Used 2004 Chevrolet Avalanche Consumer Reviews
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Very Happy
I purchased this as a pre-owned vehicle to supplement my prior truck on account of a growing family. It has been excellent! I am pleased that its value still exceeds what I paid for it. We recently purchased a travel trailer, and it tows with an ease that makes one feel a trailer is not present. The only repair I have had is the power window motor on the passenger door - a common problem with GM trucks.
Love my Avalanche
I bought this truck used about 6 years ago. I've had just a few minor problems. The tensioner for the AC belt broke. (Repaired myself for about $75). The 6 disc cd changer quit, but it was 10 years old, and well used. Overall, this truck is still very mechically sound. Very comfortable ride quality. Still runs like new. What else can I say.....I love my Avalanche.
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- 1500 Crew CabMSRP: $7,487347 mi away
- 1500 Crew CabMSRP: $39,989405 mi away
- 1500 Crew CabMSRP: $8,950509 mi away
2004 Chevy Avalanche 4x4
My first impression was how dumb it was to merge an suv and truck. I test drove it and I fell in love. Like me, I don't work construction or in a farm and I don't tow heavy but have a good size family. This vehicle is intended for those city dwellers that like to camp, drive on vacation or have to take a trip to the dump. It has been so wonderful to be able to provide such a diversity when needed and GM had given me the tool. I replaced items that I feel I wanted to change to have peace of mind and not because the manual says so. It has not leaked, stopped cause any issues let alone a check engine light.
Fun, Solid, and reliable at high milage
I love my truck. I have owned 29 vehicles in my life, and this is clearly my favorite. I bought it with about 115K miles on it, and I will turn over 140K this week. The truck rides like an SUV, and I have hauled 1500 lbs of rocks and mulch. Take the back window out, open the sunroof and windows, and it is like driving around in an open air Jeep, but it is SO USEFUL. I take my family on vacation, pull trailers, and cruise drive the back roads. I think I will keep this truck longer than any vehicle I have ever owned... Maybe take it over 200K, I bought it expecting that I will put a transmission in it before 180K, we will see.
I would buy another one
I purchased new almost 4 years ago. After 58,000 miles, I have not had one major repair. Changed oil and it goes. In nearly perfect condition, with original tires and brakes. Never a problem. The black plastic began to fade and the dealer refurbished it, under warranty without charge with an improved treatment. Every year me and 3 friends take it on our golf trip- 4 men, 4 sets of clubs and our luggage- and we usually take the clubs of the rest that fly down. Have hauled 10 foot sheets of drywall, skids of pavers and also trailered a huge camper approx 10,000 pounds. Reliable!
Multi-purpose Monster
I love my new avalanche. I upgraded from a 2WD Sierra w/bare essentials to the Z-71 with every option except the DVD player($1200 not worth it). What a difference. This truck is suprisingly nimble, and the turning radius is less than that of extended cab trucks(ie-easier for my wife to park). Towing capacity is solid. We towed our Grand Prix on a car trailer(total lbs= 6900) from FLA to WA state, only stopping for 9 hours and driving for 66. There were times I forgot I was even towing. What a beast! The midgate is awesome. I've halled everything from drywall(full sheets) with the tailgate closed to 3 backhoe scoops of bark.
Great Vehicle
I bought my Z66 new, it is the best vehicle I have ever owned. I have over 124,00 miles on it, have done no repairs at all, just maintenance. I still have the original brakes and they were checked when I put new tires on a couple of months ago and they still have 65% of the pads left. I have room for 5 people and can carry all their luggage and then some. I didn't buy it for the gas mileage, but I just drove on vacation and got around 19 mpg, and that was both highway and riding around mileage. I cant complain.
after a bump in the road when i firsst bought it
i love my truck i love the mid gate feature i love the "saddlebags" i use one to keep tools in straps, hitch, rope , emergency supplies, and the other i use as a cooler . when i first bought it took the wife and daughter to dinner went out to go home ...... battery good wouldn't start had it towed home spent 2 days trying to figure it out tried everything checked all the fuses (that i could pull out easily ) finally checked all the fuses again and the one that i couldn't easily pull was the culprit . replaced the fuse and have not had a problem since. i bought it used and it has a southern comfort mod with a great paint job . i have hauled dirt gravel rocks bricks tree branches trips to the dump and even more dirt handles it like a champ . some features i love the most are the heated seats on cold winter mornings and the ability to haul wood camping supplies drywall all in a dry secure bed that is 8 ft long when needed and the ride an comfort is unmatched. the only issue is my wife had a bit of trouble climbing in but the running boards help. i added a backup camera that helps with backing and hooking up a trailer .
