Most driven Trailblazer or Envoy

gonecat

Original poster
Member
Jul 25, 2012
20
I'm wondering, for those who've been TB/Envoy enthusiasts for any length of time, what is the highest odometer mileage you've seen on a 'still in use' Trailblazer or Envoy?

Assuming the vehicle isn't being driven hard, is there an 'average' life expectancy (mileage one will go) for the engine or transmission?
Here in NE Minnesota, rust destoys vehicles far too soon to really know how long a vehicle could potentially last.

Just thought this would be a fun topic. And it may already be posted and I haven't seen it yet....
 

HARDTRAILZ

Moderator
Nov 18, 2011
49,665
I think Regulator has over 250K and it is used hard...
 

McGMT

Member
Jun 17, 2012
621
There are wayyy too many variables for "life expectancy" on a vehicle these days but when I was working for GM they were designing their vehicles on a 10 year lifespan.

No manufacturer wants a vehicle to last too long or never break down, if they did that sales would drop and they would never sell any parts. They are built to fail and eventually especially with a unibody at some point the structure gets so weak you wear out parts on a daily basis.

We all know though that a well maintained and nicely driven vehicle will last indefinitely as long as there are still parts for it in existence.

Mine is at 100,666, still lots of life left in my baby... (Noticed the odd 666 when I parked it earlier... haha)

- - - Updated - - -

There are wayyy too many variables for "life expectancy" on a vehicle these days but when I was working for GM they were designing their vehicles on a 10 year lifespan.

No manufacturer wants a vehicle to last too long or never break down, if they did that sales would drop and they would never sell any parts. They are built to fail and eventually especially with a unibody at some point the structure gets so weak you wear out parts on a daily basis.

We all know though that a well maintained and nicely driven vehicle will last indefinitely as long as there are still parts for it in existence.

Mine is at 100,666, still lots of life left in my baby... (Noticed the odd 666 when I parked it earlier... haha)
 

navigator

Member
Dec 3, 2011
504
McGMT said:
There are wayyy too many variables for "life expectancy" on a vehicle these days but when I was working for GM they were designing their vehicles on a 10 year lifespan.

No manufacturer wants a vehicle to last too long or never break down, if they did that sales would drop and they would never sell any parts. .......
That must be why they redesigned the 350/5.3 in the 2000 and newer Silverados. Those 99 and earlier ones would run forever...

It seems now though where the dealers make their $$$ is in reading codes and relearns, changing all those faulty sensors and other parts.
Things that might not be hard to do but most folks either don't have the equipment to do themselves.
 

HARDTRAILZ

Moderator
Nov 18, 2011
49,665
navigator said:
That must be why they redesigned the 350/5.3 in the 2000 and newer Silverados. Those 99 and earlier ones would run forever...

My dad's 2000 Silverado w a 5.3L has over 240K miles with barely having any maintenance done. My dad bought it new and has not been nice to it. Tows a tractor or bobcat and about the only fluid ever changed is the oil. It has been rock solid.
 

navigator

Member
Dec 3, 2011
504
HARDTRAILZ said:
My dad's 2000 Silverado w a 5.3L has over 240K miles with barely having any maintenance done. My dad bought it new and has not been nice to it. Tows a tractor or bobcat and about the only fluid ever changed is the oil. It has been rock solid.
good to know. I know the older models were bulletproof, except for the fuel pumps :smile:
I haven't heard a lot of problems with the newer ones either you just question when they change something that reliable.
I guess if there is no change there is no improvement.
 

HARDTRAILZ

Moderator
Nov 18, 2011
49,665
You realize the 350 and 5.3 are two far different motors, right?
 

davenay67

Member
Jan 16, 2012
217
Good job we don't live in the world of "Logan's Run". Our TB is 10+ years old now and would be euthanised in that science fiction world.

In the real world, we have 132,xxx miles and the engine runs strong and the body looks great; shiny paint and no rust. In fact, you have to stare very hard at the tach for quite a long time to see it even remotely move; the idle is so quiet and so rock-steady that you forget the engine is even running.

All this goodness makes me forgive the clunky-clanky suspension parts. :crazy:
 

harveyfam2001

Member
Aug 24, 2012
42
Just acquired/in the process of buying my wife's grandparents 2002 GMC Envoy SLT with 146k miles. It was well taken care of and I have a book worth of service records. Her grandmother said the transmission was replaced not too long ago. Lifetime MPG average 19.4MPG and she said lately it's been around 18 with a mix of city/highway.

Interior only looks 2-3 years old. No rips or tears in the leather at all. Still drives very well, knock on wood.
 

6716

Member
Jul 24, 2012
821
189,705 mi

Fan clutch 80K ago, thermostat 30K ago, blower motor 40K ago, some A/C challenges (still figuring out, but for the most part it blows cold). Well, and the fuel gauge sending unit.

Otherwise, brake pads, tires, and fluid changes.

