Looking at older suburbans. what to watch out for....

[RANDY P]

My Silverado had a new cat on it, but with that it passed CA smog on its 1st try after sitting for 3 weeks and running for only 20 minutes.

Part of the prerequisite for the sale

270K miles...

[kaisen]

Just another suggestion:

Also consider a full-size passenger van from Ford or GM
They're typically a little less than a Suburban, and much more comfortable for rear passengers
Find a 1997-up Ford or 1996-2003 GM.

If you're doing it for road trips and don't need 4x4 then mechanically they are pretty much the same as the pickups

[EarlyPorsche]

Good suggestions here. A family friend has a 1996 1500 model and another friend has a 1994 2500 diesel. The 1500 has roughly 270K I believe and its on original engine/transmission and the rear is starting to hummmmm pretty hard so I think the rear will have to be replaced. The 1994 diesel is just full of engine related problems. He has it pretty well sorted now that he's replaced a head and I believe something called a PMD and a new 4L80e. It has roughtly 330K on it. I would stay away from the diesel.

[yellowperil]

I had an old Suburban with a 454 c.i. I had to watch for gas stations.

[Scuba Steve]

From people in my family owning a bunch of the '92-'94s...

- Transmissions are good until around 150K.
- 4x4 transfer boxes last about 80K miles.
- The inner dash that the controls and switches mount to is made of plastic that tends to crack (the entire structure will shift at that point). It's incredibly annoying.
- Fuel pump has already been mentioned but ours typically lasted until 150K.
- They like to leak onto the passenger's feet when a/c drain lines get clogged. Chronic issue.

[kaisen]

Originally Posted by Scuba Steve

From people in my family owning a bunch of the '92-'94s...

- Transmissions are good until around 150K.
- 4x4 transfer boxes last about 80K miles.
- The inner dash that the controls and switches mount to is made of plastic that tends to crack (the entire structure will shift at that point). It's incredibly annoying.
- Fuel pump has already been mentioned but ours typically lasted until 150K.
- They like to leak onto the passenger's feet when a/c drain lines get clogged. Chronic issue.

Note that the 1992-1994's dash/controls, transmission, transfer case, and HVAC are all different from the 1996-1999s.

[speeder]

Suburbans, (and just PU trucks in general), are one of the things that America builds really well. I have friends w/ older Suburbans with really high miles and spotty maintenance that just run and run and run. They have amazing utility, tons of enclosed room and can haul/tow a LOT.

I'd own one if I really needed the carrying volume. The low cost of ownership, (other than fuel), can work-out well depending on your use. I also agree that there is no reason to settle for a less desirable year considering the supply of '96-up trucks for cheap money. In states like Texas, one out of every 3 vehicles sold was a Suburban. At least that's what it seems like.

[Brian 162]

I had a 97 Tahoe for 10 years. I had good luck with it. Usual wear items brakes, ball joints. I did have to replace the rear pinion bearing a couple of times and the dreaded fuel pump only once.
Mine had a 5.7 Vortec. I never had any problems but in the winter you would hear a piston slap when the engine was cold.
I sold it with 250,000 km's. The guy I sold it to still has it and he has had no problems.
Stay away from the 6 litre. They are very thirsty.

[Rob Channell]

Oh yeah. One other problem I forgot. The windshield wiper control board has a problem with either the board flexing or bad solder joints. When it's broken it's kinda like driving an MG, you know with the intermittent wipers designed by Lucas.

[Joe Bob]

Get the 2500....the 1500s have weak brakes. Look for the factory tow packages.....

[Scuba Steve]

Originally Posted by kaisen

Note that the 1992-1994's dash/controls, transmission, transfer case, and HVAC are all different from the 1996-1999s.

Yep... 1994 is still mid-'90s though.

The newer ones still have fragile plastic, but not quite as easily broken as the earlier ones IMO. Just lots and lots of it to break and fall off from our experience.

[yetibone]

I'm going to buck the trend here, and say that pre-96, non Vortec, throttle body injected engines are better than the later 5.7 litres. No intake gasket coolant leaks, no muddy residue from oxygen reaction to Dex-Cool, no cross firing distributor caps, no CPI injector issues, no no-starts from not having 55 psi of fuel pressure...

[mattdavis11]

The a/c compressor on the 96-99 are notorious for case seal failure, but gernrally they last 10-12 years. Luckily, not many disintegrate internally and the compressor is right on top, making it a simple system to fix. I usually charge 500-600 for parts and labor. An easy way to spot a leak, look for a black oily substance on the case.

[944Larry]

I bought my wife a new Surb in '95, leather and all the goodies. She drove the thing for 13 years and didn't want to get rid of it then. Never did a thing but normal maintenance items the whole time. I imagine it's still running somewhere. Hmmm, if I could get the 944 to do this!!!

[Burnin' oil]

2003 1500 4x4, now has 160k miles. p/s pump, alternator and fuel pump. Other than that, no real problems.

[Burnin' oil]

And a ring and pinion issue.