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Chevy girl
I have been the sole owner of my Avalanche. Purchased it new. Has been very reliable functional comfortable and fun. There's a problem with the heating and air conditioning periodically malfunctioning and the leather on seats, poor quality
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2004 Z71
I've owned this vehicle for just over three years. Had to replace front shocks, fuel pumps, brakes all around. Have the "clunking" from the steering shafts, trouble with rear tailgate latches, poor fuel economy. But I love this truck, might not buy another one, but I still really like it.
Best Vehicle I have ever owned
My Avalanche just turned 109,000 miles. Zero problems, original brakes. Oil Changes (synthetic every 15,000 miles)
Best I've Owned
Leased this truck for work - I wasn't sure if I'd want to keep it long term. I drove it and bought it! I've stayed on the road during horrendous winter weather using only the stock tires. Hauled drywall, flooring, sod, dirt, rock, garbage - you name it - and it comes clean and looks great for the daily commute. With gas prices rising I've been thinking I should look at something cheaper to run but I don't want to - this is the best vehicle I've owned/driven in 30 years.
Some things to Consider
I bought my Avalanche in 2006 and have had it until present. I have put quite of bit of miles on it, and seems to be doing just fine. The transmission did go out at 116k miles because of the four wheel sticking in between 2wd an 4wd. All in all this is a really good driving truck, makes parking lots a breeze to pull into, and can handle when you press the gas pedal through the floor as well. You can't go wrong with it if your wanting a SUV and Truck together.
My Monster
This truck is my Tonka. I beat this thing and it has never let me down. I am typically hard on everything I have. This truck is no exception.
Nice
I have been wanting one for a while, and I finally got one, and have not been out of it since. It is everything I imagined.
Avalanches rock!
The Avalanche is very easy to drive. mine has the auto 4 wheel drive which I love for the winters in MI. It has awesome steering, I think it manuvers better than my Grand Am did!
Love my Truck
I love driving my truck, just don't like the gas mileage. The performance is more than I expected and the ride with the Z-66 suspension package is comparable to a top of the line luxury sedan. Since I have the 2 wheel drive version, during the winter I have found that adding three 70 lbs. bags of sand over the rear axle and a good set of all-terrain tires will keep this truck on the road even in heavy snow as long you don't try anything stupid.
Try and top it!
I purchased this Z71 4WD Avalanche new and have enjoyed excellent reliability. It has always run flawlessly. I usually trade every couple of years due to boredom or a more desirable rig, but I haven't been able to find anything that compares to the ride, performance, and awesome design. People are amazed at how much room it has with the bed fully extended. More than a long bed pickup! I highly recommend the Avalanche to anyone looking for a great all around truck.
trkn4evr
This truck is great all around. There are so many little things that make the difference. The foldable back seats are very easy and create so much room, and the panels on the bed are a great invention. I have not had a problem in two years.
Problems
I've had intermediate steering shaft problems, replaced both Idler arms , water pump , blower modular, stereo, and now my transmission is burnt out I'm real disappointed. What happened to reliability and pride in workmanship. I paid cash for a truck loaded with problems. Dont buy this truck! After 3K miles the first truck was replaced because the steering problems could not be corrected. All the problem above are on the second truck. I've had it with this truck.
Go Avy
The Avy is a great vehicle! My only complaint is the fuel cost, but that is because I bought it before gas went through the roof. The ride is great and smooth, and there are a ton of features I love. I use it as a pickup often, and always get what I need done. I recommend this truck to anyone that likes a bit of luxury with the versitility of a pickup truck
Believe all of the good stuff
I bought my Av new in 2004. GM should have named it the Transformer. There isn't anything I can't do with this truck. I carry full sheets of plywood and sheetrock (and it stays dry in the rain). I've carried firewood, gravel and anything else a regular truck does. I've gone camping with four others in the passenger compartment, my four wheeler in the back, two canoes on top, towing four wheelers and gear on the trailer behind. I live in Maine and the Av keeps me cool when it's in the high nineties and toasty warm when it's forty something below. It stays on the road during a blizzard like a bengal tiger on it's next meal. I will own this Av forever. Really. I still own my '72 Dodge Demon.
Finaly
I traded my Harley in for a truck. Hey can't ride a bike in the snow. I love the way this truck rides. I used to have a Cadillac and this feels much like it. All the interior options really make this truck feel like a high end luxury vehicle. I find it has almost all the features that my wife's brand new 2010 mazda 3 has but three times the space and 4x4 too boot. That said this thing eats gas like a fat kid eats cake. And I don't get the plastic cladding on a 4x4. To me this is asking for trouble. However, That said I do love this truck and would recommend one to a friend. But one without cladding and maybe a newer one that gets better mpg.
Great - features no other vehicle has!
We bought our truck new and have driven it for 5 yrs. My husband just had an accident, rolled the truck twice, and both driver and passenger survived (well) in what onlookers thought would be a fatality. The structure of the truck saved them. Very comfortable on long drives, love the interior, flexibility of car to truck. Great for farm, pulling trailer, 4x4, dogs, people, you name it - it does it. Added backup sensors - well worth the cost as it's hard to see with backing up. Would love to buy another one!
Pleased with my '04 Avalanche
I purchased my '04 used with 14,000 miles on it. I have been very pleased so far. My Avalanche does not have the body hardware and is very sharp looking. I am getting about 15 mpg during mostly country driving as high as 19 mpg on highway trips. The interior is extremely comfortable especially on long trips. The ride is solid and quiet. I enjoy the sunroof and Bose stereo. I wish I had leather, but the black sport cloth seats are very nice. The bed cover was somewhat faded when I purchased the vehicle, but after using a product called "Back to Black" it looks like new. This is the perfect truck for a family man. Tons of rear seat space even for adults and I love the midgate versatity.
Great vehicle for towing!
I love my truck! I tow about 7500 lbs of weight - horses & trailer regularily & it is just great. The gas mileage is bad - about 7 mpg when I'm hauling hills & long distances, but it's effortless & the tank is big. The cab is comfortable, stereo is great, lots of leg room, pretty good visability once you get used to the small back window. Small woman/big truck! Love it!
The best ride for the $
will buy another,awesome ride and comfort .Love the vehicle for the kids hockey trips keep the stinky stuff in the back.....
Chevy Avalanche
Want to drive the best driving SUV/Truck in the market? Then get in the Chevy Avalanche. Fun, Fast, Bold are some of the things that you will experience.
The best Chevy yet
We have only had this truck for a while. Made a mistake once we traded for a Jeep. As soon as it was possible we traded back! Now we are happy again. We are a family of 4 and we also have friends that we haul around. Plus I work in the oil patch so I put this truck through the wringer. When gone it sits for days on end in all weather. Plus the trip there and back on of road and no roads. At home it gets put through the family and helping others. Love this truck, it works hard and looks good doing it.
Bossman's Choice Best Yet
This is the best vehicle I've ever owned. Rides better than my Caddy. Love the ability to convert to a full size truck bed. The steering linkage makes a clicking noise.
Saved my life
Hit a 2500 pound black Angus bull at 70 mph with this truck. I walked away. Rebuilt the truck for 1100 dollars. No it won't haul a four wheeler or get you 20 mpg in gas. It's a truck. Quit your crying. I have this truck married to a superchips performance programmer with the original engine and tranny. No issues. Do yourself a favor. If you can find this truck cheap. Buy it. It's the best purchase I have ever made. To all the bad reviews on this truck I got some advice. The truck is only as good as it's driver. By the way the flashpak programmer from superchips wakes the engine and transmission in this truck up. You will not be disappointed
Best truck since sliced bread
I bought mine used, could'nt afford a new one. This is the best truck/car/ SUV or whatever on the market. It's loaded, everything you could want from Detroit. 15mpg town, 20-22 mpg highway. Plenty of power to tow and lots of room. Plus it has a built in ice chest.
Problems have been DIY easy
Coming from owning a Wrangler, I wanted something fun, more comfortable, but still able to be modified to be unique. Other than those that leave theirs stock, the same year/color/body Avalanche can look completely different, which is fun. I didn't buy it because I thought I was going to get good gas mileage, so no complaints there, and the savings in insurance from all the airbags and such has offset that quite a bit. This is my 15th car in the 18 years that I have been driving, and other than my 1st car (69 Ford Mustang Fastback), it has been my favorite. I will drive it till the wheels fall off...then buy another one.
accident
Driving on a simi busy street would be nothing with this vechile right? Well I got into an accident with this vehicle.. with a saturn car.. my car was totalled and the saturn only had a small dent in the side! I was turning at a light and the saturn ran the red light which then hit me.. i was on my way to pick up my baby thank god he wasnt in there with me!!
horrible
this vehicle leaks loads of dust into the cab and bed, the torque is too low for large loads, the storage boxes on the outside of the bed are useless(leak dust and water), back seat room is very limited for an adult on an extended road trip, dvd player doesn't rotate to side views(you have to sit in the middle of the rear seat), rear radio controls are confusing to use, exterior plastic trim is poorly attached to the body and makes a lot of noise at road speed because it buffets in the wind, seats are hard and impossible to adjust to a comfortable position, you cannot load a 4-wheeler in the bed.
solid value
Utility of a truck & seating of a SUV. Best thing they ever did was offer this truck without the body hardware. I wouldn't even consider this truck until they offered a "naked" version, it looks great. Overall the truck has a soft ride that could be more responsive, but it is better than the typical leaf spring rear end of a pickup. The interior is very roomy and comfortable, but as expected, the cabin has average materials that is typical of a GM product. I would have happily paid $500 more for this vehicle if they would have come up with better interior components (knobs, switches , door panels,etc). Overall I felt this was a good value for the money
Not Without Its Flaws...
