Buying 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee tomorrow

[jeepman3071]

Give the throttle body a good cleaning, and it might be worth it to run some techron through the fuel system. I got 12 mpg once in mine, and that was when I was doing some spirited snow driving in 4x4.

Also check the air filter as well as tire pressure.

 

[[email protected]]

I have Techron on my shelf from the last sale at advance auto, I will throw that in tomorrow. The air filter is a brand new FRAM. I added air to the tires and changed the oil the other day and I have somehow managed to eeeek 13.0mpg average out of it now, lol.

 

[artificialist]

My mom has a 2WD with the 3.7, and it has required very few repairs. She has 162,000 miles.

I wouldn't worry about the 4.7 engine. The 3.7 in her car was always well cared for, and it is like a 4.7 minus 2 cylinders.

 

[[email protected]]

Ooh ooh!! Today it was 50f degrees here in Michigan. I gassed up and reset my avg. mpg tracker, and I was getting 26mpg on the highway!!!

Then I got off the highway, and it went down to 17mpg, haha. Ill take it still, a lot better than the 12.5mpg I was getting.

Tomorrow I change the spark plugs. Strangely, they are copper plugs from the the factory and the manual advises strongly against using any other plugs lest I want "pre-detonation". So I bought some basic NGK's to throw in there. I just cant bring myself to use champion plugs on anything I really care for, lol.


OH and another update. I actually found the last owners phone number, in an old service paper stuffed in the glovebox, and I called him. I asked him some questions about the service performed & reliability of the Jeep. He said it had been the utmost reliable vehicle, and he had just had the brakes done, front & rear diff fluid changes, and new tires installed right before he traded it in (wife wanted something new). He said he had never crashed it (verified with carfax) and that it had never left him stranded. I was SOOO relieved to hear that, I told him I figured he had traded it in because something was about to take a dump. He told me that he didnt want to trade it in. Whew, it was really nice getting that input and I was glad I called.

 

[[email protected]]

Change the spark plugs today, they were all VERY worn out. The plugs that came out were .065+ gapped out. Factory setting is .040"

I didnt notice any increase in mpg's. It did seem to accelerate smoother but now my idle in gear is rough. There are a lot of hard plastic vacuum lines that run along the passenger side bank, I hope I didnt crack or break any. Ugh.

All in all, glad I changed them out... it appears I was "just in time". Ended up putting NGK V-Powers back in there.

 

[Hokiefyd]

Originally Posted By: [email protected]
It did seem to accelerate smoother but now my idle in gear is rough.


If you can't find the cause, put the OEM Champions in it.

Seriously, I've never found an engine to run better on the "wrong" brand of spark plug..."wrong" being anything other than what the factory used.

 

[Nick R]

I agree with Hokiefyd. Those Jeep engines seem to run best on Champion coppers.

 

[dishdude]

Chrysler engines seem to be picky with plugs, like lawn mowers they like Champions.

 

[[email protected]]

I will keep that advice in mind. It seems to only idle slightly rough when the engine is hot. Other than that, everythings good.

Mpg's still arent up though...lol. 13.5mpg average!!

 

[Hokiefyd]

I haven't found spark plugs to contribute in a meaningful way to fuel economy. I replaced the original plugs in our 1997 Cadillac with nearly 150k miles on them and noticed zero change in how the engine ran. Of course, they were double platinums, but at least one pad on most of the eight plugs had come off and the gaps had widened considerably.

 

[VNTS]

Long time WJ owner, I would ditch the V-power plugs, one of the most often posted issues on these 4.7's on the forums are owners who are "smarter" than the mopar designers who put platiunum, iridium and god knows what else in their 4.7's, then they get driveability issues, codes and whatnot.

I used the champ coppers and their equivalent truck plug when they offered them and have never had any issues, just have to change them every 40K or so.

Originally Posted By: [email protected]
Change the spark plugs today, they were all VERY worn out. The plugs that came out were .065+ gapped out. Factory setting is .040"

I didnt notice any increase in mpg's. It did seem to accelerate smoother but now my idle in gear is rough. There are a lot of hard plastic vacuum lines that run along the passenger side bank, I hope I didnt crack or break any. Ugh.

All in all, glad I changed them out... it appears I was "just in time". Ended up putting NGK V-Powers back in there.

