Faults:

Water pump out at 80K.

Front brake rotors 95k.

Window wiper motor out at 120k.

Starter out at 138k.

Front passenger ball joint out at 165k.

Front brake rotors 165k.

Blown Intake manifold 170k.

Fuel pump out at 180k.

AC compressor/accumulator 185K.

Driver's side door handle 190K.

Oil pump out at 199k (had to replace motor).

General Comments:

I've had this truck from day one, even with the issues I have had, because it is a comfortable truck and was paid for early on. Without truck payments, fixing parts every now and then myself is worth keeping the car. I even replaced the motor myself. I bought a crate motor from dealership for $1600, which was a great deal. All the other repairs as well have been done by me or one of my friends.

There are rattles and noises due mostly to the age. The inside cabin area has stood up to years of abuse with only the driver's door handle breaking. My cloth covered seats still do not have any tears or worn spots on them. I use this daily to drive to work; a round trip over 60 miles. Best gas mileage I have gotten with mixed city/highway miles was 20 MPG.

Faults:

Well, I bought my 1998 Chevy Silverado Z71 4X4 in August of 2002, with about 118,000 miles on it. It was a construction truck prior to me purchasing it. Right now, it has a little over 285,000 miles on it. I've replaced a few parts on the truck more than once, such as the power steering pump I've replaced about 2-3 times a year.

The clear coat on the paint is peeling off, which I've noticed on many Silverados around the same year and body style.

The leather interior is in pretty nice shape, apart from a tear in the driver's seat along the seam; had to use duct tape to hold it together.

Replaced the ignition last year; the ignition wore out to the point that I could start the truck without the key in the ignition.

Have had a few problems with the A/C unit. It doesn't like to hold the freon in, and it leaks out, slowly, but does completely leak out. I've replaced a couple of gaskets and one of the lines to the A/C unit. It also has a tendency to blow cold air for a while, then go hot for a few minutes, then back to cold. The light on the A/C button goes on and off on its own.

I've also had a problem with a oxygen sensor on the truck. The engine service light turns on and off on its own, even when it was just worked on. I was told it's a sensor that is the problem. Doesn't bother me much, but is a little annoying that I get it reset, and then it comes back on a few weeks later.

The steering on the truck is very loose, it can be turned with one finger, even at about 30 mph. A friend of mine has a 1990 Silverado that is the same way. I don't know if that was the way it was from the factory when new.

The most recent problem with the truck was on 8/16/2011, when I noticed the truck was leaking a lot of fluid. I took it into the repair shop, and was told that the intake manifold is leaking and that it would be about $600.00 to repair, which I am not too pleased about.

General Comments:

My family has always had Chevys, and this was the only truck that I've driven this many miles on. I would definitely say it's a reliable vehicle. I love the 5.7 liter V8 (not the smaller 5.3 in the new Silverado); it has a lot of power, and does really well pulling trailers and my 23' boat.

I haven't put a lot of repairs into the truck since I bought it, and plan to hold on to it for a while. I don't really do a lot of off roading in it, even though it has the Z71 4X4 off road package.

I love the truck, pulled cars, boats, and pulled my dad's big rig out of a ditch with it. Very satisfied overall with the truck. Wish Chevy would have kept making the 5.7 liter V8 instead of the 5.3 liter. It was a popular engine, and it is well worth bringing back.

Overall, I would give this truck an 8 out of 10. I've put over a quarter of a million miles on the original engine, and haven't had any major repairs until recently. Definitely going to be a Chevy owner in the future.