Just how rustproof are Chevy trucks

Per Ignoramus30966:

Dunno about the methodology, but my '98 Suburban (130k miles) is holding up well rust-wise. Had a couple of cracks in the paint, applied some rust converter, and they seem stable.

Everything-else-wise, it's pitiful... but I have no complaints about the rust situation.

I would be very interested if you could describe your Everything-else-wise in more detail!

i

I too would like to know of your problems. I was told to Surburbans were good as long as you didn't let them get too old.

2003 Chevy s10..rust on the back side of front and back bumpers. Tailgate rusting on the on the back side seam, all bolts, nuts, underside. The tailgate cables were corroded, and replaced. Brake drums and drive shaft, all rust. 51,000 miles

I have a 2000 K3500 with only 38K miles. It is used as a plow truck and sees moderate salt for a few months every winter. Body has held up well and still looks like new BUT I had a engine oil cooler line rust thru and leak and when I when to replace it is was rusted into raditor fitting and nearly had to replace raditor too. Trany cooler lines are not far behind. They seem to have used really poor quality metal on them and they are rusting badly. GM could have spent a few more buck and used SS lines for these important functions. As a comparison, I have a 89 4x4 burb that I bought new and the original engine oil and tranny cooler lines are still is great shape. I am not happy with the way the 200 is dealing with rust in those areas and the 79 J20 it replaced several years ago held up a lot better in those areas too.

----------------- TheSnoMan.com

Per Ignoramus30966:

Other people seem to love the things. Maybe its something to do with mine having been made in Mexico.... -)

----------------------------------------------------------

00000: Hood spacers rusting badly & sloppy seat install 05000: STRANDED Rear brake froze 07000: Steering noise 13000: Bad tire 20000: Trans shifting problem 27000: Front rotors warped 29000: Burning Oil 30000: Violent shifts 1st-2nd 34690: STRANDED Alternator 35940: Xmission Valve Body... 36240: Serpentine belt replacement 37000 "Clunking" noise when starting from full or near stop 39000: Steering became hard momentarily 39800: Rear clunk starting to return in rear (re/37000) 61060: New sus parts 67120: Trans shift prob (like 30000/35940) 68260: Pads+turn rotors+ 75040: STANDED Crank sensor failed 75350: "Check engine..." lite 75837: Valve Body (trans) required rebuild 77100: Water pump 77439: Intake manifold gasket 85000: (approx) Wiper board 89000: Wiper board 98000: (approx) Serpentine Belt - preemptive replacement 98340: Alternator Failed 120000: Trip Speedo Failed

-------------------------------------

And I thought that my current Dodge truck was a POS...

i

After reading this... Is there any company that makes quality trucks that just keep on working the way they are intended and rated for?

I definitely appreciate all the negative info on Chevys, as I was (and am) considering getting one.

Thanks to you and previous posters.

i

I've got 340,000 miles on my S10. They are notorious for rusting but it took it 14 years to start to rust. It just started to show signs this last year.

I have 178K on my Montana. Not a spec of rust. 278K on a 93 Bonneville. Not rust anywhere.

My dad has owned 4 Silverado's since 88. The 88 rusted in the back but the

90's and newer never did at all. None of them had issues of any kind. He drives them to Canada and back 4 times a year pulling a boat. Never pulled over for any reason.

I know there are some bad ones out there but none of the GM's I've ever owned have been bad.

LS

Not too many that won't rust if you live in areas where they spray the roads. Whatever that shit is it eats metal real quick. Going back before they started using that stuff we used to replace a brake lines once in a while and I don't remember replacing fuel lines. In the last few years since they started spraying the roads before the storms we have been replacing fuel lines, brake lines, emerg. cables all the time. Along with the underside of the vehicles is all rust flakes and scales...

My 89 4x4 burb has been pretty trouble free. I have only had to replace the TBI to intake gasket a few years ago, the water pump about

5 years ago and the rear bearing on altenator about 7 years ago. It has about 180K on it now and runs great and I use it shuttle my kidsto on from college now at about 160 miles per round trip and it 100% dependable still. It has made more than a dozen cross country trips and never required repair on those trips (most recent in 2003) and it has never left me stranded either.

----------------- TheSnoMan.com

Per Ignoramus30966:

I think there's an element of luck. I've heard soooo many people just *love* their GM k1500's that my experience must be some sort of anomaly.

OTOH, the transmission valve body thing seems tb a widely-known/oft-experienced design defect that GM has to have known about for years and years - yet they never took the trouble to fix it. Makes me suspect that accountants are running the company....

On Thu, 12 Oct 2006 19:22:20 -0400, "(PeteCresswell)" wrote:

Little doubt about that as they surely look how to make it last through warranty and then make money fixing it. I have 180K on a 700R4 in a 89 4x4 burb that I have not had 2 cents of trouble with. I do change fluid and filter every 20K to 25K or so and it has a aux tranny cooler too with stock type tires. It gets great MPG for it size as we only use it for trips now mostly and it is still pretty cherr. It is the most reliable vehcal of it type I have ever owned as it has never left me stranded in 17 years of owning it and it has seen temps for 50 below to 108 above and never failed to do its task. Let me tell you that driving a car at 40 to 50 below is a trip too because axle lube never realy heats up enough to flow freely even when using SYN in them. Feels like you are dragging a anchor and MPG really takes a dive too but you do not really care as long as you are warm and running. I used to use double block heaters below minus 20 or so not because it needed it to start but because I could get heat out of it a lot sooner and it would start like spring time at minus 40 or 50 with dual heaters. Below about 30 below you can zip cover completely closed over radiator grill and it does not even think about getting above normal operating temp too. those covers help you warmup up quicker and stay warm to in extreme cold. Once we made a 1000 mile trip and it never was above minus 15 at the warmest while driving the whole trip and got as cold as minus 35! That vehical has probaly logged 25 to 30 K miles traveling in below zero weather in its life It can sit for weeks without even starting (and it does because we only use it for trips now) and I can get in it and drive it 500 or 1000 miles without a second thought. (it has a 400 miles trip coming this weekend and it did 220 miles yesterday). The point of all this is that vehical has been through a LOT more than the average vehical and it still runs great. TBI while not state of the art nor most powerfull has proven to be a extremely reliable system for me when it counted the most. (still has original fuel pump too) The do not build them that way any more as cost cutting and profit margins have taking their toll. I have newer vehicals but that burb will retire when I do. I sure got my moneys worth out of that thing even though it stickered for 26K because it basically had every possible option including dual heaters and a 40 gallon fuel tank for incredable range between fill ups! 600 miles is not hard to do and I think 700 or more would be quite possible if I ran it dry. on the trip planned this weekend I will top it off before I start out and not refuel until after trip a few days later when gas is cheaper during middle of week. If you are in the market for a used burb and can find a 89 to 91 in cherry shape, those were the best of the breed from what I have seen.

----------------- TheSnoMan.com