Buying a 97 Tahoe

[64deville]

I have all but decided to buy a 97 Tahoe 4dr. I never thought I would buy such a new mainstream vehicle but they make so much sense.

It has 136K on the clock and the dealer is asking $8500. I've checked around and that seems to be the going rate. I've also driven 4 other Tahoes in the $7-10k price range and this is by far the best one. My old man has a 99 Suburban with 257,000 miles on it and he still drives it everyday. This makes me think they are reliable trucks and the fact that they are common seems to make parts somewhat cheap.

Anyone who has owned one please weigh in on reliability, ownership issues, thoughts. I know the fuel pump is an issue along with things like wiper motors (gm recall?), and transmissions. Any opinions or experiences would be helpful.

Andy

[curtis73]

GM cars are doing better in later years, but 136K??? That's a lot of miles... not per year, just total miles. As the owner of a 96 GM with 90k, I certainly wouldn't pay that much for a 136k chevy. I wouldn't pay that much for my 90k chevy. Shoot for $6000

I've also had an 88 chevy pickup that completely died at 120k of flawless maintenance, and a 98 chevy pickup with 65k that was already exhibiting faster than acceptable wear.

[64deville]

I agree, the mileage is a little scary but the truck was definately well taken care of and it still runs and drives very well. It seems to me if you take care of these things and do some regular maintenance they will last a long, long time.

I will agree $8500 is steep but the book and the going prices around here (Des Moines, Iowa) seem to be pretty close. I've looked at other Tahoes from 96-99 and they were all priced from $7000-$10995. This one is by far the best and it coincidently has the most miles.

[nbr1nthuzyst]

i think its a good deal... milage shouldnt be a prob

[curtis73]

You're right that maintenance has a large impact on longevity, but 136k is that much more time that a previous owner could have beasted on it.

And, all the proper oil changes, synthetic oil, coolant flushes, and maintenance can't change the fact that items like head gaskets, injectors, electronics, and other things have a limited service life. You might get another 100k out of it, but my guess is that it has lived a good life and it may develop a rod knock or piston slap tomorrow.

The engine in that tahoe is the same engine design that Chevy has used in its V8s since 1956. It has been dramatically improved, but it is incredibly old metallurgy.

The other thing that made me perk up a little is that you said "dealership." That $8500 means that they paid $5500 or maybe less for it and they are playing the bank knowing that SUVs are big ticket items. Retail prices might be high in your area, but I'm saying that truck is not worth $8500, regardless of the going rate in your area.

I would personally not buy it at any price starting with that much mileage. I'm recommending you don't either, but it sound like you really want it and may have already made up your mind. The example you gave of the 200k+ tahoe was a rarity, an anomole, and perhaps a 1/1000 example of how long they can last without major engine work. It should not be used as a benchmark, nor an expectation.

The other problem you'll encounter... the 4L60E transmissions are not suited to long life. The one in my 96 lasted 68,000 miles before showing serious signs of wear; sloppy shifts, shift flares, improper TC lockup slippage. Some last 100k or more before these signs, some start as quickly as 30k. Its something to investigate, since you haven't owned this truck its whole life, you don't know how the shift feel has changed over its life.

Again, its just my opinion which is what you asked for, but I say an absolute no at any price. Any car is an unknown. You could buy a new one and it could be a lemon, or you could buy one with 136k and it would be fine, but the chances of a car being a dud are much higher with higher mileage and i don't like to risk it.