Good morning everyone,

I am new to the forum, and also new to Hummers as well. I have never owned a Hummer, but am highly considering purchasing a Hummer H3. I have been reading as much as I can about them, and thought it was time to tap into the resources of this forum. I hope everyone doesnt mind the questions, and look forward to hearing from you. I am currently looking at purchasing a 2006 H3 with 76K on it. The vehicle will be my daily driver, but will also be used for fun on the trails. Are there certain things to look for when looking over an H3 (common issues)? Could I get a good amount more mileage out of a 2006 with 76K, without major issues? Are the 06's capable off-road (nothing too crazy)? Are engine and suspension upgrades still available for H3's (brush guards, lift/leveling kits, engine upgrades, locking diffs, etc)? My main concern is reliability, but would still like a rig that I could modify a little if I want. Any insight or info is greatly appreciated!! Thanks everyone!

 

2006 is the first year and have the 3.5L I5. If it were me, I would be looking at 2007+ as they have the 3.7L I5 w/ 20HP/TQ more, and do not have the potential issue of the defective valve seats in the head.

Buying an H3 is like buying a used Chevy. How many miles can you get out of a Used Chevy? 200,000 K miles plus.

There are no lift kits made any longer. You do NOT need any leveling kit, the stock H3 Torsion Bars can provide all the lift an H3 can handle. Adventure models come with locking diff/diffs. 2006-8 rear locker, 2009&10 front and rear lockers, all adventures have the lower gear ratio T Case.

 

Thank you for the reply, and some answers, Doc. I was skeptical about cranking up the stock torsion bars. Could I run a larger tire on a stock H3, and still not rub on anything? The H3 I am looking at is a base model, does that have the rear locking diff? Thanks!

 

Do some more reading. Base models are no Adventure models.

You can run 35" tires on OEM spec wheels without even adjusting the T Bars, many have done it for years. Might rub the sway bar when turning all the way to full lock, but that is not a problem.

 

Check the vin to make sure it is not in the production range for the bad valve seats that early 2006 h3's had issue with. I bought my 2006 in 2014 with 45k miles on it. At around 80k miles it started missing and

 

The valve seats started burning out and thats when I found out about the valve seat issue. Any way my son was driving it about a month after it started missing and a lady pulled out and hit him and totaled it and I got $13,900 from insurance, so it turned out to be a win since that is $400 more than what I paid.

 

Heres one for sale:

https://www.hummerforums.com/forum/p...-luxury-44338/

 

I am a little bit unsure how to respond to threads on here… I just pushed the comment down below this one and started typing… so… YES! I’m new! Trying to get my husband to join. He is the “HUMVEE-day” war torn Army veteran” that survived longer than…. several of “those Humvees”… you know… the first round “over there” with the canvas doors. So, he is off and running lately regarding this idea… THIS “HUMMER IDEA!!” He’s DEFINITELY (maybe!!!) CHASING THE GOOD OLE’ COWBOY DAYS IMO! Which is FINE WITH ME- hey- I can’t stand a cramped car unless I’M ALONE IN IT- so the more room the better. (Is it true the H3 is just as big inside as the bigger bodied HUMMERS? What vehicle would you compare the H3 interior size to?? We had a later model 4Runner for a while about 5 years ago(?).
Alright- that font is gone now… weird. Anyway- I cannot find the thread which mentioned 2006 H3 HUMMERS having some sort of “seat-something-valve(?)-head(?)(?)(“Something”)-issue in the early models of that year, particularly- the first ones that came out??? I honestly do not know what this “seat” issue is but I would love all of the education that I can get! I read the basic model is less than others and the years after 2006 have more (?)bang(?)… is that what the lingo means? I guess I should say he (we) are not super into off-roading… but likely will… and definitely more into towing. We move as much as possible… jk.
We want space for the 2.5 mini-teacup- millennial kids that we are responsible for in this world and we want to travel far and wide and be comfortable because we have the fortunate early retirement now upon our days.
So…. I guess I’m curious about a 2006 basic HUMMER H3 and what to look out for and what to “discuss” or possibly point out to my “street legal cowboy.”
I do appreciate any and all tips, hints, suggestions and advice in advance and please do look back on my post and sense some humor and maybe sarcasm in case I have confused you.
Making this fun if possible! Car shopping STRESSES ME OUTTTTTT!!!!

Example of an H3 husband has showed me below… maybe you’ll be able to click or copy and paste the link. It’s an Edmund’s.com auto listing. I’m not a spammer- promise!!

https://www.edmunds.com/hummer/h3/20...N136668160881/

THAAAAAAANKS
LISA

 

All a matter of care...

All good years and models.

 

Welcome to Hummer Forum!

Definitely look for a 2007+ H3 with the 3.7L I5; they might be a little more expensive (I paid ~3K more for my current 2007, vs. other comparable 2006 models), however the 2007s not only have a little more pep to the engine, but they also do not suffer from the valve-seat failures like some of the 2006 models. If you have this problem on a 2006, you’re probably looking at a minimum of ~$1500 for a repair.

You can run 35” tires on a stock H3, just be prepared for a small decrease in performance/acceleration, and a small decrease in gas mileage as well.

Another consideration is if you are looking at models with a sun roof, make sure the drains are not clogged (ask the previous owner if they’ve ever checked/fixed this), otherwise you may get moisture/water all over your electronics, which may eventually ruin/corrode the Body Control Module (BCM). Replacing a BCM is a fairly intensive task, that can (usually) only be done by a dealership since they have to reprogram each BCM to your specific vehicle (that is, you cannot simply go online and buy a used BCM, then throw it in your vehicle). Additionally, a lot of GM dealerships (at least down here in MS) will no longer program BCMs, since H3’s are now no longer being manufactured. A 2006 model I was initially looking at buying had the BCM problem (with a sunroof), which eventually turned me off as the owner couldn’t find a shop to properly reprogram his new BCM; afterwards, the H3 didn’t act 100% correct as it did from the factory.

I’ve owned two H3’s, first was a 2007 that I traded in at 200k miles (huge mistake, should have kept it), and my current one is also a 2007, running strong at 133k miles. Both are base models, both did not have a sunroof (so the water/electronics was never a problem for me). I haven’t taken them off road a whole lot, but have taken both on plenty of long distance (8+ hours) trips, and neither ever left me stranded. Change the fluids at the proper intervals, take care of them properly, and they will gladly return the favor.

TopLineRacer on YouTube does a pretty decent video on the common problems of the H3 (his is an 06, but most things he brings up are also somewhat applicable to the 07+ models as well).

Good luck on your search, and once again, welcome!