2010 Tahoe LT w/ 67k Buy or No?

[swathdiver]

Think I will. I browsed autotrader for ones that haven’t seen winter weather but only a couple caught my eye. The hassle/cost of shipping, potentially having to get a rental car, the wait time and not being able to physically see it are factors I’d rather not deal with. I’m going into this expecting there will be things that will come up at some point. Currently waiting on the service department to get in touch with me, go over their assessment, and what repairs they will be doing. The ones I mentioned were obvious ones anyone could notice. I also want them to put it on the lift after the repairs are done and I test drive it so I can thoroughly inspect it before I make my final decision.

Road trips are fun, make the most of them. I purchased mine 699 miles away from home, took a one way rental and drove it back. Kids still talk about it. Then we sent the kids to Idaho to pick up the Sierra, they drove it back 2500+ miles. Memories for a lifetime. Besides getting us from A to B, these things can make memories.

 

[Fubar0715]

I agree with @swathdiver . I bought mine out of Arizona and drove it back to Florida during the height of the pandemic. It was nice to get some new scenery and have a few days to myself.

 

[johnny_88]

I’m going to give it some thought. If I went that route it’d be in the springtime. A trip out west would be cool.

 

[EddieC]

Our '08 is surviving at just over 100k. Shocks, struts, front wheel bearings and brakes have been the main replacement items.
Winter chemicals are not friendly to these trucks though.
Recently the rear differential has been the outstanding problematic item that will need rebuilding or replacement. Finding a knowledgeable mechanic has been a hardship; some like to throw parts at it but don't know how to diagnose the noises so one fix creates another issue.

The reason we hang on is that it's capable, roomy and doesn't have the engine issues that new ones seem to have.

 

[vcode]

If you haven't bought it yet, check the inner door and tailgate seams for rust. Also check the rear fenders around the wheel lips for any signs of paint bubbling
or paint loss. That is where they rust first. Spray some fluid film on the inside of that rear seam (you may have to remove some interior trim or pull the weatherstripping
on the back of the door frame) until it drips on the floor to prevent further corrosion.

 

[Plimbob]

FWIW - I can't speak for the 2010 model but I have a 2007 LT which I bought in 08 with 24k on it and it now has 306K. It has been a great rig, repairs have been the standard maintenance replacements, including front wheel bearings. I also use the Range plug in unit to shut down the AFM, if you purchase make sure you stay on top of the oil changes, the AFM system doesn't like overused oil. As someone mentioned, closely check the edges of the front fenders and top right edges of the rear wheel openings, bottom edges of doors and tailgate. I have 2017 as well and to be frank, I like the 2007 better. Obviously with 306k on it, I have put it through its paces and its performed well.

 

[OhioRiver]

I found a 2010 Tahoe LT with the luxury package for sale and the dealer is currently holding it for me. It has 67k. The interior is in fantastic shape and the exterior is too but the underside does have a fair amount of rust. I do plan on getting it undercoated and rust proofed. I’m in northeast Ohio so this isn’t a surprise. It was owned by two people and came from New York. The dealer is putting new brakes/rotors on the front and rear as well as new tires. I noticed the trans line from the cooler had a leak and they are fixing that too. I do plan on doing the afm delete. The engine is clean and runs smooth, no noises. I’ll be trading my 15 Accord w/ 86k in for it. Just curious on everyone’s thoughts, this will be my first Tahoe.

That is low miles on that vehicle. Most 5.3 engines easily go over 250,000 or more.

 

[stevedonato]

$19k. The rear shocks are rusty but I didn’t see any leaking from them. By the looks of them I was planning on replacing them. I brought it up to the dealer but unless they are leaking they won’t replace them. Not a big deal since they are fairly inexpensive. I’m doing the afm bypass that plugs in.

"Check the price on the Air Shocks. On my 2003 Lexus LS430, 4 Air shocks cost $8,000 plus install labor cost."

 

[Geotrash]

"Check the price on the Air Shocks. On my 2003 Lexus LS430, 4 Air shocks cost $8,000 plus install labor cost."

The factory air shocks for these trucks are $250 each on Rock Auto. Hard to beat domestic trucks for parts affordability.

 

[petethepug]

$250 per corner, in these inflationary times, the longevity, as well as the unmatched ride quality that's 1st to none on a 3 ton SUV is unheard of. For another $50 you can get to baller status with Arnott's products and have guaranteed for life per corner.

That's like having a beer mug or cocktail glass automatically refill when it's put in the fridge overnight (x4).

 

[johnny_88]

Well I pulled the trigger and brought it home today. I’m very happy with it. It runs and drives like new. I put close to 100 miles on it today lol. Despite the rear shocks having some rust, the rear suspension is firm and feels good. On top of the work I mentioned the dealer was doing they also put new stabilizer links on it. I am contacting a shop that does tuning tomorrow to have the afm turned off. We have e-checks in my county and I don’t want the hassle of unplugging the range plug and going through the driving cycles before I can have it inspected. The oil will be changed religiously at 3k intervals, that’s always been a rule of mine no matter what vehicle I’ve owned. Is there any difference in running E85 vs E87 gas besides the price?

