Previous generation GM trucks vs current GM and Tundra

[tlj87]

We have an '07 Silverado NBS 1500 4.8L 4x4 ext. cab 6.5' bed which we bought used in early 2013 with 65k mi. I am meticulous when it comes to maintaining my equipment mechanically and cosmetically. This vehicle was very clean and appeared to be well maintained. We (wife and I) have not been particularly impressed with this truck. The 4.8L is pretty anemic, particularly when towing or hauling, although this is not the fault of the truck, as the 5.3 was an option and probably would have better suited us. While the seats and ride are generally quite comfortable, we seem to be fixing something all the time. We've replaced the front brakes twice, back brakes once, one front hub/bearing assembly, all four ball joints, power steering cooler and lines, fuel pump/filter/gasket assembly, air bag sensor, tire pressure sensors, leaf spring (broken), brake pedal switch, radiator (crack in plastic), fuel cap, exhaust hanger, and front door speakers. The dimpled nut came off the passengers side tie-rod end a couple of weeks ago and made for a wild ride (luckily I was driving and not my wife with the horse trailer attached), so we replaced both tie rod ends and had the front shocks replaced too, followed by an alignment. This is all in addition to PM that we've had done including changing fluid in the front/rear diffs, x-fer case, transmission, new plugs, wires, etc. around 100k mi. The latch for the upper glove box is now inoperable and needs to be replaced. The interior rattles (mostly the door panels). The exterior is in excellent shape, there was no rust when we bought it and I've had Fluid Film applied each fall and also wax the exterior, so I haven't had to do any rust related body repairs to date.

I am wondering how the current 14+ GM 1/2 ton trucks are in terms of build quality and reliability? I know, none of them are 10 years old yet, but are the improved over the 07-13 version (or were they generally OK)? We've had a couple of Toyota RAV4's and they've been great, just PM stuff and tires. Should I just look at the Toyota Tundra? I'm hoping we've addressed most of the problems in our current truck (112k mi) and can run it another 2-3 years to about 150k mi, but who know what will happen next?

 

[oldpilgrim]

I bought a new 20l4 tundra and my brother bought a new Silverado at the same time. His went back to the dealer 4 times in the first 6 months. My Tundra has been flawless. I bought the Tundra because of it's known dependability and longevity. Forget 150k miles. I know several people who have well over 300k trouble free miles. Only normal maintenance performed on them. It costs a bit more up front but you can drive it and forget it. Mine has been the best vehicle I've ever had. I had an older GMC truck with very similar variety of problems like you had. Never again.

 

[WilliamBos]

Avoid the oil guzzlin afm GM - grab a 5.7 Tundra.

 

[two_bit_score]

My 1995 Chev. 1500 crew cab has over 250,000 miles still goes strong and doesn't use oil and has 'code air'.

 

[Diamondpilot]

We have an '07 Silverado NBS 1500 4.8L 4x4 ext. cab 6.5' bed which we bought used in early 2013 with 65k mi. I am meticulous when it comes to maintaining my equipment mechanically and cosmetically. This vehicle was very clean and appeared to be well maintained. We (wife and I) have not been particularly impressed with this truck. The 4.8L is pretty anemic, particularly when towing or hauling, although this is not the fault of the truck, as the 5.3 was an option and probably would have better suited us. While the seats and ride are generally quite comfortable, we seem to be fixing something all the time. We've replaced the front brakes twice, back brakes once, all four ball joints, power steering cooler and lines, fuel pump/filter/gasket assembly, air bag sensor, tire pressure sensors, leaf spring (broken), brake pedal switch, radiator (crack in plastic), fuel cap, exhaust hanger, and front door speakers. The dimpled nut came off the passengers side tie-rod end a couple of weeks ago and made for a wild ride (luckily I was driving and not my wife with the horse trailer attached), so we replaced both tie rod ends and had the front shocks replaced too, followed by an alignment. This is all in addition to PM that we've had done including changing fluid in the front/rear diffs, x-fer case, transmission, new plugs, wires, etc. around 100k mi. The latch for the upper glove box is now inoperable and needs to be replaced. The interior rattles (mostly the door panels). The exterior is in excellent shape, there was no rust when we bought it and I've had Fluid Film applied each fall and also wax the exterior, so I haven't had to do any rust related body repairs to date.

