Home Forums Gear Hunting Trucks and Four-Wheel Drives Opinions wanted: 2000 Chevy 1500

Looking at upgrading to a year 2000, Chevy 1500 4x4 Z71 5.3l, with 89,000 miles. Looks to be in perfect shape, garage kept, no work town truck.

Pros and cons? Anything major to look out for?

It's getting enough miles to possibly need new brakes soon. Pickups used in town have the brakes ridden a lot in stop and go traffic.

I think the 2000's have issues with the instrument clusters, expensive to replace due to parts and labor. The 5.3 is a solid engine, the auto transmission might need some attention at 125k +/-

My son has a 2001 with ~125k on the odo, all in all a pretty decent truck.

How well does the Auto 4wd work? Is it useful?

The interior plastic is cheap and noisy compared to the previous body style (discontinued partway through '99) . The auto 4wd is hinky. The 5.3 liter is a great motor.

As mentioned: instrument cluster....And have the tranny service done at 125k

My '03 5.3 Z71 ran for 260+k before I sold it.
Front half shaft replaced under warranty, instrument cluster under recall, and front wheel bearings/hubs, and one alternator. That's it, ever.

I picked up 2000 2nd hand about a year ago. It's now got 247k on it, runs fine. Prior owner said its had the tranny done. The fuel pressure regulator went south on my during this rough winter we had. I've replaced the side mirrors switch, and the seat switch. For a kick around, hunting truck it's fine. Doors rattle and the driver's seat is about shot, but what do you expect for the mileage? I've know others to take the 5.3 to 300k+ if taken care of...

My son had three vehicles of that era from where he use to work and a friend of mine has a 2003 4X4 Silverado w/170+K miles that he bought new. As has been posted the trans is one issue. That would concern me. In all vehicles I mentioned they needed replaced at around 125K miles. My friends gauge cluster needed replaced not to long ago. Other than that he's had issues that any vehicle with that many miles might have. Most recently was a replacement of the fuel pump,alternator,and something with the EVAC system that would be expensive to repair so his CE light stays on. All that said he lives where at certain times of the yr he NEEDS 4 wheel drive daily. Off the state road 1/2+mile. No problems with the 4X4 system so far. No problems with the 5.3 at all.

So what's the deal with the instrument cluster? If it was replaced once, does that fix the problem?

And transmission: service at 125k or does it need to be replaced? What kind of problems arise?

Instrument cluster was a one and done, defective part recall, AFAIK. Trans 'service' just means flush/fill/inspect....can lead to premature failure/wear if neglected beyond every 125K....from my 'info'.

The gauges on my friend's cluster started failing one by one. No problems with it since but the shop who did it said it was a PIA to replace. Plus he had to take it back to be calibrated?

My friends transmission started losing gears on his way back from a 100mi round trip. Ended up with just third. Shop replaced the trans. So far so good with the Jasper replacement after about 50K on it. Asked my son about his experiences with those trannies and it was about the same symptoms. Shop manager where his company would have their vehicles worked on said it was nature of that trans at about the 125K mark.

Thanks for all the feedback. Any other opinions?

This would be replacing my 1994 Silverado, which is still running fine.

The auto 4wd on my 2003 works great. Cuts a bit off your fuel mileage but it isn't great to begin with. I get 14.5 all around and about 16.5 on a road trip. That is the 5.3 with auto, 4:10 gears. I bought mine new and have had a few problems. Right rear axle seals leak and I have replaced three of them in 70K miles. Lost the front differential for no reason at all. Expensive to fix at $1200.00. I service the trans every 30K. No problems with the trans, the motor, or the rear differential. The power steering pump has failed twice.

The lid of the center console has a ridiculous latch mechanism and if it breaks you have to buy a whole unit as they don't seem to sell just the top. Mine is broken and it is going to stay that way till I can get to a salvage yard. I have had no problems with instrumentation so far.

The emergency brake cable is too low on the rear axle and you can snag it easily in rough terrain when you are out looking for cows in the sagebrush. The 2003 is the third GM truck in a row I have had. A 1988, 1996, and the 03 and all with the small blocks and auto trans. The 1996 was the best of the three with no problems in 125,000 miles. It had a 5.7 motor.

The devil you know...

I replaced a 2000 Yukon XL (5.3, 184K) with a 2007 (5.3, 42K), because the latter was "going' too cheap". I endured instrument clusters, interior lights, door handles, engine & transaxle leaks, EVAP charcoal canister, broken plastic valves on TOP of the fuel tank, etc. Oh, and they had to pull the engine 3 times in 30K miles to get the SOB to stop burning oil (AFM ).

I was lucky in that almost all of it was picked up by GM through either the 5 year original powertrain warranty, or the Certified Used warranty. The time traveling to, and waiting at, the service area of the dealership, I'll never get back. I'm not trying to hate on GM - I love what the products aim for. But they haven't delivered for me for a while. Seems it's kind of, "GM Roulette", lately.

If I had one which was running fine, I'd hang on to it 'til it wasn't.

JMHO.

FC

Does the 2000 5.3 have the AFM (active fuel management)? I know I don't want that feature.

I believe it was 2007 and later.

FC

Any other opinions?

Mine was a 2003 I bought new.

Instrument cluster issue is faulty stepper motors for each guage. A couple dollars each buys replacements. Remove instrument panel (pull trim off dash, 4 screws, and a quick connect for the ribbon cable, ten minytes tops). Pull outer cover off. Mark needle '0' position with masking tape. Pop needles off with a fork. Desolder all 6 motors from circuit board. Solder in new ones. Slide needles on. Put outer cover in. Reinstall in dash. Maybe an hours work fir me to do it the second time.

I never used auto 4wd. I preferred telling it When I wanted it in 2 or 4wd. Don't use auto 4wd in wife's current yukon either. don't like my computer telling me what I want to do in a word processing program either.

Catalytic converters on one side at 160k, 200k for other side at $150 each.

One 02 sensor.

Rebuilt a weepy water pump. Never saw a leak, but would be low on coolant every 6 months. Mechanic noticed the evaporated residue st pump shaft.

Never serviced transmission, sold it at 230k miles.

Every other dollar spent was 'routine' consumable items rgat any vehicle uses.

Regret getting rid of it.

Thanks for that info. I'll be looking into this truck soon.

The LS engines are probably the best Chevy engines ever made....I have not owned one yet but my brother has over 300 k on his 6.0
They had some great engines to replace in the 350 and 454..