High mileage Yukon

[Jeff53]

Greetings. New member here. I live in the Northern Virginia area (Winchester). I'm collecting opinions before I make a purchase. I'm looking at a 2002 Yukon XL SLE that has 197,000 miles on it. I have the Carfax and the previous owner(s) were very good about maintenance with most work being performed at the dealership. The oil was changed every 3-5K. It's had the front hubs replaced (twice) last at 157K. Fliuds, including transfer case and differentials, transmission, brakes, coolant and injection system have been flushed multiple times. Serpentine belt replaced twice. Plugs and wires replaced. New water pump at 157K. The interior is in very good/excellent condition with no rips or worn spots on the seats. The only issues I see with the body are rust on the driver's rear lower quarter panel (it will need a patch panel) and the bottom of the rear fender where it meets the rocker panel (again, it will need a patch panel) on the passenger side. The rocker panels themselves seem very solid. The paint is in good shape and still shines. I test drove it and it runs great, steers well (no wandering/pulling) and the brakes work well. The best I can do is 7K out the door. Do current owners think this is a good deal for something with that many miles? Is there anything I should be worried about?

Thanks much,
Jeff

 

[OR VietVet]

Welcome to the forum.

I am spoiled because I live where rust is not a problem. $7k, IMO, is too much at that mileage and with the rust but it depends on the area. I hate buying used from a dealer and at that age and miles, I would guess it is a smaller mom and pop lot instead of a new car dealer. The dealer's get the trade ins and keep the cream and send the rest to auction where the smaller lots bid on them. I personally want to buy from an individual and check it thoroughly before I would consider a purchase or take to a shop to have inspected. The lots always say, they had it all checked out, bull.

 

[Jeff53]

Welcome to the forum.

I am spoiled because I live where rust is not a problem. $7k, IMO, is too much at that mileage and with the rust but it depends on the area. I hate buying used from a dealer and at that age and miles, I would guess it is a smaller mom and pop lot instead of a new car dealer. The dealer's get the trade ins and keep the cream and send the rest to auction where the smaller lots bid on them. I personally want to buy from an individual and check it thoroughly before I would consider a purchase or take to a shop to have inspected. The lots always say, they had it all checked out, bull.

Thanks for the welcome. Actually, it's at a Ford dealership. I don't know if it was traded in there or just across the road at the same company's Chevy dealership. They tend to swap trade-ins back and forth. I'm guessing they kept this one because of the maintenance record and the fact that (other than the two rust spots) it's very clean. They probably didn't give more than 3K for it on trade and they're probably looking to turn a quick profit.

 

[Joseph Garcia]

Welcome to the Forum from NH.

Lots of knowledgeable folks here who freely share their knowledge, experiences, and perspectives. Knowledge is power.

I hope that you will become a participating member in the Forum's discussions.

You are already receiving sage advice from the knowledgeable folks on this Forum.

I agree, the asking price is too high.

 

[Jeff53]

Welcome to the Forum from NH.

Lots of knowledgeable folks here who freely share their knowledge, experiences, and perspectives. Knowledge is power.

I hope that you will become a participating member in the Forum's discussions.

You are already receiving sage advice from the knowledgeable folks on this Forum.

I agree, the asking price is too high.

It seemed a bit high to me, also, hence my question. Unfortunately, I don't know if it's the area in which I live, but it seems like most of the available Yukon/Suburban/Avalanche vehicles are high mileage and high price. I'm not seeing many low mileage ones at all and the ones I am seeing tend to have crazy prices associated with them, like in the 20K range. Many of the cheaper ones seem to have a lot of body rust or ridiculous miles. I'm looking mostly on Facebook Marketplace and some on Craigslist. I actually found this one on Edmunds.com. In general, this one seems to have less rust than many of the others from 2000-2006 (my preference). Rockers seem to be an issue during that timeframe.

 

[OR VietVet]

If you have the patience, used vehicle prices are starting to come down a bit. Plus, have the cash at the ready because cash in their face can make the price come down at times. If you like the Yukon and the records are there and you accept the rust, offer less cash and not payments thru them. You are likely right about what they paid for on trade in. I just think it is closer to a 5k vehicle. Ask to take it to a tech you trust for inspection as well.

