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High miles on 5.3

TonyBoss

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Anybody know of 5.3 19-22 model years with over 100k? Are these motors just ticking time bombs or can we expect high miles without the dreaded lifter issues?
 
I'm at 99,4XX miles and mine runs as smooth as a sewing machine.

I am meticulous with maintenance though.
 
The vast majority of 5.3 and 6.2 engines will be solid for 200K plus miles with normal maintenance.
GM could really help by providing stats on the actual % of engines with the much publicized lifter/valve issues.
 
I traded in my 2017 Z71 5.3 with 126K No engine problems just a new trans at 101K;
 
I had a 2004 5.3 Avalanche I put 190,000 hard miles on. Towed a 30 foot travel trailer, work truck, and off roader. I put a radiator and water pump in it. That's all.

My 2121 TB has had the lifters replaced. So now I am expecting the same results as before.

Steve
 
So here's the thing - comparing past generation 5.3's to the T1 generation is of limited use. Obviously anything pre-2007 is not a valid comparison whatsoever because those engines didn't even have AFM. The 2007-2014 AFM motors would usually go to at least 130k without any lifter issues. I don't know if that's the same for the 2015-2019 (pre-DFM) motors. DFM however is a whole new ballgame because the lifters have to do a lot more work. So it's tough to say at this time what we're looking at because there aren't that many trucks up there in mileage yet. That said, the lifters themselves haven't changed, so aside from the "bad batch" in the early 2021 models, you are looking at the same lifters that you would have seen in a 2007...there are just more of them and they are being exercised more. Logic would tell us that due to those facts, we should see a higher rate of failure, and early indications are that that is true - we have seen a lot of reports of failures of the non-bad-batch lifters in the 50-80k range, which is something we almost never saw in the previous generations. But this is really anecdotal at this time.

My recommendation to anyone with a T1-gen truck is just extend your drivetrain warranty. It's cheap insurance.
 
The 2007-2014 5.3's had AFM? Is that all of them, or just some?
I don't remember AFM being mentioned for my 2007 Silverado, nor my 2011. Both went well over 100,000 miles with no problems at all.

It is obviously propaganda that Chevy's are less reliable than any of the competition. A vehicle cannot be better than 100% reliable and trouble-free.
This describes all of my Chevy trucks, including a 1993 V6. If you look at the sales stats, GM has sold more than 5 million T1 Chevy trucks, AFAIK.
 
The 2007-2014 5.3's had AFM? Is that all of them, or just some?
I don't remember AFM being mentioned for my 2007 Silverado, nor my 2011. Both went well over 100,000 miles with no problems at all.

It is obviously propaganda that Chevy's are less reliable than any of the competition. A vehicle cannot be better than 100% reliable and trouble-free.
This describes all of my Chevy trucks, including a 1993 V6. If you look at the sales stats, GM has sold more than 5 million T1 Chevy trucks, AFAIK.

The vast majority had AFM, yes. I know there were some exceptions to the rule but I don't know what the conditions were.

Arguing about reliability when it comes to any of the major truck brands is silly - they are all now saddled with CAFE-required impediments and all of those systems are where most of the problems come from. With Chevy and Ram you have the lifters to deal with (literally the same lifters) and with Ford and Toyota you have turbos to deal with. So the end result with Chevy, Ford, and Ram is that you are much more likely to have a major engine issue within 100k miles than 10 years ago. With Toyota it's happening in the first 20k. I guess the advantage with Toyota is that you will be under warranty at that point. That's why I say that if you are buying a new truck, extend the powertrain warranty for the duration of your planned ownership.
 

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