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Girl looking to buy an Avalanche

chrischan

Full Member
Joined
Oct 7, 2018
Messages
24
Location
Wisconsin
I have a 1991 5-speed Cherokee Laredo that I am selling because I want a newer vehicle. I love the AV but can't afford a really new one. My dealer has a 2008 4WD LT w/3LT Z71 for around $15K+ and 100K miles.

Is there anything I should be looking out for in this vehicle? I don't really need the Z71 for the off-road capability, and it doesn't appear to have been used for that because it is cosmetically very nice.

Any thoughts, suggestions?
 
Find out where it was registered... and take a good look underneath. You might even have them drop the spare for you. Trucks from colder climates where road salt is used tend to develop rust issues.
 
You may also want to push for an extended warranty. '07 and '08 engines as I understand were prone to issues with the valves that allow it to change from 8 cylinder to 4 cylinder. If they go bad you are likely getting a new engine. So a 1 year or 2 year extended warranty on the drivetrain would make sense.

You will want to check the blue book pricing for that truck as $15k sounds a bit high for an '08

I bought my '03 in '10 with 180k miles on it with a 1 year/12k mile extended warranty and otherwise mint condition for $10k for a 7 year old truck.  You're looking at a 10-11 year old truck that has less mileage but much older than mine was when I bought it. I would expect you to pay more like $12k with an extended 1yr/12000 mile drivetrain warranty.

Maybe others have different opinions but also as mentioned check for rust under the truck. Here in Michigan when I was looking at trucks they all looked great until I looked under them and the rust was well into the frames. Mine still had half of the original black paint on the frame when I bought it.

Good luck!
 
Thank you for all the advice...took it to a mechanic and he gave it high marks. I wish I could figure out how to add a photo.

Got a great extended warranty, it's all covered.
 
chrischan said:
Thank you for all the advice...took it to a mechanic and he gave it high marks. I wish I could figure out how to add a photo.

Got a great extended warranty, it's all covered.
Keep posting after a few more you should be able to do so.
There is a minimum required to keep spammers at bay.
Ps congrats and welcome!!
 
Thanks for the welcomes!

After reading about how great these trucks are I am having second thoughts about the extended warranty I bought. My AV seems really solid and the mechanic saw nothing but slightly loose ball joint that may someday need replacing. The truck looks brand new both inside and out. I have no records from the owner and the carfax shows maintenance records from very early and just before trade in with a couple of oil changes in the middle. Because it is so nice, I'm guessing they either did the service themselves or went to a small shop.

So my question is, is a 3-yr warranty worth it on a '08 with 104k miles? I purchased it but can cancel and get 100% back.

Should I have created this as a new post instead of posting here?
 
Depends on what you paid for the warranty... and here are some things to think about - 10 years old vehicle, AFM issues (07-08 were the worst years), 100k miles (maybe transmission time?) and 4x4 Z71 (a more complex driveline and some people took the Z71 thing too far with regards to off-road habits). Is your warranty just powertrain or is it bumper-to-bumper?
 
greatgab said:
Depends on what you paid for the warranty... and here are some things to think about - 10 years old vehicle, AFM issues (07-08 were the worst years), 100k miles (maybe transmission time?) and 4x4 Z71 (a more complex driveline and some people took the Z71 thing too far with regards to off-road habits). Is your warranty just powertrain or is it bumper-to-bumper?
I guess it would be considered bumper to bumper: Engine/fuel system, Engine/cooling system, Transmission/transfer case, Drive axle assembly, Suspension, steering components, Brakes, electrical, air conditioning, Seals, gaskets, filter, fluids & freon, rental benefits.

I paid $2500, not cheap, which is why I'm having second thoughts. Based on the condition, I don't think this was ever used for any crazy off road...and maybe, like me, the Z71 just happened to be on it and they had no reason to buy it for off road.

I should add, if I put 5K miles/yr, that would be a lot for me.

Looks to be in good shape and the inside looks perfect.
 

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Take the $2500 and put in savings account (high interest the better)...

DO not touch unless you ever need to repair truck... I think you will be better off...

BEcause if you need a huge repair you have it and if you have many little repaires you have it or you can trade it in and use the money as down payment money.....

What is deductible?

Read fine print I am sure there are lots of little things they do not cover - Like Ball joints, brakes etc....

Heck your parents worked at dealerships they should be good people to bounce this off of....

Way I figure ext warranty peeps have to make money some how....
 
Warranties are a gamble... If the AFM system dies you are likely looking at a new engine.

