Consumer Reports Recommends All Full-Size Half-Ton Pickups

[FanOfDurant]

I used to work for a design build firm...one of my co-workers in the field drove a 2007 F250- loaded FX4...easily a $40K truck or more. Ford was eager to ensure his satisfaction with every repair they made, but the fact is that he was so disappointed at the frequency of repairs that he has sworn off Ford trucks forever. I personally had to bring him to the dealership to pick up his truck at least 4 or 5 times...mostly alternator problem or an engine problem with the 6.0L turbodiesel.

Ya, I can't defend that comment.. That 6.0 diesel was junk. I have co workers with the Super Duty trucks and they all went with the 5.4's.. The new Scorpion diesel sounds like the remedy for their diesel woe's. I'll give GM credit here.. The Duramax is a good machine and so is the Allison transmission backing it up. It's the rest of the truck that's the problem..

[Dana_15]

Originally Posted by Michael_S

And yes, the GM trucks with the 6.2 are faster than the Toyota with the 5.7.

Only when comparing Crew Cabs, thats the only way you can get the 6.2. Too bad GM doesn't offer the 6.2 in other configurations...

[smith7629]

Originally Posted by Dana_15

Only when comparing Crew Cabs, thats the only way you can get the 6.2. Too bad GM doesn't offer the 6.2 in other configurations...

True, true. That's why I love GMPP!

[Michael_S]

Originally Posted by Dana_15

Only when comparing Crew Cabs, thats the only way you can get the 6.2. Too bad GM doesn't offer the 6.2 in other configurations...

I haven't looked this year, but as of model year 2009 I'm pretty sure the 6.2 was rated for a lower tow capacity than the 6.0. So while it would be nice to have the 6.2 in the extended cab and regular cab models for bragging rights, in terms of work it's less suitable for a pure working truck than the 6.0.

[smith7629]

Originally Posted by Michael_S

Fair enough.



Does GM offer any supercharger kits for their trucks that come with the full factory warranty?

And you bought a half-ton in 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, and 2010? If you're running a business that uses trucks that's normal, but if not then you buy trucks more often than I buy shoes. We're talking about reliability. If you want to impress me, then it would be far more impressive if you just had one half-ton that was rock solid over hundreds of thousands of miles of ownership. It seems both member12 and Dana_15 have had awful experiences with their latest Silverado and Tundra, respectively.

And yes, the GM trucks with the 6.2 are faster than the Toyota with the 5.7. But the advantage is about 0.2 seconds in the quarter mile and maybe 4 mph. A win is a win, and that's great for GM. But it's not like the Tundra owner is going to feel embarrassed.

That's a mix of 1/2 tons, tahoe, and suburban. What can I say I love trucks...and yes my wife would like your logic so I'm getting off your post before she sees it and wants to argue why I want another truck.

[Dana_15]

Originally Posted by smith7629

...and yes my wife would like your logic

lol, good stuff!

[Michael_S]

Originally Posted by smith7629

That's a mix of 1/2 tons, tahoe, and suburban. What can I say I love trucks...and yes my wife would like your logic so I'm getting off your post before she sees it and wants to argue why I want another truck.

Hey, I love trucks too. But I just don't have the money to throw around to go through vehicles that quickly.

[05ChevySilveradoSS]

Originally Posted by Ambalanche

Flaws aside, I do wish GM and Ford would adopt the damper from the Tundra's tailgate. That is a cool feature. You unlatch it and let go and it just slowly drops down. Handy feature if you're trying to load something with your hands full without trying to hang on to a heavy tailgate. It also makes it easier to raise.

Umm it was fords idea first. . .You Could get that on the 05-present F150

[05ChevySilveradoSS]

Originally Posted by member12

I'd pay a little more if it meant better quality. What's the point of a truck that is only "problem free" for the first 40,000 miles?

Warranties only go so far. Most Americans who can afford a full sized truck work 40 or more hours a week. Of course, the dealers are so flooded with broken Chevrolets and GMCs that you must make an appointment at a time convenient to them in order to get anything repaired- and the most frustrating part is that, while very expensive, I'd trust a dealership to repair my truck long before I trust an independent mechanic that I didn't know.

I used to work for a design build firm...one of my co-workers in the field drove a 2007 F250- loaded FX4...easily a $40K truck or more. Ford was eager to ensure his satisfaction with every repair they made, but the fact is that he was so disappointed at the frequency of repairs that he has sworn off Ford trucks forever. I personally had to bring him to the dealership to pick up his truck at least 4 or 5 times...mostly alternator problem or an engine problem with the 6.0L turbodiesel.

His truck actually broke down more than mine does. The difference is that there are more alternatives in the half ton market. I can probably make due with a larger, more robust mid sized truck such as a Frontier or Tacoma. The F250 is pretty much the best in the HD market, and it blows. Those things are just as high maintenance as an Audi or a 5 year old BMW.



