My Trailblazer is dying

MikeHayes

Original poster
Member
Mar 20, 2016
72
Vermont
So, Friday my mechanic discovered that I was getting rod knock at the bottom of my V8 and gave me two choices. Rebuild the engine or trade it in before it goes completely. I am sad to say I traded it in yesterday for a 2018 Santa Fe Sport. It has half the cylinders, just over half the horsepower but comes with the next 5 years/60,000 miles worry free. I wanted to keep it but I can't justify putting another few thousand dollars in a vehicle I already put a $3000 transmission into. I only paid $6,000 for it to begin with.

So a big thank you to everyone here for all the help and advice I have gotten and say goodbye for now.
 

Drec

Lifetime VIP Donor
Supporting Donor
Member
Jan 29, 2018
216
Yakima, Washington
This is a sad reality that many of us will face sometime. How much time and money do you put into something that doesn't have the value. No matter what value you put on your vehicle, a insurance company will only value it as so much. My 2005 Silverado is the only new vehicle I've ever owed. Been married for over 50 years and only had cars that I bought and fixed, most were salvage or wrecked. Growing up in an auto body/mechanic family will do that to you. Now I'm finding that some of these cars are just too complicated to keep going, but I'm trying.

I have a 2001 Jaguar S-Type that might be a donor car for rebuilding my 47 Chevrolet. The Jag rear suspension and seats might look good in the Chevy.

I've parted out a few cars in the last few years that I felt weren't worth putting more money into them. Like a 1986 Thunderbird TurboCoupe with a 5-speed. It had almost a 100k on it when I bought it with front end damage for $200 and fixed it for a couple hundred more. Nice car, but couldn't justify spending $500 or more just for paint and materials to paint it. My wife got tired of driving multi-color cars; which I totally get. She put up with stuff like that for many years until I painted them.
 
Last edited:

Bow_Tied

Member
Dec 21, 2014
453
London, ON
I feel your pain. I have put a $3k trans in mine too - and a whole lot more. Always cheaper to get rid of the truck while it's still running than when it's not so you made a wise choice. I've been thinking of trading but was hoping to have a stretch of a few months with no issues first, but it never happens. Hyundai has really come a long way and have some decent cars (I wouldn't have said so 20 years ago but very different now) so it should do great family duty. Good luck with your future endeavours.
 

littleblazer

Member
Jul 6, 2014
9,265
Good luck with the new toy.

My problem has and will be getting into something comparable wouldn't be worth it to me. I'd have to go full size... I paid 7k for it. Put about 2k in it and put damn near 100k on it over the last few years. It's the same issue we have with the escalade. We got it for nothing with 38k on it. Now it has 220k on it and its getting time. But to replace that is really freaking expensive too... if I went to a car it wouldn't be too bad but I need the truck for the boat so...
 

northcreek

Member
Jan 15, 2012
3,310
WNY
My problem has and will be getting into something comparable wouldn't be worth it to me. I'd have to go full size... I paid 7k for it. Put about 2k in it and put damn near 100k on it over the last few years. It's the same issue we have with the escalade. We got it for nothing with 38k on it. Now it has 220k on it and its getting time. But to replace that is really freaking expensive too... if I went to a car it wouldn't be too bad but I need the truck for the boat so...
I had the same thoughts about a replacement if my Denali were to die. I'm kinda leaning towards this, it's so similar to what I have now, even as far as the color and it has a Hemi.
01.jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: xavierny25

littleblazer

Member
Jul 6, 2014
9,265
I had the same thoughts about a replacement if my Denali were to die. I'm kinda leaning towards this, it's so similar to what I have now, even as far as the color and it has a Hemi.
View attachment 84587
See that is the thing.... The last dodge product I drove I wanted to light on fire and push off a cliff and watch it die....
 

xavierny25

Member
Mar 16, 2014
6,323
Staten Island, N.Y
I had the same thoughts about a replacement if my Denali were to die. I'm kinda leaning towards this, it's so similar to what I have now, even as far as the color and it has a Hemi.
View attachment 84587

Me and the wife spoke about this 2 weeks ago. If we had to let the Voy go we would jump into the anniversary addition of the grand Cherokee Laredo. It's got the look and size she is used to. My wife has waited for GM to come up with something better then there b.s crossovers and has not been happy with anything they are putting out.

