Need help

[kboom36]

Hello, I am thinking on buying a 2003 ext LT that has 60,000kms(37,000 miles). My question is, should i worry about break downs and costly repairs ? I read the consumers road report and it kind of scares me off from the beauty of paying a lot of money over a lot of time for this beast. I need something for a bunch of kids that can tow about 3000 pounds as well, this unit seems to fit my needs . Can everyone here say they are happy with this truck?....Ken.

[02EnvoySLE Guy]

Well, even just from looking over the forums should tell you that we are all fans of our trucks. Keep in mind, they do have their issues. This is no different than any vehicle on the road, and it's a truck so that comes with the territory. :m2:

[Dave]

Every used 60k vehicle is a big risk. Parts are cheaper for the Chevy's though compared to most import brands.

[02EnvoySLE Guy]

Every used 60k vehicle is a big risk. Parts are cheaper for the Chevy's though compared to most import brands.

Only 37K in Miles though. That's less than my truck had on it when I bought it. I had a couple minor issues within the first month, all covered by warranty, but since then I have had ZERO complaints *knock on wood* this vehicle is really being good to me.

I got mine with 41K miles and it now has close to 46K on it, in about 5 months' time. Of course, the engine only has about 27K miles on it compared to the rest of the truck. I'm very happy.

[Jman423]

I have an 03 LT, it may not be the EXT, but its the next closest thing to what you are looking at, and like EnvoyGuy said, most of the stuff that I have read about in consumer reports that may seem negative is usually covered by waranty. I am extremely happy with no regrets other than I wish I had some of the awsome toys that some of the guys in this forum have in their trucks.

[02EnvoySLE Guy]

I have an 03 LT, it may not be the EXT, but its the next closest thing to what you are looking at, and like EnvoyGuy said, most of the stuff that I have read about in consumer reports that may seem negative is usually covered by waranty. I am extremely happy with no regrets other than I wish I had some of the awsome toys that some of the guys in this forum have in their trucks.

heh, heh... yeah I said no complaints, I think I meant to say "No complaints except that I could kick myself for not holding out to get an SLT!!" :laugh:

[astrnmrtom]

Ken:

Boy is this a tough question. I can only say that I recently wrestled with the same issues. I researched the he** out of the vehicle keeping a couple things in mind.

1. Look at general trends in customer satisfaction keeping in mind that they can be skewed toward the negative because satisifed people can be a silent majority. More often people with problems seek answers or complain while everyone else goes about their business silently. Forums like this can skew things to both extremes because you have people looking for help mixed with enthusiasts. Again the average owner is invisible.

2. Buying a used vehicle out of warranty is a gamble (so can a new one for that matter).

In the past ten years I have purchased 7 vehicles for my family ALL used. These ranged from 1 or 2 year old vehicles with 12k to 6 year old vehicles with 100k on them. Only once did I have a problem and that was worked out with GM and the dealer and we split the cost. All my other vehicles have been problem free. Even the one with the problem went on to be trouble free after that. When purchasing a vehicle I consider the condition more than the odometer. On the newer ones I buy lease returns knowing the odds are good they have been taken care of and the bugs should have been serviced out.

I've purchased extended warranties on three of the vehicles but never needed the warranty.

My latest purchase - just last week - is a 02 Envoy SLT with 39k. Like you, I wonder and worry about what the future may hold. However on my 2 hour drive home from the dealer I kept saying WOW! WOW! WOW! This a TON of truck for the money. I told my wife just last night I like this Envoy so much I want to take a sleeping bag outside and sleep in it at night!

Will it be dependable? Dunno, but odds are it will be just fine (I hope).

Also keep in mind that in my opinion, Consumer Reports just plain doesn't like American cars and trucks - never has. I've owned a Honda and my wife currently drives a Toyota and I feel my GM built vans and trucks have had BETTER, more solid feel than either the Honda or Toyota. My Honda was falling apart at 80k. My daughter Cavalier is still going strong at 105,000 miles. Talk about opposite reliability reputaions! My wife's Rav4 and my Envoy cost about the same +- 2k and my Envoy is WAY nicer and has more features than her Rav and it seems to have just as good of a build quality too - actually feels MORE solid than the Toyota. Infact her interior seems downright cheap compared to mine. I feel my Envoy is twice the car. As for long term reliability we'll see.

Ok, there's the testimony of a one week old Envoy owner. :m2: Good luck with your decision.

Tom

[Envoy Fan]

Ken:


Also keep in mind that in my opinion, Consumer Reports just plain doesn't like American cars and trucks - never has.

