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Looking to buy and AV but unsure which year to look for?

CBraet

Full Member
Joined
Nov 17, 2018
Messages
21
Location
Canada
Hi All

I just joined and hopefully I can get some good advice.
I have always liked the AV and my 2004 Montana is about to die so now is the opportunity to get one.
I like the second gen. from 2007 to 2013 and although ideally a 2013 would be best they still seem a bit pricey in Canada, $25,000-35,000 CAD.

I'm looking at a few between 2007 and 2010 right now and they look good but I have a few technical questions:
  • Are there any hugh issues with the 2006 to 2007 migration, such as power train?
  • On the LTZ models, has anyone had the sunroof/moon roof start to leak?
  • The hydro formed frame as opposed to the old 'C' channel frame, does it rot out?


  • I am budgeting around $20K tax included so I want to get the right year with the lowest and Kms(miles) as possible
    This is one I'm particularly interested in.
    https://amfarautosales.com/used-car-dealers-ontario/2007-Chevrolet-Avalanche/vid-803/

    Thanks for any and all advise.
    :help:

    Chris
    Canada
 
If it were me, I would probably skip the 2007 and 2008  models due to the AFM  (Active Fuel Management) issues I keep reading about.
 
If a 2013 is out of your price range... look for a 2009. Last year of the 6.0 V8 option and first year of the six speed tranny.
 
First welcome to the website!

As a general rule I try to follow when looking at a used vehicle purchase is to get the newest vehicle with the lowest miles all things else being equal. It will have the most up to date electronics and be easiest to find replacement parts for especially on a vehicle that is no longer manufactured. That being said when comparing two or more vehicles the maintenance/recall and repair records of the individual vehicles are most important. One vehicle may have flood or extreme weather damage that isn't easy to spot. Reports like CarFax  are only reliable if the owner went to a reporting dealer or repair shop, if it was fixed by the owner or a small shop it may not show up on a report.
My father taught me many years ago to NOT buy a "first year" run of any vehicle since the bugs have to be worked out of a new design. In that vein you might want to consider not getting a 2007 but later years don't seem to have many problems. But getting a 2007 may not be an issue either when you consider the overall ownership of AVs. First most owners don't belong to this website then only a vocal minority post about their problems so if all you do is read the problems section you would think every Av is plagued with issues.
You should look at sections on this website about high mileage clubs and the threads where owners talk about wanting the AV to return to production or multiple ownership etc. You will have a more positive outlook.
FYI the sunroof can be found on LT model AVs as well as the LTZ and in general they don't have leaks very often but some owners have experienced clogged drain tubes which can be a problem for some.
AV frames sometimes show surface rust but unless the owner ignores it......it generally is not a big problem. I'm sure the degree of rust depends on the exposure to road salts and other harsh conditions too.If you are considering a particular AV I would have it inspected underneath and treat with encapsulating coating and rustproofing to help prolong it's life.
Good luck in you search.
 
First off, thanks for the info.

With regards to the AFM, is it just a matter of this feature is not liked? or it does not work? I am reading alot about oil consumption but good mileage vs. AFM disabled and poor mileage.
There seems to be a trade off? To me this is not a show stopper. Also, if you engage the Tow button, does it disable the AFM?

Thanks for the info on the sunroof and frame rails, if it is just a matter of maintenance, such as cleaning the drain tubes, again not a show stopper. I do religiously take care of my vehicles so I'm not fully convinced I should steer clear of and 07. But maybe new responses will tell otherwise.

I have liked this truck since it's first inception and being a Chevy fan all my life I do want to get one.
I own a 2012 Traverse and unfortunately mine had the timing chain issue that cost me $$. After that I was ready to bail on Chevy.
You can read all about it here
https://www.traverseforum.com/33-engine-drivetrain/10505-obd-ii-codes-p0017-p0420-timing-chain-cat-effic-y.html
But in hind sight after owning several GM products all my life it was to only mayor issue I've ever had outside of the typical issues that plague by every vehicle on the road.

So I'll keep my eyes open for an AV.
 
read deeper into AFM as it can ruin engines by having damaged lifters.
 
The 2007 model was the first year for the AFM system.

Those first couple of years seem to be the ones most often reported to have problems.

Those trucks are also more than 10 years old now and if they are going to have problems with the AFM related system, those problems certainly would be starting to show up about now, if not already.

You could possibly check the Carfax report and look for signs of oil consumption or major engine work done on a truck in question.

Carfax will most times get reported repairs and service done at dealerships and if this type of work was done under warranty, you may get a glimpse of that important part of the truck's history.

Work done outside the dealer networks is not always reported, however.

I don't use the dealership for any of my repair work, so Carfax does not have a clue as to what I have had done to my truck.

Also, a lot of owners will stick with a good , reliable truck, for many years.

If Carfax reports a larger number of owners, especially if the truck has changed hands in rapid succession, that truck may be a good one to skip over.

Oil consumption was just one of the problems caused by the AFM system, but that would be the one problem that would be the easiest to live with.

In worse cases, it has be reported that anything from defective lifters and camshaft damage all the way up to near total engine failure, in some cases.

For me, it would make sense to purchase a truck from model years after the 2007-2008 years because many of the shortcomings of the first years have been addressed by the manufacturer and the most severe issues of engine failure are somewhat less likely to occur.

You will be paying more to get a more reliable truck in the first place, or you could throw the dice and see if you luck out and dodge the bullet.

I would rather spend the money up front that it would cost me to have a new engine installed in an older truck, on the newer truck and possibly not have to have a new engine installed.

I hope that makes sense.

(y)
 
My AFM is active on my 2013... no problems - but maybe I have an ulterior motive, 6.0 swap!
 
Thanks Guys for the feed back.

Since I was last on here, I found a 2011 AV LT 5.3L 4WD in very good condition although it has high miles, 300K, but it is less then $10K CAD.
Carfax only showed one owner and 1 accident to RR quarter panel. I checked it over thoroughly and who ever did the body work did a good job.
Underneath clean and very little rust, drives comfortable and tight front end. No SEL, or warning messages and no codes recorded.
I hope to take possession of it this weekend.

I researched Edmunds for the factory spec and it does not mention the AFM?
Does anyone know if this model LT 5.3 has AFM?

Based on this website I think I made a good choice.

C.
 
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