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I have a 02 Chevy 2500 w/Duramax 4WD.

Truck is great.  I run 285 tires so it  leaves me getting around 18mi/gal.  When the truck was new it had 245 sized tires and I got around 20-21mpg.

At 148000+ miles, I've had to replace 3 hubs on the front, the water pump and the front differential.  It sounds like a lot, but the water pump, 1 hub and the differential happened in the last couple thousand miles.  

The last few thousand miles, not withstanding, I have been totally happy with the truck.  I use it for work and use it fairly hard.

I had a 2002 GMC 2500 with the 6.0.  I beat the heck out of that truck and it still kept going.  Everything from pulling loads of hay to hauling all of my tools to doing a boat load of snow plowing.  I did standard maint and did have to replace alternator (mainly my fault, running too much extra stuff).

Quoted: Hey fellas I'm just looking for any of your experiences with 2000 to 2005 Chevy 2500 pickups, extended cab or  4 door. My vehicle is in need of replacement and I have taken a liking to the vehicle in question. MPG city and highway, parts replaced, and overall build quality are some things i'm looking to get your information on. thanks fellas

Do you need 3/4 ton?
I bought a 2004 gmc 2500 new. I wanted a four door truck with room for the family and 2500 was the only way to get that.
I liked the truck but gas milage was terrible. It would get ten or eleven loaded or empty.  
When they offered 1/2 ton model in 05 I traded it in. On a trip out west loaded with guns and gear it averaged 20.8.
Just a thought.
Edit to add pic

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I drive a 2001 4wd Z-71 extended cab.  Love the truck,  with the positraction rear end you can get around without  engaging the front axle pretty good.  Use it for hunting and work.  I average 16 mpg, but then I drive it  a little heavy footed.  No problems with it mechanically so far.

I have a 2002 2500 hd 4-door 4 x 4 Duramax. 127,000 miles. I have had two computer chips stacked on the engine for the last 50k miles. Puts out about 550 rear wheel H.P.. I have replaced the batteries (it has two)  and one front hub. (lot's of rear tires) Other than that, this truck has been bullet proof. I drive it real hard and pull a large (12,000 lb) construction trailer with it. The best truck I've ever owned. Get's 21 m.p.g. empty on the highway and 16 around town and I do keep my foot in it.

Your company obviously should be glad they didn't buy ford's. They would have really had problems.

The Toyota is a very reliable truck. It's just not something I want to pull a 12,00 lb heavy equipment trailer with. It just does'nt have enough A__ or guts for heavy work....

I have owned and "worked" for real:

89 2500
94 2500
01 2500
03 2500

All 2wd, standard cab, one extended on the 03.

I absolutely swear by them. Love em' to death. The 03 has been the best work truck we have ever had. Vortec 6000 large V8, heavy duty version. Tow a 6000lb scissor lift and trailer like nothing else. Trailering package and Bose

The only thing that sucks is the seats are crap. And the paint is nice when waxed, but its whisper thin under the clear coat.

Need a good solid and dependable work truck, thats the ticket.

Mileage? You must be kidding. Its a V8 3/4 ton pickup sir. There is none.

As for maint., the 03 has 50,000.00 work miles on it and just only now needs brakes.

Also, I run synthetic oil in the truck... Amsoil.

Dram out

I have been around chevys all my life and i love them but when i buy another truck it will be 1980 or older that is the only way i go. All the fords i have been around i have had nothing but problems with them like the starter, the alternator and the battery cables. If you not looking into a truck for its towing lbs i would go with a a Toyota that will be my next small truck for playing in the hills with.

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I have an '04 2500HD LT crewcab 4x4 with the 8.1L big block, I only have about 10K miles on ot but don't have an issues other then the 10 MPG, that's one reason it only has 10K miles on it. I also have a '94 1500 4x4 and a '85 K10. Those are the daily drivers.

For a company truck, my dad drives a GMC '04 3500 work truck.  8.1V8 with the Allison transmission.

No problems thus far.