Tom

I don't care for the Consumer Reports mag anymore either. Too anti-American, even when the US mfgs have a good product. :m2:

[Jman423]

I don't care for the Consumer Reports mag anymore either. Too anti-American, even when the US mfgs have a good product. :m2:

I agree, in my search for a TB, most of the stuff I read made this truck sound bad, but everyone has their own preference. I now own the truck and I don't find any problems that they nagged about. I do hear a lot of wind noise at highway speeds, but that doesn't bother me in the least.

[kboom36]

I bought an Envoy ext thanks to everyone here that helped me make up my mind. The tb that I was originally going to buy had a fairly bad history when I ran the serial numbers through the dealer it turned out to be on its third power steering pump and had both the heater core and the ac evaporator (core) replaced as well it was in for ABS servicing three times and a few minor things after that.Another thing that scared me off was that the spare tire was almost bald so when i looked closer at the tires I found one new tire on the front ( spare?) . I think that all cars no matter what brand are going to have their lemons and this one was probably a friday afternoon vehicle.
This Envoy doesnt have all the bells and whistles that the tb had however it was never in for warranty work and is a year newer and has half the mileage of the tb. This vehicle is really clean inside and out.I hope that it gives me the same service as my last two jimmys.Thanks again folks if you still want to keep replying to this post I will keep reading your stories and hopefully learn more about my vehicle. :D

[Jman423]

I bought an Envoy ext thanks to everyone here that helped me make up my mind............... :D

Good god man, what the heck were they doing to that TB? What year was it, and how much did they try to take you for?

A truck is only as good as the the care it gets!!

[02EnvoySLE Guy]

I bought an Envoy ext thanks to everyone here that helped me make up my mind. The tb that I was originally going to buy had a fairly bad history when I ran the serial numbers through the dealer it turned out to be on its third power steering pump and had both the heater core and the ac evaporator (core) replaced as well it was in for ABS servicing three times and a few minor things after that.Another thing that scared me off was that the spare tire was almost bald so when i looked closer at the tires I found one new tire on the front ( spare?) . I think that all cars no matter what brand are going to have their lemons and this one was probably a friday afternoon vehicle.
This Envoy doesnt have all the bells and whistles that the tb had however it was never in for warranty work and is a year newer and has half the mileage of the tb. This vehicle is really clean inside and out.I hope that it gives me the same service as my last two jimmys.Thanks again folks if you still want to keep replying to this post I will keep reading your stories and hopefully learn more about my vehicle. :D

Haha your description sounds EXACTLY like the reason I ended up with my truck over a 2002 TB LTZ... the LTZ, just from driving about half a mile, felt like crap on the road compared to what is now my Envoy. This truck is the most solid thing I've driven ever, hands down.

[Jman423]

Haha your description sounds EXACTLY like the reason I ended up with my truck over a 2002 TB LTZ... the LTZ, just from driving about half a mile, felt like crap on the road compared to what is now my Envoy. This truck is the most solid thing I've driven ever, hands down.

Well, "02TBLTZ GUY" just wouldn't sound right. :D

HA ;)

[kboom36]

It was a 2003 LT with 63,000 kms and they wanted 23,963 for it.Heres the ad they had running, oh and the warranty that they would offer is going to cost you about 3,000 for 48 months I think was the duration.
CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER EXT LT - 2003





Price : $ 23963 Canadian
Kilometers : 63292
Stock# : 102
Status : Pre-Owned
Engine : 4.2L
Warranty : Available
Financing : Available
Bi-weekly Payment : 176.00
Transmission : Automatic
Cylinder : 6
Fuel : Gas
Drive : 4x4
Doors : 5
Passenger : 5
Interior Color : Grey
Exterior Color : Black
Options : Air Conditioning, Alarm, AM/FM Stereo, Cassette, Driver Air Bag, Dual Air Bag, Rear Defroster, Tow Package, Intermittent Wipers, Anti-Lock Brakes, Alloy Wheels, CD Player, Power Mirrors, Fog Lights, Roof Rack, Cruise Control, Power Steering, Power Brakes, Power Seat, Power Trunk, Keyless Entry, Power Windows, Tinted Glass, Tilt Steering, Tilt Wheel, Spoiler, Rear air & Heat, Traction Control, Leather Interior, Running Boards, Bucket Seats, Heated Seats, Power Locks,
Description : 2003 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER EXT LT MODEL. BLACK 7 PASSENGER, TOP OF THE LINE WITH HEATED POWER MEMORY SEATS-17' ALLOY WHEELS-INSIDE IS ONSTAR/DVD ENTERTAINMENT AND SO MUCH MORE ONLY 63KM AND $23963 IS A DEAL

[sallen]

I dont know, mine has all of those options except 4x4 and i got mine bran new for 27,900, doesnt sound like much of a deal to me!

