Know BEFORE you buy! True Ownership Costs of 4 SUVs 

Favorite series: car wizard sits and chats with us. Informing us with his priceless knowledge

Tires tires tires. The big ignored expenise of SUVs

Car Wizard is better than Consumer Reports. This man is a national treasure.

I just replaced the fuel pump in my 2011 GMC Yukon Denali XL, it cost me $788 with $100 discount included, Wizard is spot on!

I like the LX behind you.

These wizard chats are worth an hourly labor rate. They’ve probably saved the audience tens of thousands across the whole lineup

Two of my three 2UZs have had timing belt/water pump service lately at over 260k miles. The other just hit 50k, and I'm replacing it due to age even though it "looks" brand new. Take care of them, and they'll take care of you.

To add to the maintenance list for the first gen Sequoias . The lower ball joints are a common issue and any honest mechanic would recommend getting OEM . And If you’re looking at 05-07 Sequoia another issue could be the SAIS . If you’re looking for a sequoia the 03-04 are the more desirable but the 05-07 get a slightly better gas mileage. And the 4x4 on these rigs are pretty good.

Dude you’re already almost to 1 million followers. Talk about crazy fast growth - well deserved! You’re my favorite mechanic to watch by far

Thank you for sharing your knowledge. This is helpful for me to advise my son.

Love the concept of this casual chat. Super informative. Would love to see another full-size chat about more recent, more expensive, full size rigs. Currently looking for a new family hauler but I’ve got a bit higher budget

Great idea for an episode. Quite insightful. Thanks for the video.

Love your channel and thank you for this overview - especially approx. repair costs - Thank you!

Awesome info for shopping, would love to see more of these!

This channel is both practical and informative! Thank you for providing it to us all.😀👍

Thank you! this is my favorite topic!

Very helpful video Wizard! Thank you!👍

We love these buy this not that videos please keep making them 👍

Man! Im so glad i found this channel 👍👏

Car Wizard is so chill; yet never fails to share important information. If I were in Kansas (or if he were in Alabama), then I'd recommend his shop without hesitation.

Excellent video, Mr Wizard! This is the first time I recall you stating the the 5.4 Triton "can be" a reliable engine IF the engine oil is changed and oil levels are maintained. There are so many example of these engines with 250k+ miles on them with the original timing gear (go to Autotrader, and see for yourself!). You're right though: low oil/skipped oil changes will kill the 5.4 3v engines, leading to premature failure. But, they can have a long(er) service life with frequent oil changes. And, for the $1200 timing belt/water pump change on the Toyota/Lexus products every 90k miles, $3,000 can change the timing on the Ford at 180k miles if it fails (IF). It's sort of a wash in this regard, except the Toyotas cost much more to buy, and still may have the trans issues. The concept of looking at these vehicles as a total cost, flaws included, is spot on!

My mom had that Tahoe back in the day. It was a TANK. No problems at all. It was taken away when she went thru a divorce.

Thank you Wizard, always a teaching moment

I changed the starter and battery on my 2017 chev Silverado this year. Did the work myself. $450 all in. The starter on these trucks are easy to change.

Love this. Thanks Wizard

I love learning about so much on your channel. I appreciate all the information you give out. Thank you for everything you do. 😊

Thanks for the information Wizard

You have great content.Easy to listen to. Thank yoy

Happy New Year Mr.&Mrs. Car Wizard 🎉 Tyvvm for a 2023 full of awesome content. I am looking forward to another great year with you in 2024🎉

Love it when The Wizard sits down. We get to learn things.

I love these videos where the Wizard just keeps it real. What about one with Camaro/Mustang/Challenger/350z/335i?

Greatly appreciated Need top 10 vehicles Need to do for different car categories. Keep up good work

I bought my first SUV a little over two years ago. I took my time and found a 2013 Porsche Cayenne diesel. Replaced all the hoses and belts, and fluids at 110k. Under warranty, had the DEF system overhauled and two fuel injectors replaced. At 132k, it does 26 mpg in the city and 31 mpg on the highway at 85. I have all the previous owners maintenance and my own maintenance. I’m looking forward to many years in this SUV.