I am wondering how the current 14+ GM 1/2 ton trucks are in terms of build quality and reliability? I know, none of them are 10 years old yet, but are the improved over the 07-13 version (or were they generally OK)? We've had a couple of Toyota RAV4's and they've been great, just PM stuff and tires. Should I just look at the Toyota Tundra? I'm hoping we've addressed most of the problems in our current truck (112k mi) and can run it another 2-3 years to about 150k mi, but who know what will happen next?

Your experience is exactly what mine has been with GM's. I had 4, a 89, a 99, a 04, and a 05. All left me very disappointed with the exception of the 04 but it still was a nickel and dimer'.

With that said the company I work for has about 250 trucks on the road. About 75 to 100 of them are 2013 and newer 1500 series and 3500 SRW GM trucks and we seem to not have any real issues.

We also have about 150 Ford F150's, F350 dually, F 450's, and F550's all 2013 and newer. We have about 6 Dodges of which 5 are 1500's and one 5500. None give us any major issues.

Since my run of GM's I have ran Fords and Nissans. Not a single issue with any of them, 7 trucks in all.

Chris

 

[WilliamBos]

My 1995 Chev. 1500 crew cab has over 250,000 miles still goes strong and doesn't use oil and has 'code air'.

Yours is an entirely different horse though... simple solid reliable!

 

[two_bit_score]

Yours is an entirely different horse though... simple solid reliable!

It really has been a good truck. Hope my grandson likes it.

TBS

 

[Sawyer Rob]

I had Ford, Chevy and Dodge trucks all at the same time...

The Chevys have been the best by far, the Dodge has been the worst by far (electrical problems)...

The ford had a rear end leak from new, the puter would turn the interior lights on every once in a while (at night) and leave me with a dead batt in the morning. Ford never could fix these problems... It had sensor issues, but Ford did fix those... No matter, I got sick of dealing with it and it's gone!

It seems there's NO right answer to what pu is best. My friend bought a Toyota, after it was out of warr. he had problems with it and eventually, sent it down the road!

My neighbor buys Chevys, he's a hay farmer, always buys half tons and pulls BIG loads of hay, he never has problems with his Chevys...

You spends yer money and takes yer chances! BUT, MY money is staying with Chevys...

SR

 

[TimberHole]

I have an 07 that I bought new. It has 435,000 miles. I've done the engine once and the transmission twice. Brakes a couple of times, a little work on the front diff, nothing on the transfer case and I've never even checked the oil in the rear diff. The first engine was an oil burner and the motor company wouldn't help. I did get 260,000 miles out of the engine but I burned a 55 gallon drum of oil getting there. I'm not including the oil used at changes, just what got burned.

I just bought a new truck last month. I did end up buying another Silverado with the 5.3. So far, so good. In addition to AFM this engine also had VVT which caused lots of problems in the ford 5.4. Hard to imagine this engine, with the added complexity of the VVT will be any better than my 07 engine but I took the gamble.

I do think the Silverados ride better than the other brands. I also spent about 5K less than I would have spent on a Ford with 5.0 and similar trim package. I am getting over 20 mpg on the highway which seems outstanding for a full size truck.

Another consideration is that the Chevy is easier to work on than the F150. An engine change on the ford requires removal of the cab and the Chevy can come out the front. The Chevy engine and transmission are also cheaper than the Ford replacements.

 

[blackdog2086]

If you want reliability, go with the Tundra. Like oldpilgrim said, you won't have all the small annoying problems cropping up that cause trips back to the dealer.

