Which is the most reliable year 01, 02, 03, 04, 05?

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Sunshine Girl

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I am looking to buy a Tahoe between model years 2001 to 2005. I like the Z71 model and yesterday I sat in a 2003 Tahoe for the first time. I couldn't believe the weight of the driver door...it was built like a tank and that is what I am looking for - The thought of being in any kind of accident scares me especially if my little boy is in the vehicle. I am currently driving a 2004 Mitsubishi Eclipse which doesn't make me feel safe at all...and after having two vehicles in the same day just suddenly pull out in front of me (old people in Florida) I want to change vehicles.
I know nothing about cars but understand that with older vehicles comes higher mileage and the expected fixes which is fine. Anyway, after reading different articles online about some vehicle models or production years being better than others I wanted to ask is there a model/year from 2001 - 2005 that is better than the other with regards to known electrical or engine problems?
 

Doubeleive

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in my opinion those are all good years, but I think in 02+ they started adding things like stabiltrac/traction control which can help prevent it getting squirrely on you, and some have hydroboost brakes, then there is 2wd/4wd and AWD on the Denali's, (2wd being more economical gas wise) other than that I would just be on the lookout of one that preferably has lower miles and has been maintained, on older trucks like these condition can vary GREATLY from excellent to beaten down. There is lots of information on here and plenty of people to answer any questions, it may even be overwhelming, lol
 
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Sunshine Girl

Sunshine Girl

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Thanks for your reply and advice Wes. To be honest I have only just started to look. The Tahoe I sat in the other day was at a used car dealership it had 235,000 miles on it and they wanted $3995 + tax etc. It was in OK condition for the mileage, it was when I asked the dealer about the accident it had been in (dent in rear bumper and dent in front bumper) he replied "accident? what accident?"...needless to say I thanked him for his time I went on my way...lol
 

Doubeleive

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Thanks for your reply and advice Wes. To be honest I have only just started to look. The Tahoe I sat in the other day was at a used car dealership it had 235,000 miles on it and they wanted $3995 + tax etc. It was in OK condition for the mileage, it was when I asked the dealer about the accident it had been in (dent in rear bumper and dent in front bumper) he replied "accident? what accident?"...needless to say I thanked him for his time I went on my way...lol
if your buying with cash your best find is most likely to be from a private owner, craigslist is a good place to look, you can filter all the results, and the results can vary depending on what you search for. for instance Tahoe/Yukon/suburban/Yukon xl/denali/escalade are all essentially the same truck (underneath the trim) with the exception of the Tahoe/Yukon being the short wheel body and the regular escalade is a swb also, so it's just matter of which "trim & features" you prefer, the Yukon xl, suburban, escalade esv are the longer wheel base and have more room in the back behind the 3rd row seat.
 

afpj

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If you are a believer of consumer reports, before our model years (gmt800) dropped off their used car ratings, the 2002 had the best reliability record overall. I only paid attention to that since I have a 2002. Personally I think that much of that had to do with the throttle by wire system and the addition of steering wheel controls introduced around 2003 as multiple people have had issues with the e-throttle. Now, that's not to say that there aren't many more who've not had any issues, but that's just one issue the 2002's don't have to deal with. As doubeleive noted, it all depends on how the previous owner treated the vehicle so there can be significant variation in condition. Good luck!
 

Tonyrodz

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But whatever you do decide on, always ask about the maintenance, and ask to see the paperwork on it. Some people maintain their vehicles religiously, others don't do anything. The motors are great motors(LS series)and will easily go 300-400,000 miles with proper preventive maintenance.
 
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Sunshine Girl

Sunshine Girl

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Hi Tony, thanks for your reply. You mentioned about motors and (LS series) I have also seen LT, and Z71...has the LS proved to be more dependable?
 

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