Considering an 02 Suburban...

[jcblindsey]

Hello all.

I am currently shopping the local used market for an older Suburban and have come across one that I think may be the right fit.

https://legendmotorcarscarrollton.com/2002-chevrolet-suburban-ls-carrollton-tx-75006/6483880

It appears to be extremely clean and in great condition. Car fax shows two owners and regular oil changes at the least. I’ve read a couple of the mega threads here about these trucks but I’d like to hear y’all’s opinion on this one in particular. It will be used as a family hauler in the city and for a few long range (400 to over 1200 mile) road trips throughout the year. Just trying to figure out if this is a safe bet.

 

[Tonyrodz]

Based on the pics alone, it def seems to be worth the money. Not a bad price at all, and the condition(cosmetic) of the vehicle seems amazing. With that amount of miles you def need to do a thorough check of everything--don't forget to look underneath--along with a good test drive. Drive at highway speeds, around town, up hills, down hills etc. Also make sure EVERYTHING works--these trucks aren't know for longevity in the transmissions. Motors will go well over 300,000 + with proper maintenance. Good luck and keep us updated.
Def check this link out: https://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/thr...g-a-00-06-nbs-tahoe-suburban-look-here.61834/

 

[Scottydoggs]

pull the trans dip stick, if the fluid is not a shade of red id walk away. i walked on a 2 tahoes due to brown to black tranny fluid, didnt even test drive em.

if its nice and red like it should be for all you know it been replaced, would be ok in my book if it was.

id def try to get it to a shop to be looked over. with all them miles its worth paying someone a few bucks to know if its gonna be worth it or not for the long run, or if its ready to do them long road trips.

keep in mind every last thing the mech finds bad you use to lower the price. or you walk. how i roll.

my truck was listed for about 8600 iirc, i paid 6500.

05 LT loaded. 122,000 ish on it now. this was the first one with red trans fluid, so i bought it lol

i added the fender flares and did brakes and shocks. about it for maint so far.

 

[Bombsquad85]

Looks super clean. Like @Scottydoggs said have a mechanic check it over unless you know what you're looking at. Even tho I got mine with under 100k on it I put a lot into it so far (most was preventative but still)

 

[Martinjmpr]

Looks nice. WRT the transmission, At 265k it would probably be prudent to budget in a new transmission anyway. IMO that's the main weak link.

Check the AC to make sure all the HVAC blend doors are working, I've heard the 2000 - 2003 models sometimes had issues with the HVAC blend doors and while the repair is just a cheap part, it requires removing the entire dashboard in order to fix. Expensive and/or time consuming.

Otherwise, it seems like a clean truck. 2wd means no front axle or t-case to worry about, so that's good.

 

[Doubeleive]

looks as good as my Yukon did at 300+k, they kind of tried to hide the bite in the steering wheel but if you shop on ebay you can get a brand new steering wheel very cheap

 

[jcblindsey]

Thanks for the input folks. I’m going to check it out tomorrow. I plan on taking it to a mechanic and having them give it a thorough look. If that all goes well I should be a part of the Suburban club by tomorrow afternoon.

 

[OneofFew]

Looks good. Seems like it is a trade they took in, not an auction car. Maintenance records help, check it out well, even the most responsible owners will trade in knowing a service is due. Expect to change all fluids. Brake fluid looks to be below the max mark by a ways, so pads are worn. Do I see some discoloration around edges of the carpet? It being Texas, I would look closely at possible flood damage.
As to reliability- yes, this will do what you need it to. There are no better vehicles for road trips.

 

[bldn10]

Yea, but when you are 600 miles away on that long road trip and it breaks down on you, what are you going to tell the family? "Hey, what do you expect for $2500?"

 

[jcblindsey]

Thanks for the input everyone.

I decided against it after seeing the vehicle in person. We looked at numerous Suburbans online and saw 4 in person. It became clear to me that at this price point, I would be better served by just taking the money and putting it into my current vehicle (2006 Sienna). It just didn't make sense to buy something that I may have to turn around put money into when I can already do that now with my van and have a road-worthy vehicle that will meet most of my needs for at least 2-3 more years. Thank you again for the tips and comments.

 

[Scottydoggs]

i took me a long time to settle on one. most looked ok in the pics, but in person you could see some were hiding a load of hurt.

i agree with you tho. if a few bucks will keep what ya got going for a few more years, take that route, you already know this van and its needs.

 

[Fless]

Thanks for the input everyone.

I decided against it after seeing the vehicle in person. We looked at numerous Suburbans online and saw 4 in person. It became clear to me that at this price point, I would be better served by just taking the money and putting it into my current vehicle (2006 Sienna). It just didn't make sense to buy something that I may have to turn around put money into when I can already do that now with my van and have a road-worthy vehicle that will meet most of my needs for at least 2-3 more years. Thank you again for the tips and comments.

And you know the history of yours. That counts for a lot.

 

[Martinjmpr]

Thanks for the input everyone.

I decided against it after seeing the vehicle in person. We looked at numerous Suburbans online and saw 4 in person. It became clear to me that at this price point, I would be better served by just taking the money and putting it into my current vehicle (2006 Sienna). It just didn't make sense to buy something that I may have to turn around put money into when I can already do that now with my van and have a road-worthy vehicle that will meet most of my needs for at least 2-3 more years. Thank you again for the tips and comments.

Makes perfect sense.

Funny thing, that's pretty much where I am on my '04 Burb. I see new and shiny vehicles out there all the time and would really love a new truck. But the old Suburban runs fine and it's paid for, so why replace it with something more expensive that is an unknown quantity?