Hello All, I just became a member and this is my first post.
for a long i was debating between fj and H3 and now ive made my decision, of course H3.
I did as much as review that i could to decide i need to look for 2007 and newer model due to the engine hp improvment, now here is my question:
-what should I be aware and check when buying a used one? im not a mechanic, i dont like to buy a bitten up h3 which looks sharp but mechanically i cant rely on. any check points i need to be aware of?

-since there will be no new h3 in production line, how do you guys expect the service and parts availability to be in the future?

i really appreciate for your feedback and help.

 

i had an 07 luxury and loved it,it felt great,on the road, leather was super. the premium monsoon sound is VITAL! it had no sunroof and i needed that. so i got a 2010

i did not need the adventure/off road stuff but bought it for future resale,way down the road.
got my sun,lost the leather,the ride is not as nice.
mileage was better with 265 tires(i think)

then ,drive,listen,check ALL 4 wheel modes.

my standard is a long drive,bang it around,bang the brakes,wiggle the wheel,go a mile with no brakes,coast to a stop and check all wheel hubs/disks for heat,brake drag.
let it sit there running for 10 min and see if anything is running out,oil,fluids etc. temp gage on both of mine stay just under midpoint,never over heat.

a lot of trade ins have been driven by people who abuse them ,without knowing,driving in lock mode.
check all modes and listen,feel for anything.
best if u could get a hummer owner to check it!

now someone else will fill in the blanks!!

oh,,,do buy one! youll love it. i still think yellow is the best,but i got RED,i love waxing it,it glistens!!?

 

Things to look for.... the nearest dealer that you trust for service because no matter how nice it is when you get it, more than likely something will break. read through some the posts regarding the annoying things that seems to happen to these vehicles frequently. For example the seemingly crappy bulbs in the cabin controls. At 37k the drivers side window control bulbs were out, no replacing the bulb, you must replace the whole switch. At 58k the temp control bulb has burnt out. Again no replacing the bulb the whole assmebly need to be replaced. While these are minor, and I'll get flamed by someone pointing out this type of stuff happens in every vehicle, which it does. It just seems t happen more often in the H3.

 

oh,, i knew id forget something,so far mine have been flawless,not one problem,bought the 07 at 37k and drove to 57k
the 10 is just 4k.
all ive done is oil changes and added gas,,,regularly!

 

Just try to find an H3 still within warranty. I would recommend a 2007 or newer, like you had said, but under 50,000 miles to have the 50,000/4yr for bumper-bumper and driveline 100,000/5yr warranty. I also had the temp control bulb burn out (same problem with my Yukon) and since it is an LED, it has to be replaced unless you know someone that can solder. I was still within my warranty so not a problem. You can find replacements cheaper than the dealership cost you just have to look. Ebay/Craigslist are usually pretty good. If you do have any problems, the people on this forum are awesome at giving advice!

 

thank you guys for your help. unfortunately as you said H3 drivers probably have abused them specially the leased ones and Im lucky if i find a clean one. Im also afraid of ended up buying a broken one, i think its the best to buy it from a dealer to get at least a kind of warranty.
does the gm waranty cover any parts which has been broken due to misuse? for example a broken shock or leaking engine?

 

Don't be afraid of a lease return. Most have low milage and have not been abused, due to the owners wanting a clean trade. My lease return H3 had 28,000 and was certainly never taken off of the pavement. Look around and good luck!

 

Believe it or not, most H3's have not been abused...if you have doubts, buy one with really big chrome wheels. I've purchased two 2007's and one of them had been wheeled quite a bit and you could tell by looking under it. Dents, and scrapes everywhere but I still bought and never had a serious problem with it, everything else was covered by the warranty and usually fixed the same day.

Define misuse...Driving a 4x4 offroad is not misuse, and things break. I know a few people that have "broke" on the trails. The biggest problem that they had was getting it back to the dealership to get fixed, and it was fixed everytime (most with chuckles from the tech). I have yet to hear of anyone breaking an OEM shock(but I'm sure it has happened). If the engine is leaking, the cause of the leak will be the determining factor(and you shouldn't buy it anyway). If it was due to a mechanical failure, I'm sure it'll be fixed. Due to neglect, you'll have to pay. The best thing is to get a good relationship with the dealership and it'll help you in the long run. I hope this helps and you get your 3 soon, you won't regret it!!

 

All good advice. I would start by deciding what options you want. Are you going to wheel it, do you want/need the Adventure/Offroad package? Is leather a priority? Maybe you want the looks of the tactical package or there is a specific color you just gotta have? Maybe a sunroof is a requirement? As I found out, getting specific options may not be as easy as it would seem and if I had not made up my mind on exactly what I was looking for before I started seriously shopping I likely would have bought something else. However, while trying to find what you are after test drive as many others as you can. Get a feel for how they drive so when you find just the one you are looking for you can give it a good test drive and have a better chance to notice if something isn't quite right.

 

thanks alot for all your advice. I am basically looking for an everyday drive plus some weekend camping or fishing adventure. I prefer leather, sunroof, the door handles to have higher positioned window switches, do not generally like crome, prefer black. as far as color i like, silver, grey, boulder grey, graphit... i like black to but not very California friendly.
plan to keep the original wheels and tires, may change the tire later on to the bigger suggested sizes, but definitely need to level the car by either raising the front or lower the back! damn i cant sleep without thinking about it...