I'd jump into a full size truck but it would just be my toy. I wouldn't want her commuting with it. She doesn't like being low to the ground when driving so a car for her is out of the question. Price wise the Laredo works. I dont see us in great financial status to jump into a bmw 5x or the Benz m class or even close to the volco class anytime soon.

So in the end if the Voy takes a dump now or 1yr from now the Laredo would be our go to.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mooseman

Sparky

Member
Dec 4, 2011
12,927
See that is the thing.... The last dodge product I drove I wanted to light on fire and push off a cliff and watch it die....

You know why they call them Dodge, right? It is instructions. Dodge them, don't buy them.
 

paul2005tb

Member
Nov 26, 2014
299
Massachusetts
Drive mildly and get another 100k out of the engine, drive like a bandit and hope to see 200k out of it. Regarding the Santa Fe, I bought one for my other 10 years ago, I can not complain. It has served her well.
 

northcreek

Member
Jan 15, 2012
3,310
WNY
See that is the thing.... The last dodge product I drove I wanted to light on fire and push off a cliff and watch it die....
I've owned two MOPAR vehicles in the past, one died and one didn't. But GM as always does not listen to their customers wants ( see Govt. bailout) .
So a person wanting a similar 360 product has to search elsewhere. As far as the new Trailblazer, all GM has been doing is "Talking" and as for my next vehicle I'm "Walking".
 
  • Like
Reactions: Locksmith

Drec

Lifetime VIP Donor
Supporting Donor
Member
Jan 29, 2018
216
Yakima, Washington
As I see it, new cars are now so complicated most of us aren't going to be able to repair them. That said, if you're going to buy something, a fairly bare bones vehicle is probably the best option.
 

Mektek

Member
May 2, 2017
656
FL
As I see it, new cars are now so complicated most of us aren't going to be able to repair them. That said, if you're going to buy something, a fairly bare bones vehicle is probably the best option.

Even the oldest TB is full of networked modules - just like most new cars. There's no way to escape that. The TB project was my "re-education" and now I'm fine with working on newer GM electronics. I heard horror stories of problems with older Cadillacs, but after working on the TB for two years and figuring out how to overhaul all the actuators I'm not afraid of the problems anymore. I think most GM products have many similarities in their major systems.
So many GMT 360s have gone to the scrap heap for relatively minor, albeit "expensive to pay someone to repair" problems..........

225K mi and still purring like a kitten:2thumbsup:
 
  • Like
Reactions: jpinoy and snoozer

Drec

Lifetime VIP Donor
Supporting Donor
Member
Jan 29, 2018
216
Yakima, Washington
My education on the newer cars seems to be just beginning with the Envoy. My Silverado is a stripped down truck. It has power brakes, steering and A/C. Everything else is manual, 4.3 L V6 and a 5-speed manual transmission.

I live where we have to go through emission testing every other year. I've had some issues with my Jaguar S-Type that I've tried to sort out. But once the license expires, it's difficult to go through the drive cycle to see if the code will clear before an inspection.
 
Last edited:

Sparky

Member
Dec 4, 2011
12,927
I've owned two MOPAR vehicles in the past, one died and one didn't. But GM as always does not listen to their customers wants ( see Govt. bailout) .
So a person wanting a similar 360 product has to search elsewhere. As far as the new Trailblazer, all GM has been doing is "Talking" and as for my next vehicle I'm "Walking".

Meh. It wasn't technically a bailout. It was a loan they had to pay back. That said, I still didn't agree with it.
Chrysler was effectively force sold by our government to Fiat. Can't say that's really any better.

Even the oldest TB is full of networked modules - just like most new cars. There's no way to escape that. The TB project was my "re-education" and now I'm fine with working on newer GM electronics. I heard horror stories of problems with older Cadillacs, but after working on the TB for two years and figuring out how to overhaul all the actuators I'm not afraid of the problems anymore. I think most GM products have many similarities in their major systems.
So many GMT 360s have gone to the scrap heap for relatively minor, albeit "expensive to pay someone to repair" problems..........

