Tahoe or Expedition?

[sublauxation]

Re: Tahoe or Expedition?

The reason you didn't have problems is that those years didn't have the engine that had the problem with the special plug. Years 2004-2008(fixed during 2008 model year) of the 5.4L 3V engine had the problem. Your engines were the 2V engines so it had completely different heads and spark plugs.

The 4.6L never had the problem.

Sorry, right engine wrong spark plug problem. 5.4 and 4.6 through 2003 had problems with the heads stripping out and spark plugs blowing out. I was able to get all mine out without stripping out the head, and the new ones all stayed in place. As for MPG I get about 18 on the highway driving pretty fast and I don't bother to keep track of in town mileage.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Tahoe or Expedition?

Sorry, right engine wrong spark plug problem. 5.4 and 4.6 through 2003 had problems with the heads stripping out and spark plugs blowing out.

Yes, was aware of the spark plug spitting but never heard of people breaking off the spark plugs in those engines. That problem is actually worse than the 2004-2008 problem because you have to repair the head. I believe the OP is looking for around 2005 model year so he has to worry about the later problem.

 

[lncoop]

Re: Tahoe or Expedition?

wow,im outnumbered but my vote is for GM. I have an '04 tahoe and love it, except for the mileage but if you want fullsize, you pay for fullsize(13.5 mpg not much highway). Stupid simple engine to work on and very few problems with the vehicles overall. I may be biased, been a gm tech all my life and thats all i have ever driven. I have 118000 on mine and plan to have it for at least another 5 years, shouldnt be a problem. Its just tough to keep any of them(gm, ford, whatever) from rotting out underneath you, depending on your location obviously.

I'm not knocking GMs at all. Until I bought the Expedition I drove Z71 Sierras. In fact, my all time favorite truck (never had anything but trucks) was a 2001 Sierra. I still miss that one, but I gotta tell you, the ability to fold that third row up and down at will is a game changer, and as far as I'm concerned a full sized SUV is incomplete without that option. I normally keep it down and leave a Husky cargo liner in there because I've constantly got projects going that require me to carry stuff that would destroy the carpet, anything from tools to trailer wheels to camping gear. You name it it's been back there. When I need to haul more peeps I just roll up the liner and raise the third row. Outstanding. MPG ranges from twelve to fifteen depending on what I'm towing (if anything) and where.

 

[aspeck]

Re: Tahoe or Expedition?

I swing on the GM side of things. I just got rid of my 2000 Yukon Denali and purchased a new to me 2010 Yukon. It has the 5.3 with the 4/8 cyl "smart" engine. I would have preferred to go with the Denali and the bigger engine, but the Yukon was priced right and I am more than pleased with my fuel economy. I get about 16mpg strictly around town and about 22 mpg on the highway. Combined I average mid 18's. Towing my boat I am getting about 15mpg.

I like the ride and comfort, seats fit me well, and the air conditioned seat is the BOMB! Man, what a great feature!

I don't like the second row buckets, wish that was a 45/55 split bench. 3rd row seats are easy to remove and general one stays in the vehicle the other in the garage ... would be nicer if they were fold flat seats and could be left in ... but then I wouldn't have any room in the back to store the stuff I carry when I wanted to use the seats anyway.

 

[jkust]

Re: Tahoe or Expedition?

she traded for a trailblazer that I liked but it was under powered

The i6 is underpowered at least from a standstill which I presume you had in the Trailblazer, the 5.3 option has a lot more power/torque and the 6.0 option is amazing.

 

[greenbush future]

Re: Tahoe or Expedition?

2008 Chevy Avalanche/same 5.3 smart motor. This motor did have issues (under warrenty for me) that basically required new cams /lifters and much more. My motor puked on this known issue at 45K which was fixed in later year models but for 2008 be cautious if buying used. Some are also known to drink oil between changes but my Avalanche doesnt burn a drop, this is just what I have read from others. Cant say I'm impressed with my gas milage, 15.5 average for me, and I baby this one. The ride is awsome, and it tows very well. I would purchase another, just concerned about this motor, having puked once, I may sell but then again it was fixed under warrenty.

 

[snowforfun4]

Re: Tahoe or Expedition?

Does anyone know the years affected by the 5.3L oil consumption issue? I believe the fix is new rings??

 

[jkust]

Re: Tahoe or Expedition?

Does anyone know the years affected by the 5.3L oil consumption issue? I believe the fix is new rings??

Digging into the internals was the last resort. The valve cover gasket and a couple other things were the suspects. There was a detailed TSB about this. I had it done to one of my 5.3's when it went from normal to high usage in an instant. It was done under warranty. I say that but all of the sudden again it is using oil and so I need to take it in so they can do an 'oil study' to justify the drastic next steps. Luckily GM threw in a GMPP, zero dollar deductible, warranty up to onehundred and something thousand miles on my wifes truck from some screw ups they had done to it when it was under the factory warranty. The thing about the oil usage was there was never any and is no sign of oil on the engine.