To do... or not to do... 2001 Tahoe 199,000 ... no reverse

[adkhunter1590]

I think I’d wave the white flag on that tahoe. I have a hard time putting more money into something that’s not worth more than repairs cost. I’d bet you could get a grand for it on Craigslist. Somebody probably has a tranny laying around and would scoop it up quick.
My 2011 F150 has 149k and about to roll 150k by the end of this week. Other than rust starting to make a run on the bed and cab corners it’s been mostly problem free. A wheel bearing, coil and one o2 sensor is all she’s needed so far. It hasn’t lived an easy life either. I plan on driving it for as long as reasonably possible. But if the transmission blows apart at 200k I will have to evaluate what the truck is worth vs repair costs before I sink any money into it. We will most likely be buying a new truck in the next year and this one will become my farm truck to beat on until it dies. My wife drives it more than I do currently, but that’s going to change as the miles get up a little higher. I don’t want her stranded with my kids somewhere.

 

[MossRoad]

We have been babying along our vehicles for the last year or so. Everything we have is over 150K. Audi A6 at 180K, Toyota Sequoia at 180K, Tahoe at 199K.

My wife's Tahoe just dropped Reverse gear. It will still go into all others, but Reverse is out. We haven't had anything more going on with it, although, I hear a very subtle knock when idling... kind of like a lifter is on its way.

I am trying to figure out whether to go for the fix of a rebuilt replacement, or just call it good, and walk away. I am surprised that we went 200K with it honestly. The only thing that has had any issues was the AC, heat mixer vacuum switch, and changing fluids/brakes.

About 2 years ago, I had a Toyota 4Runner which was my favorite vehicle. I put 186K on it, and one day, the front differential went out. Nothing before had gone bad, so I had them fix the differential, and within 400 miles, my engine blew. Bucket of bolts, dropped lifter through the cylinder type sound. I didn't even look. I towed it to the garage, they said Yep, its done, and I gave it to a friend who junked it.

So, I am leary of putting too much $$$ into this Tahoe, but I would like to get some more cheap mileage out of it if possible. I hate the idea of a car payment. I haven't had one since I bought my mom a car a few years ago. But, I also know that at any time, my Sequoia or A6 could go as well, leaving only the F350 dually diesel running, and it really isn't a commuter.

So... what say you? I'd take $1000 for another 3-6mo of driving over $1000/mo payment. (I don't run out my payments and I wouldn't even want more than a 2yr loan if I could swing it. But I have too many other bills at this moment.)

Do you think it is worth giving it a shot and fixing the transmission or would you just call it good and walk away?

I am right at 50/50. I haven't taken it in to see the cost of a rebuild and installation. So if you have some guidance on reasonable $$$ for this, I'd appreciate it.

What kind of shape is the body in? Any rust at all? How's the interior? Clean?

If the body is good, the interior clean, and no known engine troubles, if it was me, I'd go over to LKQ pick your parts in Lexington and get a used transmission for $100 out of a low mileage wrecked Chevy or GMC and slap it in there. It's most likely a 4L60E transmission, made since 1992 to present. There are literally millions of them out there.

I drive a 1993 Suburban K1500 with that same transmission. I have a spare 4L60E in my garage from a 1993 van I got rid of. It's a fairly easy swap and should take only about an hour to drop the transmission out, and 2 hours to put it back in.

What do I love about my 1993 Suburban.... I paid $6000 for it 10 years ago, and have put about $1000 into it. So $7000 for 10 years and its still worth $1500, so $5500 for 10 years.... that's $550 per year.

I have spent $550 per year on a vehicle for the last 10 years.... think about that. $550 per year.

Even if I put $1000 per year in repairs on it, I'd only be spending $1550 per year on a vehicle.

It takes me to work every day.
It takes my kids to college and back every spring and fall.
It takes my tractor to our remote property and it brings the firewood home.
Just last Saturday I towed my car hauler trailer down about 110 miles away and picked up a loveseat and chairs for one of my kids and brought them home. Used 15 gallons of gas for 220 mile round trip. 14.99MPG.

Would I let my wife and kids drive it without me? Heck no! :laughing: While it works for my needs, it's not dependable in the sense that it can die at any given moment compared to a new truck. If I had to make my living with it, I wouldn't chance it. But I don't have to make my living with it and I don't have to make my wife and kids drive it. So yeah, it's perfect for my needs.

Think about the car payments I have not made for 10 years. Or lease payments. Even if I only paid $400 per month for 12 months, that's $4800 per year for 10 years. That's $48,000 I didn't hand to someone else. That's over $100,000 in the old investment bank when you add up the interest. :laughing:

I just can't stomach buying new vehicles when the one I have works fine.

 

[MossRoad]

My wifes son had an older Expedition that had similar miles and it was becoming an issue for them. Junk yard offered them $400 for it, they cannot afford to go to a dealer and try to trade it in, so they put an add on Craigslist asking $1,000 and they took the first $800 cash that showed up at the door. They guy brought a tow rope because he was told it might not make it home.