Shay

[02EnvoySLE Guy]

I dont know, mine has all of those options except 4x4 and i got mine bran new for 27,900, doesnt sound like much of a deal to me!

Shay

Is yours an EXT though? That accounts for the extra money. I'm sure you couldn't get a brand new EXT for that price. Plus frankly I wouldn't want an EXT without the V8 since it's so much heavier. :m2:

[sallen]

nope not an ext, i didnt like the way they handled seems much more sluggish, plus i am single dont need all that extra room

[FattyTBEXT]

I love my EXT... and so does my wife and our 2 spoiled sons. Heh. I only wish I had known more about the new DOD V8 when I was buying... <bangs head> But they were clearing out the 2004s so I got a good deal on the inline 6 version anyway... As always, just my :m2:

Matt

[02EnvoySLE Guy]

Well, "02TBLTZ GUY" just wouldn't sound right. :D

HA ;)

Well back when I had my 98 S-10 blazer, I was "BlazinBlazer Guy" on forums.... I probably would've become "LoadedLTZ Guy or something like that :o

:laugh:

[04TBEXT]

Was reading the posts herewithin and came across someone making referring to a vehicle as built on "a friday afternoon". To dispell this myth, consider this...If you read a vehicle window sticker carefully, you will see the words, "FINAL ASSEMBLY POINT". Engines, transmissions, rear axles, electronic components, seats, lamps, etc., are shipped from many of the GM vendors, to the final assembly point where then the vehicle is assembled. Since the average vehicle has over 2,000 individual parts, some, at least one, of these many parts or assemblies, at whichever vendor(s) were made "on a Monday...or Friday afternoon"...

[02EnvoySLE Guy]

Was reading the posts herewithin and came across someone making referring to a vehicle as built on "a friday afternoon". To dispell this myth, consider this...If you read a vehicle window sticker carefully, you will see the words, "FINAL ASSEMBLY POINT". Engines, transmissions, rear axles, electronic components, seats, lamps, etc., are shipped from many of the GM vendors, to the final assembly point where then the vehicle is assembled. Since the average vehicle has over 2,000 individual parts, some, at least one, of these many parts or assemblies, at whichever vendor(s) were made "on a Monday...or Friday afternoon"...

Yeah, we know. However it's a fact that as the frame rolls down the line and has those parts and assemblies bolted on, problems and new damage/defects can be added. Like the gas tank thing I was describing -- a guy bolts down the tank as he's swigging from the bottle of jack, finishes it off so he stashes it down the filler tube.

I've had family for generations that have worked in a GM assembly plant, they know what really goes on in there. It's a well known phenomenon to the people in any manufacturing town. :m2:

[04TBEXT]

Charlie,
I totally agree...have family & freinds in those places...been in this business for a while myself. Had a problem with fuel contamination @ a Pontiac plant building full-size Bonnies, Grandvilles, etc. back in the early '70's. Tracked the situation down to the respective plant and found that a worker on the assembly line had a wife who made his tuna sandwichs on Fridays. He hated tuna, didn't want to tell her, so he stuffed it down the fuel tank as the car went down the assembly line. A few of his fellow workers thought it was funny or efficient and started stuffing undesirable lunch items in the fuel tanks as well...
My post was to address those that may think that there are 3 1/2 to 4 days of the week where cars are made better.

[02EnvoySLE Guy]

Charlie,
I totally agree...have family & freinds in those places...been in this business for a while myself. Had a problem with fuel contamination @ a Pontiac plant building full-size Bonnies, Grandvilles, etc. back in the early '70's. Tracked the situation down to the respective plant and found that a worker on the assembly line had a wife who made his tuna sandwichs on Fridays. He hated tuna, didn't want to tell her, so he stuffed it down the fuel tank as the car went down the assembly line. A few of his fellow workers thought it was funny or efficient and started stuffing undesirable lunch items in the fuel tanks as well...
My post was to address those that may think that there are 3 1/2 to 4 days of the week where cars are made better.

Oh. Well yeah that's true. There can be bad vehicles made any day of the week, it's mostly just an expression referring to the fact that most of the time, Friday is when the workers are, shall we say, a bit more 'casual' and 'laid back' than normal :laugh:

I went to high school right across the street from the Lansing body assembly plant, and about a block away was a bar/restaraunt several of us would walk to for lunch. On Fridays, students weren't allowed during the plant's lunch breaks due to all the drunks in there. You'd walk in later that afternoon to find the tables literally STACKED with empty beer bottles and cans. Usually there were a few of the guys heading back to work with much less than perfect balance... I more than once saw a guy fall flat on his face in the middle of the street. :eek:

[tb_ky]

Maybe the reason why my gas mileage is so sucky is that theres a tuna sandwich in my gas tank! :laugh: