2019 Suburban purchase, before buying what do I need to be aware of ?

I currently have probably the best 2004 Suburban in the state. It has 145k miles on it and runs, and looks, great. I have it in my mind to sell my gem and purchase a 2019 Suburban. What do I need to look out for prior to buying the 2019? I live in Michigan but will probably buy one from Florida, or another southern state. I haul a pontoon boat around several times a year. My current Suburban has 2WD and does great. I would be happy with another 2WD to reduce the complexity of a 4WD. If this has been discussed before please send me the links. Thank you.

AC condenser will give up the ghost unless it’s been changed. Around $1200.00 at your favorite gm location.

I think I’ve read that the AC issues were worked out before 2019 (?).

Common issues I see often on this forum are:

Lifter failures attributed to the cylinder deactivation (AFM) feature

Dirty cylinders attributed to direct injection

Torque converter failures and sometimes a subsequent transmission failure

Some folks opt to disable AFM with a tune or a Range device. Some folks install a catch can to mitigate the direct injection gunk. I don’t know if it helps to solve the TC failures or not, but some replace the transmission thermostat (thermostat is not the precise word here) or “flip the pill” to keep it open.

Beware too that a rough idle is “normal” because they idle at only 500rpm. This can be adjusted with a tune.

I went from (with a few trucks in between) a 2004 Suburban LS 2wd to a 2019 Tahoe Z71 4wd. Ignoring the modern tech differences, I’d say the refinement in ride and acceleration has improved, but the seats are less comfortable and the visibility is reduced due to thicker pillars (safety regs) and the tiny side mirrors (can be swapped with larger Escalade mirrors). Also, the low beams suck—I will be addressing that on mine soon with a potentially not-so-legal solution (LEDs).

I’m only at 19,000 miles now, but the only issue I’ve had is rough down shifting and a slight bucking before the transmission is at operating temps. They flashed the TCM (there’s a “temporarily free” TCM flash available right now) and the rough down shifts went away but the slight bucking before at temp remains. I opted for a GMPP extended service contract so hopefully I won’t experience any of these issues at least from the standpoint of my wallet for the next few years.

john p said:

I currently have probably the best 2004 Suburban in the state. It has 145k miles on it and runs, and looks, great. I have it in my mind to sell my gem and purchase a 2019 Suburban. What do I need to look out for prior to buying the 2019? I live in Michigan but will probably buy one from Florida, or another southern state. I haul a pontoon boat around several times a year. My current Suburban has 2WD and does great. I would be happy with another 2WD to reduce the complexity of a 4WD. If this has been discussed before please send me the links. Thank you.

Click to expand...

The 2019-2020 Suburban-Tahoe were the best ones built in that platform

Have NOT heard of any 2019-2020 AC Condensers failing.

I have over 160K miles on my 2016 Hoe and AFM is still enabled. Works perfectly.

I have zero issues with Dirty cylinders or carbon build up due to Direct Injection.. I use only 87 octane. I still have the original plugs in it and they still are good and still gets good gas mileage.

Gets serviced every 5K miles by my independent mechanic or the dealer.

2017 Burb here closing in on 100k with a lot of performance mods (she's got a little abuse on her)

Get a tuner (either a "canned tune" like an Edge programmer or remote tuner like BlackBear) to disable AFM and DOD.

When you get your transmission fluid changed, there should be a bulletin on the transmission lines that go to the radiator. If not - upgrade them to the newer style. While that's getting done you need to modify the Thermal Bypass Valve - you can either "flip the pill" like @shock said, have it removed, or buy and elimination kit (https://transgo.com/product-details/6l80-cooler-bypass/).

If you buy a truck with the 8 speed - replace the torque converter with a known good brand - Circle D, Yank, Etc. Its not for performance's sake - its transmission longevity sake.

Plan on replacing the battery ground cable. I recommend doing a "big 3" but replacing at least the ground cable with a new 0/2 gauge wire would be a big improvement. The ground cables are known to corrode from the inside out. So the battery terminals look fine but the cable inside the sleeve is more green than the Statue of Liberty.

Replace all fluids and filters early and often. If you live in an area where the leaves/pine needles fall, do that cabin filter asap.

I change my oil every 3k, trans & diff fluid every 25k. Check the filters every 10k. I have had ZERO issues with my truck other than the ground cable. I've modded the crap out of my truck and drive it like a Corvette (drag strip and autocross) and outside of a couple flat tires, its been rock solid.

Rust. You are smart to head out of state. Every 2018 I have looked at in Wisconsin has had a lot of flaky frame rust. Some have even had rust on the wheel wells.