 

[Geotrash]

Well I pulled the trigger and brought it home today. I’m very happy with it. It runs and drives like new. I put close to 100 miles on it today lol. Despite the rear shocks having some rust, the rear suspension is firm and feels good. On top of the work I mentioned the dealer was doing they also put new stabilizer links on it. I am contacting a shop that does tuning tomorrow to have the afm turned off. We have e-checks in my county and I don’t want the hassle of unplugging the range plug and going through the driving cycles before I can have it inspected. The oil will be changed religiously at 3k intervals, that’s always been a rule of mine no matter what vehicle I’ve owned. Is there any difference in running E85 vs E87 gas besides the price?

Congrats! Welcome to the club! Don’t be a stranger around here.

 

[johnny_88]

Congrats! Welcome to the club! Don’t be a stranger around here.

Thanks! Glad to be a part of it! I’ll definitely be active on here, I’m sure I’ll have questions for you all and will do my best to answer questions others have too.

 

[swathdiver]

Is there any difference in running E85 vs E87 gas besides the price?

The engine and transmission will adjust to it and feel much better, the engine loves the stuff. It's literally like race gas to them. It will run slightly cooler, make more power and it also cleans out the system, cleans off the valves and pistons too.

 

[johnny_88]

The engine and transmission will adjust to it and feel much better, the engine loves the stuff. It's literally like race gas to them. It will run slightly cooler, make more power and it also cleans out the system, cleans off the valves and pistons too.

Great! Thanks for the info!

 

[Ont240]

I found a 2010 Tahoe LT with the luxury package for sale and the dealer is currently holding it for me. It has 67k. The interior is in fantastic shape and the exterior is too but the underside does have a fair amount of rust. I do plan on getting it undercoated and rust proofed. I’m in northeast Ohio so this isn’t a surprise. It was owned by two people and came from New York. The dealer is putting new brakes/rotors on the front and rear as well as new tires. I noticed the trans line from the cooler had a leak and they are fixing that too. I do plan on doing the afm delete. The engine is clean and runs smooth, no noises. I’ll be trading my 15 Accord w/ 86k in for it. Just curious on everyone’s thoughts, this will be my first Tahoe.

Expect to spend a lot more on gas!

 

[iamdub]

Well I pulled the trigger and brought it home today. I’m very happy with it. It runs and drives like new. I put close to 100 miles on it today lol. Despite the rear shocks having some rust, the rear suspension is firm and feels good. On top of the work I mentioned the dealer was doing they also put new stabilizer links on it. I am contacting a shop that does tuning tomorrow to have the afm turned off. We have e-checks in my county and I don’t want the hassle of unplugging the range plug and going through the driving cycles before I can have it inspected. The oil will be changed religiously at 3k intervals, that’s always been a rule of mine no matter what vehicle I’ve owned. Is there any difference in running E85 vs E87 gas besides the price?

I've never heard of E87. I'm pretty sure you meant 87, as in regular 87 octane fuel.

Everything James (@swathdiver) said. E85 has about 27% less energy than E0 (regular, non-ethanol gas). So, you can expect a 27% drop in fuel mileage. The thing is, E85 from the pump is rarely, if ever, 85% ethanol. It's usually around 60-something percent. 60 is 70% of 85 and 70% of 27% is about 19%. So, you can expect about a 19% drop in MPG, assuming the "E85" at the pump is actually 60% ethanol.

To break even, the "E85" you're getting would have to be about 19% cheaper than regular gas, which is usually 10% ethanol (E10) or less.

 

[swathdiver]

I've never heard of E87. I'm pretty sure you meant 87, as in regular 87 octane fuel.

Everything James (@swathdiver) said. E85 has about 27% less energy than E0 (regular, non-ethanol gas). So, you can expect a 27% drop in fuel mileage. The thing is, E85 from the pump is rarely, if ever, 85% ethanol. It's usually around 60-something percent. 60 is 70% of 85 and 70% of 27% is about 19%. So, you can expect about a 19% drop in MPG, assuming the "E85" at the pump is actually 60% ethanol.

To break even, the "E85" you're getting would have to be about 19% cheaper than regular gas, which is usually 10% ethanol (E10) or less.

This is data from my truck:

The difference between the fuels is about 21% in fuel economy. Sometimes less as you can see at higher speeds.

 

[johnny_88]

I've never heard of E87. I'm pretty sure you meant 87, as in regular 87 octane fuel.

Everything James (@swathdiver) said. E85 has about 27% less energy than E0 (regular, non-ethanol gas). So, you can expect a 27% drop in fuel mileage. The thing is, E85 from the pump is rarely, if ever, 85% ethanol. It's usually around 60-something percent. 60 is 70% of 85 and 70% of 27% is about 19%. So, you can expect about a 19% drop in MPG, assuming the "E85" at the pump is actually 60% ethanol.

To break even, the "E85" you're getting would have to be about 19% cheaper than regular gas, which is usually 10% ethanol (E10) or less.

It’s really hard to find E85 and yes I meant E87 as in regular 87 fuel which is what I’ve had to put in it. Is there any issues with running 87 and not 85? I went to 6 different gas stations near me and none of them had 85.

 

[Fless]

About the only areas you'll find 85 octane gas is at higher altitudes. It's our low grade here in Denver, at 5K+ feet AMSL.

Also, E85 is not available everywhere, so it may be more difficult to find if you want to use it.