23rd Aug 2004, 02:04
I don't believe that there was no grease in the bearings. It just doesn't sound plausible.
21st Oct 2004, 09:05
I bought a new 2003 tracker in feb of this year (2004) and could not be more satisfied. Have not had one single problem yet. This is my second tracker. The first one was a 1989 and I traded it in for the new 2003. Hope that this one will last just as long.
14th Oct 2006, 17:47
I have replaced many front bearings in vehicles and "they have never came packed with grease". Also you cannot "simply crawl under and grease it yourself", you must take out bearings, hub, wheel, etc... to reach them. Lets hear another piece of advice there mechanic.
21st Oct 2007, 14:15
Well, I have had a 1991 Geo Tracker and a 1994 Geo Tracker. I have also had a 2001 Suzuki Vitara and now I have a 2003 Chevrolet Tracker, and I have never had any problems with these vehicles. You couldn't ask for anything to be more reliable.
25th Dec 2007, 00:58
I am reading this review because I am researching several vehicles: CRV, RAV4, Liberty, Vitara, and Chevy's Tracker. The Tracker from my research is the best off road capability for the price. So I wanted to know about reliability of the 2004 model V6. Several hours of research later I think I'm going to buy one, this being the first bad review.
Two things to say about dealerships an honest dealership with good techs is hard to find. Second don't always accept the answer you are given to your problems especially under warranty as they don't need your approval for parts. There may be several reasons the dealer may be at fault, but rather blaim the manufacturer and if they could pacify you with a "grease job" they will. As in heath care sometimes a second opinion it is better to spend a few extra bucks to get a straight answer.
I must say though that this will not be my first Tracker (the other with a Geo badge). It was a '92 1.6 I4 5speed that my step dad had purchased as a "salvage" vehicle title in late '92. It had been rolled, totaled by insurance, bought by a body shop and fixed, then resold to my step dad for a very very reasonable price.
It served my step dad very well through many Wisconsin winters and I learned to drive a manual on it. Sadly two things happened my step dad passed away way way to early, and months later my saturn was totaled in a flood. I inherited the Tracker.
I drove it from 2000 to 2003 having gotten it with over 100,000 miles on it. With the exception of me allowing the original exhaust rusting though and dropping on the pavement in front of a state trooper at about 115,000 miles I never had a problem.
I beat that little thing more than any one should have, I had it on two wheels so many times (rear two, left two, right two). I ignored the fact it had been rolled once and the warning stickers inside the doors. The stickers were hilarious "warning this is a sport utility vehicle and is designed for off road capabilities and may be prone to roll in normal pavement driving". That is not exactly it I paraphase, but close.
Seasonal fun to take the tops off in summer and go any where in snow like the thing wears snow shoes (cause it's so light). The low geared 5speed allowed jack rabit starts to 35 MPH if you don't mind burning clutch and high revs. Off road well lets just say I I never got stuck.
I just talked myself into a used 2004 ZR2 V6 Tracker for $11,998 with only 28,412 miles fully loaded. Compared to a Jeep Liberty which from my research may or may not be better off road you can't beat that price.
P.S. I give this opinion freely with out any warranty though I will qualify it by saying this: I am a graduate of a local area tech school in their two year "Automotive Technician" program. I however was never employed in that field instead I have found I have nack for computers (complex machines like automobiles).
11th Nov 2008, 15:52
Have a Tracker, 2000, 4 door, automatic. Bought it new. Never had a problem. Running the original battery.
28th Nov 2008, 18:02
I have a 97 Tracker and in the Prairie Winter, the hubs will make a gross moaning sound until they warm up. It will come and go.
I heard that the issue was that Suzuki/Geo/Chevy (CAMI) had used a lower grade grease and that this is what caused this. Perhaps but in my case I have aftermarket Warn hubs and doubt that the bearings were not replaced/removed and repacked when the hubs were put in.
To be honest, I have put on 100,000km on these hubs and noise or not, they have not failed me. Now the head gasket and clutch well they have now failed and am looking for another Tracker/Vitara now.
Good, cheap rides. May be underpowered but I drive the crap out of it and it keeps ticking!
19th Apr 2011, 19:26
I bought a 2003 Chevy Tracker a year ago.
I thought I had a good reliable car. Turns out after only having 86,000 miles on it my motor has seized, and need a new one. I've not had any warning signs at all. I drove it and turned it off. Five minutes later I tried to start it but all it did was click.
Now I'm at a loss about Trackers. My mechanic has no idea what may have caused it. Has anyone heard of this?
6th Nov 2012, 15:46
Don't blame GM for the poor quality of the Tracker. It is not a GM vehicle, but rather a Japanese import, and like all Japanese cars, suffers from very cheap and poor build quality.
19th Aug 2004, 11:45
Whether the bearings are pre-packed with grease or not isn't the point. The point is that there is a lack of grease causing the failure. In other words, someone is not doing their job, whether it's the factory that builds these trucks or an outside source that makes the bearings.