225K mi and still purring like a kitten:2thumbsup:

I was actually surprised a bit, my 02 GMT360 LS had more smart modules in it than my 07 GMT900 LT. For example, the door switches are just that, switches. That's 4 fewer smart modules right there. It surprised me, really.
 

littleblazer

Member
Jul 6, 2014
9,265
I've owned two MOPAR vehicles in the past, one died and one didn't. But GM as always does not listen to their customers wants ( see Govt. bailout) .
So a person wanting a similar 360 product has to search elsewhere. As far as the new Trailblazer, all GM has been doing is "Talking" and as for my next vehicle I'm "Walking".
Out of the big three at the philly auto show the dodge was the cheapest feeling. When I pulled open the door it bent when I maxed it out, the interior plastics were rough and hard and all the sound deadening in the engine bay was warped and peeling off. Between that and the old pickup we had where the entire dash literally disentigrated (apparently that was a problem well into the late 2000s and may still be, felt like the same material) I'd never. That being said it always got me home. The v6 magnum was a joke, you couldn't speed in that if you tried... I clocked the zero to sixty at 11 seconds. The trans felt like it slipped into each gear... again never got worse from new. And it somehow rides worse than a 2500 or 3500 dually gm. Only good thing I have to say about it is that it was decent on gas and the ac blew ice cubes. It probably would have been a better truck with a v8, it just hurt to drive. It also ate wheel bearings iirc...

:rant:

I have really good experience with GM, at least pre bailout gm. Company only just bought a 17 dump, time will tell. The 98 hauled a 10000lb trailer its whole life until it died with 178k. Really owed us nothing. Red truck died because of lack of maintenance, if it had regular oil changes it would still have a 350 in it. And the only reason the rear in the duramax blew up was because it hit something in a yard and was then driven a year with no diff fluid in it...
 

Bow_Tied

Member
Dec 21, 2014
453
London, ON
I've owned two MOPAR vehicles in the past, one died and one didn't. But GM as always does not listen to their customers wants ( see Govt. bailout) .
So a person wanting a similar 360 product has to search elsewhere. As far as the new Trailblazer, all GM has been doing is "Talking" and as for my next vehicle I'm "Walking".

I agree... might look at a used V8 Pathfinder for next rig if I go the SUV route. Tho, the new Colorado is appealing...I wonder how much I’d hate myself for that buy? lol
 

Sparky

Member
Dec 4, 2011
12,927
Nissan is the Chrysler of the import world :tongue:
 

brianlibby791

Member
Feb 25, 2017
239
New Jersey
I do have to give it to mopar, i've had 2 good experiences in their vehicles. One being a 17' Jeep Grand Cherokee and 17' Dodge Durango. Both pretty well built vehicles. But they seem way better built than the pickups as @littleblazer said (I was at the show with him). The 2013 Chevy Traverse isn't a bad looking truck along with the Acadia and Terrain.

Dads Equinox with 121k has only had one CEL (P0014) which is a faulty sensor. Moms SRX has had multiple issues (Thats what you get for buying something with so many electronics):crackup:.

IMO I would have bought another decently used one and put the money into it because pre bailout GM was better than after. And there's a surplus of parts for them. But i guess GM has to "Get with the times".
 

littleblazer

Member
Jul 6, 2014
9,265
I actually have nothing bad to say about nissan... at least their cars anyway.
 

Sparky

Member
Dec 4, 2011
12,927
My brother had an Altima that did nothing but break on him. 90k-something miles it blew up its transmission. Like literally blew chunks through its pan across the road. That was fun. He ended up hating that car as much as it seemed to hate him. He's a gearhead, not like he didn't know how to maintain stuff.

His old Xterra wasn't a bad vehicle. Its U joints went bad at 60k for whatever reason, but that was about it.

To be fair, his 92 Dodge Dakota with the V8 Magnum was a tank. It was always breaking stupid little stuff and had to get fixed a lot, but the engine itself was indestructible. It overheated severely once, (temp gauge was broken and he was running AC in traffic), and it gave no indication it was overheating until it blew the radiator apart. New radiator, hoses, and coolant, and it was perfectly fine. Ran out of oil once because of an accidental double gasket on the oil filter (yeah a rookie mistake), new filter and fresh oil, kept trucking.
 

Bow_Tied

Member
Dec 21, 2014
453
London, ON
Be that as it may, my 2002 Pathfinder at twice the mileage was 10x the vehicle vs my Envoy

But ask enough people every brand is junk.
 

littleblazer

Member
Jul 6, 2014
9,265
Nah man, my 94 rodeo was the best vehicle that ever crossed this earth. We ran it for 130k and did nothing but brakes oil and tires. I saw the guy that bought it a couple of years ago and it was north of 300k with the same maintainence. Only vehicle Honda sold that they didn't design themselves...
 

