Should I buy 1

[ZR2Hopeful]

I found out today that my white ZR2 should be here in the next few weeks. After finding this forum I’m extremely hesitant to buy it. Paint issues especially on white ones seem to be significant issues, from hood to doors. I’ve seen camera issues and noises coming from the backseat to just name a few. How common are these issues? I think this truck would fit what I do very well but I’m concerned that quality control is out the window right. I’d hate to trade a good truck for a boat anchor. I’d appreciate any advice.

 

[MO_ZR2]

A 75k decision isn't one I would personally make based on the advice of strangers on the interwebs but you are asking a ZR2 forum if you should buy a ZR2...so I would say, pull the trigger!

Any new truck will come with some level of "risk" but you'll have warranty. While the paint issues are a bigger deal to me than it might be others, a random seat noise, or screen that can be swapped out is a bit different than a boat anchor.

They seem to be mechanically solid, meaning, I'm not hearing major engine issues, tranny problems, locker issues, suspension, etc. The things that really matter to me (outside of the paint, I'll give u that one), these trucks seem to be pretty legit.

Just my $.02...consider how much that's worth

 

[ZR2Hopeful]

I was sold months ago when I laid down the deposit, but now I’m concerned after finding this forum. Sounds like you are saying the paint is a concern but nothing else. I see a high number of guys talking about the hood paint which doesn’t bother me too much but the doors concern me.

 

[red454]

Coming from a 2019 AT4 with a 6.2L I'm very happy with my ZR2. The updated interior is great, ride is supper smooth and not having the noisy Dura crap tires come stock is icing on the cake. Mine has the paint issue on the hood but I feel factory paint isn't like it use to be and getting resprayed isn't a deal breaker.

 

[MO_ZR2]

I was sold months ago when I laid down the deposit, but now I’m concerned after finding this forum. Sounds like you are saying the paint is a concern but nothing else. I see a high number of guys talking about the hood paint which doesn’t bother me too much but the doors concern me.

What I'm really saying is that it's your 75k decision and only you can say whether the truck is worth that given the apparent paint problems that have been documented by quite a few on this forum, the rest of the "issues" are simply part of owning any mechanical vehicle, don't appear to be in volume, and certainly aren't "boat anchor" problems.

In my opinion, the general truck itself is actually not that different than the last few years with the exception of the new interior dash, tweaked bolstering in the front seats (rear look the same), fake hood scoop (that's causing the hood paint issues it appears), butter smooth shocks, front grille, lockers...but same motor/tranny, same general body, same bed/tailgate, etc. As a result, my point is that the "core" of the truck hasn't changed and thus proven the last few years. This was more of a facelift with an off-road package added vs a ground up redesign. I believe folks here would agree with this as well.

 

[wutang61]

I will say that the squeaky wheel gets the grease. All vehicles of any make or model will have issues occasionally.

My truck, and most of the other owners on here don’t have issues. Our sample size of 350~ members isn’t a large enough pool size to accurately to determine “reliability”

Like stated above by @ZR2Hopeful most of this truck is a direct carryover. The “first model year gamble” is greatly reduced.

 

[YYCZR2]

Mine should be here within a couple of weeks and can't wait. Take my money!

 

[Smokey0844]

What I'm really saying is that it's your 75k decision and only you can say whether the truck is worth that given the apparent paint problems that have been documented by quite a few on this forum, the rest of the "issues" are simply part of owning any mechanical vehicle, don't appear to be in volume, and certainly aren't "boat anchor" problems.

In my opinion, the general truck itself is actually not that different than the last few years with the exception of the new interior dash, tweaked bolstering in the front seats (rear look the same), fake hood scoop (that's causing the hood paint issues it appears), butter smooth shocks, front grille, lockers...but same motor/tranny, same general body, same bed/tailgate, etc. As a result, my point is that the "core" of the truck hasn't changed and thus proven the last few years. This was more of a facelift with an off-road package added vs a ground up redesign. I believe folks here would agree with this as well.

Agreed.

Having been through the consumer testing process (lol)on a 2019 Silverado and seeing actual issues pop up that were handled decently well by GM, I’m open to handle the paint issue and most else since I know that horrible transmission I’m dealing with right now is no longer an option. Then again I owned an early production C5 Corvette and that poor thing spent most of its first year of life having the climate system worked on before they threw in the towel and just replaced it. After those two vehicles, the ZR2 issues so far aren’t that bad*.

*after having a wheel fall off of my Trail Boss basically and then learning that the ZR2 has the same upper control arms there is no way in hades I personally would consider a leveling kit install without replacing the factory arms.

Things that cause you to destroy your new vehicle and/or possibly lose your life are major issues. Paint and stuff are more annoyances than anything.

 

[landpilot]

I'd agree with what others are saying here. My truck is black, so the chipping around the scoop is more noticeable (although it just looks like I did a crappy job washing it to be honest), and from what I understand GM is aware and working on some kind of a fix (hopefully). I haven't seen any other issues in 3K miles yet. The only real annoyance I have is every time I answer a call, it switches the media selection to my phone (I'm using ApplePlay) - there may be a setting for that but I haven't found it. Other than that no issues with the engine, transmission, lockers, the ride is incredible (I live in a rural area that has roads that desperately need paving), the rear seat rattles occasionally but it's usually when I've had it up and it's not pushed all the way back down.

This is the 4th Chevy truck I've owned, although I was driving Fords for a while (bro-in-law gets me Z-plan). I traded a '21 Expedition King Ranch that had the under-hood fire recall, the windshield wiper arm recall, and a TSB for transmission programming that caused the tranny to jump into neutral under load and slam back into gear at redline. All that from a 4th year of the current generation, no thank you. Like @wutang61 said, most of this truck is a carry-over and the chances of issues are greatly reduced. Hell, even my wife loves this truck! I think it's a keeper.

 

[Ponyboy]

I've had my truck since May and I've got just over 3800 miles on it. I love it...100% in love with it and glad I bought it.

I never got into the whole "what's better" BS between the Raptor, the TRX, and the ZR2. I drove the Raptor, I thought it sucked. Looked cool, and has a great suspension, but the cockpit and V6 were a huge turn-off for me. I live in middle Tennessee so I'm hauling a boat all throughout TN to go fishing. Who in the hell wants to haul a boat with a V6 even if it has twin turbos?

Now the TRX can certainly haul a boat with its extra 300hp but my understanding is that truck rides around town getting 9mpg. I was getting 10-12 mpg with my boat hooked up. When it's not hooked up I get 16-18 on a good day. Not great but I don't give a shit, I didn't buy it for gas mileage and the crazy thing is, it gets better mileage than the Tacoma TRD that I traded in for it. The 6.2 was crazy good going up and down boat ramps or making a slow climb up into the smokies and it cruises as smooth as hell at 90. To me, this truck is in the sweet spot. It's priced correctly, in my opinion, compared to the Trailboss. I wanted the extra bling this time around and this truck is that. Everyone looks at it, everyone comments....and right now, in middle TN, it's like a freaking unicorn. I haven't seen another ZR2 since I brought her home.

Now I totally get that some people had some problems and if you go look on Facebook...those idiots can't find enough shit to complain about so they find non-issues to bitch about like lag on some of the infotainment screens, but I'm not seeing that.

I have no issues, although I can see the hood might be a problem someday. So what...GM will have to fix it. Other than that, this truck is badass, sounds badass, hauls a boat better than most things out there, and I haven't even taken it out West yet to see how well she does on the trails but that trip is coming up.

From what I see online, the TRX and the Raptor will beat this truck off the line 0-60 but when it comes to being in the woods, we are the Goldilocks as far as size goes and there is nothing those trucks do on trails that we can't do and some people are saying we do it better with lockers high clearances. And we didn't have to pay $80k to get the right stuff on a Raptor or $90k to get the right TRX.

Everyone is upset with Chevy for not making a killer but they can always put a blower on and make a widebody. For the money, this was the right truck for me at the right price. I was willing to pay for the extra jazz over the trailboss and I kind of like being the only ZR2 on the road for right now.

 

[ZR2Hopeful]

I’m getting some good info from you guys, thanks.

Sounds like the paint on the hood is likely to be an issue but the doors might not be, which is what I’m most worried about.

It’s also good to hear that it’s worth the extra money over the trail boss.

I haven’t seen a ZR2 in person yet and anything I can learn from someone who has one gets me more excited. I do live in the Rockies and I will take it anywhere it’s able to take me. Has anyone done any serious off roading yet, how did it do?

 

[landpilot]

I've had my truck since May and I've got just over 3800 miles on it. I love it...100% in love with it and glad I bought it.

I never got into the whole "what's better" BS between the Raptor, the TRX, and the ZR2. I drove the Raptor, I thought it sucked. Looked cool, and has a great suspension, but the cockpit and V6 were a huge turn-off for me. I live in middle Tennessee so I'm hauling a boat all throughout TN to go fishing. Who in the hell wants to haul a boat with a V6 even if it has twin turbos?

Now the TRX can certainly haul a boat with its extra 300hp but my understanding is that truck rides around town getting 9mpg. I was getting 10-12 mpg with my boat hooked up. When it's not hooked up I get 16-18 on a good day. Not great but I don't give a shit, I didn't buy it for gas mileage and the crazy thing is, it gets better mileage than the Tacoma TRD that I traded in for it. The 6.2 was crazy good going up and down boat ramps or making a slow climb up into the smokies and it cruises as smooth as hell at 90. To me, this truck is in the sweet spot. It's priced correctly, in my opinion, compared to the Trailboss. I wanted the extra bling this time around and this truck is that. Everyone looks at it, everyone comments....and right now, in middle TN, it's like a freaking unicorn. I haven't seen another ZR2 since I brought her home.

Now I totally get that some people had some problems and if you go look on Facebook...those idiots can't find enough shit to complain about so they find non-issues to bitch about like lag on some of the infotainment screens, but I'm not seeing that.

I have no issues, although I can see the hood might be a problem someday. So what...GM will have to fix it. Other than that, this truck is badass, sounds badass, hauls a boat better than most things out there, and I haven't even taken it out West yet to see how well she does on the trails but that trip is coming up.

From what I see online, the TRX and the Raptor will beat this truck off the line 0-60 but when it comes to being in the woods, we are the Goldilocks as far as size goes and there is nothing those trucks do on trails that we can't do and some people are saying we do it better with lockers high clearances. And we didn't have to pay $80k to get the right stuff on a Raptor or $90k to get the right TRX.

Everyone is upset with Chevy for not making a killer but they can always put a blower on and make a widebody. For the money, this was the right truck for me at the right price. I was willing to pay for the extra jazz over the trailboss and I kind of like being the only ZR2 on the road for right now.

100% agree with everything you said right here!

 

[AzZR2Silverado]

I have almost 3K miles and my only issue has been the hood paint. All paint is warrantied, and a recall/solution should be announced in the near future.
This truck rides amazing, functions perfectly for everything I need it for, and gets tons of compliments.
I say purchase it and decide for yourself. If you don't like you aren't going to lose any money on it. Good luck!

 

[Top shelf]

I have had paint issues on the doors and hood and am still waiting to hear back from GM. That being said I would by the truck again no question.

 

[rdz418]

I've had my truck since May and I've got just over 3800 miles on it. I love it...100% in love with it and glad I bought it.

I never got into the whole "what's better" BS between the Raptor, the TRX, and the ZR2. I drove the Raptor, I thought it sucked. Looked cool, and has a great suspension, but the cockpit and V6 were a huge turn-off for me. I live in middle Tennessee so I'm hauling a boat all throughout TN to go fishing. Who in the hell wants to haul a boat with a V6 even if it has twin turbos?

Now the TRX can certainly haul a boat with its extra 300hp but my understanding is that truck rides around town getting 9mpg. I was getting 10-12 mpg with my boat hooked up. When it's not hooked up I get 16-18 on a good day. Not great but I don't give a shit, I didn't buy it for gas mileage and the crazy thing is, it gets better mileage than the Tacoma TRD that I traded in for it. The 6.2 was crazy good going up and down boat ramps or making a slow climb up into the smokies and it cruises as smooth as hell at 90. To me, this truck is in the sweet spot. It's priced correctly, in my opinion, compared to the Trailboss. I wanted the extra bling this time around and this truck is that. Everyone looks at it, everyone comments....and right now, in middle TN, it's like a freaking unicorn. I haven't seen another ZR2 since I brought her home.

Now I totally get that some people had some problems and if you go look on Facebook...those idiots can't find enough shit to complain about so they find non-issues to bitch about like lag on some of the infotainment screens, but I'm not seeing that.

I have no issues, although I can see the hood might be a problem someday. So what...GM will have to fix it. Other than that, this truck is badass, sounds badass, hauls a boat better than most things out there, and I haven't even taken it out West yet to see how well she does on the trails but that trip is coming up.

From what I see online, the TRX and the Raptor will beat this truck off the line 0-60 but when it comes to being in the woods, we are the Goldilocks as far as size goes and there is nothing those trucks do on trails that we can't do and some people are saying we do it better with lockers high clearances. And we didn't have to pay $80k to get the right stuff on a Raptor or $90k to get the right TRX.

Everyone is upset with Chevy for not making a killer but they can always put a blower on and make a widebody. For the money, this was the right truck for me at the right price. I was willing to pay for the extra jazz over the trailboss and I kind of like being the only ZR2 on the road for right now.

I agree with Ponyboy. In my opinion, I don't think Chevy was trying to "beat" the Ford Raptor or the Ram TRX. I think this truck was built for just as some of the adds say " to go from a weekly daily driver to a weekend of fun". I've had both a Raptor and a TRX. Both fun trucks, in their own right, but built specifically for, at least to me, one thing. Running in open, flat, desert. Not to mention, I had numerous problems with the Raptor. I prefer the narrower body of the ZR2, as yes it's my daily, but also, at least up here in the north east woods, my butt puckered several time to squeeze the Raptor and TRX through some of the narrow trails going hunting. I think the ZR2 is more a "Jack of all trades" vs the Raptor and TRX being geared more towards desert racing. Just my 2 cents. Can't wait for my ZR2 to get here.

 

[AzZR2Silverado]

I agree with Ponyboy. In my opinion, I don't think Chevy was trying to "beat" the Ford Raptor or the Ram TRX. I think this truck was built for just as some of the adds say " to go from a weekly daily driver to a weekend of fun". I've had both a Raptor and a TRX. Both fun trucks, in their own right, but built specifically for, at least to me, one thing. Running in open, flat, desert. Not to mention, I had numerous problems with the Raptor. I prefer the narrower body of the ZR2, as yes it's my daily, but also, at least up here in the north east woods, my butt puckered several time to squeeze the Raptor and TRX through some of the narrow trails going hunting. I think the ZR2 is more a "Jack of all trades" vs the Raptor and TRX being geared more towards desert racing. Just my 2 cents. Can't wait for my ZR2 to get here.

Totally agree with all that!