Consider This.....

There are 4365 members at the time I wrote this......

Look again at the threads of problems AV owners are having and posting....To me, it seems like a lot for only
4300 or so owners that visit here. Way too much.

Now I know how sophisticated everybody thinks that this truck is but hell, I would rather have it simple then breaking down all the time. Going to the dealer is becoming a regular for some owners and thats not right. And sophistication a good part of the problems are basic ones. If you want to defend this truck because you own one thats OK by me. But as an owner myself, I think its more of a garage queen than a truck. And yes, I THOUGHT I WAS BUYING A TRUCK.

At least think of this if you do anything......For the amount of money this truck costs, are we not entitled to a little more quality a little more reliablilty?

i'm happy dude! sorry you feel that way.

I haven't noticed any problems with the quality / realiablity of my Avalanche.

Here is a poll we have on problems:

Problems With Your Avalanche & When Built

I haven't had any problems with my AV, well, other than ones that were created by a guy in a speeding S10, but even after that, no problems whatsoever.......

BTW, about the 4300 some odd members, after going through the list, I've noticed some people register once, then twice, three times, and even four times in some cases......I wonder what the true count of the members is.......

But anyway, I love my AV, I haven't had to take it back to the dealership once

Hey mine (knock on wood) has not had one problem! I can tell you (being in the auto repair business) ALL vehicles have problems - heck stop by a Porsche or Jag dealer - their shops are full. Take good care and they will last! JMHO

One last note - I also have a 2002 Suburban and I am not sure what you mean when you say for what this thing costs but LOOK around heck everything is expensive!

Sorry to hear your not happy with your Av. ?I agree they're not the toughest truck, but I wouls say they are the best looking & most versatile trucks out there.

The only problem I've had I discovered after a night of offroading


I figured out what can be done to solve my problem though.
LIFT KIT!!

well this forum is an excellent resource to post problems and see if anyone else is 'in the same boat,' as it were.

As far as I'm concerned this TRUCK is a dream to own. I've been to the dealer twice -to get oil changes

My Av born on date 08/02, No problems yet. Only problem has been a worthless parts dept. They don't know the differences between the 02 and 03 models. Traded a 1995 Silverado with 196,000 miles and no major problems either.

The problem threads here are minor compared to some truck and car boards - the midgate leaks represent a challenge and persistent topic, probably will for the long term.

I, for one, have had fewer problems with this vehicle than previous rides - very happy - not to minimize the very real problems that some folks have, and hopefully get resolved.

Hey Djfcars,
I must agree with you. Sorry fellas.
This is my first Chevy, unlike most of you, and there are some things I REALLY love about it and hate about it.
I also own a Toyota Sequoia 4x4 currently, as well as Nissan 4x4s in the past. I have a stack of service calls and I keep every one of my oil change tickets because I do not trust that this thing is gonna make 5 years. I love the ride, seats, power, flexibility, and great looks, but the poor designs and cheap parts used are atrocious. My Toyota is 2 years old, virtually ignored by my wife, and the fit, finish, and reliability is like we drove it off the showroom floor this morning. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the Av, but it cannot compare to most foregn builds for the above mentioned.
For those of you who do not agree, here are some interesting numbers:
My 2001 Toyota Stickered at 43k, now worth 38k.
My 2002 Av stickered at 38k, now worth 26k.
These are Retail values, not trade in, and speaks for itself.

Well considering I have had my AV for over 18 months with 42,000 miles on it now and chose not to purchase the extended warranty ..... that goes for my opinion of reliabilty and satisfaction. All new vehicles whether a brand new model or a new year for the same model will have its querks and minor problems. I think even the most expensive and lavish of vehicles have more problems than we collectively as a club have had.
Sorry you have those impressions.

Hey Ahhnuld,
That was my whole point. Hey, I also own A 1998 Volvo
V70 T-5 wagon that has had a few problems but nothing major. It has 45,000 miles. Runs great. Paid $36,000 for it. Now FORD owns them. No comment.