To me, 200,000 miles on a vehicle is like 10,000 hours on a tractor. You can keep them running, but you have to be willing to work on them all the time, and not have to rely on it to work every day. If you put the money into fixing the transmission, you still have a vehicle with 200,000 miles on it and a long list of things are real close to failing. What do you do when your wife, or child cannot get it to start, an hour away, late at night? How many times do you want to deal with this happening?

I completely agree with you on the point about wife and kids. And I'll add that as a primary vehicle, it's not a good decision.

For us, my wife always insists (and I agree) that we have 1 car that is decent enough to drive to weddings and funerals.... and I can drive whatever I want! :laughing: So we always have 1 newer vehicle that is dependable and nice looking, and 1 that is always well over 10 years old and I can use it as a work truck.

 

[coobie]

And I see tractors with 20,000 hours on them that are still on the job. But just because you can site a few cases where a vehicle is still running reliably after 200,000 miles does not change the simple fact that it's well worn out by then. Most rental yards sell off their equipment at 2,000 hours because after that, it's hard to make a profit on them. Car rental companies get rid of everything before it has 20,000 miles on it for the same reason.

The question remains, are you comfortable having your wife or daughter relying on a vehicle with 200,000 miles on it, out late, by themselves, an hour away from home? What if the vehicle has already broke down on them once? Now you know it will happen again, the question is when will it happen again, and how much will it cost you the next time?

I agree with you eddie.The safety of my family is very important.When I was younger I would always drive the beater car and made sure my lovely wife had the newer vehicle to drive.

 

[check]

My father has a 1999 F-350 7.3L that has 185,000 miles on it. In 2016 we put a 2015 F350 8' bed and step tailgate on it, that was $3500. In 2017 spent: $2500 on a 4R100. $400 rear driveshaft $1,300 on complete strip down and then re-assemble of front axle for carrier bearings, seals, U-Joints, ball joints, unit bearings. Gears were fine. 2018 was $3200 for new (not reman) diesel injectors, glow plugs, glow plug relays, under valve cover wire harness. $11,000 in repairs in the last 4 years. I keep telling him to throw up the white flag. The door bottoms are going bad again and the cab corners are starting to blister. So in the next year he will be spending a few more grand on body work since he will not drive a vehicle with any exposed rust. But that same money could have made payments on a much newer, slightly used truck that has nicer features. But, the guy loves his old Steelers truck!

Gotta love that tailgate step!

 

[LouNY]

It will need an overhaul, do not buy a scrap yard trand, you will get all the issues that your current trans has.
Id wave goodbye. Sell private.

Good luck.

That thinking has cost a lot of people more than it should have. Used parts out of a salvage yard/junkyard can be a very viable way to repair a vehicle. When something gets a lot of miles and or hours used parts can be an extremely effective way to maintain equipment. Some motor vehicles with 150-200,000 miles if not rusted out can be worth keeping going. Most places now have a lot of the major parts already pulled or they pull them for you, you can sometimes find a place that will let you pull your own parts. When I was quite a bit younger and had more time then money available I used to frequent junkyards for parts and ideas. I have purchased used parts for my IH 574 and wouldn't hesitate to do so again. Even if you don't want to do the work yourself it's quite possible to find someone that will RnR a transmission or engine for a couple of hundred dollars on a weekend. Most junkyard parts have at a minimum a 30 day warranty some places as much as 6 months. So don't dismiss used parts so readily they can be a cost effective way to maintain equipment.

 

[MoMower]

The rest of the vehicles condition would be more important to my decision than age and mileage.

 

[Deere Dude]

I have an 02 GMC Dura Dually and really enjoy driving it.
It has 130k miles on in and I bought it new and kept in a garage almost all the time.

I had to replace the fuel pump so I had them put injectors in and that was $4500. A few months ago I had to replace the transfer case because I never checked the oil and got ruined, another $2k. Just put on cab corners and new tires for $2600.

I put on maybe 7k miles a year and pull a couple big 5th wheels maybe 1/3 of the time. My wife wanted me to go and just get a new one, but a new $70k truck will depreciate $10k as soon as I sign the papers.

I think as long as it is enjoyable to drive, fix it. Unless it is just a nuisance keep it.

 

[BillC72]

may be hard to see, but this is my 2001 Tahoe turning 300000 on a trip to Mississippi just last week. May be a risk, but if you are confident on the rest of your Tahoe....even $2000 isn't bad for another 100k miles.

 

[Peter 315]

View attachment 547131 may be hard to see, but this is my 2001 Tahoe turning 300000 on a trip to Mississippi just last week. May be a risk, but if you are confident on the rest of your Tahoe....even $2000 isn't bad for another 100k miles.

Dashboard looks like a Christmas tree