 

[[email protected]]

Im going to hold out a little bit longer on the V-power - I threw a bottle of Techron Concentrate in the gas tank, and it is running really good now. My mpg's are up 1.5mpg, and it has got much colder out. I can definitely tell a difference in acceleration since the spark plugs & techron treatment.

 

[Nick1994]

I know yours is a V8 but I drove my grandma's 02' Chevy Trailblazer 4.2L I6 this morning and wih about 5-6 miles of city driving, 8 miles of bumper to bumper traffic and 10-11 miles of highway driving it averaged about 18 mpg. I reset the mpg meter yesterday and drove 7 miles of highway and 8 miles of city streets with stop lights and it averaged 26 mpg. Really! It always gets mid 20's on the highway at 65 mph.

 

[[email protected]]

Haha Nick, I owned a 2002 Envoy for 8 years with that 4.2l I6. I even had it tuned by PCM4less to take out some of the torque mgmt and make it more fun to drive.

But that thing was a nickel and dimer. Every year I spent at least $1500 in maintenance. Most years more than that. Ive never owned a Jeep product and always thought the 2005- current day Jeep Grand Cherokee looked cool. Plus, Ive never owned a v8 powered vehicle either. I had to kill all birds with one stone, lol

 

[Nick1994]

Originally Posted By: [email protected]
Haha Nick, I owned a 2002 Envoy for 8 years with that 4.2l I6. I even had it tuned by PCM4less to take out some of the torque mgmt and make it more fun to drive.

But that thing was a nickel and dimer. Every year I spent at least $1500 in maintenance. Most years more than that. Ive never owned a Jeep product and always thought the 2005- current day Jeep Grand Cherokee looked cool. Plus, Ive never owned a v8 powered vehicle either. I had to kill all birds with one stone, lol
the 4.2L I6 is no racecar, but is decent. Nothing beats a V8 though... I sure do miss my V8 Chevy truck. I often wonder if my grandma's Trailblazer is just a lucky one. The only repairs it has had are:

New water pump (wasn't leaking, but my mechanic buddy noticed it had a lot of play in it where the fan clutch bolted up)
1 single cylinder coil pack burned out. That was easy to replace.
Motor mounts vibrated
Mode door actuator for A/C went out. Wouldn't choose direction on A/C, only blew on defrost.
And now it has a power steering leak, not sure where though. Haven't gotten around to it.

Those are the only repairs it's ever had in almost 102k miles, unless you count brake pads. About $300-$350 in repairs.

 

[[email protected]]

Originally Posted By: Nick1994
Originally Posted By: [email protected]
Haha Nick, I owned a 2002 Envoy for 8 years with that 4.2l I6. I even had it tuned by PCM4less to take out some of the torque mgmt and make it more fun to drive.

But that thing was a nickel and dimer. Every year I spent at least $1500 in maintenance. Most years more than that. Ive never owned a Jeep product and always thought the 2005- current day Jeep Grand Cherokee looked cool. Plus, Ive never owned a v8 powered vehicle either. I had to kill all birds with one stone, lol
the 4.2L I6 is no racecar, but is decent. Nothing beats a V8 though... I sure do miss my V8 Chevy truck. I often wonder if my grandma's Trailblazer is just a lucky one. The only repairs it has had are:

New water pump (wasn't leaking, but my mechanic buddy noticed it had a lot of play in it where the fan clutch bolted up)
1 single cylinder coil pack burned out. That was easy to replace.
Motor mounts vibrated
Mode door actuator for A/C went out. Wouldn't choose direction on A/C, only blew on defrost.
And now it has a power steering leak, not sure where though. Haven't gotten around to it.

Those are the only repairs it's ever had in almost 102k miles, unless you count brake pads. About $300-$350 in repairs.