I am being a little pessimistic here. But like others have said, you can always make sure you have money in the bank to cover any major expenses IF they happen. Having a warrenty is an insurance policy that expires. If you have money in the bank it grows if you don't use it...

So realistically it is up to you...

When I bought my truck they included a 1 year/12,000 mile warranty bumper to bumper. The sales man told me their cost is generally half what the final cost is so that warranty cost them $350 but would have cost me $700 if I bought it myself. I went through that first year and had a bunch of stuff replaced. If I had realized my rear end had an issue I would have had that done too. The total cost of everything I had done was like $1000 but I still paid $200 on the deductible. I have since done some preventative stuff to the tune of about $4000 but my truck had over 200k miles at the time. I have had my '03 since 2010 and have put 100k miles on it in those 8 years. I have probably put in almost as much for repairs as I bought the truck for but half of that was preventative and not necessary at the time and I had the cash to do preventative stuff that I wasn't going to have later.

 
An extended warranty is simply an insurance policy where you are placing a bet with the insurance company and you are betting the parts covered by that policy are going to break before the end of the policy's coverage.

The devil is in the details.

Make absolutely sure that the parts covered are the big ticket items.

I would make absolutely certain that all major engine work is going to be covered, especially if the truck is a 2007-2008 with Active Fuel Management system.

While some of the owners have reported no problems with these engines well upwards to 200K miles and beyond, you can read online every single day where an owner of a GM truck from those years is either beginning to have problems caused by the defective AFM system or has already had to replace the engine.

In the case of the extended warranty, if it is going to cover repairs to the engine for AFM related problems, I'm going to say it would be in your best interest for the engine to totally self destruct instead of having them simply open the messed up engine and just replace the cam and lifters and call it a day.

An engine repair or replacement for the AFM created problems is probably going to the the most expensive repair you are ever going to be faced with on this truck and will far exceed the cost of your extended warranty.

The transmission would most likely be the next most expensive and you can count on that running between $1800 and $2500 on average, or pretty close to the cost of your policy.

While a transmission can go out, I believe the likelihood of you having an AFM related engine failure is actually much higher with this truck than having a transmission failure.

But, then again, my transmission went out at 125K miles.

I haven't bought an extended warranty on any vehicle I have purchased in the past 40 years of driving.

That's not to say that I have not had to make some big ticket repairs, either.

Some of the repairs I have made may have been covered, others would not have been covered.

I chose to bet that I would not have to pay for what would have been a covered repair.

When I lost the bet, I at least had the money I would have spent on the policy still in my account and I just sucked it up on the rest.

I honestly feel I am ahead of this game, many times over.

HOWEVER, given that your new truck is of the certain years that have historically shown to be susceptible to the possibility of major cost engine repairs due to the AFM problems, I most likely would seriously consider the extended warranty IF, and only IF that policy was definitely shown to cover those repairs.

Up to, and including a complete engine replacement.

If the policy does not cover that, I would just suggest keeping the money in your pocket and pay for repairs as needed.

Owning any vehicle, especially a used one, is always a gamble.

The only new vehicle I have ever owned was a 1984 Silverado.

That was the last time I had any kind of warranty and I have had a bunch of nice used vehicles before and since that one.

I've never had a repair that took my vehicle out of service because I was not able to scratch up enough cash for the repair.

Sometimes it was rough, but most times it wasn't. 

 
One last thing to consider regarding the purchase of an extended warranty, in my state, when you purchase a vehicle, you must pay sales tax on that purchase at the time you get it registered and you get your vehicle tags.

One item that many have not expected here, is you must also pony up sales tax for the extended warranty, as well.

Depending on where you live and what they charge for your local taxes, that could amount to a pretty nice chunk of change on top of the big tax bill for the vehicle.

The local sales tax rate in my town is 9.5%.

So, on that $2500 extended warranty, you would be looking on tacking on an extra $237.50 to the cost of buying the vehicle and getting it out on the road.

Making the real cost of that warranty $2737.50.

Something to consider.
 
I think everybody else covered it pretty well.  It's a crap shoot.  Sometimes they are the best investment ever, other times you look back wondering why you even considered it.  I've expert both sides.  Some have been a waste of money and the one I got on my Avy through my credit u ion paid for itself three times over.  There were hidden issues on mine that should have been found in the prepurchase I spectio s that weren't
 
ygmn said:
Take the $2500 and put in savings account (high interest the better)...

DO not touch unless you ever need to repair truck... I think you will be better off...

BEcause if you need a huge repair you have it and if you have many little repaires you have it or you can trade it in and use the money as down payment money.....