Got a suspension half re-build about to happen: UCAs, upper ball joints, struts/springs, shocks & springs. Parts are due by FedEx on Monday.
 

Wooluf1952

Member
Nov 20, 2011
2,663
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
McGMT said:
There are wayyy too many variables for "life expectancy" on a vehicle these days but when I was working for GM they were designing their vehicles on a 10 year lifespan.

No manufacturer wants a vehicle to last too long or never break down, if they did that sales would drop and they would never sell any parts. They are built to fail and eventually especially with a uni body at some point the structure gets so weak you wear out parts on a daily basis.

We all know though that a well maintained and nicely driven vehicle will last indefinitely as long as there are still parts for it in existence.

Mine is at 100,666, still lots of life left in my baby... (Noticed the odd 666 when I parked it earlier... haha)

:offtopic: I think I would've taken it for another trip around the block. :goodevil:
 

floridafitz

Member
Jan 2, 2012
151
Winter Springs FL
170,000 and no retirement plans. Just for fun looked at a 2009 Suburban and 2011 Acadia today....not that impressed. Daughter just bought a 2012 Equinox and loves it but honestly, it's not even close in capability to my Voy. New shocks/struts, hubs, fan clutch, misc ac, upper and lower control arms plus bj, engine mounts, 2 fuel tanks, steering wheel upgrade, 2 coil packs, tranny shift cable, radio control face (chipped paint on buttons), plus more. Bottom line, not at all trouble free but I still think it has been my best ever vehicle!
 

floridafitz

Member
Jan 2, 2012
151
Winter Springs FL
Purchased parts on Rockauto for about $500 total and paid a mechanic friend of my son to do the install for about $150. I'm sure a stealership would have been well north of $1200 for the job. Huge difference in the ride.
 

MacMan

Member
Mar 3, 2012
194
193k+ on my '02. I'm the original owner. Only items I've replaced due to failure are the usual....fan clutch, stat, gas cap & filler neck & hose, TCM, front hubs.

Original transmission with only the usual flushes/changes done. Replaced all fluids with synthetic at about 135K. Other than that, just routine maintenance done.

Water pump (still original) will be done before winter (ticking time bomb, IMO).
 

Sparky

Member
Dec 4, 2011
12,927
Mine has almost 163k right now. Of course wear stuff like hub bearings and ball joints have been replaced, and I did replace the rear axle. But the main guts (engine,trans, xfer case) are all original and are fine.

Back when I was shopping for a Trailblazer I saw one for sale with 253k miles on it. No mention of a replaced/rebuilt engine or transmission. I saw another with a little less than that but still over 200k, plus several at 170k+, all within a fairly small radius of me. Given that I think these trucks generally have pretty solid powertrains and thus I hope to get at least 200k out of mine. I know the 4L60E can sometimes be finicky with a couple design flaws that may or may not rear its head, so when I serviced my transmission I went ahead and installed a couple upgrade parts to fix the potential problem before it had a chance to possibly become a problem.
 

ramrod919

Member
Sep 4, 2012
42
The '03 EXT we just bought is about to break the 250,000 mile mark. I have seen no signs or reports of any of the drive train having been replaced. There are a few "typical" issues going on with it. However, with the help of this site, I have already made plans to get those corrected. Besides those issues, she runs like a top! What really impressed me was as I drove it back from the dealer, about 120 miles of highway and Interstate, she was pulling around 20 mpg. That was even with a throttle body that looked like a cast iron skillet and perhaps the dirtiest air filter I have ever seen!
 

Voymom

Member
Feb 3, 2012
2,523
We bought Phantom with I believe 113k miles and he now has 150k I do believe. I will have to check to be certain. He still rides and drives like the day we brought him home in January.
 

Regulator

Member
Nov 20, 2011
2,496
HARDTRAILZ said:
I think Regulator has over 250K and it is used hard...

The odometer actually reads 247,xxx, however my odometer has also been of .12 for the past 75k miles so I believe my actual mileage is in the 260k range. My truck is driven hard and often! I stay up on the maintenance (admittedly that wasn't the case for the first 100k miles) and he behaves remarkably well for me. Like many others, I have replaced my transmission around 200k miles, but that has been the only major failure. If it wasn't necessary to replace my front diff I would fully expect to see 300k miles or more on this motor. I am going to be dropping in a clean engine with the new diff however and plan on driving this truck for many more years.

Voymom said:
We bought Phantom with I believe 113k miles and he now has 150k I do believe. I will have to check to be certain. He still rides and drives like the day we brought him home in January.

Do you have a 100 mile commute to work? How have you put 37 thousand miles on your truck in 8 months? You would have to be driving 1,200 plus miles a week to be able to do that!
 

Voymom

Member
Feb 3, 2012
2,523
Regulator said:
Do you have a 100 mile commute to work? How have you put 37 thousand miles on your truck in 8 months? You would have to be driving 1,200 plus miles a week to be able to do that!