Well, I keep an excel sheet on all of my toys. Heres a SMALL sample of went wrong with my Envoy in the FIRST year of ownership:
* Wiper motor (was recalled, but GM said mine was ok - 6 months later, it went bad and they wouldnt replace it)
* Front axle passenger side actuator, side bearing & housing
* Rear air load leveling suspension compressor (first time)

Second year:
* Front and rear sway bar end links
* Clutch Fan
* Drivers side memory control module caught on fire in the door. GM denies problem (ironic it was recalled a few years ago)

Third year:
* Idler tensioner pulley
* Rear parking brakes explode in drums. I had NEVER used them, nor do I offroad or tow.
* Air ride compressor #2
* 4 wheel drive switch stopped working, went bad.
* Liftgate stops working. Chafed wiring in liftgate from factory. Replace wiring harness $$$$
Fourth Year:
* Front wheel bearings (both sides)
* Drivers side front axle leak. Seal replaced.
* Nothing else "large" to report.
Fifth Year:
* Sway bar end links "again". Shocks all around.
* Air springs rotted and leaking.
* VVT actuating solenoid failed.
* Water pump leaking and wobbly, replaced.
* #4 coil fails from water leaking from the hood. Replaced.
* Transmission lines rot, had to use GM OEM parts $$$$$$
* Thermostat & Alternator failed this year too, few months apart from each other
Sixth Year:
* Air ride compressor "AGAIN". This time, since they fail so often, I buy a used one on ebay for $100. It ended up being the best one, go figure.
* Rear axle seals leaking. Replaced
* Air conditioning pressure switch replaced.
* Heater core lines leaking at firewall. Replaced (Dealer only part) $$$
Seventh Year:
* Driving and hear POP BANG. The studs that hold on the rear sway bar rotted, broke and fell off. Had to drill out what was remaining of the old studs and put on a bolt & nut.
* VVT Actuator INSIDE engine fails. Replaced, along with valve cover & intake gaskets $$
* Water pump (again).
Eight year:
My last and final straw, the power steering lines rot and are leaking on the strut tower. I sell that TURD on craigslist and bought a Toyota, which I still have & love. Total cost of Toyota maintenance besides oil changes in 94,000 miles= $0.00 lol

I am leaving out TONS of small minutia like the headlamp sockets that constantly burn and melt, I finally soldered in ceramic plugs that still burned, but kept working. I had to replace the brake light "modules". There was a recall for this too, they replaced mine and they STILL went bad. I ended up replacing the front drivers side axle seal once more, for a total of two times. Was weeping again when I sold it. I used Amsoil in the front and rear axles btw. My transfer case encoder motor went bad, I just remembered that. OH, and it ate through ignition switches like every 2.5 years.

THANK God I did 99.99% of the work myself, or I'd have been bankrupt in a major way paying the dealer or mechanic!!

 

[Nick1994]

Originally Posted By: [email protected]
Originally Posted By: Nick1994
Originally Posted By: [email protected]
Haha Nick, I owned a 2002 Envoy for 8 years with that 4.2l I6. I even had it tuned by PCM4less to take out some of the torque mgmt and make it more fun to drive.

But that thing was a nickel and dimer. Every year I spent at least $1500 in maintenance. Most years more than that. Ive never owned a Jeep product and always thought the 2005- current day Jeep Grand Cherokee looked cool. Plus, Ive never owned a v8 powered vehicle either. I had to kill all birds with one stone, lol
the 4.2L I6 is no racecar, but is decent. Nothing beats a V8 though... I sure do miss my V8 Chevy truck. I often wonder if my grandma's Trailblazer is just a lucky one. The only repairs it has had are:

New water pump (wasn't leaking, but my mechanic buddy noticed it had a lot of play in it where the fan clutch bolted up)
1 single cylinder coil pack burned out. That was easy to replace.
Motor mounts vibrated
Mode door actuator for A/C went out. Wouldn't choose direction on A/C, only blew on defrost.
And now it has a power steering leak, not sure where though. Haven't gotten around to it.

Those are the only repairs it's ever had in almost 102k miles, unless you count brake pads. About $300-$350 in repairs.


Well, I keep an excel sheet on all of my toys. Heres a SMALL sample of went wrong with my Envoy in the FIRST year of ownership:
* Wiper motor (was recalled, but GM said mine was ok - 6 months later, it went bad and they wouldnt replace it)
* Front axle passenger side actuator, side bearing & housing
* Rear air load leveling suspension compressor (first time)

Second year:
* Front and rear sway bar end links
* Clutch Fan
* Drivers side memory control module caught on fire in the door. GM denies problem (ironic it was recalled a few years ago)

Third year:
* Idler tensioner pulley
* Rear parking brakes explode in drums. I had NEVER used them, nor do I offroad or tow.
* Air ride compressor #2
* 4 wheel drive switch stopped working, went bad.
* Liftgate stops working. Chafed wiring in liftgate from factory. Replace wiring harness $$$$
Fourth Year:
* Front wheel bearings (both sides)
* Drivers side front axle leak. Seal replaced.
* Nothing else "large" to report.
Fifth Year:
* Sway bar end links "again". Shocks all around.
* Air springs rotted and leaking.
* VVT actuating solenoid failed.
* Water pump leaking and wobbly, replaced.
* #4 coil fails from water leaking from the hood. Replaced.
* Transmission lines rot, had to use GM OEM parts $$$$$$
* Thermostat & Alternator failed this year too, few months apart from each other
Sixth Year:
* Air ride compressor "AGAIN". This time, since they fail so often, I buy a used one on ebay for $100. It ended up being the best one, go figure.
* Rear axle seals leaking. Replaced
* Air conditioning pressure switch replaced.
* Heater core lines leaking at firewall. Replaced (Dealer only part) $$$
Seventh Year:
* Driving and hear POP BANG. The studs that hold on the rear sway bar rotted, broke and fell off. Had to drill out what was remaining of the old studs and put on a bolt & nut.
* VVT Actuator INSIDE engine fails. Replaced, along with valve cover & intake gaskets $$
* Water pump (again).
Eight year:
My last and final straw, the power steering lines rot and are leaking on the strut tower. I sell that TURD on craigslist and bought a Toyota, which I still have & love. Total cost of Toyota maintenance besides oil changes in 94,000 miles= $0.00 lol

I am leaving out TONS of small minutia like the headlamp sockets that constantly burn and melt, I finally soldered in ceramic plugs that still burned, but kept working. I had to replace the brake light "modules". There was a recall for this too, they replaced mine and they STILL went bad. I ended up replacing the front drivers side axle seal once more, for a total of two times. Was weeping again when I sold it. I used Amsoil in the front and rear axles btw. My transfer case encoder motor went bad, I just remembered that. OH, and it ate through ignition switches like every 2.5 years.

THANK God I did 99.99% of the work myself, or I'd have been bankrupt in a major way paying the dealer or mechanic!!
Oh my god! What a piece of sh!t! I believe hers still has the original headlight bulbs and only 1 tail light has burned out. Also I forgot to mention the rear wiper doesn't work. It sprays washer fluid but doesn't wipe until every once in a while 10 minutes AFTER you turn the switch off. But it doesn't rain here, and my grandmother wouldn't be driving in the rain anyways so it doesn't matter. I've towed a couple trailers with it and it does fine. It even has the original transmission fluid in it which is scary, but it shifts halfway decent. Good enough for the 3-4,000 miles it gets driven per year these days. It's never had an alignment and wears perfectly and is an all around great car. It's the LTZ and has every single option available, and I mean EVERY option except for 4x4.

Oh I also forgot that one of the electric motors in the driver's seat doesn't work, it's the one that lifts the rear half of the seat.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: [email protected]
Originally Posted By: Nick1994
Originally Posted By: [email protected]
Haha Nick, I owned a 2002 Envoy for 8 years with that 4.2l I6. I even had it tuned by PCM4less to take out some of the torque mgmt and make it more fun to drive.

But that thing was a nickel and dimer. Every year I spent at least $1500 in maintenance. Most years more than that. Ive never owned a Jeep product and always thought the 2005- current day Jeep Grand Cherokee looked cool. Plus, Ive never owned a v8 powered vehicle either. I had to kill all birds with one stone, lol
the 4.2L I6 is no racecar, but is decent. Nothing beats a V8 though... I sure do miss my V8 Chevy truck. I often wonder if my grandma's Trailblazer is just a lucky one. The only repairs it has had are:

New water pump (wasn't leaking, but my mechanic buddy noticed it had a lot of play in it where the fan clutch bolted up)
1 single cylinder coil pack burned out. That was easy to replace.
Motor mounts vibrated
Mode door actuator for A/C went out. Wouldn't choose direction on A/C, only blew on defrost.
And now it has a power steering leak, not sure where though. Haven't gotten around to it.

Those are the only repairs it's ever had in almost 102k miles, unless you count brake pads. About $300-$350 in repairs.


Well, I keep an excel sheet on all of my toys. Heres a SMALL sample of went wrong with my Envoy in the FIRST year of ownership:
* Wiper motor (was recalled, but GM said mine was ok - 6 months later, it went bad and they wouldnt replace it)
* Front axle passenger side actuator, side bearing & housing
* Rear air load leveling suspension compressor (first time)

Second year:
* Front and rear sway bar end links
* Clutch Fan
* Drivers side memory control module caught on fire in the door. GM denies problem (ironic it was recalled a few years ago)

Third year:
* Idler tensioner pulley
* Rear parking brakes explode in drums. I had NEVER used them, nor do I offroad or tow.
* Air ride compressor #2
* 4 wheel drive switch stopped working, went bad.
* Liftgate stops working. Chafed wiring in liftgate from factory. Replace wiring harness $$$$
Fourth Year:
* Front wheel bearings (both sides)
* Drivers side front axle leak. Seal replaced.
* Nothing else "large" to report.
Fifth Year:
* Sway bar end links "again". Shocks all around.
* Air springs rotted and leaking.
* VVT actuating solenoid failed.
* Water pump leaking and wobbly, replaced.
* #4 coil fails from water leaking from the hood. Replaced.
* Transmission lines rot, had to use GM OEM parts $$$$$$
* Thermostat & Alternator failed this year too, few months apart from each other
Sixth Year:
* Air ride compressor "AGAIN". This time, since they fail so often, I buy a used one on ebay for $100. It ended up being the best one, go figure.
* Rear axle seals leaking. Replaced
* Air conditioning pressure switch replaced.
* Heater core lines leaking at firewall. Replaced (Dealer only part) $$$
Seventh Year:
* Driving and hear POP BANG. The studs that hold on the rear sway bar rotted, broke and fell off. Had to drill out what was remaining of the old studs and put on a bolt & nut.
* VVT Actuator INSIDE engine fails. Replaced, along with valve cover & intake gaskets $$
* Water pump (again).
Eight year:
My last and final straw, the power steering lines rot and are leaking on the strut tower. I sell that TURD on craigslist and bought a Toyota, which I still have & love. Total cost of Toyota maintenance besides oil changes in 94,000 miles= $0.00 lol

I am leaving out TONS of small minutia like the headlamp sockets that constantly burn and melt, I finally soldered in ceramic plugs that still burned, but kept working. I had to replace the brake light "modules". There was a recall for this too, they replaced mine and they STILL went bad. I ended up replacing the front drivers side axle seal once more, for a total of two times. Was weeping again when I sold it. I used Amsoil in the front and rear axles btw. My transfer case encoder motor went bad, I just remembered that. OH, and it ate through ignition switches like every 2.5 years.

THANK God I did 99.99% of the work myself, or I'd have been bankrupt in a major way paying the dealer or mechanic!!


Oh.... my ..... God

I haven't done that many repairs on all my vehicles I've ever owned put together!!

And I've put about 600,000Km on them in total. The Expie is headed to hit 300,000 in the next year and it has had tires, brakes, a few coils, one popped plug, one set of end links, two batteries, one alternator and shocks. That is absolutely mind blowing that you went through that!

 

[artificialist]

Originally Posted By: [email protected]
Originally Posted By: Nick1994
Originally Posted By: [email protected]
Haha Nick, I owned a 2002 Envoy for 8 years with that 4.2l I6. I even had it tuned by PCM4less to take out some of the torque mgmt and make it more fun to drive.

But that thing was a nickel and dimer. Every year I spent at least $1500 in maintenance. Most years more than that. Ive never owned a Jeep product and always thought the 2005- current day Jeep Grand Cherokee looked cool. Plus, Ive never owned a v8 powered vehicle either. I had to kill all birds with one stone, lol
the 4.2L I6 is no racecar, but is decent. Nothing beats a V8 though... I sure do miss my V8 Chevy truck. I often wonder if my grandma's Trailblazer is just a lucky one. The only repairs it has had are:

New water pump (wasn't leaking, but my mechanic buddy noticed it had a lot of play in it where the fan clutch bolted up)
1 single cylinder coil pack burned out. That was easy to replace.
Motor mounts vibrated
Mode door actuator for A/C went out. Wouldn't choose direction on A/C, only blew on defrost.
And now it has a power steering leak, not sure where though. Haven't gotten around to it.

Those are the only repairs it's ever had in almost 102k miles, unless you count brake pads. About $300-$350 in repairs.


