parents bought a new 2023 Chevy Suburban 5.3L V-8
Hi Scotty,
My parents bought a new Suburban (I wish they hadn't). What should I tell them? I know it has the 10 speed transmission that is problematic, and it also has the cylinder deactivation system.
Thank you for your time!
William
What should I tell them?
Nothing. Smile and hope they don't have issues, seriously.
The 5.3 is a fine motor other than the cylinder deactivation. The new system (I think they call it “dynamic fuel management”) is better than the older version (? “Active fuel management”) but it still adds complexity. You can minimize the risk with frequent oil changes. Or even better, get an OBS plug in that turns off the whole system. Overall, I think the best GM engine is the 3L Duramax, but IMO the 5.3 is better than the 2.7 (turbo 4!) or 6.2... and probably better than any other half-ton engines on the market other than the Ram 5.7 hemi and maybe the Toyota turbo 6.
The 10 speed is a good transmission. The 8 speed has had a lot of problems, but the 10 is significantly better. Any GM transmission can need a rebuild around 80-100k miles if you tow a lot. But if you don’t, I wouldn’t worry about it. (FWIW, I have the 10L transmission in my Sierra and I do tow. My plan is to change the transmission fluid and filter every 30,000 and hope for the best.)
isn't it the same 10-speed they put in the Fords which are having problems?
Correct. The basic design is the same between Ford and GM. However, the execution (shift tuning, etc) is different. So even though Ford has had a lot of problems with it, GM has not. It’s a relatively new design and there are not a lot of high mile units, but so far so good. (My only concern is that due to the complexity, if something does go wrong it will be $$$ to fix it. You’re not going to rebuild it yourself in your garage like an old Turbo 400 or something 😕 )
Well it's their money, their choice. Just be glad that they worked hard and brought their brand new vehicle.
What should I tell them?
