Faults:

My 97' Z71 now has 175,000 I can't complain too much, it just seems like I am having the same problems every one else is having, SAFETY ISSUES, the hard spot in the steering when turning to the right that come from the factory that way, they just kept saying ”get it aligned” well I did, but it was never fixed right or recalled and finally run out of warranty and dealers to argue with to get it fixed, so it will probably end me up in a ditch because of it, and the ABS kicking in when ever it pleases are at the top of the list.

Other than that I have had the intake gaskets replaced twice and is right now in the shop again for gaskets, also replaced 1 water pump, the clunk in the transmission when shifting from 1st to 2nd gear, door handles, windshield wiper motor is all I've done to it. Mile for mile relatively cheap driving, I do wish that Chevy would stand behind their prouducts more warranty/recall wise.

$600 new tires last month, $100 wheel alignment last month, $700 intake gasket repair and what ever problems that are found with the ABS which I'm sure will not be cheap this month... MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ME!!!.

Faults:

My fuel pump went bad at 100,000 miles, but my mechanic believes it went because of the gas station I was going at the time.

The CD player stopped working, but the radio still worked in it.

General Comments:

This truck is awesome! I have beat this truck and it has never given me any problems, it runs better than my moms 2002 Tahoe and has way more power than it as well. It is only a 2x4 but you would not believe how well it does off road and during the snow storms we get up here in upstate N.Y.

I have gone through two sets of tires because of all the burnouts I have done, and it still drives perfect. I have raced my truck against many other vehicles and won almost every time! It smoked my buddy's 2000 eclipse, a dodge ram, and even beat a 1967 mustang with a bored out 305.

This truck is also very comfortable inside and out. The seats are very comfortable and the ride at any speed is excellent. The stereo in this truck is better than I expected as well.

Gas mileage is good on this truck if you don't put your foot into it, but even with a lot of weight in the bed it still gets decent mileage.

I have added a few things on to my truck such as fog lights, a front grill, taillights, and a true dual exhaust (glass-packs) that sounds awesome.

Faults:

Manifold gasket went out at 70000 miles.

Water pump went out at 75000 miles.

Replaced the pitman arm, idler arm, and front upper right ball joint at 79500 miles.

Service engine soon light been on since 75000 miles. Believed to be a leak in a fuel emissions line. Hasn't been officially diagnosed yet.

General Comments:

I purchased the truck from a small dealer as a second owner a year ago. The steering wheel had a noticeable amount of loose play at the top. I could move it about three inches left or right and not move the actual wheels. I had my mechanic check it out before I purchased it and he told me it was the pitman arm, which tends to go bad on larger 4x4 trucks due to the extra weight up front. I started noticing a lot of bouncing in the front end sometimes when I would hit bumps at around 77000 miles. I had it checked out and it was the upper ball joint. I had them replace it, the pitman arm, and the idler arm at the same time.

As far as the manifold gasket and water pump are concerned, I read reviews on this website and new that they had a tendency to go out around 75000 miles so it was nothing unexpected.

Otherwise I love this truck. The interior is comfortable and nothing seems out of place. The engine has plenty of power and the push button four wheel drive is very capable and easy to use. My truck has the Z71 package, but the ride is more than tolerable. My only gripe is I don't have a third door. So far I have experienced 15-19 miles per gallon on regular gas under conservative to moderate driving habits. The acceleration and gear changes have been smooth so far.

I generally use this truck around town, but occasionally I will pull a trailer or do some hauling. I would definitely recommend this truck to someone looking a full size pickup. I would just make sure they new to expect potential repairs starting around 70000 miles. I love driving this truck and now that I have some of the common problems out of the way, I plan to keep it for a long time.