New-To-Me Rig Hummer H3

[Kurt Struss]

After having read the article in Expedition Portal on the Jeep Patriot, I purchased one in ‘14. It got me out there and into more stuff than I thought possible. The issue became space and reaching the limit of its capabilities. So, after the Wrangler I was looking at was sold before I made it to the dealership, my regular sales guy ( I have had Jeeps the last 20 years) showed me an ‘07 Hummer H3 which they had sold when they had the Hummer dealership.

I took it around for a few days and it really was like-new aside from basic service needs. So I bought it, trading in the Jeep.

Here are some pics of both the old Patriot and my NTM Hummer. We leave for the Badlands and points west July 14th. Oh, I need a good trail near the Badlands, Sage Creek?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Kurt Struss]

A little update: since the purchase 2 weeks ago: I’ve had multiple issues with the Hummer. So far:

New cv axles were improperly installed which had be stuck on the roadside, engine revving, and no forward motion (3 minutes after buying and leaving the dealership. 3 minutes)

Picked it up and had a rotational noise on driver side. Very noticeable between 15 and 30MPH. Took it back, news hubs installed.

Torsion key lift was removed by dealership which left the rear end up in the air. I had it set back to “factory” spec and leveled. Needs tweaked as passenger side is off a half inch.

PO installed an Alpine stereo system and cut out the factory harness for radio. Consequently, I have no cabin alarms and notification sounds as that module is in the radio harness plug. Back to the deal shop as they agreed to fix it. On the way, engine light comes on.

Dealership pulls code and I have a misfire on cylinder 2. Not good if you know the 3.7 inline 5 engine. Dealership calls me and is incredibly apologetic for all the work needing done since purchasing. I have bought from them for 14 years. I convey my concern and the understand. To this point, there has been no cost to me.

Dealership owner calls and states service has notified him the head is bad on the engine. They decide to put a new (not refurbished) engine in it (the vehicle only has 89,000 miles on an ‘07) and we are all flabbergasted at the events in this sale. Dealership owner then states he will do whatever is necessary to make this right.

So far they have treated me amazingly well and it is a testament to the reputation this place has; they are good people and stand by their sale. Now they have given be the option of keeping the Hummer or they will replace it with a deeply discounted Jeep Wrangler 4 door so I will incur no additional expense. I love the Hummer but a new Jeep makes the choice hard.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Michael G.]

Wow, Good Luck and Keep us updated!

 

[Kurt Struss]

Wow, Good Luck and Keep us updated!

Thanks. It’s hard to decide between keeping the Hummer and rebuilding confidence or taking the Wrangler.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Michael G.]

Thanks. It’s hard to decide between keeping the Hummer and rebuilding confidence or taking the Wrangler.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yeah, and you cant really go wrong with a Wrangler.

 

[CAISOB Taco]

Tough situation to be in. I was looking at an H2 and an H3 back in 2010. I hadn't fully made up my mind when it came time to buy, but the decision was made for me when the H3 I was leaning toward was sold by the time I got back to the dealership. Downside was that I started driving an H2 about 6 months before gas hit $5 a gallon...

If you are already finding issues caused by prior neglect/negligence I don't think that things will improve over time. Couple that with Hummer being gone, you could run into situations where you need to replace components that didn't come from the shared GM parts bins. As much as I like the H3, your best bet might just be the Wrangler, particularly from the perspective of longevity.

 

[Michael G.]

The H3 does share a lot of parts with the Colorado from the same time frame. I actually just got rid of my Colorado for the JKU.

 

[CAISOB Taco]

The H3 does share a lot of parts with the Colorado from the same time frame. I actually just got rid of my Colorado for the JKU.

Just as the H2 shared a lot of parts with the 2500 series trucks. BUT, I ran into a few situations with mine where off the shelf GM parts wouldn't fit the bill, so the repair shop would have to hunt down parts to complete repairs.

 

[Michael G.]

