Potential Soon to be Yukon XL Owner

[BK177V]

Hello everyone. I've been reading on the forums for a while now, and have read quite a bit on the 2015-2020 Yukon's. The answers to my questions are probably out there somewhere, but I am mostly "fishing" for some personalized encouragement.

I currently own a 2002 Suburban LT 2500 4WD 8.1L. It is the best damn truck I've ever owned. I love this truck, but it is aging. The rust is getting to be a bit much (I live in Central Michigan), and I am looking to get into something more modern with a nicer look and feel to it. (I am already well aware of the fact that I will indeed regret this decision). I've narrowed it down to a Yukon XL Denali. Mostly because of what comes standard on the Denali. I want it to feel as close as possible to my Suburban. Bigger engine, locking differential (will never own another truck without it), selectable 4wd, etc.,

Issue is, I refuse to spend any more than $20-23k on a vehicle (and preferably $18-20k), which puts me into the 2015-2017 year range, and 115-140k mile range. I have too many other hobbies (sports car, boats, lake house, etc.,) to be able to spend any more than that. My intentions are to find one down south somewhere out of the rust belt and fly to pick it up.

Question 1. Is buying a 10 year old 130k mile Yukon just asking for trouble? I'm not really in a position right now to make a $5-10k repair without it hurting a little. (I know this is a possibility on any used car).

2. Could it be a case that by 130k miles most of the problem areas have been addressed at least once? Or is that just wishful thinking?

Thanks for any insight or words of encouragement. My other option is to go with a cheaper F-150 and call it good, but I am not really a pick-up kind of guy.

 

[BK177V]

Hello everyone. I've been reading on the forums for a while now, and have read quite a bit on the 2015-2020 Yukon's. The answers to my questions are probably out there somewhere, but I am mostly "fishing" for some personalized encouragement.

I currently own a 2002 Suburban LT 2500 4WD 8.1L. It is the best damn truck I've ever owned. I love this truck, but it is aging. The rust is getting to be a bit much (I live in Central Michigan), and I am looking to get into something more modern with a nicer look and feel to it. (I am already well aware of the fact that I will indeed regret this decision). I've narrowed it down to a Yukon XL Denali. Mostly because of what comes standard on the Denali. I want it to feel as close as possible to my Suburban. Bigger engine, locking differential (will never own another truck without it), selectable 4wd, etc.,

Issue is, I refuse to spend any more than $20-23k on a vehicle (and preferably $18-20k), which puts me into the 2015-2017 year range, and 115-140k mile range. I have too many other hobbies (sports car, boats, lake house, etc.,) to be able to spend any more than that. My intentions are to find one down south somewhere out of the rust belt and fly to pick it up.

Question 1. Is buying a 10 year old 130k mile Yukon just asking for trouble? I'm not really in a position right now to make a $5-10k repair without it hurting a little. (I know this is a possibility on any used car).

2. Could it be a case that by 130k miles most of the problem areas have been addressed at least once? Or is that just wishful thinking?

Thanks for any insight or words of encouragement. My other option is to go with a cheaper F-150 and call it good, but I am not really a pick-up kind of guy.

Oh, and also, is there a certain list of things to do right away if I do decide to purchase? Trans flush, AFM disabler, etc,?

 

[Joseph Garcia]

Purchasing a Yukon XL Denali with 130,000 Mi is purchasing a truck with less than half of its total available life. I purchased my Yukon XL Denali 125,000 Mi, and I have absolutely no regrets.

But, if you're you're diligent up front in your search, you stand a good chance to get another vehicle that you will love, without breaking the bank.

 

[BK177V]

Purchasing a Yukon XL Denali with 130,000 Mi is purchasing a truck with less than half of its total available life. I purchased my Yukon XL Denali 125,000 Mi, and I have absolutely no regrets.

But, if you're you're diligent up front in your search, you stand a good chance to get another vehicle that you will love, without breaking the bank.

Welp, that was exactly what I was fishing for. Thanks, lol. Did you get the trans flushed and reprogrammed and go with the AFM disabler (or delete), or did you just call it good and drive it? I've read nothing but bad about the lifters and 8 speed transmissions for the last week and a half. It would seem that every single vehicle is on the verge of a catastrophic failure. If you believe the internet-webs.

 

[Joseph Garcia]

Welp, that was exactly what I was fishing for. Thanks, lol. Did you get the trans flushed and reprogrammed and go with the AFM disabler (or delete), or did you just call it good and drive it? I've read nothing but bad about the lifters and 8 speed transmissions for the last week and a half. It would seem that every single vehicle is on the verge of a catastrophic failure. If you believe the internet-webs.

I was fortunate in that. My year 2007, the 6.2 motor was the lL92 motor, and it did not have any AFM nonsense. So, I dodged that bullet completely.
I have a 6-speed transmission, that I've been happy with it. I will concede that I've heard that the 8 speeds that you refer to have been problematic in certain instances.

And, if you don't have any specific details about the past maintenance on your future Yukon, I would definitely change all fluids on the first PM phase that you do, so you will have a new baseline that you can work with for the future to keep your fluid changes on target.

If you stick with looking for a 2017 Yukon or older, you may avoid some of the issues that you've been reading about with the more recent models.

 

[OR VietVet]

Welcome to the forum, from Oregon.

IMO, and I am partial to rust free PNW GMT800 trucks, get the paperwork/documentation that repairs and maintenance have been done over the lifetime of the XL. CarFax is pretty good but only shows what has been reported. If the previous owner says they did all the work themselves, great. Get the parts and fluids receipts. ANY fluids that are not up to date, do them. Being from the KC, Mo. area, before I moved to Oregon in 1995, I am aware of the rust problems. Good luck.

 

[OR VietVet]

2016 GMC Yukon XL Denali 4dr SUV for sale - Portland, OR - craigslist

EMT Motors LLC / Trades Welcome! *All Makes and Models STOCK #: 2493 CALL: COPY THIS LINK AND PASTE TO YOUR BROWSER FOR MORE INFORMATION: ⭐ FREE CARFAX LINK ON OUR WEBSITE ⭐ VEHICLE SPECIFICATIONS...

portland.craigslist.org

2015 GMC YUKON XL for sale - Gladstone, OR - craigslist

2015 GMC Yukon XL Denali Offered by: Auto Town GMC — — $23,000 24/7 messaging! Chat now on Auto Town GMC Year: 2015 Make: GMC Model: Yukon XL Series: Denali VIN: 1GKS2JKJ1FR300279 Stock #: GP8530...

portland.craigslist.org

2018 GMC Yukon XL for sale - Gladstone, OR - craigslist

We Ship or Help You Drive Home! Treasure Auto Sales LLC — Gladstone, Oregon Located just outside Portland, Oregon www.mytreasureauto.com Call/Text: YES — We work with out-of-state buyers...

portland.craigslist.org

2015 GMC Yukon XL 1/2 Ton SLT for sale - Portland, OR - craigslist

2015 GMC Yukon XL 4WD 4DR SLT Autobon Auto Sales - Dealer #9935 - Call or Text - $18,900 Climb into this sleek 2015 GMC Yukon XL and get ready to take on the open road with its powerful 5.3L EcoTec3...

portland.craigslist.org

 

[Loki223]

If i were to buy again, i'd probably get an 18+ to get everyhitng they added into k2s the first couple year of production

And buying any used vehicle with 130k mile on the clock is a gamble. Chances are, there will be repairs. I would plan on spending some money on it. I went into getting our burb for as cheap as possible, knowing i'll be putting money into it. Now that i'm about the price point of what everyone else was asking, my burb is in better condition than anything on the market

 

[BK177V]

Welcome to the forum, from Oregon.

IMO, and I am partial to rust free PNW GMT800 trucks, get the paperwork/documentation that repairs and maintenance have been done over the lifetime of the XL. CarFax is pretty good but only shows what has been reported. If the previous owner says they did all the work themselves, great. Get the parts and fluids receipts. ANY fluids that are not up to date, do them. Being from the KC, Mo. area, before I moved to Oregon in 1995, I am aware of the rust problems. Good luck.

Thanks. Thats some pretty good advice for any used vehicle purchase, and I usually stick to that process. I do all of my work myself, for the most part, but I generally don't keep any record of anything because I never intend on selling. At least until it's well worn and I sell it cheap.

 

[BK177V]

If i were to buy again, i'd probably get an 18+ to get everyhitng they added into k2s the first couple year of production

And buying any used vehicle with 130k mile on the clock is a gamble. Chances are, there will be repairs. I would plan on spending some money on it. I went into getting our burb for as cheap as possible, knowing i'll be putting money into it. Now that i'm about the price point of what everyone else was asking, my burb is in better condition than anything on the market

Yeah, I think I'm going to stick to an '18 or '19. The difference in price could easily go the wrong way with a blown Trans in a 15-17. Not that an 18 guarantees no issues.

 

[OR VietVet]

Thanks. Thats some pretty good advice for any used vehicle purchase, and I usually stick to that process. I do all of my work myself, for the most part, but I generally don't keep any record of anything because I never intend on selling. At least until it's well worn and I sell it cheap.

