2005 GMC Sierra SLE 6.6L DuraMax diesel from North America

Summary:

Considering? BUY IT, you won't be sorry

Faults:

Brakes/ABS master cylinder froze up; just lost ABS. Part covered under warranty, replaced it myself.

Steering rack got loose/shaky and rattled over bumps/through turns. Recall issued in '07/covered under warranty.

Quickly rusted brake rotors (my fault really for letting it sit for a few days after rainy weather).

A few exterior cab lights have gone bad in the center 3-stack.

General Comments:

WHAT A TRUCK. 3500 1-ton, Single-rear-wheel (not a dually) , Extended cab, SLE trim, 8ft. bed.

Bought this for towing and long distance hauls, and though expensive, I'm really glad I did. I have the 6.6L DuraMax (doesn't have the first gen '00-'04 bugs) with the Allison auto transmission and the heavy duty tow package. The torque in this beast is immense and tows with ease. I haul various cars with my long trailer, my 18' business trailer, and my 743 bobcat + it's trailer. In tow/haul mode it's like they aren't even there. The electric downshift in tow/haul is very helpful on hills (tapping the brake pedal downshifts and holds the lower gear to help slow down). And the as-standard Bridgestones are hardly showing wear. I also had the bed done by Rhino Lining; a great addition for a work truck you don't necessarily want to bang up.

For a truck, the interior is very nice. Trimmed well with glove-friendly buttons and dials. The dual-zone climate control is very nice as well. GM really knew what they were doing when they designed and built these trucks. The BOSE sound system is like caramel to the ears.

Unloaded it is superbly quick with its powerful turbo, and I have to admit, sometimes I hit the gas just to hear the whistle. Brings a smile to my face.

Now, I should bring up that diesel is now hovering at just above four bucks a gallon in my area, and though I am averaging around 20 MPG in mixed cty/hwy driving, it is still expensive to run, hence only 26,000 miles or so. And of course, this is a heavy-duty truck, so the ride will be a bit rougher than grandpa's Cadillac or his friend's Lincoln; but it is still good for such a big pick-up. That being said, I can't say enough good about this truck when it is doing what it was built to do. Towing/hauling is fantastic, and I couldn't ask for a better work-horse. Does everything it is asked to do (including pulling trees down and rescuing other vehicles from an ill-fated position) and more.

Utterly magnificent.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 26th July, 2011

2005 GMC Sierra 2500HD 6.0 from North America

Summary:

This truck was made to pull

Faults:

My power steering gear box went bad at 16000 miles.

General Comments:

This is a very powerful truck.

Unfortunately all of that power requires a lot of gas.

There is a recall on the power steering box.

If you have one, get it fixed before it breaks.

A broke gear could lead to disaster on the road.

The GMC dealership was very helpful and replaced the tailgate latch when I took it in for the gear box leak.

There is also a recall on the tailgate latch.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 19th March, 2006

12th Oct 2010, 15:55

I'm now at 86,000 miles and still no issues with the truck. Replaced my 245 tires with 285s, and cranked up the torsion bars to level out the look of the truck. This helped the appearance greatly, but killed the ride and increased the gas mileage slightly. I'd do it again, looks great.

One issue. When I leave the truck parked for more than 4 days without running, the transmission shifts hard upon driving, but once the tranny gets warm, you can shut off the engine, and the problem is gone upon restart.

2005 GMC Sierra SLE 5.3 from North America

Summary:

Great value and well built

Faults:

Nothing so far, although it is still nearly new and under factory warranty.

General Comments:

A well built 1/2 ton extended cab 4x4 pickup. Even with the Z71 off road package, it rides smoothly and handles very competently.

Equipped with a 4.10 rear axle ratio, it tows my 4000 pound travel trailer with ease.

Averages 14-15 miles per gallon in town, and 19 on the freeway. Not bad for a full size truck with the 4.10 rear axle.

The only other axle ratio available was the 3.42, and it feels sluggish compared to the 4.10. And mileage isn't much different.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 17th December, 2005

20th Dec 2006, 11:21

Some years back I went with a good friend of mine to a salvage yard to locate a trim part for his old GMC Jimmy. As we pulled into the lot, we noticed a nearly new mid-sized sedan that had obviously just been towed onto the lot. It had been hit from behind and the rear bumper had been smashed all the way up behind the front seats. The car was about HALF it's original length. I asked the tow-truck driver if anyone had died in the crash. He replied that the car's driver survived, and that the driver of the other vehicle was only slightly injured after he "fled the scene and crashed into a tree". Curious as to how anyone could "flee the scene" of such an obviously horrendous crash, I asked what the other driver was driving. I was informed that the other driver had been driving a GMC Sierra pickup, and that after hitting the car he led police on an 11-mile chase at speeds up to 100mph that ended when he hit a tree (which was a bit better built than the car!!). I guess that says a lot about the ruggedly built GMC truck. To completely destroy a car without even puncturing the radiator, then drive it at speeds up to 100mph for 11 miles afterwards is quite a feat. That helped me in my decision to buy my wife a GMC SUV. If they're that tough, I want my family in one!!