Considering a hybrid and have a few questions

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Roger Hill

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Recently joined and I've reviewed many pages of posts and haven't found my answers. If you guys to toss in some of your thoughts and perspective that would be great.

-I'm looking at buying a 12-14 hybrid. Are any of these years better than the other?

-How many miles on average would one get before the hybrid battery would need to be replaced?

-What if:. What if the hybrid battery dies, how long could I drive it before replacing the battery? Is it theoretically possible to continue with a dead hybrid?

-What are real numbers to have the battery replaced (new and remanufactured if possible)?

-When look at, driving and inspecting used, anything in particular I should be looking at or for?

Thanks everyone. This will be my DD, vacation ride, grocery getter, etc.
 

BG1988

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2010-13 (no 14 was made)


don't get one i would look for an chevy avalanche instead or reg tahoe and do a body panel swap.... if you're getting it for the look.. the 4.8L should get pretty close to what the MPG the hybrid gets with a body swap..


Honestly GM needs to recall them and BUY them back... it's the most dangerous vehicle on the road right up there with the Ford pinto



all the GM SUV hybrids are lemons out of the factory... as they can stall at anytime or 100% lose power and stall out... when I first got mine(3k miles into ownership) it lost power 100% almost caused me to crash into other cars ...

the brakes were not working correctly....


Autostop Lag is another concern (it will throw off your exit from a drive way or cause you to get rear ended... or cause an accident.) and engine runaways if the Baro sensor goes out....





12v+ Batteries get deeply discharged and wear quickly......


green bean has a battery for 2900 or so

and new ones are 6000 or so
 
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dnt1010

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If you are mechanically inclined / enjoy doing repairs / have a large garage with a lift and get a great price on one you might enjoy it for a while. The Hybrid technology is intriguing but it adds so much complexity and repair cost that it makes owning one a gamble. Kind of like starting a Texas Holdem hand with 2 7 offsuit.................................. Most people will find that they are better off betting on Pocket K's LOL
 

RebelBelle

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I’d say go for it. I got 315,225 miles so far on my 2010 Hy-Hoe. Bought it with 121,000 highway miles in 2013 and had a lot of fun with it over the years. Great gas mileage for a Tahoe (18-22mpg on the highway at 65-78 mph.) It worked great in mud, sand, and snow when needed and was very dependable. I had a few minor problems over the years( stuck valve lifters twice) but probably my fault for not changing oil as often as I should have! That’s not just a hybrid issue though, it affects many other GM vehicles. I also had a brake valve modulator go bad at around300,000 miles but that’s a common problem and not specific to hybrids at all. I finally had to change my brake pads at about 305,000 miles (original pads) I replaced the traction battery at about 290,000 miles with a Green Bean rebuilt and I think that they warranteed it for 4 years and unlimited mileage (something like that). About $2500-$2900, very reasonable considering how much gas I saved over the years! Will be selling it shortly as I just located and bought a 2013 Escalade Platinum Hybrid with no issues at all and only 47,000 miles!!! I’m set for another 5 years at least I estimate! If anyone has any ideas or advice on buying or selling my old Tahoe please let me know. I don’t have the 85 posts to put it in classifieds so I may just CarMax it for 5K. They made the offer a couple of months ago but I hadn’t found the Esky back the but now I don’t really need 2 hybrids ( unless I lift it and put big tires on it!)
 

dnt1010

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-I'm looking at buying a 12-14 hybrid. Are any of these years better than the other? Later newer with fewer miles the better of course

-How many miles on average would one get before the hybrid battery would need to be replaced? I replaced at 200k but some are sooner and some are later I am at 245k now

-What if:. What if the hybrid battery dies, how long could I drive it before replacing the battery? Is it theoretically possible to continue with a dead hybrid? Nope you cannot drive it you have to have the hybrid battery to start the engine the starter is the electric motor inside the transmission. You will typically have a lot of warning before it completely dies

-What are real numbers to have the battery replaced (new and remanufactured if possible)? green bean used battery around 3k New battery around 6k

-When look at, driving and inspecting used, anything in particular I should be looking at or for? As on any vehicle you look for a one owner with complete service records proving that it has been properly maintained. if you are looking at something with over 100k miles make sure all the fluid changes etc are taken care of. Deferred maintenance is a tell for a careless owner and a vehicle that will not last as it should. There are a lot of common issues with all GM trucks wheel hub bearings / ball joints / door lock actuators / folding mirror gears/cracked dash mostly just annoying stuff under 100k miles. Above 100k it can get more serious with AFM / transmission / dirvetrain type problems. My issue with the Hybrid is that the parts that are different from a std Tahoe/Yukon/Eskie are very pricey to repair/replace.
 

RebelBelle

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I got 290,000 miles on my Tahoe Hy-Hoe before replacing with a GreenBean battery. I just bought a 2013 Cadillac Hybrid Escalade Platinum with only 47,000 miles on it and now will be selling my Tahoe when I get around to listing it. It’s still in great shape but I was somewhat concerned about potential Hybrid component problems. But, in 316,000 miles my only serious problems were non Hybrid related. Stuck valve lifter (common across the GM V8 to V4 Dropout Vehicles, brake pressure module- also common and not specific to Hybrids, and I finally had to replace my front calipers and rotors for the first time. All in all have gotten great results from this Hybrid and that’s why I bought another!!!
 

swathdiver

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I got 290,000 miles on my Tahoe Hy-Hoe before replacing with a GreenBean battery. I just bought a 2013 Cadillac Hybrid Escalade Platinum with only 47,000 miles on it and now will be selling my Tahoe when I get around to listing it. It’s still in great shape but I was somewhat concerned about potential Hybrid component problems. But, in 316,000 miles my only serious problems were non Hybrid related. Stuck valve lifter (common across the GM V8 to V4 Dropout Vehicles, brake pressure module- also common and not specific to Hybrids, and I finally had to replace my front calipers and rotors for the first time. All in all have gotten great results from this Hybrid and that’s why I bought another!!!
I can attest to how clean and well maintained it is, it looks nearly brand new!
 

BG1988

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If you are mechanically inclined / enjoy doing repairs / have a large garage with a lift and get a great price on one you might enjoy it for a while. The Hybrid technology is intriguing but it adds so much complexity and repair cost that it makes owning one a gamble. Kind of like starting a Texas Holdem hand with 2 7 offsuit.................................. Most people will find that they are better off betting on Pocket K's LOL
win with the 4.8l no AFM
 

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