What is very frustrating is that the problems I'm having with my Silverado are sometimes the exact same problems that I had with the Trailblazer- mode actuators, air conditioning, four wheel drive switchgear, and instrument clusters....except now I have alignment issues, suspected ball joint problems, and a transmission that doesn't help my confidence in city driving.

While I am not one to defend Ford....they at least appear to be improving quality with every update, every redesign, etc. Granted, they had a longer road to travel- but they are at least trying.

I feel that in many ways, GM and Toyota trucks are actually more problematic than they used to be, while costing more with less dealership support despite a longer warranty. Initial quality and interior comfort are much improved, but that's the extent of the "quality" strides made. Durability, reliability, and longevity doesn't seem to be much of a concern for the full sized truck makers.

A breath of fresh air would be someone who could supply me with information, based on repair history, average down time, and maintenance costs and put a monetary value (based on time lost for repairs, initial cost, and repair costs) on their truck and tell me why it's better.

I'd take a truck with a little less horsepower, a little worse fuel economy, and a little less capability if I knew it would give me 100,000 miles with little more than basic maintenance. Here's where the beauty of the much-hated cars like the Corolla or Civic come in.....those are affordable, very reliable, and dirt cheap to maintain...and most GM fans fail to see why people choose a Corolla over a Focus, Golf, Jetta, or Cobalt. I think GM especially can learn a lot from that market segement and apply that knowledge to their full sized trucks.

Its funny yall are having so many problems with your silverado's, and tundra's. But ive had a 1999 Ext Cab Silverado (keep in mind that it was the first year for the 5.3) and sold with 206K miles and still runs like it did when my parents brought it for me in the summer of 99, currently driving a 2002 with 173K, Sold but a 2004/2006, currently driving 2008 Silverado, All silverado's and No problemo's. . . and i know its different strokes for different folks but i see some 2007 Silverado's with the 5.3L due to the AFM that has a few engine software problems. But mostly the problems i see in my dealership are due to the driver's mistakes/flaws, and my all service technicians know that and so does GM but we still perform the warranty work anyways. If you really wanna know honestly.

The only two trucks i ever had to replace anything on was my 99 Silverado which was the water pump that was after 171K+ Miles, and my 2002 had around 145K miles on it when i had to replace all 4 O2 sensor's for some reason. They both were equipped with the 5.3 engine.

[member12]

Originally Posted by 05ChevySilveradoSS

Its funny yall are having so many problems with your silverado's, and tundra's. But ive had a 1999 Ext Cab Silverado (keep in mind that it was the first year for the 5.3) and sold with 206K miles and still runs like it did when my parents brought it for me in the summer of 99, currently driving a 2002 with 173K, Sold but a 2004/2006, currently driving 2008 Silverado, All silverado's and No problemo's. . . and i know its different strokes for different folks but i see some 2007 Silverado's with the 5.3L due to the AFM that has a few engine software problems. But mostly the problems i see in my dealership are due to the driver's mistakes/flaws, and my all service technicians know that and so does GM but we still perform the warranty work anyways. If you really wanna know honestly.

The only two trucks i ever had to replace anything on was my 99 Silverado which was the water pump that was after 171K+ Miles, and my 2002 had around 145K miles on it when i had to replace all 4 O2 sensor's for some reason. They both were equipped with the 5.3 engine.

The engine has never been a problem for me in this truck or any GM truck that I've had....and things like door seals, body panel/door alignment, transmission, suspension noises, actuators, electrical switchgear, and air conditioning problems are pretty difficult to pin on the user, especially in my case. My truck is high mileage, but it's not abused...there's no programmer, chip, or anything non stock on this truck other than the bed cover.

Most of the people I know with the pre-2003 T800 products like your '99 don't even buy GM anymore. Kinda surprised that you had no problems with yours.

[05ChevySilveradoSS]

Originally Posted by member12

The engine has never been a problem for me in this truck or any GM truck that I've had....and things like door seals, body panel/door alignment, transmission, suspension noises, actuators, electrical switchgear, and air conditioning problems are pretty difficult to pin on the user, especially in my case. My truck is high mileage, but it's not abused...there's no programmer, chip, or anything non stock on this truck other than the bed cover.

Most of the people I know with the pre-2003 T800 products like your '99 don't even buy GM anymore. Kinda surprised that you had no problems with yours.

Hm? Just outta couriosity what problems had they had lol? I mean im kindve courious :P
LoL yeah i already know the instrument cluster was a pain for some but my 02 has never had a problem with the sending unit (fuel gauge) <---most common problem or anything. . .Im kindve courious to what problems they had.


I have plenty of customers that own 99-02 Silverado's that claim it is the best truck theyve ever had, and thats saying alot bc the GMT 400's where no joke. In no way, no how.