Million Mile Tundra: The Tear Down

 

[buickanddeere]

We have an '07 Silverado NBS 1500 4.8L 4x4 ext. cab 6.5' bed which we bought used in early 2013 with 65k mi. I am meticulous when it comes to maintaining my equipment mechanically and cosmetically. This vehicle was very clean and appeared to be well maintained. We (wife and I) have not been particularly impressed with this truck. The 4.8L is pretty anemic, particularly when towing or hauling, although this is not the fault of the truck, as the 5.3 was an option and probably would have better suited us. While the seats and ride are generally quite comfortable, we seem to be fixing something all the time. We've replaced the front brakes twice, back brakes once, all four ball joints, power steering cooler and lines, fuel pump/filter/gasket assembly, air bag sensor, tire pressure sensors, leaf spring (broken), brake pedal switch, radiator (crack in plastic), fuel cap, exhaust hanger, and front door speakers. The dimpled nut came off the passengers side tie-rod end a couple of weeks ago and made for a wild ride (luckily I was driving and not my wife with the horse trailer attached), so we replaced both tie rod ends and had the front shocks replaced too, followed by an alignment. This is all in addition to PM that we've had done including changing fluid in the front/rear diffs, x-fer case, transmission, new plugs, wires, etc. around 100k mi. The latch for the upper glove box is now inoperable and needs to be replaced. The interior rattles (mostly the door panels). The exterior is in excellent shape, there was no rust when we bought it and I've had Fluid Film applied each fall and also wax the exterior, so I haven't had to do any rust related body repairs to date.

I am wondering how the current 14+ GM 1/2 ton trucks are in terms of build quality and reliability? I know, none of them are 10 years old yet, but are the improved over the 07-13 version (or were they generally OK)? We've had a couple of Toyota RAV4's and they've been great, just PM stuff and tires. Should I just look at the Toyota Tundra? I'm hoping we've addressed most of the problems in our current truck (112k mi) and can run it another 2-3 years to about 150k mi, but who know what will happen next?

Mrs B&D has a 2017 GMC SLT Sierra 1500 Max Towing 4X4 crew Cab with the 6.2L. Faster stock than my Grand National was stock. Has done best on a trip wii 8.0L per 100Km but 9 to 10 is more typical for highway trips.
Diesel power, tow capacity and economy without the Tier IV diesel headaches.

 

[wawajake]

I have a 2014 4 x 4 GMC with the 5.3L engine............tow a camper and the tractor on a landscape trailer, and use it for commuting at times to work. Great gas mileage , and in three years only mechanical work has been normal oil changes, best truck I have had so far and I have owned all three brands.

 

[drizler]

Those 98. - 2006 1500's have paper thin frames that rot like a beer can if it ever lived in Northern climates. Pure trash. The later models fully boxed the frame rather than leaving it shaped like a sideways U. Horrible stuff more of a unitbody type than a true frame.
The only real solution is to cut it off at the gas tank where the real frame begins, die grind out the inside remaining stub of the old frame, drive / shove a piece of 5" structural 3/16 channel in there as far as you can drive it, snout a foot and weld. Then add your own cross members. It's a lot simpler than it sounds and is just time consuming. In the end though you have a real truck and real frame. It's a reasonable way to salvage an otherwise nice truck with a rotten frame you can pick up for a song.

 

[Tomtint]

I had a 1997 GMC 1500 4x4 with a extra cab and a 5.7 It was a great truck, at a weak moment in time I traded it for a Ram 1500 sport with the "off road" package... big mistake.. that GMC was a real nice rig.

 

[17 Oaks]

We have an '07 Silverado NBS 1500 4.8L 4x4 ext. cab 6.5' bed which we bought used in early 2013 with 65k mi. I am meticulous when it comes to maintaining my equipment mechanically and cosmetically. This vehicle was very clean and appeared to be well maintained. We (wife and I) have not been particularly impressed with this truck. The 4.8L is pretty anemic, particularly when towing or hauling, although this is not the fault of the truck, as the 5.3 was an option and probably would have better suited us. While the seats and ride are generally quite comfortable, we seem to be fixing something all the time. We've replaced the front brakes twice, back brakes once, one front hub/bearing assembly, all four ball joints, power steering cooler and lines, fuel pump/filter/gasket assembly, air bag sensor, tire pressure sensors, leaf spring (broken), brake pedal switch, radiator (crack in plastic), fuel cap, exhaust hanger, and front door speakers. The dimpled nut came off the passengers side tie-rod end a couple of weeks ago and made for a wild ride (luckily I was driving and not my wife with the horse trailer attached), so we replaced both tie rod ends and had the front shocks replaced too, followed by an alignment. This is all in addition to PM that we've had done including changing fluid in the front/rear diffs, x-fer case, transmission, new plugs, wires, etc. around 100k mi. The latch for the upper glove box is now inoperable and needs to be replaced. The interior rattles (mostly the door panels). The exterior is in excellent shape, there was no rust when we bought it and I've had Fluid Film applied each fall and also wax the exterior, so I haven't had to do any rust related body repairs to date.

