What's your thoughts on the Duramax?

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4x4ord wrote:
I find it hard to believe that I've got the one piece of junk that GM built.

Looks like just you and the guy in the thread that spray painted his pickup. Do you play the Lotto?

I find it hard to believe that I've got the one piece of junk that GM built. Mine overheats; the transmission slips when you work it hard (then it goes into limp mode); the radio doesn't work; the power door locks don't work; the power windows don't work; 4wd doesn't engage. It only has about 150,000 miles on it. I guess the good thing is I haven't spent much money on it .

Edit: Additionally the A/C doesn't work and half the time the battery goes dead while sitting for more than a day.

I have had or still have an 01 3500, 03 2500, 05 5500, 06 3500, 08 2500, 15 3500 and currently an 18 3500. The 5500 being the only Dmax that was not to the standard I would say of the others. Pretty outstanding motor in their own right. I don't buy anything else, my biggest decision is Chevy or GMC.

My 04.5 LLY went to our son at 130K miles when we got a 2015.5 LML denali.

The 04.5 is now up to 175K miles, zero problems, still a great truck. It towed 10K trailer around the west coast. As for the overheating, it never ever got hot enough to cause any worry. But when the fan kicked in you knew the fan was ON!

Oh, and the OEM batteries ONLY lasted 10 years!!

The LML now has 36K on it. I will say the temps don't rise like the LLY did. Fan has seldom come on.

The engine coupled with the allison and running gear makes IMHO a great combo.

The LML does get noticeably better highway mileage empty compared to the LLY. In town and towing is basically the same. 10-12 towing.

I can regularly get 19mpg running empty on the highway on long trips running 5 over the limit. That means 80ish in Idaho and MT.

Trips down to southern CA from Oregon will get me into 20mpg. LLY was at least 2mpg less on the same trips.

Biggest complaint I had on the LLY is the smallish tank on everything but the long bed, 25gallons. By 2015.5 GM installed the 36 gallon tank on crew cab short boxes!!! GREAT

My only complaint about the 2015.5 is that the body is an inch or two higher than the 04.5, makes getting in harder and the hood is not sloped. Makes it harder on fire roads to know what's ahead when you get to a steep downhill. DW needs to get out and take a look to know what's ahead! LLY did not have that problem.

Good part was GM stepped up and replaced the bad injectors, many with warranty expired.

Gary-7 wrote:
Stupid Chevy, this week I had to replace BOTH OEM batteries on my 2006 Duramax. Buyer beware!

It's not just the trucks, my '06 Chevy Malibu needed a battery replaced already! :R

alexleblanc wrote:
Everything I've read over the years and every owner I've talked to has been very happy with the Duramax/Allison powertrain over the years - the biggest complaint I hear around here is Rust issues very early on in ownership and until recently and interior that is not nearly as nice or roomy as the Ram and Ford offering.

I'm a Ford at heart guy but I have nothing against the GM or Ram offering and if my amazing local Ford dealer went south tomorrow I'd have no trouble considering another make - so take what I say with that in mind.

Overall my take as well. My only complaint with the GM platform is the interiors were lacking but mechanically they are very sound.
But at this point all 3 are overpriced viable options. Pick your poison but they have all become very expensive

Everything I've read over the years and every owner I've talked to has been very happy with the Duramax/Allison powertrain over the years - the biggest complaint I hear around here is Rust issues very early on in ownership and until recently and interior that is not nearly as nice or roomy as the Ram and Ford offering.

I'm a Ford at heart guy but I have nothing against the GM or Ram offering and if my amazing local Ford dealer went south tomorrow I'd have no trouble considering another make - so take what I say with that in mind.

Gary-7 wrote:
Stupid Chevy, this week I had to replace BOTH OEM batteries on my 2006 Duramax. Buyer beware!

Batteries really! How old were they? All batteries are not created equal and they don't last forever.