Aging 2004 Tahoe dilemma

[lbooker726]

I need to have my rear differential replaced on my 2004 Tahoe with 197000 miles. It is expected to cost around 1500-1600 and the idea of repairing it ourselves is not an option. Is there anyone that has experienced this natural slow death of their vehicle with this high mileage that saw the life of their vehicle extended for a good amount of time? Or does everything just start going down from here? Can anyone give me a "ballpark" timeline as to how much more life we have with this vehicle? The transmission was replaced in 2015, so I'm not worried about that as much as the steering,suspension,driving, etc. Thanks for any advice! We also have twin babies, so safety is important to us, and our next purchase would have to be another suv or minivan (the minivan i would not be so excited to buy, but it is more economical)

 

[Scottydoggs]

a bad rear wont last to long, its gonna eat its self.

everything you mentioned are typical wear items/parts, at some point they all need to be replaced.

i look at things this way sometimes. you own it out right by now im sure. so if it cost you 1500 a year in maint, just to toss out a random number, thats still a lot better then a car loan of 500 a month or more for 5-6 years.

unless it just turned into a money pit of course, then you might want to jump ship lol

in the end you know whats been fixed and some of its history. keeping up on normal maintenance is not a deal breaker in my book.

and id say most of your normal wear items can be DIY stuff in your driveway. even a rear, id swap that myself in my driveway for sure before i paid someone to do it. its just nuts and bolts. nothings gonna jump out and bite ya lol

 

[00'BlueSteel]

Like Scotty said you’re the only one who knows what’s been fixed, how it’s been driven, does it have lots of rust, or is the underside clean and rust free. There is a lot that plays into how long a vehicle will last. Driving habits, regular maintance, even where you live like desert or mountains, does it see a lot of snow and road chemicals and so on....

For the most part it is an educated guessing game based off all of that information. Like you said the rear is going out and needs to replaced now. What else is going out? Are there any other problems, random check engine lights, weird little things that happen here that have you worried.

But mostly I would say it comes down to $1500 a year in maintance versus $2000 - $5000 a year in loan payments. If you think the vehicle will hold up with general maintance and replacing a few big things here or there it will definitely be cheap than a new car.

 

[Matahoe]

As for the expected life of your truck...it all depends on how the vehicle was treated in the past and how it is being treated in the present. With the proper amount of inspections and scheduled maintenance a vehicle will last indefinitely. I've seen people on this forum and others where the engine lasted well over 350k miles. Granted you are guaranteed to be burning a bit of oil by then but its all relative. When people drive vehicles with no regard to the care and maintenance of vehicles...then you can expect a short lifespan in return.

In short...if you can afford repairs and it makes fiscal sense to do so then by all means do it. You can find mechanics that work on anything nowadays. From the oil change guy at the quick lube down the street....to the guy downtown with the car restoration shop who can bring any vehicle back from the grave!

There are articles out there if you do a search that provide information regarding break-even or cost/benefit type stuff. There are certain times when repairs or condition of a vehicle may give you pause to think twice. (i.e. accident/wreck/totalled, etc)

Anything can be repaired. So the question comes down to...can you afford the total cost of the vehicle which always includes expected maintenance items. Repair-wise a diff replacement at 200,000 miles doesn't sound too shocking given that the vehicle was not properly maintained. If it had been maintained and operated properly this really shouldnt have happened.

Obviously cost-wise it is a shock and expensive but there isn't much that can be done at this point. I would get a second and third opinion from a well respected shop. When big ticket items come your should never accept just one explanation.

You need someone to tell you how your vehicle is doing. Is it on its way out? Do you have metal in the engine oil? How would you know? Did the transmission shop tell you to come back after 500 miles to check the condition of and change the transmission fluid and filter again? Its stuff like that which will dictate how much more life you can expect to get out of the vehicle. If you dont have a relationship with a trusted well known auto shop with likeable ASE certfied mechanics....now is the time.

Obviously your family needs a dependable vehicle. As a family man myself with kids I get it.

Give it some thought, dont make snap judgements and dont run out and get a new car with huge payments and insurance when you could just as easily have sold this one and bought an upgrade used car that is perhaps 5 years newer with good maintenance history and no major accidents....something like that. In practice, the age of the vehicle itself rarely tells you the whole story about its condition. How it was cared for is usually far more important.

Also...don't be ashamed to sell the vehicle if thats what it comes down too. You never know...your trustly mechanic may tell you its best to let it go. Foreseeable repairs may be too much for your budget. Especially if you arent a shadetree mechanic and you can limit your total ownership costs that way. There are people out there (like some of us) that dont care if you sell them broken stuff. We have fun fixing em up, caring for and then driving. Thanks for your story and good luck!

 

[RED TAHOE LS]

Leslie to the forum from Georgia. Good info from the previous posts, you never know when something is going to happen, it just does whether it's your hoe or a 2015. As mine is just past the 202k mark, it's not in my vocabulary to get rid of my hoe, going strong and comfortable . Good luck to you.
David g................

 

[05alive]

I'll roll 300,000mi before the end of the month I believe.
There are lots of wear items. BJs, seals, sensors, gaskets, they all start to go and need to be replaced. You can do things as they need to be replaced or you can tear everything apart and do most of it in one swoop. It'll be more money up front to do everything but it will go for a while and have less downtime. You can do things as they break but you never know when something is going to go. There's still a lot of life left in your truck but it does require more maintenance and vigilance than a new or like new vehicle. Little quirks happen all the time. I spend a lot of time and money I'd rather spend repainting it or upgrading it on chasing things like a faulty wheel sensor, fixing brakes, reprograming tpms, fixing lights, doing bj's, or chasing leaks and squeaks. But I got the truck for a song and it's lasted me for a long time and should still have a while to go.

 

[95escahoe]

197k is nothin on these trucks, it’s just getting broken in, it comes down to this overall what kinda shape is the truck in? If it’s been regularly maintained oil changes, front & rear diff service, transfer case etc. I wouldn’t hesitate to keep it, it’s the trucks that have been neglected are the ones you gotta look out for those could be problem after problem, have a shop you trust look the whole truck over and see if there is anything you need to have repaired anytime soon and depending on how that goes make your decision, I wouldn’t get rid of it if everything is fine but that’s just me


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[Doubeleive]

you didn't say if that price was a dealer quote or not, but you can get a very very decent Eaton Detroit put in at a rear end shop for the same price or possible even less, you could even save more money by buying the parts your self and then just paying labor if you are unable to do it yourself. that will end your rear end problems till the wheels fall off. I rolled mine over 300k before I had a ******* for a newer one otherwise I would still have it, it's still rolling around town I see it once in a while.

 

[ScottyBoy]

My Burban is a 2001 and I take damn good care of it (or at least I THINK I do. Lol) I do all the maintenance and nothing is neglected except washing it. I admit that I should probably wash it more than once every 2 months. I live in the South so no issue with rust. Im starting to have some paint clearcoat peeling but thats not a huge problem yet. I keep up with the brakes, shocks, and suspension. (I will need new ball joints and bushings in the next year or so) My truck is so reliable that I would not hesitate to jump in it and drive cross country at the drop of a hat. I always check my fluids and change them regularly, I had my rear differential rebuilt in 2008 and then my transmission rebuilt in 2012. I drove it over 3,000 miles last year taking my family on vacation to Disney World. We could have easily taken my wife's new Altima, but would YOU want to ride for 16 hours each way cramped up in an Altima when you can sprawl out in a big ass Suburban?
Like mentioned above, if you spend money on your truck every year, then you can keep it in great shape. In the past year I have replaced my brakes, my tires, and my shocks. That's about $3000 total. I can't remember what all I did the year before that, but I am sure it was at least $2000 for the year. ANY vehicle you buy is going to need maintenance done on it. And only YOU know what all has been done to your truck and what all it still needs. I've owned my Suburban since 2006, and I know what all has been done to it over the years. I know it's not neglected, so I know it's not a money pit either. If my engine went out tomorrow, I'd pay $3000 or $4000 to put a new engine in it before spending $3000-$4000 on another used vehicle because I KNOW the history of my truck. Yes, I could easily buy another truck for the cost of a new engine, but I won't know jack about the history and maintenance of that truck. Or I could have a NEW engine in my truck that I know the history of and know how well it's taken care of. It's a no brainer for me.

 

[sonic_the_hedgeh]

I need to have my rear differential replaced on my 2004 Tahoe with 197000 miles. It is expected to cost around 1500-1600 and the idea of repairing it ourselves is not an option. Is there anyone that has experienced this natural slow death of their vehicle with this high mileage that saw the life of their vehicle extended for a good amount of time? Or does everything just start going down from here? Can anyone give me a "ballpark" timeline as to how much more life we have with this vehicle? The transmission was replaced in 2015, so I'm not worried about that as much as the steering,suspension,driving, etc. Thanks for any advice! We also have twin babies, so safety is important to us, and our next purchase would have to be another suv or minivan (the minivan i would not be so excited to buy, but it is more economical)

If the fluid hasn't been changed I would change the differential fluid and the transfer case.

I just bought a 2004 Yukon XL Denali and it has over 300,000 kms. I am concerned about its future as well. Although the only way I know of preventing these problems is to spent the money changing fluids and lubricating. Hope it lasts a while. If it were me I would be in the same boat.

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