Just as the H2 shared a lot of parts with the 2500 series trucks. BUT, I ran into a few situations with mine where off the shelf GM parts wouldn't fit the bill, so the repair shop would have to hunt down parts to complete repairs.

yeah GMpartsdirect.com was my friend hunting parts down. In the end I didnt want to continue to pay for parts at a high price just to find them. Now i will be throwing money at accessories. Almost went with a Taco too but wanted the Wrangler more.

 

[Kurt Struss]

yeah GMpartsdirect.com was my friend hunting parts down. In the end I didnt want to continue to pay for parts at a high price just to find them. Now i will be throwing money at accessories. Almost went with a Taco too but wanted the Wrangler more.

Cylinder 2 has a 65% leak with a combustion of 165 and spec at 240 (?) it’s completely drivable but dealership feels badly about sale and GM parts had OEM motor available. I’ll give it a roll. Dealership says drive for a few weeks and it it doesn’t sit right we can do a Wrangler.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Kurt Struss]

I have the Hummer back from service until OEM GM new engine arrive. It is from the 2008 model year which is supposed to be an improvement over ‘07. It still runs out well but the dealer feels it is better to do the swap under warranty than gamble on the head repair. Ok.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Arailt]

It's great that the dealer is working with you to make things right. I've been in a similar situation and got zero help from the dealer, so I know how nerve-racking it is.

 

[Daniel Etter]

Saw you were looking for trails out this way in the Badlands. Sheep mountain road is amazing and you can disperse camp off of the 4wd section at the end. Let me know if you have any questions on South Dakota!

 

[Kurt Struss]

Saw you were looking for trails out this way in the Badlands. Sheep mountain road is amazing and you can disperse camp off of the 4wd section at the end. Let me know if you have any questions on South Dakota!

Thanks Dan. I have Sage Creek down as a stop so far. I’ll look into Sheep Mountain.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Daniel Etter]

Thanks Dan. I have Sage Creek down as a stop so far. I’ll look into Sheep Mountain.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Sage creek road is the back entrance into the main section of the park. It is a common dirt road that a lot of people use. It is very scenic but very busy with vehicles since everyone can go down it. The end of Sheep mountain road is a true offroad trail that only 4wd vehicles can access. Look at the buffalo gap national grassland trail maps for the offroad trails in and around the Badlands. There are a fair amount of dedicated offroad trails to choose from!

 

[Kurt Struss]

Sage creek road is the back entrance into the main section of the park. It is a common dirt road that a lot of people use. It is very scenic but very busy with vehicles since everyone can go down it. The end of Sheep mountain road is a true offroad trail that only 4wd vehicles can access. Look at the buffalo gap national grassland trail maps for the offroad trails in and around the Badlands. There are a fair amount of dedicated offroad trails to choose from!

Awesome. I will do it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Michael G.]

Good Luck with the Engine swap.

 

[bunger]

I have a 2007 H3 and owned it since 09. I love it and would never trade it for anything else. I have not had any issues with it that I didn't cause myself as I wheel it hard in rocky New England. Then again I do most of the work on it myself and find parts are easily found on RockAuto or the online GM parts sites at a fraction of dealer costs.

 

[Zdorf]

Go with the Jeep!!!!!

Seriously thats a tough decision. Jeep resale is amazing. But H3 with a brand new engine and tons of work might not be too bad. Have them add a few extras you want and go with the deal!

Z

 

[Kurt Struss]

I have a 2007 H3 and owned it since 09. I love it and would never trade it for anything else. I have not had any issues with it that I didn't cause myself as I wheel it hard in rocky New England. Then again I do most of the work on it myself and find parts are easily found on RockAuto or the online GM parts sites at a fraction of dealer costs.View attachment 59335 View attachment 59334
View attachment 59333

Very nice. I can’t wait for July 14 and off to the Dakotas and Yellowstone, maybe Moab too.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk