1996 GMC Suburban Reviews

- New shocks at 62000 and 137500; upgraded to Monroe-matics (front) & load balancing coil-over (rear) lifetime warranty!

- Tires replaced at 62000 and 125000; Dayton Timberland IIs.

- New Pitmann arms at 86000.

- New alternator at 78000; OEM Delco from GMC dealership.

- New blower, blower relay, blower switch at 134000.

- New water pump, radiator hoses & clamps, & heater control valve at 136000.

Very reliable car! Total cost of ownership very low, even after servicing.

Never had a vehicle that was better at towing, passenger comfort/room, construction material hauling, and driver comfort.

Runs like a Swiss watch when fully loaded with wife & four kids & all their stuff, dog with kennel, fully loaded rooftop cargo box, while towing a 19' ski boat.

Done the brake booster, and put new tires on it.

I have owned this truck for just over 2 years, with the expectations that I would need to put some work into it.

This truck is bulletproof; I have taken it all over the BC coast, through the rockies, and use it as my regular daily driver.

For such a big truck, it really handles well. A good set of BFG A/T's is all that is required, and you can go anywhere.

We also tow a 5,000lb trailer on a regular basis through the mountains, and never have a problem passing when we need to.

As far as cargo space; you can't beat having 7 passengers, and room for all the gear and luggage, without strapping it to the roof.

Gas mileage is another story; on the highway I was actually getting a respectable 24mpg, but in the city expect 11-12mpg.

All in all, a great truck that I would recommend to anyone with a need.

Starter diff seal.

Broken back window (barn door, my fault, door pins, still way better than an Explorer).

It tows our boat, it rides nice and the air mattress fits with room for your boots.

The front brake rotors warped and were replaced at about 50000 miles.

Outer lower front seat leather sections replaced at about 30000 miles.

The truck is a 2500 4X4 SLT used to tow a 9400 lb Travel Trailer. GM rates the combined towing weight as 15000 lb, but we are 15600 according to scales. Truck tows the load very readily, but consumes gas at about 7-8 miles per gal. Mileage empty highway is 15 and around town 12. Due to heavy weight, I run the rear tires at 80 psi for towing (hard ride when unloaded). Run 50 psi at all other times. Braking would be better with 4 wheel disc brakes.

Installed K&N Air Filter and Flowmaster muffler with twin pipes. Combination did add some power to truck.

Added polished Aluminum wheels rated at 2500 lb per wheel. Makes a great looking truck.

Would not got into 4 wheel drive.

Anti lock brakes took way too long to stop the truck.

Stalled at all the wrong times without any prior notice.

Sucked fuel like crazy (9-10mpg)!

Steering would bind up when making a left turn.

Oil leaked out of the oil cooler fittings.

Once all those problems were fixed, the truck has been a dream. It fits all our purposes of buying it in the first place.

This truck has just about made an auto mechanic out of me. The web pages have helped me with fixing all those problems and saving a fortune in repairs. So, it turned out that instead of the previous owner ripping me off... I got a good deal.