At least keep the parts/fluids receipts

 

[BK177V]

At least keep the parts/fluids receipts

Yeah, I probably actually have most, spread throughout my email. The main vehicle I work on is my 2001 Porsche Boxster S, and I get all OEM parts that I order from Pelican Parts. So I don't really "throw them away", but it would take me hours to get them all together. The Suburban I don't really have to work on, because it never breaks. I will miss that truck something dearly.

 

[OR VietVet]

Yeah, I probably actually have most, spread throughout my email. The main vehicle I work on is my 2001 Porsche Boxster S, and I get all OEM parts that I order from Pelican Parts. So I don't really "throw them away", but it would take me hours to get them all together. The Suburban I don't really have to work on, because it never breaks. I will miss that truck something dearly.

Well, "maintenance pays and breakdowns cost" means that not only will you have a more reliable vehicle, the proof of the maintenance and repair work will pay dividends when trying to sell at a later date. With the paperwork, you can PROVE the history and how well you took care of it and why you are asking what your price is set at. IMO, good repairs and maintenance paperwork is worth $500 or more.

 

[BK177V]

Well, "maintenance pays and breakdowns cost" means that not only will you have a more reliable vehicle, the proof of the maintenance and repair work will pay dividends when trying to sell at a later date. With the paperwork, you can PROVE the history and how well you took care of it and why you are asking what your price is set at. IMO, good repairs and maintenance paperwork is worth $500 or more.

Agreed, but eventually some of my cars become "beaters" and they are no longer cared for like they were when they were newer. My 2006 Cadillac STS4 V8 is a good example. I've owned it 10 years now and the salt from Michigan roads started taking their toll 3 or 4 years back. I then decided to not invest the effort into maintaining it and just drive her until the wheels fall off (other than oil changes, brakes, tires, and repairs that pop up). I will likely get a thousand bucks out of it when I sell it, which I will be doing when it's time to purchase the Yukon.

Eventually, the Michigan road conditions will render any vehicle worthless. Just a matter of time, unless you store it for the winter.

 

[noodlesandsam2]

You could stay in the 2002 - 2006 range, and shop south or west and get another T800. Less $$ and the devil you know. I have had a T800 for too long. I almost went for an 07 T900, but the current truck came by.

 

[BK177V]

You could stay in the 2002 - 2006 range, and shop south or west and get another T800. Less $$ and the devil you know. I have had a T800 for too long. I almost went for an 07 T900, but the current truck came by.

I've thought about that a lot. But I think I am just ready for something a little more modern. Plus probably double the MPG's that the 8.1 gets. If I had all the money in the world, I would have both.

 

[OR VietVet]

I've thought about that a lot. But I think I am just ready for something a little more modern. Plus probably double the MPG's that the 8.1 gets. If I had all the money in the world, I would have both.

I don't know how modern it needs to be for you, so I can't tell you that you are wrong. As far as mpg, a 5.3 would sure help and even a 6.0 and when you figure in the price difference, it could be a wash. BUT, you need to get exactly what YOU want.

 

[Loki223]

Well, "maintenance pays and breakdowns cost" means that not only will you have a more reliable vehicle, the proof of the maintenance and repair work will pay dividends when trying to sell at a later date. With the paperwork, you can PROVE the history and how well you took care of it and why you are asking what your price is set at. IMO, good repairs and maintenance paperwork is worth $500 or more.

my burb had an extensive maintenance records via carfax, almost exclusively serviced at the dealer, most recent service less then 5k before i bought it. Still needed all 4 corners for shocks, had the oil pressure sensor needing replaced (likely original reason it was traded in) and various other issues with it that needed fixed. just because a vehicle has extensive records doesn't mean it won't need a lot. Heck my burb even has records of the torque converter being replaced at 150k miles, and it still has a shutter to it that i'll need to tune or possibly the whole tranny has enough debris in it that it needs replaced. fluid looks fine, and one of the first things i did was a flush on it. Just saying, records doesn't prove it won't need anything. but i admittedly bought mine cheap, knowing it needed things

 

[SpareParts]

That's what i do. Buy cheap knowing i need to fix everything. Heck i would even buy one without an engine if i could get it at the right for me price.
Its getting harder for me to work on em as i get older but i can still do it all. Cheap not a problem yet and it keeps me entertained doing something i like.
And the wife thought RC Airplanes was expensive.

 

[Loki223]

Yup, thats the way to do it. Any used vehicle is going to require work. So the goal would be finding the nicest, cheapest variant, with as many issues already well known and exposed so you can have the best idea on what your getting into