Yeah, after talking to the Hubby he informed me that it's only 121k not 150k. I don't know where I got the idea that Phantom had 150k miles, but I'm guessing it was due to the lack of coffee when I wrote this :biggrin: :redface:
 

Lima Tango

Member
Dec 4, 2011
242
We bought her at 36k a little over 4 years ago. Now 91k, have not had to fix anything other than thermostat and gas gauge sender. Been an awesome truck and plan on another several years together!
 

gmcman

Member
Dec 12, 2011
4,656
174K and I purchased it new.

Outside temp sensor, U-Joints & ECT replaced once, thermostat twice, plugs, T-case fluid, diff fluid and brakes 3 times, coolant, brake & trans fluid 4 times, and a butt-load of fuel..:crazy: :cool:


Still remains squeak and rattle free, same 270 miles per tank mixed driving as when new. Still have the original rear wiper blade...:biggrin:


I hope to keep it for many more years, I love everything about it except for the MPG but that's definately not a deal breaker, these platforms offer more than what's avail today in a mid-size SUV. Trans is acting weird and I need some rear diff work but nothing really too major but still pretty solid, when the trans fails I will build it to handle 5-600 HP and be done with it.

Wouldn't have done it any differently, the inline 6 was the lure.:thumbsup:
 

McGMT

Member
Jun 17, 2012
621
I bought mine in May with 94k on the clock, now it has 102k on it.... Doing pretty good eh?
 

Opeth

Member
Mar 25, 2012
177
Bought with 47k on it in 2010, has 78k on it right now....

Only thing major, head failure at 74k miles... Burnt valves in #6.

Oil changes, x-case fluid change, tranny flush and filter, HVAC vent mode selector, brakes.

New tires, struts, shocks, wheels, and lift install by end of the month hopefully. $1k in tires is a kick in the ass and only thing I'm missing.
 

tom1999d

Member
Apr 24, 2012
32
I bought this new, my first ever new vehicle. Loved it from start to finish. The new Acadia falls way short of the Envoy, so I bought an 07 SLT to replace it.


Orig engine and Transmission

Water pump at 138K
Alternator at 186K
Ball joints and front wheel bearings at 160K
AC compressor had a total failure at 195k - that one cost $1200 to fix

Changed all the struts
Thermostat once around 190K

Fuel pump last week at 334K

Still getting ~20 MPH highway.
Shifting is not as crisp and the power is defineately off.

This has been one of the best vehicles I've ever owned. I'm really bummed to let it go. It's like an old piar of jeans... Average cost was $0.39 per mile, that's gas, insurance, everything. I have is old to a friens who will give it to his son to drive.

The good news is I'm now driving an 07 SLT. Money was not the problem. It was just that the new Acadia lacks so much compared to the Envoy. It's bigger, heavier, larger turning radius, no 4WD selcetor, no volt meter, no oil pressure gauge, no opening window in the liftgate.... I could go on and on. I'm hopin this 07 SLT carries me until they come out with a new Envoy, Body on frame, turbo diesel....
 

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framedforlife

Member
Oct 14, 2012
95
I have 99,500 on my Envoy everything is original except Water Pump,Cam Senor,Gas cap,and Load leveler(Failed within the first week).
 

gmcman

Member
Dec 12, 2011
4,656
WarGawd said:
LOL WOW!! :eek: You mean like in a display case as an antique??? LMAO :rotfl:


Nope, as in mounted and still working well....blade is not even cracked. Takes an extra wipe the first time though...:biggrin:
 

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gmcman

Member
Dec 12, 2011
4,656
WarGawd said:
Pretty sick - are you still using the razor blade your dad taught you to shave with too? :rotfl:

I do, pita to scrape the rust off the edges so I don't get tetanus though.
 

peepod2727

Member
Nov 14, 2012
8
I've had my 03 Voy about 1.5years, it has 220k now (put 20k myself not too shabby for a high school student:biggrin:)

When I first got it I replaced the clutch fan, water pump, thermostat, and blower resistor.

About 7-8k miles ago put in a new power steering pump (embarrassing when your taking a girl out and your vehicle breaks haha)

Now at 220k miles I have PCMofNC (PCM4less) tune coming in soon:wootwoot:, and in a couple weeks going to start ordering suspension parts,
thinking z71 rear springs, bilstein front struts, skyjacker rear shock, marks 3in lift, unsure about front springs as of right now still reading...
Hopefully new tires and wheel spacers when I get my tax return :raspberry:
 
Nov 27, 2012
11
2006 Trailblazer LT EXT, bought in July with 138000, got about 145000 now. I changed the throttle body last week. Otherwise its been basically trouble free since new. I'm second owner, first owner provided all records, oil changes, brakes and other various wear out parts. All done at the stealership, all done before failure. No major breakdowns or anything of the like since new. This rig was WELL taken care of.
 

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