Hello friends,
I am looking at buying a 06' H3 with 117,000 miles on it. Its from a dealership that a friend of mine from church works at, and its really clean. It passed their "65 point" inspection. But here's my worry.... I bought a ford ranger about a year and a half ago. Thought it was a good deal, but in the last 6 months ive put 3,500$$ into it and now it needs a new engine, and I am classically "upside down". I am a first time buyer doing this on my own, and nothing i can get approved for is anything a 24 yr old wants to drive, and honestly i have only owned trucks and prefer them cause i am 6'3", but when he brought this Hummer to my attention and i took it on a test drive, i FELL IN LOVE!! So naturally after getting bent over on my "found on road dead" ranger, i have done some research on this puppy, and found some scary things. BUT, i no all cars/trucks are going to have problems, just depends on how well they are takin care of. This one seems like it has been treated nicely, but looks can be deceiving. Can any of you nice people help me out with this, i want to go buy it Monday cause i am in desperate need of a vehicle for work and school. But as a broke college kid that has been sucked bone dry on my other truck, i cant afford another mechanic telling me $1,000 for this $1,000 for that. The H3 i have wiggled them down to $11,800. What are y'alls (from Oklahoma) thoughts? Oh and i should mention, i no it doesn't do well on the gas tank, but neither has anything else i have ever owned. But i am curious as to how many miles to the tank y'all get? Thank you for your help in advance, anything helps at this point...

 

Welcome Tjones,
I have a 2006 H3 with 71,000 miles. It's the Adventure model (beefed suspension, rear differential lock and borg warner 4:1 transfer case) with leather and moonroof.
This thing has been almost problem free, and so far each discrepancy has been easily fixed (due in large part to the people on this forum).
Things you MUST check with your 2006 h3:
1. Radiator: These things almost always form a hairline fracture across the top.
2. Front CV seals: If leaking you'll see a small/large grease stain surrounding the inboard half shaft.
3. Moonroof: make sure the drain ports aren't clogged. If they are, there may have already been damage to the electrical components (BMC near kickpanel, etc).
4. Cylinder head: The 06 H3 has the softer aluminum heads, causing an expensive repair. Inspect and i'd even advise checking the 5 coil packs for water intrusion.
5. Exhaust manifold: not as common, but over the years i've seen a few posts regarding cracked/severed manifold bolts. You'll hear it and may have a rough idle from it.
6. Battery terminals: The stock terminals WILL cause electrical issues. Replace ASAP

This may seem like a lot.. but honestly with proper care and attention to detail this can all be avoided/mitigated. Mine has only encountered the radiator leak and CV seal leak, which are both pretty easy to replace in your driveway (follow the write-ups listed here).

Good luck, and check the car fax. Bring an OBD2 scanner and scan it after taking a stroll down the highway. Don't forget to report back with what happened.

 

Buying used truck is always gambling and You never know how that truck was used, abused and serviced so there is always some risk! But if You could check all things, listed in previous post, so You are almost okay! And in term of comparison any Ford Ranger cannot be like a HummerH3! They are so different! So if You really like Hummer H3 and you are young- so buy it! And everything should be okay! Everything in hands of God!

 

Hey TJones, is that the silver one on Memorial in Tulsa? If your looking in the Tulsa area I don't mind helping look it over and giving you an opinion on it. The H3 is mostly trouble-free, what issues it does have are well documented here and on other forums.

 

it would be great if you could hook up with one of the members from this forum like RSC out there . IF not a mechanic familiar w/hummers.
Do make sure you get a warranty on it at least covering the powertrain which should be free from any repitel dealership@ least for 90 days. Good Luck and enjoy in whatever you decide.

 

Price seems a bit high for the mileage. In any event, I would spend a few hundred to have your own mechanic inspect it first, or at least an independent mechanic. The used car dealer's "own inspection" usually isn't very trustworthy.

Also ask them for service records and check the carfax.

 

Most things that break or need repair can be fixed, Go to the search tab an search your problem and most members have already fixed it and can tell you how to fix it, And if your willing to try you will be able to fix most things your self. I have a 07 with 126000 miles and I would drive it anywhere. And make them give you some type of warranty even a 90 day
power train and run it on and off road to make sure all works as it should. GOOD LUCK

 

The Hummer prices have climbed again as the gas prices have dropped. That sounds like a correct price for the year and mileage. I would prefer $500 less but I don't know which it is or what options it has.

 

Take all the advice given here...
See if they will throw in a free extended warrentee. Def take one more test drive down to your local mechanic for a look over to see if it was abused. Mileage is a little high. However if its all highway not a problem typically.

Good luck!

 

Keep in mind when buying a Hummer ....

1. Parts are SCARY expensive
2. Parts are hard to find
3. GM Dealers don't like working on Hummers and some employees have an attitude against Hummer owners.
4. Hummers are not the most reliable or problem-free vehicles

I purchased my 09 Alpha about 1 year ago from an old retired lady and I have nothing but problems. I baby this h3 and the previous owner did the same. One thing after another, and this is after I replaced some OEM broken parts. Example part prices I recently paid:

OEM Chrome Side Passenger Rear View Mirror: $230
OEM Engine Plastic Cover: $150
OEM Roof Racks: $300

All these parts are basically just cheap plastic stuff probably made in China. At this point I'm gonna hold off on the lift kit and bigger tires and wheels. As a real estate investor I find it very hard to spend money on something that I will never re-coup. Frankly, I'd rather take that money and invest it hanging out on a beautiful Beach in Brazil for 6 months surrounded by beautiful Brazilian women in tiny bikinis, drinking cold Chopps and improving my tan.

My Old Man (Father) purchased a new V8 Tundra in 2008 and he rags on his truck every day pulling 7,000 lbs regularly and he's never had one issue with his truck. 150,000 miles and cranks every day, never any issues only change the oil and other fluids.

Good Luck.