A superb effort on the part of GM to provide an excellent SUV/truck hybrid. Vehicle was in shop three times due to computer issues but afterwards has been fine since then. A lot of cabin space makes sure you are not on top of each other. Back seat passengers enjoy great legroom and comfortable seats. Used mid-gate fold down to haul a Christmas tree last year. Lots of small storage portions on the back of the pick-up bed surround. Great sunroof lets the outside in. OnStar is a blessing should you run into any crisis no matter how mild. There is something to be said about having someone on standby to help you if you get into an accident. XM Radio is beauitful. Exterior still turns heads.
My 2003 Avalanche Truck
Fantastic riding also the extremely comfortable seats. My wife enjoys the heated seats.Overall view while driving is great and the only complaint are the mirrors are very wide and on a narrow rd you can almost meet oncoming vehicles mirror to mirror. This is my first Avalanche and certainly wont be my last.
Pros and Cons
A few problems to look out for: The plastic side pannels rub on the front fenders causing rust spots. Just recently hit 30,000 mi. and now getting noise from the lifters and also squeeking from the belt. Oil was always changed on time. Very poor rear visability. Lots of noise and vibration with sun roof open. Poor quality stereo and speakers. Over all a nice truck with great features and pleanty of room for the passengers. Wish they would have put in a power rear window. Pain in the butt to have to lower rear seats and remove rear window. Many new trucks offer powered rear window.
High miler
I have put over 65,000 miles on my Avalanche in two and a half years. The only problem was that the tailgate latch broke. On the highway I get between 18 and 21 MPG even on the 75 MPH interstates. I have hauled 12 ft. 2x12's inside with the tailgate closed. The bed cover is secure yet easy to remove. In short it is a GREAT vehcle with multi-talents.
Excellent Truck
I didn't find a nicer vehicle with the exception of the Cadillac EXT.
Best Truck
It does absolutely everything I need and more, a perfect cross between SUV and Truck.
CHANGING CAB
I LOVE HOW EASY AND SIMPLE IT IS TO QUICKLYCONVERT TO A PICKUP BED,I TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS FEATURE ALL THE TIME! YET, WHEN WE GO OUT WITH ANOTHER COUPLE, I KNOW THEY ARE NOT CRAMPED IN THE BACK, THE SEATING IS AMPLE AND COMFORTABLE.
Fun to drive
I would say overall the avalanche is an exciting and fun vechile to drive and hadles great in all coditions, especially wet and rough conditions hadles great.
Great versatility
The versatility of the truck is unmatched. I have been able to use two tiered hauling, filling the area under cargo panels and then stacking an equal amount of weight and stuff on top. I can haul 2 yards of mulch in the back, hose it off and go out to a nice dinner that night.
Had to have a Gotta Have Truck!
This truck is awesome! It can pull anything I need to and yet it rides so smooth. It has so many extras that I'm still trying to realize the full extent of them. I feel safe and secure in the truck and for good reason. The General has put alot of thought and effort into the safety of this vehicle. The kids love this truck and wanted it more than I did!
Awsome Truck
This truck rides like a dream! I have found no other brand of truck that rides as smooth and quiet. Everyone who has been a passenger in this vehicle is extremly surprised at the quality of the ride. People find it hard to believe it's a truck!
1st road trip
I drove the vechile on a 2000 mile trip. it aveaged 19 mile per gallon with a average driving speed of 70. It's a real nice ride.
Fall Apart with $1,332/89. owner pays.
Total mileage 37,011. Failure of bearings in the differential; Failure, bearing in rear axle on passenger side. Leak in same bearing. Oil lelaked onto emergency brakes. Cost me $1,332.89. 9. Designed to fail at 1,011 miles beyond warranty???? Dealer claiming no GM responsibilty. Results (2).. 1. I pay the bill. (2) Toyota has genuine, non mis-leading total quality throughout. Chev Avalanche taught me to avoid GM PRODUCTS. I AM PURCHASING A TOYOTA AVALON as soon as my Avalanche is available from its costly repairs. READER: Are you capable of learning from the above experience. It's only your money.
First Pickup, Love it
This is the first pickup, I have ever had. Great ideal with the Midgate, it was the deal maker. I have had about 20 different vehile, ranging from BMW to Range Rover. Loved my Range Rover, but was to small, so the Alavanche fit the bill. Have 77,600 miles on it an only routine maintanices. Put gas in it change the oil an go. Which, my Range Rover was that reliablied,