Prices are high but what are your thoughts on this '09 LTZ?

[DavidZ71]

I've been looking mostly for a second gen Tahoe but stumbled upon a 2009 LTZ. It has 202k miles, which makes me a bit wary. Interior looks very, very clean for its age and mileage. Second row captain's chairs. Exterior is also very clean - no dents, scrapes, etc.

Some recent maintenance:
-Like new Michelin Defender LTX tires
-Front and rear brake rotors replaced
-New battery
-TC and front diff rebuilt
-Tranny and rear diff fluid changed
-4wd front diff solenoid replaced
-Driver side motor mount replaced
-Engine/tranny cooler hydraulic lines replaced
-PS pump and pressure line replaced
-Oil pan gasket replaced
-New AC Delco plugs and wires

The seller is asking $9k. I only drive 7-8k miles per year but I'd need it to be reliable for long trips and snowy conditions. My main concern would be the tranny.

What are your thoughts?

 

[iamdub]

I've been looking mostly for a second gen Tahoe but stumbled upon a 2009 LTZ. It has 202k miles, which makes me a bit wary. Interior looks very, very clean for its age and mileage. Second row captain's chairs. Exterior is also very clean - no dents, scrapes, etc.

Some recent maintenance:
-Like new Michelin Defender LTX tires
-Front and rear brake rotors replaced
-New battery
-TC and front diff rebuilt
-Tranny and rear diff fluid changed
-4wd front diff solenoid replaced
-Driver side motor mount replaced
-Engine/tranny cooler hydraulic lines replaced
-PS pump and pressure line replaced
-Oil pan gasket replaced
-New AC Delco plugs and wires

The seller is asking $9k. I only drive 7-8k miles per year but I'd need it to be reliable for long trips and snowy conditions. My main concern would be the tranny.

What are your thoughts?

Is the seller the original owner? Are any other service records available? Sounds like it was well cared-for. Those are some high dollar maintenance items that seemed to have been performed with quality parts. For all of that at 9K, I wouldn't worry so much about the mileage if the engine and trans is quiet, smooth and strong. If you buy it, there are a few relatively cheap and easy things you could do to further increase the engine's reliability, mainly disable AFM. Other than that, you may have some suspension work to do. But all of that is "lesser than" compared to the 4WD system work it has already had.

 

[wsteele]

The price is decent for this market, in fact, probably considered a good deal for the condition you describe.

Although it sounds like it was well maintained (at least well documented), in the end, even with an expert mechanic in Chevy Tahoe's looking it over (something I would recommend), with 200K on the clock, nobody can tell you something major won't crop uo, like the need for a reman tranny.

 

[Just Fishing]

LTZ had the option to opt for the 6.2 right?
Check, that's a good option if it has it vs the 5.3.

 

[OR VietVet]

It is likely a decent deal at that mileage and with all that work done and you expecting trans work anyway, get the AFM disabled and motor on. I drive them and newer and just never got any comfort from the seats.

 

[DavidZ71]

Thanks for the advice guys. The seller is the second owner. I'll see what other maintenance docs he has and go from there.

 

[petethepug]

LTZ had the option to opt for the 6.2 right?
Check, that's a good option if it has it vs the 5.3.

Ears Perk ... 6.2L means no AFM


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[Bill 1960]

A vehicle that age anything is possible, that’s just part of rolling the dice. The only thing that raises any concern reading your post is the seller has spent a boatload of cash and now he’s selling. There’s a bit of inconsistency in the narrative there, because usually someone doing all that maintenance intended to keep it.

I would be inquiring into his reasons for selling and trying to figure out if he’s just tired of the bills, or maybe the mechanic told him the trans is next, or??? Of course it could be anything that changed in their personal circumstances, you never know.

 

[DavidZ71]

The seller has owned it since 160k and for the past five years. The repairs have been done over that time period (the plugs/wires and tires were very recent). Seller says he had the engine compression tested when the plugs were replaced and the shop told him the compression was better than they'd expect even after a rebuild. He's selling it to upgrade to something bigger for his family.

 

[wsteele]

The seller has owned it since 160k and for the past five years. The repairs have been done over that time period (the plugs/wires and tires were very recent). Seller says he had the engine compression tested when the plugs were replaced and the shop told him the compression was better than they'd expect even after a rebuild. He's selling it to upgrade to something bigger for his family.

It is a good price. If it fits your needs, I would take it to a competent shop and have them do a prepurchase inspection. If they didn't see any red flags, I would probably buy it.

As far as the risk of needing a transmission soon, frankly, at that price, the $2500 it will cost you if it did take a dump 10K miles down the road, you will still be money ahead of almost any other option. The thing is, you could buy something with a lot less miles and have it need a tranny right away. My Yukon needed a reman tranny at 76K miles, not typical, but it happens.

Send the ECU to a tuner and for $50 he can turn AFM off and you are jake.