As for the Ford Focus, it makes no difference to me because they are comparing another American company with another. I think a lot of the 30+ TSB"S should be recalls. Maybe not all but a lot.

Face it guys-the TSB'S are defects they are trying to fix without an expensive recall. What really bothers me is not that a problem gets posted, its that the mileage that the part failed at. Most of these problems that get posted here are in the 0 to 10,000 mile range!

And yes, I think that $38,000 should give us more reliability. My brother-in-law buys Toyota 4 X 4's every ten years for a lot less, and hardly any problems. So yes, I do hold GM responsible for a little more quality.

Hey Dave,
I certainly agree with you regarding the first year releases, but my Toyota was a first year release as well, with no issues of funny sounds coming from the transfer case, hard shifts from the 2-3 gear, leaks, rear diff lock ups, etc.
Like I said, I still am a Av fan and owner, but I do wish it had the same characteristics of the Jap can.

? some of you guys sound unhappy with your AV. ?CONSIDER THIS.... ?sell me your mods cheap and get rid of it if you do not like it.
? seriously though. ?i think now-a-days you are going to have problems no matter what you own. ?you may get better service, loaner car, or fewer visits. ?but you will undoubtedly visit the service department for something eventually. ?just my opinion.

I think I'll chime in here...


I disagree that there is an abnormally high number of members here with problems. Some of them are obviously (obvious to me, anyway) more of a problem than Chevy seems to be treating them (I'm thinking the issue with the parking break here). But overall, I'm not seeing a whole lot of patterns here. And recognizing that because most cars are built by humans, there is always going to be some human error involved.

Cas in point: I have owned two Saturns in the past 8 years. The first one was almost never in the shop for anything other than normal maintenance. Great car, but I finally "moved up" to a 2-door sport version, and had nothing but trouble with it in the first two years. Speakers went out, wiring harness had to be replaced, hole in the radiator, seatbelts that wouldn't retract, sunroof off track, etc. etc.

So, what chanaged in the 2 years between the time I bought the first Saturn and the second? Probably not much, since both cars shared most of the same parts. And I know of know issues with most other Saturns at the time I bought mine.

On the other hand, I know of Lexus owners who have been in and out of the shops many times in their first year. Same for friends with BMW's, Nissan's, Porche's, Honda's, and nearly every other make of car. Although I don't keep up with any online boards related to those cars, I'll bet you'll find nearly the same number of folks reporting problems.

I'll bet the number one reason you will see such a high number of people posting about problems on a board is because, when they've spent a good sum of money on a car, and something goes wrong with it, they want to find out if other foks have had the same problems. Simple reason: $$. If my car is having a problem and I take it to get it fixed, I'm gonna be out of a car for at least a day. And I don't have a day to go without it. Why not post it on a message board and see if someone else has had the same issue, and maybe resolve it myself?

Again, I don't agree with the original message, but I would definitely hope someone at Chevy/GM would at least look at this board and heed our voices. I think the customers can tell the manufacturers what we want and expect better than anyone in their own ranks.

Just my $.00000002, adjusted for deflation.

02-Z66,
Yes, that is just your opinion. If you read my original post I merely stated that for 4300 + owners here, there seems to be a lot of problems. Not small problems but major problems. I have not had a problem yet but looking at all the problems this vehicle has had, one cannot wonder what is next.

Maybe I'm wrong. By looking at all the feedback on this subject, mostly everyone is happy and not worried. Maybe all the problem posts are hoaxes. They sure seem real.

Oh and by the way, I have not done one mod yet! Too busy having fun with the truck so far.

djfcars -

Glad you're having fun with the truck, I've had tons of fun with mine, sometimes just from the looks I get from other people

I think the simple fact of life is, there are going to be problems, no one is perfect and we all want perfect cars and for nothing to go wrong. My Cavalier I traded in for my AV I had to put 7 new tires on in a 6 month period.......most everyone says "Kim, cars only have 4 tires".......that is correct! But **** happens. In the world today people are looking to save money, take short cuts, etc......plus add in some human error and there will be problems.

We all know car problems suck.......no matter the make/model/year........eventually something is going to go wrong, you can only hope you get the service you deserve and not get screwed around.

Like I said, I haven't had any problems with my AV and I'm knockin' on wood (and keeping good thoughts) that it stays that way!

djfcars said:

02-Z66,
Yes, that is just your opinion. ? If you read my original post I merely stated that for 4300 + owners here, there seems to be a lot of problems. ?Not small problems but major problems. ?I have not had a problem yet but looking at all the problems this vehicle has had, one cannot wonder what is next.

Maybe I'm wrong. ?By looking at all the feedback on this subject, mostly everyone is happy and not worried. ?Maybe all the problem posts are hoaxes. ?They sure seem real. ?

Oh and by the way, I have not done one mod yet! ?Too busy having fun with the truck so far. ?

Click to expand...

djfcars, I think you are missing the point, your post is an opinion also, not a basic law of physics - and no, the problems are not hoaxes, that does a disservice to the posters.

There have been problems with a first year vehicle - and will continue to be - I have two friends that replaced transmissions in the first year on Durango's - such is life.

I am sorry that you are unhappy with your AV, that is sad because it probably takes the fun out of driving it.

Hey I could not be happier with mine...This is my third Chevy since 2001. Monte Carlo SS 2002 AV 2500 and a 2003 Suburban 2500 all three have been excellent vehicles with no problems.

djfcars said:

02-Z66,
If you read my original post I merely stated that for 4300 + owners here, there seems to be a lot of problems. ?Not small problems but major problems.

Click to expand...

Since this is the first non-vintage vehicle message board I've been a member of, I'd have to take your word on this. Maybe it's a GM thing.

On a slight side note, it's human nature for us to criticize (e.g. post problems regarding our Av) more than compliment (e.g. posting when there's no problems). An unrelated example, it's rare that someone compliments the train conductor for being on time, although they may be more prone to complain when it's late.

IMHO, I find this site's posts more educational than disappointing.

I understand what you are talking about Djf, I love my AV, however I feel the same thing you feel and I only have 5K miles on my Av in about 13 months of ownership, never had any problems and hope not to have any, but you look at the posts, and you start wondering if you are next, but I bet if you go to a Ford truck forum or a Dodge truck forum you will see the same there and besides you see a lot of AV problems you have to remember thats because we are concentrating on AV's only. you can't sell or trade in now because it has lost a lot of value (just like most american cars).

Is an opinion? No, not at all. The amount of trouble I see here is disturbing. Disservice?? I think when the dealer uses that "Normal" routine to get rid of a customer with a concern is a disservice.

I just will not buy into that GM Bu@@sh@t

In closing, I hope I never have any problems with my AV. More so, I hope some of you will never have a problem.

HeavyD-
You are probably right. But you are comparing GM to Ford and Dodge. I agree, they probably have more problems than GM. My point is why can't GM or Ford or Dodge do a better job then the Japanese cars and trucks?

But to discuss this you would have to agree that the big three are behind in quality and workmanship.

Maybe I'm tired of the Japanese beating us. I always believed that if you produced quality and not so much focus on huge profits, you will be better off in the long run. I would love to see the American car companys put there fists down and rededicate themselves to making the best cars in the world. I know they can do it but need a CEO to make a bold move.

What a glorious day that would be.

djfcars said:

...
But to discuss this you would have to agree that the big three are behind in quality and workmanship.

Maybe I'm tired of the Japanese beating us. ?I always believed that if you produced quality and not so much focus on huge profits, you will be better off in the long run. ?I would love to see the American car companys put there fists down and rededicate themselves to making the best cars in the world. ?I know they can do it but need a CEO to make a bold move. ?

What a glorious day that would be.

Click to expand...

I can't agree to that, and neither would a lot of folks - this is an old arguement about the "evils" of big US business and how good the Japanese do it - they don't worry about profits - why don't we all junk our obviously inferior Avalanches and buy a Civic ... I guess the Honda dealers don't have service departments.