Ownership Cost for 1998 GMC Sierra C/K 3500 (Reg. Cab 4WD)
Estimated: $25909 over the next 5 years
| Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Depreciation | $984 | $472 | $413 | $374 | $335 | $2578 |
| Insurance | $1451 | $1502 | $1554 | $1609 | $1665 | $7781 |
| Fuel | $2229 | $2295 | $2376 | $2471 | $2582 | $11953 |
| Maintenance | $40 | $253 | $137 | $225 | $1038 | $1693 |
| Repairs | $91 | $323 | $353 | $487 | $612 | $1866 |
| Taxes & Fees | $24 | $24 | $24 | $24 | $24 | $36 |
| Total Ownership Costs | $4819 | $4849 | $4837 | $5168 | $6235 | $25909 |
| Model year | COMPONENT | Complaint |
| 2001 | SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | WHILE DRIVING I HAD MY BRAKES FAIL, THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. IT WAS A RESULT OF A BROKEN STEEL BRAKE LINE UNDER THE DRIVERS SEAT. WHAT I FOUND WHEN I LOOKED UNDER THE TRUCK WAS ALL THE LINES THAT WENT TO THE ABS UNIT WERE BADLY RUSTED. ONE OF MY COWORKERS HAD THE SAME PROBLEM ON HIS 2001 GMC SUBURBAN BUT HE CHUCKED IT UP TO ALL THE CAMPING TRIPS HE WENT ON WHERE HE LEFT HIS TRUCK PARKED OFF ROAD. MY TRUCK HOWEVER ONLY HAS 30,000 MILES AND IT HAS NEVER BEEN TAKEN OFF ROAD. I ALSO FLUSH THE BRAKE FLUID ONCE A YEAR AS PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE, SO THEY CAN'T CLAIM THEY RUSTED FROM THE INSIDE OUT. I DRIVE MY TRUCK EVERY DAY TO WORK ABOUT ONE MILE AWAY. MY DRIVEWAY IS PAVED AND THE PARKING LOT AT MY PLACE OF WORK IS ALSO PAVED. I DON'T PULL ANY HEAVY TRAILERS OR DO ANYTHING ELSE THAT WOULD CONTRIBUTE TO THE LINE FAILURE. I AM NOT PUTTING DOWN GM PRODUCTS BECAUSE ALL MY VEHICLES ARE GM VEHICLES INCLUDING TWO ANTIQUES. ONE A 1955 CHEVY WHICH HAD ORIGINAL BRAKE LINES UNTIL I DID A DISC BRAKE CONVERSION SEVERAL YEARS BACK. THE OTHER A 1970 CHEVELLE WHICH IS CURRENTLY A RESTORATION PROJECT BUT THE LINE ARE STILL ORIGINAL. THERE IS OBVIOUS A PROBLEM WITH THE MATERIAL USED TO MAKE THESE LINES. I WAS RESEARCHING THE PROBLEM ONLINE AND IT APPEARS THAT THERE ARE TO MANY OTHER PEOPLE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. ALSO GM NO LONGER SELLS THE LINES WHICH MAKES IT A MUCH MORE TROUBLESOME REPAIR. I ALSO DON'T OWN A BOAT, JET SKI OR ANYTHING ELSE THAT WOULD REQUIRE ME TO PUT MY VEHICLE IN SALT WATER. |
| 1998 | SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DRUM | I HAVE THE MISFORTUNE OF OWNING A 1998 GMC 1 TON DUALLY, THE REAR BRAKE DRUMS HAVE SEALS LOACATED ON THE INBOARD SIDE THAT SEAL AGAINST A SURFACE OF THE AXLE. AS IT IS A FULL FLOAT AXLE, MEANING THERE ARE TAPERED BEARINGS IN THE BRAKE DRUMS THE BEARINGS ARE LUBRICATED WITH AXLE FLUID AND THE SEALS ARE THERE TO PREVENT LEAKAGE OF THE FLUID. THE FAILURE OF A SEAL PROVIDES A FLUID LEAKAGE PATH THAT IS DOWN THE INSIDE SURFACE OF THE DRUM, ACROSS THE SURFACE OF THE DRUM WHICH THE BRAKE LININGS CONTACT AND OUT BETWEEN THE BACKING PLATE AND DRUM. I HAVE HAD 3 SEAL FAILURES ON ONE SIDE AND 2 ON THE OTHER. A FAILURE OF THE SEAL ALLOWS 80W90 AXLE FLUID TO SOAK THE BREAK LININGS, AS THIS IS NOT OBVIOUS, THE FAILURE IS NOTICED BY INCREASED STOPPING DISTANCE AS THE REAR BRAKES ARE RENDERED USELESS BY THE CONTAMINATION WITH AXLE FLUID. SINCE 1-TON TRUCKS ARE UASUALLY SOLD TO PULL OR HAUL THIS IS AN ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS CONDITION, WITH A FULL RATED LOAD THE REAR BRAKES ARE MUCH MORE CRITICAL THAN THAT OF A PASS CAR. I TALKED TO MECHANICS AT GM DEALERSHIPS AND THEY SAY THE SEALS HAVE BEEN A PROBLEM SINCE AS LONG AS THEY CAN REMBER. I'VE SINCE LOOKED AT THE BACKSIDE OF THE REAR TIRES OF DUALLY AND NOTICED THE TELL TALE SIGN OF A FAILED SEAL OF AXLE FLUID STAINS. THERES AN AWFULL LOT OF 1 TON DUALLYS ON THE ROAD WITH NO REAR BRAKES.*AK |
Vehicle identification numbers: