I'm giving a lot of consideration to buying a hummer, but I have a few concerns about buying one.


My biggest fear is that something will damage my H1, has anyone had any problems finding parts for their hummer? Are there manufacturers who still make parts for them, or are you just SOL if you need exterior parts?

Is an insurance company very likely to total out an H1 for that reason? I don't want to sink $50,000 in a vehicle if it might get totalled for that reason.

Most H1 for sale have around 80,000 miles, so I'm sure I'll have to do some work under the hood sooner than later. How difficult is it dropping new parts in there? I'll probably end up just taking it to a mechanic. Has anyone had trouble finding a mechanic that will work on their H1?

Any general advice is also very welcome.

 

MOVED. When you are asking H1 questions, you should ask them in the ........ H1 section.

 

AM general is still pushing out HMMWV's so mechanical parts are availible, as well as most other parts, with exceptions every now and then.

Now...
H1s are expensive unless your doing the work yourself, you MUST expect dealership visits to some times reach in excess of 10k.
Their loud as hell
They are NOT low maintence vehicles, the entry price is only part of the deal.

Yes, having people that know these vehicles is a huge plus

 

Anyone that spends 10K at a dealership either replaced a motor, bought a total wreck or is a complete dumba$$.
Parts are available but you need to know how to source them. Not every shop will know where to look for them.
H1s are relatively simple to work on. Most owners wind up fixing many things themselves. Most H1 owners are usually fairly handy with tools and know their way around vehicles. Even if you don't all but the latest model H1s were relatively simple vehicles.
Maintenance is a big deal on these trucks. Most are 15-20 years old and unless you go through the truck stem to stern and bring everything up to new things will go wrong. Staying on top of the maintenance is key to enjoying the truck. Good luck in your search.

 

I bought a '97 wagon about 2 years ago. I work on it all the time, but I (mostly) like to.

Some parts on an H1 are off of other vehicles (front brakes are off a jeep, steering column ford) and parts are super cheap. Some parts are exclusive to h1/hmmwv (rear brake calipers) and can be found, but are kind of expensive. Some parts are exclusive to the commercial h1, and are mostly (IMHO) pieces of crap, and are extremely not worth the price. (the plastic heater box, about 1/8th inch thick, brittle, breaks easily, $2000+ for replacement, I created my own heater system replacement with sheet metal for much less).

Mine has CTIS, and the tire shop won't work on the tires. I am currently making my own CTIS lines that will screw on to schrader tire valvestem so I can easily have them balanced and such.

If you live in or near a big city, there should be a dealership with service center.