I really love my Escalade. I'm saving for if/when the engine goes. If the 4.7 doesn't go first in Wj. Both are very nice condition. The Jeep I have for 9 yrs. And first thing I did was change ALL fluids. Also a lot of engine parts ( just because I knew I was going to long arm lift on it) . I usually keep my vehicles until someone slams into them. I kinda want to get a 2023 Escalade but new GN's just seem to have so many issues. Since retirement is down the road, znd my 3 midlife crisis is also maybe a new Corvette with bumper to bumper warranty lol.

Fantastic video! Would love to see a video like this on half ton trucks. Keep up the amazing videos brother 👍

I had an '05 QX56 for a while, engine & transmission were brilliant despite 220k+ miles. The biggest issues it had were bad HVAC actuators that required the entire dash disassembly to replace a couple of them, a bad instrument cluster (had it rebuilt for $300), and there were loads of random electronic problems - nothing major but a number were pretty annoying at times. I'm sure the early years of that generation had more of this than the later ones however, in 2008 they made some mods to the engine to gain some power, but at the cost of requiring premium fuel, adding insult to the pre-existing low mileage injury. My mileage on it wasn't as bad as Wizard states here but it was pretty bad - about 11 or 12 around town, 17-18 highway. I did really enjoy it though, made a nice overlander/camping rig. Sold it and now have a '12 Yukon that is great. I really wish other OEMs would have used a simpler V8 engine design like GM had/has with the LS-based Vortecs. I was at a gas station the other day and premium was $.90 (!) more per gallon than regular unleaded. The Yukon's 5.3 is flex fuel so it can run on any grade or combination of unleaded gas or E85 which is quite a bit cheaper but gets about 2-2.5 mpg less.

Hey, @CarWizard I have a Lovely 2005 Ford F-150 with the 3Valve 5.4, It's in great condition right now... What should I do NOW to make sure it's gonna last (other than regular Oil changes) ? Should I look at the cam phasers? Replace them and the chains? The truck has done 178000km or 120.000 miles

Also, the reason why the starter is expensive to replace on the Toyota 4.7L V8 is because the starter is located in the "V" area of the engine, which means that the intake manifold has to be removed. That's the reason for the high labor cost.

00-06 Tahoe/Suburban/Yukon/XL for the win! Great DIY vehicles & rust free in So Cal & AZ.

Good info. Thanks. Another factor in the roulette of buying a vehicle used

Love the gmt800 seat you are using for the vids. Good comfy seats!

Love this new segment!

Thanks for doing these

The chevy is a very good choice. They're also becoming more common in the junk yard. I knew alot that had the same platform and they just kept on going. The ford is also a decent option. The 5.4 3v does have it's issues. I own one so I know. The best advice I can give on these is to make sure it got the timing job done first or you plan to do it. If you don't plan to have this truck for long, then just keep using it till it quits. Personally the 5.4 ain't that bad as a engine. It just gets a bad wrap. But alot of these are still going well over 100k. I replaced all the timing stuff because I felt it was the right thing to do. The phasers were clicking, but no actual issues. Make sure you run 5w30 also.

These are great videos. I'd like to see one on luxury midsize suvs.

My 2010 Qx56 got 18-19 highway with 93 octane. Yes, very powerful engine it has. Very excellent safety features also.

love that lexus sitting behind you. picked up an 08 gx470 and I love it.

I have a sequoia with 240k miles , still runs new everything works

This video came at the perfect time! Currently looking at buying an SUV. I'm too tall for my '05 Camry, lol!

Bought my 06 Expedition with 214k miles off my brother. it now has 226k miles. and the only "major" repair i had to make was a noise roller rocker. didn't take me long at all. I absolutely love that truck, its an absolute tank. It wasn't the smartest idea buying it as a first vehicle, but i got it from my brother for a really good price. And thankfully I'm mechanically inclined to where i don't have to deal with shop rejections and extremely high maintenance fees. expeditions are great, as long as you can fix them yourself, and you buy one with a good service history.