I am wondering how the current 14+ GM 1/2 ton trucks are in terms of build quality and reliability? I know, none of them are 10 years old yet, but are the improved over the 07-13 version (or were they generally OK)? We've had a couple of Toyota RAV4's and they've been great, just PM stuff and tires. Should I just look at the Toyota Tundra? I'm hoping we've addressed most of the problems in our current truck (112k mi) and can run it another 2-3 years to about 150k mi, but who know what will happen next?

Chevy/GMC dominated the truck market for many many years, I grew with them on the ranch and our '54 Chevy 3500 ran flawlessly for over 20 years and 200,000 miles. I live in a state were truck sales are bigger than car sales.

Finally someone up in Detroit figured this out and FORD got it right and has had it right for over 30 years of sales beating Chevy/GMC like a stepchild.

If you want light duty then the Tundra is a good if not great pick, of course they are made right here in San Antonio, wonder why! On the other hand if you are wanting to be the first on your block the upcoming MB truck should impress your neighbors, not sure how its gonna do out her in ranch country???

NOTE: I am NOT a FORD man, but am a FORD truck guy, if its gas powered V8, no one does it like Chevy.

I do understnad that Chevy is on a roll trying to play catch up and dreaming of a time many years ago when they walked the walk, but if there is a good one, then I would be looking at a '17 or newer model, some of my Ford buddies have been impressed with the chevy but not enough to buy one yet!

Go with F 150 or Tundra is my suggestion...

 

[1stDeuce]

tlj87, Your experience with your GM truck is not typical. With all those things going on, I would have suspicions that the seller may have cleaned it up really well and replaced the cluster to show lower than actual miles. It's not hard to do, and if you don't go to the dealer for service all the time, there's no mileage record other than purchases...

I'm very surprised that your truck would need some of that work at such a low mileage... My dad plows driveways all winter with his '08 1500 in northern Michigan, and he treats it like a 3/4 ton truck in terms of hauling and towing. He's got 160k on it, and aside from a few wiring issues due to corrosion, the truck is solid. He has not replaced any wheel bearings or ball joints, or springs for that matter. I think he finally did the front brakes about a year ago.

If you are towing a two horse or bigger trailer in the hills, and you don't have trailer brakes, that's going to be pretty hard on your truck brakes no matter what brand of truck you drive... Your trailer should have brakes, and you should not have to brake harder than normal when towing if the trailer brakes are adjusted and working properly. If you live in the hills, you might consider downshifting for long downhills instead of riding the brakes, if that isn't already your habit... You should not be wearing out brakes that quickly.

Having the nut come off the tie rod isn't a truck problem, it's a mechanic problem...

Door panel rattles are not a problem on most GM trucks that I've driven or owned. Try taking all the junk out of the door pockets and see if the rattle is still there...

I can say my friends with newer 2014+ trucks have not had problems yet, even in MI. If you plan to buy another used truck, I would suggest that you try to get one from out west, where rust isn't a problem. It'll still have the miles, but not all the corrosion that a truck from your area will have.

As for brand, I think my advice is the same as for a tractor purchase... Go drive them. Buy the one that you get along with best. Nobody is making junk these days, but you may be surprised how you get along better with one style than another, or that some aspect of how it drives just doesn't work for you.
And any newer truck is going to have a six or more speed transmission. FAR better than the 4 speed you've been dealing with.

I'm not a Ford guy, but it sounds like you have no brand loyalty, so if you do live in the hills, be sure to drive an Ecoboost F150. NOTHING beats a turbo in the hills, and those trucks seem to be holding up great... GM and Dodge are missing out big time in that respect, with their only options for force feed being with diesels.

Good luck!

 

[tlj87]

Chevy/GMC dominated the truck market for many many years, I grew with them on the ranch and our '54 Chevy 3500 ran flawlessly for over 20 years and 200,000 miles. I live in a state were truck sales are bigger than car sales.

Finally someone up in Detroit figured this out and FORD got it right and has had it right for over 30 years of sales beating Chevy/GMC like a stepchild.

If you want light duty then the Tundra is a good if not great pick, of course they are made right here in San Antonio, wonder why! On the other hand if you are wanting to be the first on your block the upcoming MB truck should impress your neighbors, not sure how its gonna do out her in ranch country???

NOTE: I am NOT a FORD man, but am a FORD truck guy, if its gas powered V8, no one does it like Chevy.

I do understnad that Chevy is on a roll trying to play catch up and dreaming of a time many years ago when they walked the walk, but if there is a good one, then I would be looking at a '17 or newer model, some of my Ford buddies have been impressed with the chevy but not enough to buy one yet!

Go with F 150 or Tundra is my suggestion...

I have thought about 3/4 or 1 tons, but we typically tow around 5k lbs with the horse trailer and don't move our equipment. If I decided to move equipment and bought an equipment trailer, I'd still be within 1/2 ton territory. The additional payload would be nice as we do use the box a lot, but not enough to justify the poor ride and economy.

My in-laws have and parents both have F250s (a 15 crew and an 01 std cab) and both ride really rough and get 10-13 mpg.

When we decide to replace our truck, it will likely be a 3 year old 36k mi vehicle. Our last few cars have been lease returns and we've had great luck with them.

To add to the list, my Wife got a flat on the way to work today, so tomorrow we'll be putting all new tires on the truck. We planned on replacing them all before winter, so I decided just to do it now instead of repairing. Two of the of them had slow leaks and they were getting really noisy between 45-55 mph, this likely due to bad ball joints that were just replaced.

 

[17 Oaks]

I have thought about 3/4 or 1 tons, but we typically tow around 5k lbs with the horse trailer and don't move our equipment. If I decided to move equipment and bought an equipment trailer, I'd still be within 1/2 ton territory. The additional payload would be nice as we do use the box a lot, but not enough to justify the poor ride and economy.

My in-laws have and parents both have F250s (a 15 crew and an 01 std cab) and both ride really rough and get 10-13 mpg.

When we decide to replace our truck, it will likely be a 3 year old 36k mi vehicle. Our last few cars have been lease returns and we've had great luck with them.

To add to the list, my Wife got a flat on the way to work today, so tomorrow we'll be putting all new tires on the truck. We planned on replacing them all before winter, so I decided just to do it now instead of repairing. Two of the of them had slow leaks and they were getting really noisy between 45-55 mph, this likely due to bad ball joints that were just replaced.

If you compare costs F 150, 250, 350 when you drive out the door the costs are near equal. My buddy who bought his F 150 at the same time I bought my F 350 actually paid a few dollars more for an equal outfitted truck, my 350 King Ranch vs his Platinum 150. IMO the F 350 is the best value for a truck and you can get it in a gasser!!!!

 

[WilliamBos]

Those 98. - 2006 1500's have paper thin frames that rot like a beer can if it ever lived in Northern climates. Pure trash. The later models fully boxed the frame rather than leaving it shaped like a sideways U. Horrible stuff more of a unitbody type than a true frame.
The only real solution is to cut it off at the gas tank where the real frame begins, die grind out the inside remaining stub of the old frame, drive / shove a piece of 5" structural 3/16 channel in there as far as you can drive it, snout a foot and weld. Then add your own cross members. It's a lot simpler than it sounds and is just time consuming. In the end though you have a real truck and real frame. It's a reasonable way to salvage an otherwise nice truck with a rotten frame you can pick up for a song.

GM is still clueless on frame protection/coatings. My 11 gets Krown Rust control every year, I dont dare neglect it or it would rot away.

Ford's ecoat has stood up excellent to our saltbelt roads.

 

[coobie]

Every now and then you get a LEMON.Sell it and move on.I bought a brand new 2002 chevy 1500 sliverado 5.3 engine that was the biggest oil using lemon/turd truck I have ever owned.Sold it with 28,000 miles on the OD.