Well, I keep an excel sheet on all of my toys. Heres a SMALL sample of went wrong with my Envoy in the FIRST year of ownership:
* Wiper motor (was recalled, but GM said mine was ok - 6 months later, it went bad and they wouldnt replace it)
* Front axle passenger side actuator, side bearing & housing
* Rear air load leveling suspension compressor (first time)

Second year:
* Front and rear sway bar end links
* Clutch Fan
* Drivers side memory control module caught on fire in the door. GM denies problem (ironic it was recalled a few years ago)

Third year:
* Idler tensioner pulley
* Rear parking brakes explode in drums. I had NEVER used them, nor do I offroad or tow.
* Air ride compressor #2
* 4 wheel drive switch stopped working, went bad.
* Liftgate stops working. Chafed wiring in liftgate from factory. Replace wiring harness $$$$
Fourth Year:
* Front wheel bearings (both sides)
* Drivers side front axle leak. Seal replaced.
* Nothing else "large" to report.
Fifth Year:
* Sway bar end links "again". Shocks all around.
* Air springs rotted and leaking.
* VVT actuating solenoid failed.
* Water pump leaking and wobbly, replaced.
* #4 coil fails from water leaking from the hood. Replaced.
* Transmission lines rot, had to use GM OEM parts $$$$$$
* Thermostat & Alternator failed this year too, few months apart from each other
Sixth Year:
* Air ride compressor "AGAIN". This time, since they fail so often, I buy a used one on ebay for $100. It ended up being the best one, go figure.
* Rear axle seals leaking. Replaced
* Air conditioning pressure switch replaced.
* Heater core lines leaking at firewall. Replaced (Dealer only part) $$$
Seventh Year:
* Driving and hear POP BANG. The studs that hold on the rear sway bar rotted, broke and fell off. Had to drill out what was remaining of the old studs and put on a bolt & nut.
* VVT Actuator INSIDE engine fails. Replaced, along with valve cover & intake gaskets $$
* Water pump (again).
Eight year:
My last and final straw, the power steering lines rot and are leaking on the strut tower. I sell that TURD on craigslist and bought a Toyota, which I still have & love. Total cost of Toyota maintenance besides oil changes in 94,000 miles= $0.00 lol

I am leaving out TONS of small minutia like the headlamp sockets that constantly burn and melt, I finally soldered in ceramic plugs that still burned, but kept working. I had to replace the brake light "modules". There was a recall for this too, they replaced mine and they STILL went bad. I ended up replacing the front drivers side axle seal once more, for a total of two times. Was weeping again when I sold it. I used Amsoil in the front and rear axles btw. My transfer case encoder motor went bad, I just remembered that. OH, and it ate through ignition switches like every 2.5 years.

THANK God I did 99.99% of the work myself, or I'd have been bankrupt in a major way paying the dealer or mechanic!!

Having all those bits and pieces fail reminds me of my dad's 2007 Pontiac G6 and mom's 1985 Nissan Maxima.

My 2003 Saturn ION wasn't as bad, until the engine died.

You should consider yourself lucky to have a good running engine. I often found Trailblazer inline 6 engines with failing compression in multiple cylinders.

 

[Clevy]

Originally Posted By: OVERKILL
Originally Posted By: [email protected]
Originally Posted By: Nick1994
Originally Posted By: [email protected]
Haha Nick, I owned a 2002 Envoy for 8 years with that 4.2l I6. I even had it tuned by PCM4less to take out some of the torque mgmt and make it more fun to drive.

But that thing was a nickel and dimer. Every year I spent at least $1500 in maintenance. Most years more than that. Ive never owned a Jeep product and always thought the 2005- current day Jeep Grand Cherokee looked cool. Plus, Ive never owned a v8 powered vehicle either. I had to kill all birds with one stone, lol
the 4.2L I6 is no racecar, but is decent. Nothing beats a V8 though... I sure do miss my V8 Chevy truck. I often wonder if my grandma's Trailblazer is just a lucky one. The only repairs it has had are:

New water pump (wasn't leaking, but my mechanic buddy noticed it had a lot of play in it where the fan clutch bolted up)
1 single cylinder coil pack burned out. That was easy to replace.
Motor mounts vibrated
Mode door actuator for A/C went out. Wouldn't choose direction on A/C, only blew on defrost.
And now it has a power steering leak, not sure where though. Haven't gotten around to it.