That cat problem on the nissan v8 also happened on the 2.5 i4 starting with the 2002 Altima. Post-renault nissans love to eat cats AND cvts!

I bought my '06 expedition with 68k miles on it. The previous owner kept immaculate maintenance records down to oil changes and tire rotations. It was stock. The only modifications I did to it were a K&N cold air intake, heavier duty shocks and struts, a 3" lift in the front and 2" lift in the rear and all terrain tires. At around 110k, the left bank phaser started ticking, and at the same time, there was a slight momentary rattle on start-up. I had a full timing job done, complete with new roller rockers and a Melling high volume oil pump. Since then, it has run like the day I bought it. I've had to replace the odd emissions devices, and most recently, the alternator. I replaced the belt and tensioner when I did that. It now has a bit over 170k miles on it and still runs like new. Everyone likes to dump on the 5.4, 3 valve motors, but seriously, if you take care of them, they will last a long time. Get the oil changed on schedule and don't ignore any strange noises from the engine.

Love your channel. Can you do a video on ignition lock cylinder? Steering lock? Tumbler? Thx!

2012 Expedition here. 190,000 miles. Runs fantastic. Only had the leadframe issue and a water pump go bad.

had an 07 expedition EL and it was a perfect car until the cam phaser engine failure. unbelievable that that was not a recall.

I like this type of information about vehicle cost and longevity.

Great information thank you

I loved my 05 Sequoia. 05-07 have the 5-speed auto and 30hp more with vvti. 03-04 have a 4 speed auto but it has upgraded internals over the earlier ones and 4x4 is a direct swap. They're pretty easy to swap except the stupid starter. 😂 05+ also had rear air suspension in limiteds and sr5 sport. Probably shot by now. Easy to swap to springs. I sold mine before I deployed at 300k because I didn't want it sitting while I was gone. The guy I sold it to is still driving it. I am shopping for another (or maybe a 4runner or gx470) because I really liked it and have added another kid since I sold it. The 2nd and 3rd gen have significantly less room behind the 3rd row.

I'd say if you bought one of the GM vehicles mentioned in that year range and it's in good shape (not ticking), the best investment I think you can make is to do a full AFM delete. Costs a bit of money but will pay dividends in the years to come afterwards, because it's either that or you're looking at a new (rebuilt) motor which costs at least the same amount. Or you could buy a rebuilt motor that already has the delete kit installed but somtimes these tend to be a bit more expensive obviously than a standard rebuilt engine with AFM. But it will be worth it if you do the delete kit (which basically replaces the collapsable lifters with solid lifters and disabled the AFM software). (OK the price has probably gone up, but I remember checking back in around 2020, and it was about $3500 to pay someone to do it. The parts themselves at the time were about $1500 if you bought a new cam with it). One thing that was omitted I think for the GM vehicles that was somewhat common, was the o-ring in the pick-up tube in the oil pain would sometimes come apart or break, causing the engine to not draw the proper amount of oil up (thus low oil pressure). This isn't a huge job, but it does require dropping the oil pan. On my 2013 Silverado I had to replace the oil pump because it was registering low oil pressure. Luckily I caught it in time, where it was on the low-end of what GM said was acceptable oil pressure, otherwise I would have had suffered a siezed motor probably. After that was done, of course it continue to run fine until about 180k when I sold it (still runs today as the buyer is still driving it). Also when it comes to oil pressure, be careful because a dealer witll tell you that at idle- 12-15 psi is normal, but it's not. My reserach has told me that about 20 psi is minimum at idle and you really need at least 35 psi+ at highway speeds is what I remember mine being when it was new and sort of the metric I saw people (mechanics) mention on forums (I believe at 35-38 psi this is when the AFM system is activated as it's operated by oil pressure). 5k mile oil changes are OK, although I later found that I probably should have done it more often like every 3-4k miles, although mine never developed the collapsed lifter, but it did start to burn oil due to the AFM system which is a commonly known problem with this system (I believe it causes excessive wear on the rings when AFM is active as those cylinders where it seems to develop, are not firing -- although some say that the first and second cylinders are more prone to wear because of how the engine sits at a slight angle as well).

Full of insight into purchasing this class of vehicle.

Yep, starters on the old Sequoias are pretty involved, on the UZ V8s they are under the intake and it is not fun to do. Also on the later models you have air injection which is under the intake as well, when that goes it is a nightmare if you want to replace the system. When I did one it was 8 hours and I replaced the starter while I was in there. Never really seen a transmission on one of those fail that wasn’t high mileage.

I like this series too Wiz!

Awesome video! Its worth mentioning that GM 4.8L does not have AFM. I know I'm medium to advanced level on the DIYer scale, but long or missed oil changes on trucks are baffling to me. Not all, but a very good number of the older ones can have the oil changed without jacking the vehicle as long as you're on the medium or thinner side and can slide under. Grab a box wrench, loosen the drain plug, slide the drain pan underneath, and remove the drain plug with your fingers. THATS IT!!! Some filters can be tricky, but once you get the old one off, get a FRAM or a K&N. Frams come with grippy coating on the head and KNs have a hex knob tacked on for easy removal. Anytime you're doing a timing belt on a motor with a water pump that runs off of the timing, its standard practice to replace it the same way you replace the tensioner. Here's the unfortunate reality of the used cars market. There are lots of well maintained vehicles out there, but those won't be the ones for sale in a hurry. A good number will be put up for sale when the current owner discovers a very expensive repair coming soon even though the vehicle still runs well with no warning lights or obvious big money noises. Case in point. Actually an 07 4.8 Tahoe where i met a side customer to do oil change on that and another vehicle. About 160k miles and no signs of major issues. When i undid the drain plug that already had damaged threads by the last guy, lots and lots of metal glitter came out with the last quart of old oil. Even more when i poured in a quart to wash things down. Shockingly enough, the motor sounded and ran just fine. No noises or check engine light. I advised the customer to avoid driving the vehicle and sell it immediately.

Love your advice! 20 year tech and the Wizard is always spot on!

Great information

Thank you for your informative video again 👍

Really great video as always but a couple of points. You didn't mention a brake job on any of these. Brakes are going to fail before before a water pump or starter and I imagine the price will vary between these different models. You also titled the video "Buy This, Not That" but you didn't mention any lemons! I was so looking forward to the Jeep bashing again. I might just lose sleep over it.

This is great advice, unlike from some other RU-vid mechanics. Thank you for videos like this 👍

GMT900 with AFM are very reliable as long as you don’t skip oil changes.

I have a 2010 2500 suburban LT 4x4 and it has the 6.0 with no AFM and I love it

I do like these kinds of videos. Can you do one of the more modern midsize SUV's like Cadillac XT5, Lincoln Nautilus, Dodge Durango/Grand Cherokee, whatever other relevant models from Lexus/Toyota and such?

Pre-DOD GM trucks and SUVs are really the way to go. Not too old, but new enough to be comfortable and capable. After 180K miles, my 02' Tahoe has only needed a fuel pump and regular maintenance. Never had a check engine light on, only one brake job, original 4L60E with plenty of towing done.

good video, my 2014 qx80 upper cat disintegrated and clogged rear cat

These are my favorite type of video

I love my 1997 c2500 chevrolet suburban 6.5 turbo diesel, I do all my own work so i only pay for parts and 2wd diesel mileage is unbeatable for a truck that does heavy pulling several times a week. 11 years ownership and 400,000 miles on the clock and i'm still loving it.

