Fix and Keep My 2015 GMC Yukon SLT or Get Rid of It?

[Trey Hardy]

Thank You. I think I’m going to just take it to a Chevy or GMC dealer and have them quote me everything. Do what’s affordable and then for the big labor hour jobs I’ll pay my friend $50 an hour on the side But he’s a master bmw tech not GMC. I’ve realized you get what you pay for so I’m not going to try to skimp out. Even if I spend more and end up with $15000 in it I hope it’ll last my son and I at least six years

GMC dealership will rip you a new one find a mom and pop shop before you ever go to the dealership… a honest shop will help you out for the least amount possible and not just try to steal your money or up charge you 300% for parts you can get for a fraction of the price online
Breaks sound like their fine from your description And if not shocks are super easy to change on these suvs if you have any mechanical know how you can do it at home in a couple hours if even that long.
My ole girl has over 400,000 miles on her now she’s still going strong however I’ve had to do normal maintenance due to miles like alternator,radiator,heater hoses,calipers,fluid flush’s, plugs wires etc along with a new front end (ball joints tie rods wheel bearings) not all at once but over time after I had bought it and she had 247,000 miles when I first got it. Its a lot cheaper then a 1000$ car payment every month and the new suvs are shit cause of the dod stuff I see all the time on here brand new 90k+ vehicles with less then 30,000 miles having motors rebuilt due to lifters failing
In my opinion if she’s made it to 200,000 throw some love into her and you’ll be able to drive her for another 200,000 miles don’t be quick to jump the gun and AVOID THE DEALER once again unless you got more money then sense to spend because that’s what’s going to be the case when it comes to them… the shop I go to is a family owned one and they still smoke cigarettes in the back type way but they tell you what’s wrong and they fix just that nothing more nothing less their not there to get what they can out of you…

 

[Trey Hardy]

Just know if the transmission or engine has not been replaced then you will have to replace soon. The engine is at the end of its life and the transmission is overdue. You are going to need 6-10k each. Sell it and get one with low miles and ask your dealer to get you a warranty power train contract.

My 5.3 with the dod lifters still in it just tuned out on the computer has over 400,000 miles
However the transmission is liable to go I think that year had the bad torque converter maybe have it flushed and inspect the fluid for wear or maybe get a billet converter installed but I wouldn’t worry about that at all until you actually have issues.
Black bear performance can send you a tune to disable the dod stuff aka 4cyl mode and that’ll help and adjusting the ship points in the tune will also help prolong the transmissions lifespan

 

[BringTheNoise]

GMC dealership will rip you a new one find a mom and pop shop before you ever go to the dealership… a honest shop will help you out for the least amount possible and not just try to steal your money or up charge you 300% for parts you can get for a fraction of the price online
Breaks sound like their fine from your description And if not shocks are super easy to change on these suvs if you have any mechanical know how you can do it at home in a couple hours if even that long.
My ole girl has over 400,000 miles on her now she’s still going strong however I’ve had to do normal maintenance due to miles like alternator,radiator,heater hoses,calipers,fluid flush’s, plugs wires etc along with a new front end (ball joints tie rods wheel bearings) not all at once but over time after I had bought it and she had 247,000 miles when I first got it. Its a lot cheaper then a 1000$ car payment every month and the new suvs are shit cause of the dod stuff I see all the time on here brand new 90k+ vehicles with less then 30,000 miles having motors rebuilt due to lifters failing
In my opinion if she’s made it to 200,000 throw some love into her and you’ll be able to drive her for another 200,000 miles don’t be quick to jump the gun and AVOID THE DEALER once again unless you got more money then sense to spend because that’s what’s going to be the case when it comes to them… the shop I go to is a family owned one and they still smoke cigarettes in the back type way but they tell you what’s wrong and they fix just that nothing more nothing less their not there to get what they can out of you…

I work as part of a big dealership group and we have a Chevy dealership 500 feet from the dealership I work at. I get 30% off most AC Delco parts so after shopping the pricing I get at work around on the internet I realized it’s a pretty good deal to get the parts through the dealership or at least most of the suspension components I did get Billstein 5100 shocks and struts over the ac delco ones though.

 

[BringTheNoise]

My 5.3 with the dod lifters still in it just tuned out on the computer has over 400,000 miles
However the transmission is liable to go I think that year had the bad torque converter maybe have it flushed and inspect the fluid for wear or maybe get a billet converter installed but I wouldn’t worry about that at all until you actually have issues.
Black bear performance can send you a tune to disable the dod stuff aka 4cyl mode and that’ll help and adjusting the ship points in the tune will also help prolong the transmissions lifespan

I plan on getting that four cylinder mode overridden. A guy at our dealership has the ability to do it. He told me he’d charge me $150.

 

[Trey Hardy]

I plan on getting that four cylinder mode overridden. A guy at our dealership has the ability to do it. He told me he’d charge me $150.

That’s not bad but the labor rate they charge is mainly what I was getting at. I do ALL my own work myself and so has my father in law who has a 05 suburban with over 400,000 on her also
He’s in his 70s now though so I try to help him now a days when stuff goes wrong but shit he’s never changed nothing on his suburban at all besides a starter a couple water bumps brake pads and tires! Pretty sure she’s still got the original plugs and wires on the SOB he’s definitely the type who “don’t fix it unless it’s broke” I’m the preventative maintenance type and he gives me hell all the time about it but I drive my Tahoe 4-6 hr at a time every wensday so I’d rather know I’m good then get broke down in the middle of nowhere

 

[BringTheNoise]

That’s not bad but the labor rate they charge is mainly what I was getting at. I do ALL my own work myself and so has my father in law who has a 05 suburban with over 400,000 on her also
He’s in his 70s now though so I try to help him now a days when stuff goes wrong but shit he’s never changed nothing on his suburban at all besides a starter a couple water bumps brake pads and tires! Pretty sure she’s still got the original plugs and wires on the SOB he’s definitely the type who “don’t fix it unless it’s broke” I’m the preventative maintenance type and he gives me hell all the time about it but I drive my Tahoe 4-6 hr at a time every wensday so I’d rather know I’m good then get broke down in the middle

That’s not bad but the labor rate they charge is mainly what I was getting at. I do ALL my own work myself and so has my father in law who has a 05 suburban with over 400,000 on her also
He’s in his 70s now though so I try to help him now a days when stuff goes wrong but shit he’s never changed nothing on his suburban at all besides a starter a couple water bumps brake pads and tires! Pretty sure she’s still got the original plugs and wires on the SOB he’s definitely the type who “don’t fix it unless it’s broke” I’m the preventative maintenance type and he gives me hell all the time about it but I drive my Tahoe 4-6 hr at a time every wensday so I’d rather know I’m good then get broke down in the middle of nowhere

Thank You for your advice and experience. My friends Dad has like 350k on his 06 Burban and he just adds oil to it, brakes, and it won’t die.

 

[Trey Hardy]

Thank You for your advice and experience. My friends Dad has like 350k on his 06 Burban and he just adds oil to it, brakes, and it won’t die.

That’s how I feel about our 05 and my 07

 

[Bigburb3500]

I plan on getting that four cylinder mode overridden. A guy at our dealership has the ability to do it. He told me he’d charge me $150.

I guess this is what you get when you are on the inside of the stealerships… LOL.

I think you have received lots of great recommendations tho. Hopefully we have supported your decision to keep the truck and drive it! These are good trucks and to your earlier point, many of us, can’t or won’t afford the $1000+/mo payments. These trucks do have “issues” but the forum exists to solve them and talk thru the solutions! Glad to have you hear and hopefully you keep this post updated with what you do and experience. Also, make sure you post on other ppl’s posts too. Many other out there that may need your motivation too!

 

[BringTheNoise]

I guess this is what you get when you are on the inside of the stealerships… LOL.

I think you have received lots of great recommendations tho. Hopefully we have supported your decision to keep the truck and drive it! These are good trucks and to your earlier point, many of us, can’t or won’t afford the $1000+/mo payments. These trucks do have “issues” but the forum exists to solve them and talk thru the solutions! Glad to have you hear and hopefully you keep this post updated with what you do and experience. Also, make sure you post on other ppl’s posts too. Many other out there that may need your motivation too!

Great advice and Thank You everyone. Im planning on going ahead with everything and hoping for the best. I need to remind myself that the vehicle has 200k mikes and I just need to fix the important items and realize how little bit of money this car will be compared to a new or Certified one.

 

[Geotrash]

I sound like a damned commercial for these trucks lately because I'm so happy with ours. The guy who bought my '02 Suburban back in 2018 now has 308K on it, still drives it every day. He's a ferry boat captain and he's also my ex-girlfriend's father-in-law, but he still keeps in touch, which tickles me.

248K on our '07 Yukon XL Denali now, and it literally still looks like new. A periodic refresh of the parts that age (e.g. radiator, coolant tees) is the way to keep these things going forever.

 

[EducatorDan]

BringTheNoise - I was going to tease you about being so worried about a 200K Yukon when you work at a BMW dealership and the great reputation that BMW has for aging well... All kidding aside...

As others have said it looks like you're on the right path. The only thing that came to mind is whether the trucks computer might store things like that "hill start assist" light coming on and if a code reader could pull information about it. Although as others have said, start by checking the condition of the brake fluid.

 

[fozzi58]

Your buddy that is a BMW mechanic and does work on the side - let him do the "all mechanics" stuff. The "all mechanic stuff" is stuff every mechanic should be able to do. Changing oil. Antifreeze flush. etc.

Even flushing the brake fluid (even you can do that with a $30 pump from Amazon) for example. That should definitely make the pedal feel better

He should also be able to check and replace basic suspension components like sway bar bushings and sway bar links if they need it. Check bearings on wheels.

The AFM\DOD delete (4 cylinder deactivation) can be done with a $50 device off amazon.

Lots of good advice in this thread to get you started.

Keep the truck. You will be happy.

 

[BringTheNoise]

I never did see or read, what engine is in this XL, a 5.3 or 6.2?

Sorry for the delay it’s a 5.3

 

[Loki223]

if it makes you feel better about debating to fix a 2015 or not, i just finished going through a 2015 that i bought for cheap because it had problems. 160k on the clock and it needed work, but was otherwise in fantastic shape. Couple thousand into it, and i'm still cheaper then buying one in perfect shape that likely needs work that they just don't know about yet. Any 10 year old 200k mile vehicle will need work. But in terms of lifespan, these GM rigs are some of the better ones out there. When we started our search for a cheap 2015+ my wife started complaining about the number of people that drive the crap out of these things. So many for over 20k with 300k or more on them. And no CELs or known issues (per the sellers) I wanted something around 150k miles to get the right mix of has issues, but still lower miles. And whilei didn't realize we'd have to go as far into the thing as we did, i'm still very happy with the end results. Take care of your rig and she'll take care of you. This isn't a german product built for the first owner to have for 50k miles. It also wasn't built in the 70s where 150k miles was starting to get up there. These things can easily run 3-400k miles without major overhauls, but as with anything, there will always be things that wear out and need replaced. ID them early and be happy with the comforts of these burbs

 

[BringTheNoise]

if it makes you feel better about debating to fix a 2015 or not, i just finished going through a 2015 that i bought for cheap because it had problems. 160k on the clock and it needed work, but was otherwise in fantastic shape. Couple thousand into it, and i'm still cheaper then buying one in perfect shape that likely needs work that they just don't know about yet. Any 10 year old 200k mile vehicle will need work. But in terms of lifespan, these GM rigs are some of the better ones out there. When we started our search for a cheap 2015+ my wife started complaining about the number of people that drive the crap out of these things. So many for over 20k with 300k or more on them. And no CELs or known issues (per the sellers) I wanted something around 150k miles to get the right mix of has issues, but still lower miles. And whilei didn't realize we'd have to go as far into the thing as we did, i'm still very happy with the end results. Take care of your rig and she'll take care of you. This isn't a german product built for the first owner to have for 50k miles. It also wasn't built in the 70s where 150k miles was starting to get up there. These things can easily run 3-400k miles without major overhauls, but as with anything, there will always be things that wear out and need replaced. ID them early and be happy with the comforts of these burbs

Thank You For Your Reply. I bought all the suspension components, Fluids (Diff, Transfer case, coolant, brake fluid), spark plugs and wires. I also bought a parking brake cable. So I had everything ready to go but my friend can’t do all the work I need until next Friday and Saturday. Last night I suddenly realized I never had tried to really check out the acceleration. I gently acceloand there was a real bogged down feeling on the power so I mashed the throttle and the check engine light started flashing and the power was diminished from the engine. I pulled over and into a gas station. I had half a tank left so I thought while I was there I’d fill it up. I started the car and no check engine flashing. Typical light shake at idle but I decided I should get it ba k to the shop. On my way back it started pouring and then then when I was pulling back into the dealership the car was sputtering and shaking. I plugged in my scab took and it said I had a misfire in cylinder 7.

I’m hoping the spark plugs and wires fix this but I’m worried I’m digging s big old money hole.

 

[BringTheNoise]

BringTheNoise - I was going to tease you about being so worried about a 200K Yukon when you work at a BMW dealership and the great reputation that BMW has for aging well... All kidding aside...

As others have said it looks like you're on the right path. The only thing that came to mind is whether the trucks computer might store things like that "hill start assist" light coming on and if a code reader could pull information about it. Although as others have said, start by checking the condition of the brake fluid.

Thank You for your reply

 

[Loki223]

Thank You For Your Reply. I bought all the suspension components, Fluids (Diff, Transfer case, coolant, brake fluid), spark plugs and wires. I also bought a parking brake cable. So I had everything ready to go but my friend can’t do all the work I need until next Friday and Saturday. Last night I suddenly realized I never had tried to really check out the acceleration. I gently acceloand there was a real bogged down feeling on the power so I mashed the throttle and the check engine light started flashing and the power was diminished from the engine. I pulled over and into a gas station. I had half a tank left so I thought while I was there I’d fill it up. I started the car and no check engine flashing. Typical light shake at idle but I decided I should get it ba k to the shop. On my way back it started pouring and then then when I was pulling back into the dealership the car was sputtering and shaking. I plugged in my scab took and it said I had a misfire in cylinder 7.

I’m hoping the spark plugs and wires fix this but I’m worried I’m digging s big old money hole.

Could possibly be the fuel pump depending on the code. Your mechanic buddy should be able to diagnose it. When we replaced our fuel pump the tapet that runs teh fuel pump had failed. Wasn't a big job, just pull the intake plenum and get down to the V and you are right there. Could've been a better design but i'm sure GM had a reason to no longer be the easiest engine to work on like they used to be.

 

[RogerK]

I bought a 2015 Yukon XL SLT with 206k miles last week because I’ve been wanting to buy a cheap suv and this came in on trade at the dealership I work for last Saturday. I thought about it for a while and asked my boss if I could buy it for anywhere near what we paid on trade in. He sold it to me for $9000. Before I bought it I just paid one of our techs whose wife had same car and he Put it on a lift and said I’d need to buy shocks and struts for sure and should change spark plugs, oil, and flush all the fluids. It has the 22” wheels with brand new Michelin tires they just bought a couple months ago. He said the brakes were pretty new in front and rear. It wasn’t filthy but definitely looked like it had been driven a lot. I spent $1000 on detailing it, refinishing the wheels, matching front window tint, and fixing the tear in the seat and wear on console. It looks like a $30,000 to $40,000 truck. We have a 2020 with 89k mikes and is $40,980 and I think mines cosmetically in better shape.

Tonight I drove it home for the third time and was parking it and I was hitting the brakes a lot as I wanted to make sure I didn’t hit the mailbox as I’m not used to driving a 226” SUV. The Hill Assist light kept popping up and I hit the brake pedal pretty firmly and it depressed halfway. I know that can’t be good. Right now I have about 10k plus tax in it. I imagine shocks and struts installed will be at least $1200 to $1500 if I do a reputable brand. I was going to get the Billstein 5100 as I was told those are good but I don’t know anything about Shocks and struts to be honest the guy that checked it out won’t do any “side” work as he has a family and doesn’t want to spend anymore time at work then necessary (Can’t Blame him) so my choices are have a guy that’s worked in my BMWs and Infiniti work on it or take it to the dealer. So I was planning on having about $12000 in this truck.

However I know that won’t be the case with the new brake pedal issue. I’m worried I’m about to go down a rabbit hole I can’t afford to reAlly go down. I have a perfectly god running car and more or less bought this to appease my son as he wanted me to get something that didn’t look so dated (other car is 2006 Infiniti M35x) so I thought this would be a good solution as it looked pretty newish.

My questions are:

1. Any Idea About Brake Pedal being halfway depressed. (It didn’t appear to be leaking anything on the ground). I popped the hood and checked brake fluid reservoir and it was full.
2. Is It Worth taking it to the GMC dealership for repairs?
3. Is this just a bad idea spending money on fixing up a 200k mile 2015 GMC Yukon XL? Is this car well past its life span and not worth dumping money into it? I’ll be at 12k+ in the car with struts, shocks, spark plugs, fluids, and I’m assuming doing the spongy brake pedal could be an expensive fix.

I am worried this thing will be unGodly expensive to keep running. Anyone with experience on 200k plus ownership of a 2015 body style with 5.3?

I’ve attached some photos. It’s a good looking car but I don’t know if this is a good idea.

Most likely a caliper is stuck.

 

[GMCChevy]

At the end of the day you get what you pay for. You saved money by buying one with higher miles but you're that much closer to having to do more work to it. But it looks like you got a good deal on it. And one with less miles can still need brake and suspension work.

 

[petethepug]

I didn’t read every page in the thread. Do you have an early 6SP or later 2015 8SP?

The XL for Gen 4 & 5 resale for big bucks at CarMax and no haggle lots. Buys gladly pay $20k+ for them vs a new $100k truck.

Consider this …

Thread '$18K Repair on 2010 Burb? Yup, it made sense.'
https://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/threads/18k-repair-on-2010-burb-yup-it-made-sense.151578/

Also consider they recently hacked a way to install the GM 10SP trans into your truck when that time comes.

I came from German vehicles also. Comparatively these trucks are stupid simple to an Audi.

Your 2015 still runs e85. Not sure where you’re at but here in b SoCal it’s a difference of a $75 vs $140 fill up on 91. Have the tech do his thing and use the $ saved for another weekend German car.

10l90 swap into a l83 w/6l80e?

Like the title states, can you swap a 10l90e into a 18' sierra 1500 4x4 with a 6l80e? Thank's yall!

www.gm-trucks.com