His personal pickup is a 97 Chevy 2500 pickup.  5.0 V-8 with automatic. Also no problems.

Edit-both are 2WD, both regular cabs.  

I have owned a 1998, 2001, 2004 K1500 extend cabs (still own the 04 Z71). Very comfortable, nice running trucks, in my experience. Some minor offroad driving, but they get easy use most of the time.  Decent gas mileage, midteens. Less in winter with heater, 4WD.

The brakes in Chevy trucks do not last, from my experience. Expect pad and rotor replacement in under 25K. The 04 seems to be better in this regard than my older trucks though the rear brakes are wearing with 23K on the clock. I have heard brakes are being redesigned for the 06s. I hope so.

Only other minor gripe is the power windows. The SOBS freeze up constantly in the winter. The idiot engineer who designed them has no clue what snow and ice is.

3 trucks-only repair issues were brakes (98, 01, probably 04) and power window in my 2001 needing repair, both sides.

Well let me piss on this parade....

I had a 2000 Z71 extended cab.  My dad has a 2001 1ton Dually.  My step dad....a 2001 Z71 extended cab....damn near the same truck as my 00.....same problems too.

Mine had 46K on it when I traded it this year for a 05 F150 SuperCrew(man do I love this truck).  

Let me start by saying I'm picky about my trucks...well, dang near anything I own.  Here is a list of what went wrong from when I bought it with 17K on it in mid 00.

Windshield seal replaced
Paint pealed off in one place and was repainted
stearing wheel started to feel slack....some plastic bushing was replaced
Tire cut at 25K and had to replace the whole lot.
Fuel pump $670 replaced at 45K
**&&^%$@@ squeaking noise from the rear suspension.......heard on every single Chevy of that generation I've ridden in.......never did get it fixed....they couldn't figure it out.
Cold Start knock(anytime it was under about 40 degrees F outside.....sounded like I owned a diesel.....it was the 5.3L.
Linkage to the gas pedal kept comeing loose and caused the pedal to stick for a second when trying to press on it.
Bad fan noise from clogged vents(this pissed me off, cause I'm a picky motherfucker and keep my trucks very, very clean.



What was nice on the truck....
I liked the interiors...good seats
Milage I got about 19 with the AW tires, about 16-17 with the newer 8ply tires
Handled like a sportscar
Good power.

All that said, I was always a Chevy guy.   I had my 90 extended cab for 10yrs and loved it.   It was a fantastic truck.   My last one will be my last Chevy.  It sucked and it wasn't just that truck.  All of the above trucks have shown similar problems.  

i'm driving an '01 2500HD 4x4 crew cab right now that just clicked over 120K on it.  i am NOT easy on it AT ALL.  in fact, zhukov has a picture of it buried past the top of the rear 265/75 r16s in mud from gunstock II.  also have a pretty heavy foot

problems/replacements:

crank position sensor (i fucking hate sensors)
idler pulley (came to pieces and threw the belt off)
fuel pump (preventative maintenance as i figured at the time the original had already pumped 11,000 gallons or so)
radio (sometimes it would decide not to eject cds and it pissed me off so i put in an aftermarket)

mileage:

like i said, heavy foot 9mpg average about 12.5 hwy (8.1L 496ci big block)

would i buy another?  oh hell yes.

Well, whaddaya know - I just happen to have a pic of Tex's truck handy. As you can see, it can't 4-wheel worth a crap...

Consumers reports says run the fuck away from them. POOR BUILD QUALITY.

Need a big truck, get a Ford Super Duty.

Or any Toyota . Fuck General Motors sayeth Consumer Reports.

Quoted: Well, whaddaya know - I just happen to have a pic of Tex's truck handy. As you can see, it can't 4-wheel worth a crap... photos.ar15.com/ImageGallery/Attachments/DownloadAttach.asp?iImageUnq=43911

oh sure...........don't show the picture from the other side where it looks like it's sitting in a lake

BTW, i didn't drive it there, TRG did.

this warrants repeating...........TRG DROVE IT...........proving without a shadow of a doubt that it's a tough sonofabitch