Always learning ty

I have a 2014 Escalade, worst problem I had was all the chrome delaminated from the rims and corrosion set it, it's at 80k miles now, just replaced all oxygen sensors, only other issue was improving the battery to engine ground cable. I always change oil at 50% notice, Pennzoil Platinum mixed with Amzoil, and I use Marvel oil in oil and fuel. And I replaced all brakes and rotors. I will buy another maybe next year.

05 sequoia owner, bought it a year ago and so far only thing I’ve done is a tire change. Lbj needed but timing belt is new

Awesome!!! I want to think that my comments have not gone unseen, and this video provides us with the details and info that help your fans tremendously. As I watch, I will try to add some questions that build into your answers. For the active fuel management issue - would replacing the engine with a junkyard or reman be more cost-effective? Since those LSs are roughly $2-3k, it would allow you to remove that AFM system, and would give you basically a new engine. I will say that I was surprised about the Yota repair for the water pump & timing mechanism... to me, that is not too bad and well worth the quality of longevity of the vehicle. But you made my jaw hurt talking about the Infinity repair costs... whoa nelly! Thank you Mr Wizard again for all your hard work and great information. I have taken many of the points and tips you have provided and applied them to what I do and in helping others in their purchases of used vehicles. Cheers

8:46 The other frequent failure point for these was rotted out frames. My wife and I live in the Midwest rust belt and wanted a firts gen Sequoia. Finally had to give up and buy something else because we couldn't find one that had a solid enough frame to tow our small (3500 lb) camper without doubling our budget

***Great info. Can you do a Sedan versus SUV, cost to own. Example: lexus rx350 vs lexus es350,

Great info!!!

I picked up a 2004 Gmc Yukon XL SLT Loaded. Paid $2800 back in May of this year. Fastforward to now I have put almost 50,000km on it and all i've done is oil changes, trans and diff fluid changes, a cv axle, a ujoint, tierods and an evap purge valve. It has 420,000km on it. I couldn't be happier with my cheap purchase.

I have learned a lot from your channel. I have 2001 Mercedes e320. Got it with 60k miles. It’s solid but I have more in repairs then I bought the car for 2 years ago for $3800

The best one is right behind you. Those LXs are tanks!

I don't know how much the cost would swing, but you might include a full brake service as a 4th repair that will have to be done on every car at some point.

I do like how less stressful bigger engines work and how simpler they seem to be compared to newer downsized ones. Of course the fuel economy is not the same but with a little effort they can be not the dinosaur like 😂 but the savings on maintenance if well kept can be huge.

Would have liked to know for the 6-10k price range what mileage where the vehicles versus how much life they might reasonably have left. I know sequoia are usually more expensive than Chevy and sometimes with more miles.

love this series! 10-15k full size SUV next? trying to find a 2nd gen Sequoia in that price range soon!

Love my 05 Denali. It’s amazing

I own a 03 gmc jukon that has 230.000 miles on it and it still runs great. I have put a water pump a well bearing on it but as the motor it still runs smooth and great

Hey Car Wizard, can you do a video on which Subaru WRX or its alternatives to buy brand new or used?

Thanks for your information. Quick question. What is your take on Jasper engines and transmissions? Are they well made or is it all fluff. I respect your opinion.

Im a food delivery guy (Door Dash, Uber eats) i have an honda accord but need a bigger suv for groceries. Would you please post a video on what type of car would be good for our high mileage profession. (Rav, crv,pilot, etc.) PLEASE and thank you so much for these type of videos. God Bless!

Needed this one wizard

Why didn't you include that beauty behind you 😍 Most would say the Lexus/Landcruiser are the exact same as the Sequoia but it is not. Lexus and LC are built to a higher standard (also built in Japan back then) and you feel that when you drive them.

These are wizards prices or dealerships prices or both?? Very informative I had no idea about the cats in the Armadas/infinity

New subscriber 💯

Just mentioning the left engine mount as a common failure for the GMT900 also. GM tech here, I replace those all the time!

Its the same old saying, I" pay me now or pay me a LOT later " it cost to ride new and big !