Mooseman

Moderator
Dec 4, 2011
25,262
Ottawa, ON
A quick return to topic, @MikeHayes , I feel your pain when it's time to make that decision. My '02 crapped out the tranny and it just wasn't worth the money, time and work. In any case, as I saw while I was parting it out, saw that rust was well under way to kill it.

On another note, The Saab's been "knocking" almost since I got it. It's either a wrist pin or piston slap, and it hasn't died yet. Use it as my winter beater. Not putting more money into it than necessary. Still like it though.

I was lucky and found a low mileage '07 TB for a fair price. It will probably outlast me.

BTW, nobody mentioned the F word (Ford)
hide.gif
 

littleblazer

Member
Jul 6, 2014
9,265
A quick return to topic, @MikeHayes , I feel your pain when it's time to make that decision. My '02 crapped out the tranny and it just wasn't worth the money, time and work. In any case, as I saw while I was parting it out, saw that rust was well under way to kill it.

On another note, The Saab's been "knocking" almost since I got it. It's either a wrist pin or piston slap, and it hasn't died yet. Use it as my winter beater. Not putting more money into it than necessary. Still like it though.

I was lucky and found a low mileage '07 TB for a fair price. It will probably outlast me.

BTW, nobody mentioned the F word (Ford)
hide.gif
The blue oval couldn't even make it into this conversation under its own power, why flat bed it in here? :crackup:
 

shovenose

Member
Apr 24, 2016
318
SF Bay Area, CA
Heh, I'm about to bring Ford into this conversation. Ford and GM are BOTH way better than anything FCA makes.
 

paul2005tb

Member
Nov 26, 2014
299
Massachusetts
Heh, I'm about to bring Ford into this conversation. Ford and GM are BOTH way better than anything FCA makes.

1) my brother has a F150, has 300k miles on it. Still runs great,
2) I just bought a Ram 2500, 4x4 6.7CTD, more vehicle for the price than anything I have seen since I bought my 05 Trailblazer.

All of the big three do some things really good and all of them do some things not so good. We have only ourselves to blame if we can find the difference.
 

vipergg

Member
Dec 7, 2011
191
Me and the wife spoke about this 2 weeks ago. If we had to let the Voy go we would jump into the anniversary addition of the grand Cherokee Laredo. It's got the look and size she is used to. My wife has waited for GM to come up with something better then there b.s crossovers and has not been happy with anything they are putting out.

I'd jump into a full size truck but it would just be my toy. I wouldn't want her commuting with it. She doesn't like being low to the ground when driving so a car for her is out of the question. Price wise the Laredo works. I dont see us in great financial status to jump into a bmw 5x or the Benz m class or even close to the volco class anytime soon.

So in the end if the Voy takes a dump now or 1yr from now the Laredo would be our go to.
I agree with you 100% . Been waiting for a TB replacement that doesn't look like their mommy mobiles like the Traverse or Equinox that all have the same stupid looking front end and the 3.6 engine is still questionable if you dont keep up on the maintenance . At this point all issues should be ironed out with that motor . I have 125000 miles on my Ascender and it still runs like new and burns zero oil at 5-6000 mile OCI . I do tow a 4000 lb boat so the vehicle has to be able to tow . I also looked at the GC Laredo and this year it doesnt appear that you can get a tow package on it which ticks me off , you have to go up $10000 to get a tow package on a higher level trim which is BS .

I've owned two MOPAR vehicles in the past, one died and one didn't. But GM as always does not listen to their customers wants ( see Govt. bailout) .
So a person wanting a similar 360 product has to search elsewhere. As far as the new Trailblazer, all GM has been doing is "Talking" and as for my next vehicle I'm "Walking".
Unless they can make something with similar size RWD based with adequate power like the GMT360 I will be looking elsewhere myself . I dont get why they wont bring another out , they sold so many and there is still a decent number on the road even here in the rust belt . My 2008 has held up remarkably well so far against rust with just some minor rust bubbles along the lower edge on the rear doors . Engine and tranny still operate like new at 125000 miles .
 
  • Like
Reactions: oldog

Forum Statistics

Threads
23,273
Posts
637,498
Members
18,472
Latest member
MissCrutcher

Members Online

No members online now.