Help! I just bought a used 2004 Chevy Silverado 1500 from a dealer. I had it checked by a mechanic and it seemed to be running fine. Dealership fixed a couple of minor issues with it. I drove it to work this morning (about 15 miles on the highway) and noticed a slight shake to the vehicle. I haven't hooked it up to my horse trailer yet, as the brake controller can't be installed til tomorrow. But now I am just really concerned about this truck having the same issue as my last tow vehicle....mainly as it got older it lost a lot of its original power and kind of struggled to pull the trailer. I don't know any mechanics that are expert tow vehicle mechanics; my mechanics are decent, but its hard to describe to them what is going on when the trailer is not attached.

I guess I am wondering if I should try to get out of this deal, if that is even possible. Any advice would be appeciated!

BTW, I am only pulling a 2700 lb 2 horse with one horse so truck should be well within towing limits.

Tire balancing, wheel alignment, worn shock absorbers, tire cord breakage, flat spotted tires, worn suspension or steering components, worn "U" joints, a bent or unbalanced drive shaft can all attribute to "shaking".

Most gas drive trains can produce in excess of 90% of their initial horse power, with well over 150K of mileage if properly maintained. Replacing worn components, fluids and filters will go a long way in maintaining the drive trains' reliability and power.

With the relatively small decrease in power over a lengthy time period, most people would not recognise any degration in performance. Much of the change could be reflected in carrying additional materials in the trailer, traveling new routes or pulling different equipment. Maintaing proper tire pressures on both the truck and trailer, will also lessen  differences in towing abilities over time. Upgrading from trailer biased ply tires to radials, will lower the effort needed by the towing vehicle. It can be surprising to notice the change in how a truck feels, when towing a different trailer. Some are barely noticeable, whilst others always let you know you've really got a hold of "something".

A good mechanic should be able to source the truck's vibration. It may be a simple fix or a complex drivetrain difficulty. A professional should be able to tell you exactly what is wrong.

Thank you for the information. That is really interesting, and something I wished I known before I had traded my old truck. Maybe I could have gotten a year or two more out of it.

The tires look good to me on the new truck, but I don't know if they are balanced.  The truck also pulls to the left. It did it during the test drive, they said they took care of it, but I noticed it again as I was driving at higher speeds.  I know this is an older truck, but I still don't want to have to put a lot of money into something I just paid a lot of money for.

The deal isn't finalized yet, so I'm feeling a bit conflicted as to what to do.

Take the truck to a mechanic you know and trust. Have him evaluate the truck before you finalize your sale. Do not trust the dealer and his service dept for the mechanical determination of suitability.

In all likely hood, the wheel alignment, the tires or their pressures, the steering linkage, wheel bearings or front brakes need attention, if the truck is consistently pulling to one side. Any of these problems could eventually lead to expensive repairs. Have them checked before you purchase the truck.

On a level, non crowned road, you should be able to take your hands off the wheel at speed, and the vehicle will maintain a straight course, If it doesn't, it needs attention.

Okay so the mechanic said the problem is in the tires, that they hadn't been rotated and will probably need to be replaced.

But he also found a heavily rusted brake line, leaking power steering pump, leaking front axle seal, and both drive belts need to be replaced.

I know that a used car is going to have issues, but this car seems to have a lot of them.

Any insights?

Okay after giving it a lot of thought, I returned the truck. It may have been a great tow vehicle with a little work, but I just couldn't get to the point where I felt safe about driving it. Wish the new ones weren't so darned expensive!

Thanks for all the help everyone!