Those are the only repairs it's ever had in almost 102k miles, unless you count brake pads. About $300-$350 in repairs.


Well, I keep an excel sheet on all of my toys. Heres a SMALL sample of went wrong with my Envoy in the FIRST year of ownership:
* Wiper motor (was recalled, but GM said mine was ok - 6 months later, it went bad and they wouldnt replace it)
* Front axle passenger side actuator, side bearing & housing
* Rear air load leveling suspension compressor (first time)

Second year:
* Front and rear sway bar end links
* Clutch Fan
* Drivers side memory control module caught on fire in the door. GM denies problem (ironic it was recalled a few years ago)

Third year:
* Idler tensioner pulley
* Rear parking brakes explode in drums. I had NEVER used them, nor do I offroad or tow.
* Air ride compressor #2
* 4 wheel drive switch stopped working, went bad.
* Liftgate stops working. Chafed wiring in liftgate from factory. Replace wiring harness $$$$
Fourth Year:
* Front wheel bearings (both sides)
* Drivers side front axle leak. Seal replaced.
* Nothing else "large" to report.
Fifth Year:
* Sway bar end links "again". Shocks all around.
* Air springs rotted and leaking.
* VVT actuating solenoid failed.
* Water pump leaking and wobbly, replaced.
* #4 coil fails from water leaking from the hood. Replaced.
* Transmission lines rot, had to use GM OEM parts $$$$$$
* Thermostat & Alternator failed this year too, few months apart from each other
Sixth Year:
* Air ride compressor "AGAIN". This time, since they fail so often, I buy a used one on ebay for $100. It ended up being the best one, go figure.
* Rear axle seals leaking. Replaced
* Air conditioning pressure switch replaced.
* Heater core lines leaking at firewall. Replaced (Dealer only part) $$$
Seventh Year:
* Driving and hear POP BANG. The studs that hold on the rear sway bar rotted, broke and fell off. Had to drill out what was remaining of the old studs and put on a bolt & nut.
* VVT Actuator INSIDE engine fails. Replaced, along with valve cover & intake gaskets $$
* Water pump (again).
Eight year:
My last and final straw, the power steering lines rot and are leaking on the strut tower. I sell that TURD on craigslist and bought a Toyota, which I still have & love. Total cost of Toyota maintenance besides oil changes in 94,000 miles= $0.00 lol

I am leaving out TONS of small minutia like the headlamp sockets that constantly burn and melt, I finally soldered in ceramic plugs that still burned, but kept working. I had to replace the brake light "modules". There was a recall for this too, they replaced mine and they STILL went bad. I ended up replacing the front drivers side axle seal once more, for a total of two times. Was weeping again when I sold it. I used Amsoil in the front and rear axles btw. My transfer case encoder motor went bad, I just remembered that. OH, and it ate through ignition switches like every 2.5 years.

THANK God I did 99.99% of the work myself, or I'd have been bankrupt in a major way paying the dealer or mechanic!!


Oh.... my ..... God

I haven't done that many repairs on all my vehicles I've ever owned put together!!

And I've put about 600,000Km on them in total. The Expie is headed to hit 300,000 in the next year and it has had tires, brakes, a few coils, one popped plug, one set of end links, two batteries, one alternator and shocks. That is absolutely mind blowing that you went through that!




No kidding.

I've put together entire cars that needed less work than that.
Had that been me I'd never buy another GM ever again. That's horrible.
And the wiper motor burn would have really dug at me.
I've had nothing but good experiences with gm products,however I've only ever owned v-8 specimens,and my trucks didn't have any push button or knob actuated 4wd. Always a lever,til my c3 which is awd.
Overkill. That tank you own will last you a lifetime. Never sell it.
I've seen 5.4L 2v engines with 500000kms on them. Work trucks,pulling trailers. One was a stucco guys. Always overloaded trailer,sporadic maintenance at best yet mechanically nary a serious issue. Even the tranny was still decent.
The expedition may not be a daily driver but it'll last,especially if you just use it when required. For example camping pulling a trailer or winter useage when inclement weather hits.
The trailblazers inline 6 was supposed to become legendary for durability. What happened?
It it neglect or why am I seeing a lot of negative experiences with them.
Or is it internet amplification?

Sorry for the off topic post.