Keep your OBS

[1996*GMC*SHORTBED]

...bought mine new in 1996. still have it. and always will...

 

[TreeGeared]

After researching/shopping for a replacement vehicle for the wife I concluded that if you look hard enough you can find something on any newer vehicle that has failed on someone and cost them big bucks. The information we have access to is both a blessing and a curse. True, older vehicles tend to have less and less complicated components, but like was mentioned the issues also tend to be more documented. Parts and information are also plentiful which is a bonus for the mechanically/electrically inclined.

Unfortunately by the time a vehicle model has been around long enough to gain the status of "rock solid" it is out of production and/or any examples already have 200K+ miles. That was what I ran into. I had no issue with getting an older machine. The problem was finding one that had lower miles or was not rusting apart (Ohio). I did find a nice 2005 burban but was not quick enough.

Now that the wife is taken care of I am thinking what I will replace my daily with. I am considering finding a southern older SUV then stripping and rebuilding it in similar fashion to what I did with my K2500.

 

[Boots97]

Now that the wife is taken care of I am thinking what I will replace my daily with. I am considering finding a southern older SUV then stripping and rebuilding it in similar fashion to what I did with my K2500.

If you're just looking for another daily with minimum maintenance, I'd recommend a used Honda Accord/Civic or Toyota Camry/Corolla. I'm bumming my parent's '04 Honda Civic rn as I'm doing a brake upgrade and we've all agreed on me buying it. All I need to do is get the money for it.

 

[xXxPARAGONxXx]

Buy an older model that will meet your needs, go completely thru the vehicle and spend some of that saved money to address any concerns and drive with confidence.

This.

 

[Boots97]

GMT400's weren't perfect from the factory either. They've just been around so long we've sorted out most of that mess already. I don't disagree with the sentiment, just saying, none of these vehicles were put together with 100% accuracy.

BTW that gap isn't the only issue; looks like they just barely missed the bottom corner, too. Probably leaks there in a car wash situation.

Richard

Agreed. Before I got into pickup trucks, a HS buddy of mine told me that "you'll pay for a truck one way or another". Either you get a newer truck with minimal repairs, but have large payments on it, or you'll get an older truck that you can pay off, but have to spend a bunch of money overhauling to make it mechanically like new.

This forum does see GMT400 trucks in a rose colored glasses way (duh?!), but there were a slew of problems that these trucks had. @Schurkey and @df2x4 will say that 4L60Es and 10 bolt rear axles aren't that durable. JB3 brakes were so bad that GM discontinued their use in the early 90s, and (from my experience) interior plastics in 95+ trucks are cheap and brittle. Aftermarket parts also seem to be a mixed bag of quality as GM has discontinued making some parts for this truck.

 

[OutlawDrifter]

After being in the auto repair business for 35+ years, 10 as a tech and 25+ running shops, I have seen the gambit of quality problems with my very favorite GM products.

My girl owns a 1990 K2500 with 129k on the clock and runs like a top and is way easier to take care of and a joy to work on. I told her, "never ever sell this truck".

I own a 2005 Tahoe Z71 because IMO, that NBS is the best years of the Tahoe's and like has been said, less electronics and by 2005 the kinks were worked out of the 2000-2006 models. The biggest problems started with the 2007 and newer models, especially with the AFM systems that everyone wants to disable.

On the Tahoe/Yukon Forum I belong to, another great forum by @Shaggy, as the years get newer you see way more problems and downtime at the stealerships. This is especially true with the 2021+ years. When you think of what the new ones cost, it makes me crazy how bad the quality is when you pay all that money.

Buy an older model that will meet your needs, go completely thru the vehicle and spend some of that saved money to address any concerns and drive with confidence.

Pretty well agree with this sentiment on GM vehicles. 2006 and earlier you're good to go with routine maintenance. I prefer the GMT400 interior and exterior looks to the GMT800 stuff, but that is a nostalgia thing for me. The LS is simpler to work on for sure. Front brakes are far better on the GMT800 stuff too.

I've slowly converted some of my fleet over to Toyota branded stuff. On my 3rd pickup now. 2001 Tacoma, 2014 Tacoma, and a 2003 Tundra. The build quality and reliability are miles ahead of the GM stuff from the same era(and I hate to admit that). My '99 454 K2500 Suburban is my favorite vehicle I own, that won't change, but the fact that my Tundra has 232k miles and runs and drives like it has 32k miles is unreal. No squeaks, rattles, dash cracks, ill fitting panels(inside or outside). That's not to say Toyotas don't have their issues, but the engineers must have been forced to work on field models during development.

I'll put it this way, I've got a close family friend that is in his 70s, GM man his whole life. Owns some amazing squarebody pickups and a numbers matching '69 Z28. After he left my place for a visit during Thanksgiving, he went home and bought a 2006 Tundra.

 

[Stumpy]

This forum does see GMT400 trucks in a rose colored glasses way (duh?!), but there were a slew of problems that these trucks had. @Schurkey and @df2x4 will say that 4L60Es and 10 bolt rear axles aren't that durable. JB3 brakes were so bad that GM discontinued their use in the early 90s, and (from my experience) interior plastics in 95+ trucks are cheap and brittle. Aftermarket parts also seem to be a mixed bag of quality as GM has discontinued making some parts for this truck.

Agreed. The early years of the 400s had paint issues too. I guy I worked with back in the mid to late 90's, had an '89 or '90 1500, that had almost no paint on the hood and roof. It was a wide spread problem, not isolated to the 400s of that era.

 

[OutlawDrifter]

Agreed. Before I got into pickup trucks, a HS buddy of mine told me that "you'll pay for a truck one way or another". Either you get a newer truck with minimal repairs, but have large payments on it, or you'll get an older truck that you can pay off, but have to spend a bunch of money overhauling to make it mechanically like new.

This forum does see GMT400 trucks in a rose colored glasses way (duh?!), but there were a slew of problems that these trucks had. @Schurkey and @df2x4 will say that 4L60Es and 10 bolt rear axles aren't that durable. JB3 brakes were so bad that GM discontinued their use in the early 90s, and (from my experience) interior plastics in 95+ trucks are cheap and brittle. Aftermarket parts also seem to be a mixed bag of quality as GM has discontinued making some parts for this truck.

Yes and no on your first statement. Start with a nicer older vehicle. Less expensive than a new one, cheaper insurance, and cheaper to license(depends on state somewhat I suppose, definitely holds true in KS). I've had just as many issues with the late model stuff I've owned as the aged inventory I drive.

10 bolts axles will be broken when abused, same with the 4L60e...I will concede the 4L60e is definitely the weaker link out of the two. All I've ever heard is second hand info on 10 bolt destruction...and I have used them on the farm for tasks they were not meant to do, and none of mine let me down.

 

[TonyM]

I'll just say, my shop works on all makes and models, and pretty much everything built in the last 5-10 years is over priced "trash". Meaning they all have their share of QC issues, poor material choices, and "wtf" engineering.

Interesting tidbit, we've had more than a few customers with new GM trucks have to reschedule because their truck was at the dealer for either a valvebody or oil pump.

 

[454cid]

That QC inspector gonna get that 25% pay raise though. Well deserved. /s

It's not the guys on the line, it's the bean counters that run the show.