 

[Jeff53]

If you have the patience, used vehicle prices are starting to come down a bit. Plus, have the cash at the ready because cash in their face can make the price come down at times. If you like the Yukon and the records are there and you accept the rust, offer less cash and not payments thru them. You are likely right about what they paid for on trade in. I just think it is closer to a 5k vehicle. Ask to take it to a tech you trust for inspection as well.

I agree. It's a vehicle that I'd probably pay 4-5K for from a private party. I do like it. It's blue with graphite cloth interior, so it looks good. And I always thought the 2000-2002 seats were more comfortable than the later models. It's obviously been taken good care of, but it does have almost 200K miles on it and some rust. The dealership is adding no value as there's no warranty and the only thing they'd probably do would be to vacuum the interior and wash it. I would be willing to give them 5K for it, but the more I think about it, 7K is just too much for a 20 year old vehicle with almost 200K miles.

 

[OR VietVet]

The paperwork has value. The engines, if taken care of, are 300k engines.

 

[Jeff53]

The paperwork has value. The engines, if taken care of, are 300k engines.

I'm not as concerned about the engine as I am the transmission. I'm willing to pay them for their paperwork, also. Just not 2K. I mean, for the 7K, they were taking care of the tax, title and registration and they should be paid for that. The listed price of the Yukon is $6000. The thing that really cost way too much as far as I'm concerned is the $995 dealer processing fee. I was paying cash. There was no financing paperwork. It's been a while since I've bought a car from a dealer, but that seems like a lot. Maybe I'm just out of touch.

 

[Miami-Dade]

Welcome from Miami Beach!

Moved you over here.

Price is a bit high but it will be hard to find such a well maintained vehicle.

 

[Jeff53]

Welcome from Miami Beach!

Moved you over here.

Price is a bit high but it will be hard to find such a well maintained vehicle.

Well, I called them back and told them I wanted to think about it over the weekend. The salesman reminded me that his GM said that the 7K was a one day offer, that Monday, it would go back to 7300. I told him I didn't believe they'd actually follow through on that and if the GM said that, all he was doing was trying to force me to make a decision right away. What's the difference if they sell it Saturday or Monday? Car sales....some things never change. Oh, and where did you move me? I thought I was in the same place. Nevermind, I see that I was in the wrong forum before. Sorry about that.

 

[corvette744]

Greetings. New member here. I live in the Northern Virginia area (Winchester). I'm collecting opinions before I make a purchase. I'm looking at a 2002 Yukon XL SLE that has 197,000 miles on it. I have the Carfax and the previous owner(s) were very good about maintenance with most work being performed at the dealership. The oil was changed every 3-5K. It's had the front hubs replaced (twice) last at 157K. Fliuds, including transfer case and differentials, transmission, brakes, coolant and injection system have been flushed multiple times. Serpentine belt replaced twice. Plugs and wires replaced. New water pump at 157K. The interior is in very good/excellent condition with no rips or worn spots on the seats. The only issues I see with the body are rust on the driver's rear lower quarter panel (it will need a patch panel) and the bottom of the rear fender where it meets the rocker panel (again, it will need a patch panel) on the passenger side. The rocker panels themselves seem very solid. The paint is in good shape and still shines. I test drove it and it runs great, steers well (no wandering/pulling) and the brakes work well. The best I can do is 7K out the door. Do current owners think this is a good deal for something with that many miles? Is there anything I should be worried about?

Thanks much,
Jeff

I know is probably hard to find this vehicle with lower miles and all the maintenance to go along with it.kelly blue book shows trade in value at 1500-2000 for this shape.Im betting they have no more than 3000 in it if that would be a high call on a trade.995 dealer processing fee is crazy.In lllinois our fee went to 395 and people ***** all the time its just profit for the office girls payroll.If it had no rust at all and all maintanance i would say 6000 otd max.You wuld be suprised what some people would pay for this especially around tax time when they have 3 kids and get 10k back in a check and need a 3rd row vehicle quick. https://www.kbb.com/gmc/yukon-xl-15...451595|true&pricetype=trade-in&vehicleid=4150

 

[Jeff53]