What is deductible?

Read fine print I am sure there are lots of little things they do not cover - Like Ball joints, brakes etc....

Heck your parents worked at dealerships they should be good people to bounce this off of....

Way I figure ext warranty peeps have to make money some how....
My father is no longer with us and my mother has dementia, so no info there...
Deductible is $100.
Ball joints are covered. Brake pads and drums not covered, since it is maintenance, really.

The idea of a savings account might be a good idea. :D
 
EXT4ME said:
One last thing to consider regarding the purchase of an extended warranty, in my state, when you purchase a vehicle, you must pay sales tax on that purchase at the time you get it registered and you get your vehicle tags.

One item that many have not expected here, is you must also pony up sales tax for the extended warranty, as well.

Depending on where you live and what they charge for your local taxes, that could amount to a pretty nice chunk of change on top of the big tax bill for the vehicle.

The local sales tax rate in my town is 9.5%.

So, on that $2500 extended warranty, you would be looking on tacking on an extra $237.50 to the cost of buying the vehicle and getting it out on the road.

Making the real cost of that warranty $2737.50.

Something to consider.

Doesn't seem like it would be taxed, but I guess it is here too  :(
 
frito said:
I think everybody else covered it pretty well.  It's a crap shoot.  Sometimes they are the best investment ever, other times you look back wondering why you even considered it.  I've expert both sides.  Some have been a waste of money and the one I got on my Avy through my credit u ion paid for itself three times over.  There were hidden issues on mine that should have been found in the prepurchase I spectio s that weren't

You're right, it could work either way. The truck seems so solid and my mechanic who owns a Suburban with 140K felt it was a good one. That's why I'm second guessing myself.
 
EXT4ME said:
An extended warranty is simply an insurance policy where you are placing a bet with the insurance company and you are betting the parts covered by that policy are going to break before the end of the policy's coverage.

The devil is in the details.

Make absolutely sure that the parts covered are the big ticket items.

I would make absolutely certain that all major engine work is going to be covered, especially if the truck is a 2007-2008 with Active Fuel Management system.

While some of the owners have reported no problems with these engines well upwards to 200K miles and beyond, you can read online every single day where an owner of a GM truck from those years is either beginning to have problems caused by the defective AFM system or has already had to replace the engine.

In the case of the extended warranty, if it is going to cover repairs to the engine for AFM related problems, I'm going to say it would be in your best interest for the engine to totally self destruct instead of having them simply open the messed up engine and just replace the cam and lifters and call it a day.

An engine repair or replacement for the AFM created problems is probably going to the the most expensive repair you are ever going to be faced with on this truck and will far exceed the cost of your extended warranty.

The transmission would most likely be the next most expensive and you can count on that running between $1800 and $2500 on average, or pretty close to the cost of your policy.

While a transmission can go out, I believe the likelihood of you having an AFM related engine failure is actually much higher with this truck than having a transmission failure.

But, then again, my transmission went out at 125K miles.

I haven't bought an extended warranty on any vehicle I have purchased in the past 40 years of driving.

That's not to say that I have not had to make some big ticket repairs, either.

Some of the repairs I have made may have been covered, others would not have been covered.

I chose to bet that I would not have to pay for what would have been a covered repair.

When I lost the bet, I at least had the money I would have spent on the policy still in my account and I just sucked it up on the rest.

I honestly feel I am ahead of this game, many times over.

HOWEVER, given that your new truck is of the certain years that have historically shown to be susceptible to the possibility of major cost engine repairs due to the AFM problems, I most likely would seriously consider the extended warranty IF, and only IF that policy was definitely shown to cover those repairs.

Up to, and including a complete engine replacement.

If the policy does not cover that, I would just suggest keeping the money in your pocket and pay for repairs as needed.

Owning any vehicle, especially a used one, is always a gamble.

The only new vehicle I have ever owned was a 1984 Silverado.

That was the last time I had any kind of warranty and I have had a bunch of nice used vehicles before and since that one.

I've never had a repair that took my vehicle out of service because I was not able to scratch up enough cash for the repair.

Sometimes it was rough, but most times it wasn't.

Given that I don't drive lots of miles, I started to think that those issues like the AFM and transmission might be out past the 3 year warranty and when they did happen they wouldn't be covered anyway. Maybe I should have waited and bought a 2009 or newer...I will have had it for a week tomorrow, so I think it's too late for buyer's remorse  :cry:  I have been spoiled with my jeep, I never had any repairs, just maintenance in 25 years and 162K miles. But now, it really needs a jeephead to replace gaskets, fix door issues, etc. It has no safety features either. It's a rare 5 speed, so the guy I'm selling it to is paying a good price. Otherwise, I would have kept it.


Anyway, still mulling over the warranty issue...wish I had a crystal ball :rolleyes:
 
redheadedrod said:
Warranties are a gamble... If the AFM system dies you are likely looking at a new engine.

I am being a little pessimistic here. But like others have said, you can always make sure you have money in the bank to cover any major expenses IF they happen. Having a warrenty is an insurance policy that expires. If you have money in the bank it grows if you don't use it...

So realistically it is up to you...

When I bought my truck they included a 1 year/12,000 mile warranty bumper to bumper. The sales man told me their cost is generally half what the final cost is so that warranty cost them $350 but would have cost me $700 if I bought it myself. I went through that first year and had a bunch of stuff replaced. If I had realized my rear end had an issue I would have had that done too. The total cost of everything I had done was like $1000 but I still paid $200 on the deductible. I have since done some
preventative stuff to the tune of about $4000 but my truck had over 200k miles at the time. I have had my '03 since 2010 and have put 100k miles on it in those 8 years. I have probably put in almost as much for repairs as I bought the truck for but half of that was preventative and not necessary at the time and I had the cash to do preventative stuff that I wasn't going to have later.

Thanks for the info about your experience. Gives me something to think about though, even after all the comments, I realize that there is no definitive answer. I hate to gamble, so that makes it even more difficult to make a decision.  :E:
 
Well for a $100 deductible and you already paid for it you really have a 3 year window of worry free maintenance. So that in and of its self can be worth the money it costs. The AFM and Transmission issues are enough to make it worth the while. You can always have an AFM delete performed before the warranty expires. It may cost a little bit but should be far less than a new engine should it fail. You really don't want to do it before your warranty runs out as it may void your warranty but certainly when you get close to the end it might be something worth considering. A mechanical delete of the AFM will insure it won't cause you any grief. Not sure how much it costs but it is something you can plan for down the road. Then the truck is otherwise pretty worry free. Every vehicle has its weak points so it is great you come to a forum like this to learn what the weak points are on your truck. I have 280k miles on my '03 and I don't doubt it could go another 100k miles easy.

These trucks are very durable over all and should last a long time. If you live in the rust belt it is more likely that you will lose the truck to rust in a few years than a durability issue.

Rodney
 
The intention of my reply was not to instill buyer's remorse in any way.

But I personally don't see a need for extended warranties and I have chose not to purchase them.

I honestly think you are in a good position with the choice you have made.

You seem to have bought a sound truck and at this point you should be enjoying your purchase, without reservation.

Since you now own the extended warranty, if it were me, I would plan on using it whenever the opportunity presents itself.

Having any repair that is covered performed at a dealer will almost assure that you will be able to recoup some of the cost of that warranty, due to their often higher repair costs.

However, if someone is willing and able to perform their own repairs on lessor items, they soon realize that the cost of those repairs is a lot of times close to, or even less, than the $100 deductible and it is not worth the time and aggravation of having the dealer do the work.

I'm talking about smaller things like water pumps, alternators and things like that.

But, in your case, I would be prepared to see what a repair like that would cost me if I did it myself or let them do it.

Extended warranties are designed to drive more repair business into a dealer's service department than toward a DIY'er or small shop, since covered repairs most often are not covered in those cases.

I do not use dealer service departments since I have a very good local shop that does any repair that is too involved for me to do.

At the very least, if I had bought the truck you did, the first thing I would do is purchase one of those plug in devices that turn off the AFM system.

I would do this right away.

With the plug in device, you are not having any physical work done to the engine that may void your extended warranty in any way.

The plug in device will simply turn of the AFM system while it is plugged into the ODB diagnostic port in your truck.

You allow the AFM system to function normally whenever you remove the device, like when you take your truck in for service at the dealer.

There is no trace of what you have been doing, as far as the dealer is concerned and the damage the AFM system could have been doing all along is minimized.

Secondly, make sure you have your oil changed regularly, maybe even more often that the truck's built in oil monitor suggests.

On average, my truck likes to have me change the oil every 7500 miles or so.

I would make sure I was changing the oil at least every 5000 miles, or even less if you so desire.

The trucks that are running the AFM system seem to report their engines tend to use more oil between oil changes.

Make sure you are keeping an eye on the oil level on a regular basis and you add oil as needed to keep it full.

