I want to become a Hummer H2 owner for recreational off roading and excursion.
Here is a little background about the trucks I owned. 95 & 96 Land Rover Discovery I, 04 Range Rover HSE, and a 04 Lexus GX 470. All which hit the trails often than others. I wanted to get another trail rig and was stuck between a Range Rover (06-08) and the Hummer H2. My questions are. Which is the year to go after? and what are problems I need to beware of or address with Hummers?

 

any h2 is a nice ride imo but the 07-09s had the 6.2l in them and had more additional features in them with the updated dashboards.

the 6.2l is a great addition to the h2 over the 6l in the older ones. it has about 50 hp or so more and helps out alot when wheeling if you dont want to regear. I havent done any regearing and im plenty happy with 4lo diff locked when wheeling. it is plenty low to climb anything even with the 44s.

the usual stuff to look for on them for maintenance and issues

4x4 in good condition,
if it has air ride, make sure it is in good shape, if it is not working properly or has a slow leak, it is an expensive item to fix.

regular maintenance, trans flushes, diff lube

listen for major air leaks around the mirrors or doors, the glass along the pillars on the front glass can really whistle if it is leaking. replacement of the windshield would be needed or have it removed and sealed. the mirrors will always have a bit of noise in them and the h2 is a box on wheels so it has wind anyway. the windshield will be noticeable right away if it is leaking. the rest of it would be normal noise.

roof marker lights can leak into the cab if they get hit on top. if they are left alone, they wont leak but if you hit them while washing hard or something they will leak. simple fix with either new gaskets or silicone on the bottoms of the gaskets. Thats how a bunch of us have done ours when they leaked. I hit mine with a scrub brush this summer and had them leaking in a hard rain one day.

the traction control works properly
diff lock works
no grinding when shifting through the 4x4's, going into 4lo locked will make a good clunk but that is normal.
the trans doesnt clunk or slip during normal driving
tight steering (ball joints, hubs, and tie rod ends are major wear items)

if you plan to wheel it alot, either look for one with upgraded tie rods on it already or get some upgraded ones from cognito or similar for wheeling. if you dont, one will most likely break sometime. that is about the only issue that will need to either be considered or taken care of when doing maintenance before wheeling it.

overall, they are a great vehicle but they are big and wide. either you will be climbing over alot of stuff that you could fit between before or you will be running stuff over to fit through. esp if they are jeep style trails or something, the h2 will be tough to fit through there without rubbing stuff and working harder to actually fit. if they are wide roads and stuff, you wouldnt have to worry though.

not to say that isnt fun though, thats what makes it a blast to drive for me. i just wanted to warn you. lol it is going to be a change from a discovery or hx 470. those are going to feel like a small suv compared to driving an h2 alot.

just my topics for concern and a quick review on the h2 though, others have found some other things that they feel are more important than some of these. i know the issues ive heard and faced a bit.

steve

 

the engine trans combo isn't an issue in my 03'. I've already upgraded everything, however the interior in the newer (07-09)? hummers is gorgeous compared to mine.

 

07 is the same as 03-06 interior,and it has 6.0,

 

Thanks guys for your feedback. I like the 03-08 interior over the current outgoing. The engine size isn't a concern of mines.