I know is probably hard to find this vehicle with lower miles and all the maintenance to go along with it.kelly blue book shows trade in value at 1500-2000 for this shape.Im betting they have no more than 3000 in it if that would be a high call on a trade.995 dealer processing fee is crazy.In lllinois our fee went to 395 and people ***** all the time its just profit for the office girls payroll.If it had no rust at all and all maintanance i would say 6000 otd max.You wuld be suprised what some people would pay for this especially around tax time when they have 3 kids and get 10k back in a check and need a 3rd row vehicle quick. https://www.kbb.com/gmc/yukon-xl-1500/2002/sport-utility/?condition=fair&intent=trade-in-sell&mileage=197000&modalview=false&offeroptions=true&options=6451595|true&pricetype=trade-in&vehicleid=4150

I'd probably call it "Good" vs "Fair" conditoin, which bumps it up some (1220-2529). Here are a few pictures

 

[MassHoe04]

The market was near its peak when I bought my 04 Tahoe Z71 in October 2021 for $6,500.
Private party. Nothing in my area for less than $5k unless it was already in the junkyard or halfway parted out already!

I was at about 183k miles and my rockers had a bit more (or should I say "less") than the one you described. The interior was one of the cleanest I had seen and the rest of the body was clean. I was in a hurry to get into something and the market was just not negotiable at the time.

$7k may be high for some regions, but if it was really well maintained, then maybe not all that crazy.

If they were pulling that Monday-only pricing" on you, maybe they are not the ones to be dealing with anyway... Seems like kind of a d**K move to pull on you anyway.

Keep looking if you have the luxury of time on your side. You may actually end up with a better deal.

 

[Miami-Dade]

Well, I called them back and told them I wanted to think about it over the weekend. The salesman reminded me that his GM said that the 7K was a one day offer, that Monday, it would go back to 7300. I told him I didn't believe they'd actually follow through on that and if the GM said that, all he was doing was trying to force me to make a decision right away. What's the difference if they sell it Saturday or Monday? Car sales....some things never change. Oh, and where did you move me? I thought I was in the same place. Nevermind, I see that I was in the wrong forum before. Sorry about that.

No worries.

 

[Sam Harris]

I’d also be worried about rust other than the body. Were you able to take a look at the frame, and generally underneath the vehicle? Agreed that this dealer is trying to push you into the sale. Total d I c k move.

 

[Jeff53]

I’d also be worried about rust other than the body. Were you able to take a look at the frame, and generally underneath the vehicle? Agreed that this dealer is trying to push you into the sale. Total d I c k move.

Yes, I looked underneath. The frame looks solid. There were a few areas of surface rust, but no rust through or anything approaching it. The rest of the body is very solid. It's just the driver's rear quarter and where the passenger rear quarter meets the rocker panel. The rockers themselves are solid. Around here, it's really hard to find something rust free witih low mileage and if you do find one, people are asking in the high teens into the twenties for them.

 

[Sam Harris]

Yes, I looked underneath. The frame looks solid. There were a few areas of surface rust, but no rust through or anything approaching it. The rest of the body is very solid. It's just the driver's rear quarter and where the passenger rear quarter meets the rocker panel. The rockers themselves are solid. Around here, it's really hard to find something rust free witih low mileage and if you do find one, people are asking in the high teens into the twenties for them.

Oh, I believe that. Most stuff out there rusts very quickly. I’m guessing it’s from out of state.

 

[corvette744]

Yes, I looked underneath. The frame looks solid. There were a few areas of surface rust, but no rust through or anything approaching it. The rest of the body is very solid. It's just the driver's rear quarter and where the passenger rear quarter meets the rocker panel. The rockers themselves are solid. Around here, it's really hard to find something rust free witih low mileage and if you do find one, people are asking in the high teens into the twenties for them.

Call him tuesday and tell him 6000 otd last day of the month we do stupid things at our dealer on the last day to meet quota.

 

[Jeff53]

Oh, I believe that. Most stuff out there rusts very quickly. I’m guessing it’s from out of state.

According to the Carfax, it spent its entire life in either VA or NC. They list it as a 3 owner based, I assume, on the number of times it was titled, but I think it may be a one owner and someone who just moved out of state for a period. I base that on the fact that what's listed as the first VA owner and the third owner (also VA) had it serviced at the exact same dealership. The 2nd owner is listed as NC from 2018-2020.