I am in the market for a used Tahoe. I currently own a 2004 Tahoe with 220k miles. No problems, but want to upgrade. I have heard so many people complain about the DOD/AFM and a/c issues with the newer Tahoe's. Are they even close to being as reliable as the 2001-2006 5.3 Tahoe's?
2015-2019 5.3 any good?
- Thread starter Rick37
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Rdr854
Full Access Member
I have a 19 Suburban and previously had 08, 16 and 17 Suburbans. As far as reliability, I did not have any major mechanical issues. All of the Suburbans have the 5.3 motor with AFM. I had one instance where my 08 Suburban had an issue with oil consumption and had to add oil in MS on my drive from DC to TX. The truck had about 80 K miles on it and the dealer in TX could find nothing wrong. I had no further consumption problems while in TX or on my way back to DC. My local dealer did an oil consumption test and found nothing. We had the truck for another year and had no further mechanical issues.
As far as the 2015-2020 Suburbans go, they are nice trucks. My recommendation would be to get a 2019 or 2020 Tahoe or Suburban if it is in your price range. The AC issues that affected the earlier model years should not impact these two model years. I recognize that it is currently a seller’s market so prices are out of this world.
As far as the 2015-2020 Suburbans go, they are nice trucks. My recommendation would be to get a 2019 or 2020 Tahoe or Suburban if it is in your price range. The AC issues that affected the earlier model years should not impact these two model years. I recognize that it is currently a seller’s market so prices are out of this world.
swathdiver
Full Access Member
AFM is way more reliable in this generation but it really comes down to maintenance. Did the previous owner change the oil in a timely fashion? Dirty oil, the wrong oil, is AFMs worst enemy.
Tahoe14
Full Access Member
Welcome and good luck with your search. We sure need a sticky for this subject like "what did you do to your Tahoe/Yukon today" with as many of these posts that we have had in the past several months.
This. Times eleventybillion.
AFM is something to be aware of, but since you really can't avoid it, it's just something you need to have to learn to live with. Disabling AFM via tune or Range device is your best bet to give yourself some piece of mind. Catch can is another thing to do to manage stuff. Not related to AFM, but removing the junk the PCV system would circulate back into your intake gunking up stuff.
What comes to the AC, yes, that was a problem at the beginning, but I'd imagine most of them have already been taken care of at this time. Seems like a lot of the failures are happening quite early. Again, something to be aware of and to verify with the seller.
Finally, in case it swings you one way or another, Apple Carplay/Android Auto were not available until 2016. For some it makes a difference, for some it doesn't. For us I think it was better not to have it since my wife and technology don't really go together to begin with. Less things for her to mess up or have issues with and for me to fix or straighten out.
petethepug
Michael
Early 2015 with 6SP vs the 8SP paired to the 5.3L will avoid the trans problems. Carmax is snatching all them up and selling them up to $40k LOL!
Check out CarGuru’s on a nationwide search. It will reveal all the private party sellers using internet sales tools. Those are the individuals you want to purchase from, even if they’re 1000 miles away.
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Check out CarGuru’s on a nationwide search. It will reveal all the private party sellers using internet sales tools. Those are the individuals you want to purchase from, even if they’re 1000 miles away.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
fozzi58
Full Access Member
2017 here coming up on 60k. The 5.3 is probably one of the most reliable motors ever built. GM sticks that thing in everything and there are probably a million of them in junkyards cause the engine will outlast whatever its installed in.
The more I get involved in the car community, the more I find out that the 5.3 is being put into every car imaginable. Besides every pre-LS GM (think GTOs, Square Bodies, G, W & F bodies), they are getting installed in Foxbody mustangs, Nissan 240's, Mazda Miata's, and some nut job is even putting one with a manual trans into a Dodge Caravan.
As stated by others, look for the 6speed trans. Find someone that took care of the car with oil change records. Not that its problematic but if you want to increase the reliability, you can get an ODB adapter that will disable AFM & DOD which will extend longevity even more.
The more I get involved in the car community, the more I find out that the 5.3 is being put into every car imaginable. Besides every pre-LS GM (think GTOs, Square Bodies, G, W & F bodies), they are getting installed in Foxbody mustangs, Nissan 240's, Mazda Miata's, and some nut job is even putting one with a manual trans into a Dodge Caravan.
As stated by others, look for the 6speed trans. Find someone that took care of the car with oil change records. Not that its problematic but if you want to increase the reliability, you can get an ODB adapter that will disable AFM & DOD which will extend longevity even more.
ReaperHWK
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GTO's all have LS motors, LS1 in 2004 and LS2 in 2005/2006. Fbodies got the LS1 in 98.......
The reason people use the 5.3 is cost, LS motors are aluminum block where the 5.3 is iron. Also, SOME people like to use a good iron block is they plan to make HUGE boost levels and are worried about breaking the LS alumimum blocks. But a good alumium block built with forged pistons and rotating assembly should be good up to 1500hp anyway...... Maybe more.
Tk59194
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Wife drives a 2016 Suburban and I drive a 2018 Tahoe. Love them both.
The 6SPD transmissions on the newer trucks seem to make it ~150k miles and then the converter conks out and takes out the trans if you don't catch it quickly. Lots of documentation on the service side about this, although it isn't nearly as widespread as the 8SPD issues since it's more of a high mileage problem. I'd put TC upgrade on my "maintenance" list lol.
