Is it possible to keep truck too long?

I have a 2004 Cadillac SRX with 170K miles that I bought brand-new. It's running smoothly due to ongoing repairs. The only things not working are the driver seat heat and the CD portion of the entertainment unit.

The problem for a while now - parts are no longer easily available. When I take it in I have to be willing to help source parts in cooperation with my favorite shop or they just decline as it's too hard for them to get some parts. Example - headlight is fogging (indicates it's no longer water tight) and ETA for replacement is several months.

We bought a used 2021 Yukon Denali last year. It's a fantastic rig and now I can let the SRX go... BUT probably won't till it has a major issue. I'm hoping that GMC Yukon will have higher sales volume than Cadillac and in 15yrs the parts will be easier to come by.

I would fix it. My 2001 Tahoe is our trip vehicle and is used to tow my classic 1970 Monte Carlo to car shows that are not in town. I am always on top of maintenance because I too am wrestling with the same decision like you and it’s state of repairs.
In February I decided to replace the water pump due to the weeping water pump, so I decided to replace everything associated with the cooling system. I replaced the water pump, the radiator, the thermostat , new belts and tensioners along with all new hoses for the entire cooling system and the coolant recovery tank as well as the fan clutch.
I did not want to take any chances with trips this summer to Upstate New York and North Carolina so I replaced every thing due to the Tahoe’s age of 23 years.
My Tahoe has 124000 miles on it and runs greats, so I want to keep it for a couple more years. Since I have a daily driver, Jeep Cherokee with 238000 miles that still runs great I can keep the Tahoe ready for the vacation trips.

Depreciating asset, giving your hard earned $ away each time you change vehicles

BG1988 said:

on the original engine and transmission?.

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I'll Probably do an updated trans and texas speed dod delete top end refresh at 200k

Rick10Tahoe said:

I have a 2010 Tahoe bought brand new. Runs great with 160k miles but starting to have issues .. nothing major.. like motor mount, oil leaks, transmission cooler leaks, side mirrors, heated seat. I take care of my cars and use them a long time. Last car had 160k miles too. Wondering.. do we cross a point of no return where car is of little resale value and we should just as well keep it till it’s worth nearly nothing? Or should we sell when truck/car still has a decent life remaining so it’s worth a decent selling price? Feel like I’ve crossed the point and little resale value left. Maybe I should consider the postponement of the depreciation hit I take when buying another car. Thoughts?

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I have an 09 , 220k miles, structurally and mechanically solid, put a new trans in it at 215, motors strong, rebuilt the rear end. Honestly this is totally a personal preference. My view is you are the person who determines its value, cuz you are either at peace with no one willing to pay above x amount of dollars or you arent. I personally biew it as the auto market is insane right now. And being 10-15k into keeping an old vehicle alive and running good saves tons of money on buying a replacement

I have a 2009 Yukon XL with 270k miles. I decided around 90k miles to keep our vehicle as long as possible and keep up on routine maintenance, fix problems immediately as they came up, and save for big repairs (engine, transmission, etc)

I’m glad we did this - the prices of newer vehicles, interest rates for monthly payments, knowing my vehicles history and issues, and reliability questions for newer vehicles make me feel good about our decision.

I’d recommend: refreshing the vehicle, updating creature comfort stuff, prioritizing maintenance, and saving for big future repairs will get you feeling good about your investment.

As stated before, where do you live? If the body is clean, keep it. My 2010 Tahoe was a WI. truck, and despite low miles and decent effort to keep it clean, rust was taking its' toll. The rear wheel wells were starting to bubble as were the door seams. It was time in my case.....

if you’re still happy with it & are going to do work yourself, maybe think about keeping it. If you need it for a trade-in, then think about it. You’re probably not going to get that much anyway in trade. I had a 2010 Tahoe that I sold to a buddy of mine with 85K on it, he drove it until 160K & then sold it.

I have a 2012 Silverado that I bought new & only has 85K on it. I too take care of all my vehicles, so I get it. There’s a few things I need to address, bit I’m going to continue to drive it. I need new control arms, a sway bar link, Oil Cooler lines need to be replaced, as well as the tranny cooler line. So about $600-$800 in parts, but other than that, the truck looks amazing. No dents, never been in an accident(knock wood), no rust at all & lifted 6” & just got new Nittos, my old tires lasted about 60k.

OR VietVet said:

Cold dead hands comes to mind when talking about getting a NBS 2000-2006 from me, unless there is enough money involved.

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Agreed.
Love my ‘03 Z71 Tahoe…