One of the symptoms of an engine that is beginning to show signs of problems related to the AFM system seems to be engine misfires caused by oil deposits forming on the spark plugs in the engine cylinders that get turned off when the engine goes into 4 cylinder mode.

Keep an eye out for any check engine lights that may indicate that such a problem is occurring.

Really, other than that, keep up with your normal maintenance and drive your new truck and enjoy it.

You have made a good purchase, no regrets.

(y)

 
you can always buy extended warranty later - (I get them in mail all the time for cars I have not owned in years)
 
redheadedrod said:
Well for a $100 deductible and you already paid for it you really have a 3 year window of worry free maintenance. So that in and of its self can be worth the money it costs. The AFM and Transmission issues are enough to make it worth the while. You can always have an AFM delete performed before the warranty expires. It may cost a little bit but should be far less than a new engine should it fail. You really don't want to do it before your warranty runs out as it may void your warranty but certainly when you get close to the end it might be something worth considering. A mechanical delete of the AFM will insure it won't cause you any grief. Not sure how much it costs but it is something you can plan for down the road. Then the truck is otherwise pretty worry free. Every vehicle has its weak points so it is great you come to a forum like this to learn what the weak points are on your truck. I have 280k miles on my '03 and I don't doubt it could go another 100k miles easy.

These trucks are very durable over all and should last a long time. If you live in the rust belt it is more likely that you will lose the truck to rust in a few years than a durability issue.

Rodney

I didn't know I could have an AFM delete done. I can cancel the extended warranty without a penalty within 30 days, so I have a few weeks...maybe I should just spend the money on the AFM delete instead, since the truck seems solid otherwise. Would that be wise or not?
 
ygmn said:
you can always buy extended warranty later - (I get them in mail all the time for cars I have not owned in years)

Oh, I thought I would have to get it at the time. I have only bought one used car before and got the warranty on it at the time of sale.
 
EXT4ME said:
The intention of my reply was not to instill buyer's remorse in any way.

But I personally don't see a need for extended warranties and I have chose not to purchase them.

I honestly think you are in a good position with the choice you have made.

You seem to have bought a sound truck and at this point you should be enjoying your purchase, without reservation.

Since you now own the extended warranty, if it were me, I would plan on using it whenever the opportunity presents itself.

Having any repair that is covered performed at a dealer will almost assure that you will be able to recoup some of the cost of that warranty, due to their often higher repair costs.

However, if someone is willing and able to perform their own repairs on lessor items, they soon realize that the cost of those repairs is a lot of times close to, or even less, than the $100 deductible and it is not worth the time and aggravation of having the dealer do the work.

I'm talking about smaller things like water pumps, alternators and things like that.

But, in your case, I would be prepared to see what a repair like that would cost me if I did it myself or let them do it.

Extended warranties are designed to drive more repair business into a dealer's service department than toward a DIY'er or small shop, since covered repairs most often are not covered in those cases.

I do not use dealer service departments since I have a very good local shop that does any repair that is too involved for me to do.

At the very least, if I had bought the truck you did, the first thing I would do is purchase one of those plug in devices that turn off the AFM system.

I would do this right away.

With the plug in device, you are not having any physical work done to the engine that may void your extended warranty in any way.

The plug in device will simply turn of the AFM system while it is plugged into the ODB diagnostic port in your truck.

You allow the AFM system to function normally whenever you remove the device, like when you take your truck in for service at the dealer.

There is no trace of what you have been doing, as far as the dealer is concerned and the damage the AFM system could have been doing all along is minimized.

Secondly, make sure you have your oil changed regularly, maybe even more often that the truck's built in oil monitor suggests.

On average, my truck likes to have me change the oil every 7500 miles or so.

I would make sure I was changing the oil at least every 5000 miles, or even less if you so desire.

The trucks that are running the AFM system seem to report their engines tend to use more oil between oil changes.

Make sure you are keeping an eye on the oil level on a regular basis and you add oil as needed to keep it full.

One of the symptoms of an engine that is beginning to show signs of problems related to the AFM system seems to be engine misfires caused by oil deposits forming on the spark plugs in the engine cylinders that get turned off when the engine goes into 4 cylinder mode.

Keep an eye out for any check engine lights that may indicate that such a problem is occurring.

Really, other than that, keep up with your normal maintenance and drive your new truck and enjoy it.

You have made a good purchase, no regrets.

(y)

Thanks for this reply! I didn't think that was your intention.  :D
But the plug in device for the AFM is news to me. I will definitely do that!
I drive very few miles and don't go off road...so oil changes will be months rather than miles. What is your suggestion on months between changes? Five?

Cynde
 
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