1996 GMC Jimmy SLE review from North America
"Reliable, good-looking and tough, I love it!"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
I have been very impressed with the longevity of my Jimmy. I love this vehicle! It has been by far the most reliable vehicle I have ever owned. Although there are comfort issues with the lack of cushioning & positioning of the front seats causes lower back pain, and it does rattle quite a bit on the inside; (this is from kids slamming the doors & breaking the grommets which hold the interior door panels in place, not the car or manufacturer's fault.
I too have had to replace the radiator at about 120,000 miles, my mechanic suggested that I change to a different system which uses the green coolant rather than the Dex Cool which has apparently caused Many problems for this car. I did make that change, but to my dismay, 100,000 miles later, lo! the radiator is leaking again! So now in the process of repairing for a second time. I really can't complain too much, though considering the number of miles I have put on the car.
Other than cooling system issues I have replaced upper and lower ball joints, (it still feels very 'heavy' or sluggish on the front end), (does anyone know why the recommended size of front tires are actually too wide? They rub on undercarriage parts, causing problems with the power steering unit, due to added stress, I'm thinking) power steering unit, water pump, fuel pump, front wheel bearings, belts, hoses, brakes and regular routine maintenance items. Oh yeah, about those wipers, turns out that this is a very common problem with many GM products in this age category, especially pick-ups and SUVs, all you have to do is replace the printed circuit board, viola! problem solved!
What bothers me most about this car is that 'whoomp, whoomp, whoomp' noise that it makes at highway speeds. I have searched and searched for the source, to no avail, sounds like the drive shaft or transmission?
I have changed tires, serviced transmission and rear-end, the previous owners had the drive shaft replaced while still under warranty.
I would definitely buy another GMC, but would check it out thoroughly first.
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| Expensive, Problematic Design |
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| Truck works and handles great |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Model year | 1996 |
| Year of manufacture | 1996 |
| First year of ownership | 2000 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2007 |
| Engine and transmission | Vortec 6 Automatic |
| Performance marks | 9 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 9 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 5 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 7 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 7 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 72000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 248000 miles |
| Previous car | GMC Nissan |
| Date of Entry | 1st November, 2007 |