reduced engine power. Unless these are easy repairs I might pass on this one.

2006 Yukon XL Denali 177k miles ($7500, private)
White w/ tan leather, DVD, Heated seats, some scratches. Haven't called this guy yet for more details.

2005 Yukon Xl Denali 257k miles ($4500, private)
Black w/ black leather, 2nd row buckets, 3rd row, sunroof, dvd, rear air. Looks clean, haven't had a chance to sit in it yet.



Obviously I'm still very early in my search, but any insight from you guys with lots of experience with these vehicles would be appreciated.

 

[adventurenali92]

124k isn't too bad. I've got a client of my detailing business with a 2002 Denali XL with 226k on the clock and still going strong. If one of these trucks is well maintained it'll go forever. On the Denali the autoride system is quite nice however with that many miles it will probably need some servicing. Keep that in mind if your considering any one of the denalis. Also with high mileage look for service records and look specifically for how often the transmission was serviced. If it was serviced often you probably won't have any issues with it. But if there's not much servicing done to the trans it more than likely will have an issue somewhere down the line.

 

[NathanJax]

This thread will help too

http://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/thre...g-a-00-06-nbs-tahoe-suburban-look-here.61834/

 

[cmc76]

I second the 05 with 124k. That is about what i paid for my 04 with the same miles. i have since put on about 35k and other than a few routine things, it has been a great runner. This summer i will do the fuel pump, and hopefully the intake gaskets. when i purchased mine, the only "must do' thing right away was a new drivers seat cover.

 

[MPDano]

I got lucky and got a 2002 Yukon XL K2500 with a massive 8.1 liter engine and Allison Trans for 4K. Albeit, 200K on the clock but it still runs like a bat out of hell. I got it for 4K but had to travel 100 miles for it. In San Diego, you can't touch an 8.1 for almost 8K.

 

[clandr1]

I think the transmission is really the only major thing to look out for, in general, on the half tons. They will do just fine with regular maintenance, but if you have someone who's never changed the fluid, or worse has done a flush on a high mileage transmission, you could be looking at issues soon.

Beware of the Castech heads (see link below). I have Castech (706) heads, but thankfully haven't had any issues (purchased my truck new, now have 147k on it). So, while having Castech heads is something to be aware of, it isn't necessarily a death sentence.

http://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/threads/would-you-buy-a-tahoe-with-castech-heads.67689/

 

[David Paul]

I think the transmission is really the only major thing to look out for, in general, on the half tons. They will do just fine with regular maintenance, but if you have someone who's never changed the fluid, or worse has done a flush on a high mileage transmission, you could be looking at issues soon.
/

I lived this. Original trans died at 60,000 miles. Rebuilt by GM under partial good will warrantee as it had routine maintenance by dealer. At 130,000 miles had the trans flushed. Thought I was doing a good thing. 150,000 miles trans failed again......

 

[adventurenali92]

I lived this. Original trans died at 60,000 miles. Rebuilt by GM under partial good will warrantee as it had routine maintenance by dealer. At 130,000 miles had the trans flushed. Thought I was doing a good thing. 150,000 miles trans failed again......

My factory 4L65E trans went out in November @ 83,000 and had to have it replaced. Sucked but I guess it's better to deal with it now rather than later haha. Now it runs like a champ with the rebuilt trans. MPG went up a bit to after the rebuild.

 

[adventurenali92]

I got lucky and got a 2002 Yukon XL K2500 with a massive 8.1 liter engine and Allison Trans for 4K. Albeit, 200K on the clock but it still runs like a bat out of hell. I got it for 4K but had to travel 100 miles for it. In San Diego, you can't touch an 8.1 for almost 8K.

Good score man! Those 2500s with the 8.1L are super rare and hard to find!

 

[sneasle]

Thanks for the replies everyone, it is greatly appreciated.

It looks like the 124k 'burban might be sold. Went to take a look at it last night and it has a deposit on it. I'll keep an eye on it but I'm assuming it is as good as sold.

Would ya'll say that the improvements in the '05 are work taking one over an '03? Another Denali popped up near by, and I think the wife it starting to lean more toward them... Miles are still high though and I feel they are overpriced.

2003 Yukon Xl Denali 226k miles ($5998, Dealer)
Black w/ black leather, 2nd row buckets, 3rd row, sunroof, rear air, power folding mirrors and lift gate.



@NathanJax, I've been through that thread a few times. It has proven to be a nice resource, I'm glad ya'll took the time to make it.

@cmc76, is the fuel pump internal to the tank on these?

@clandr1, I had seen mention of the castech heads before, thanks for the reminder. Do you know by chance of an image the points out where the stamp would be? I see reference to a visible location on the passenger side near the dipstick, but I'd like a better idea of where to look.




I'm a little concerned with the air/auto-ride on these Denali's. Does anyone have a picture they care share of what the compressor location looks like, or some other external feature I can get eyes on to check if it has one? I know little about this type of suspension on these vehicles and I'm not really sure what all to look out for. Any specific tell tail squeaks/rattles/hissing that I should be alert for?




Over all you guys have done a pretty good job of not scaring me away. We have a family member who is a mechanic and rebuilds engines for a living, so if it needs engine work in the near future I can lean on him. He hates transmission though...