Any firm resources on Chevy Truck inter-model parts compatibility?

January 12, 2009 7:43 PM

What years / models of Chevy Trucks / SUVs have interchangeable (for the most part) interior mechanicals, specifically seats?

I own a 2004 Chevy Avalanche. The driver's side seat decided to break... one of the main back supports seems to have broken, and the seat belt no longer retracts fully.

I've contacted several local salvage yards, but it seems 2004 Av's are in pretty short supply. I know that there are certain models / years of other Chevys that use essentially the same seats in some cases... but Google continues to turn up enough conflicting information about what is and isn't compatible... everything from 'nothing else is compatible' to 'Anything from 99-07 will work'. Obviously I want to make sure it will fit before dropping the $.

I'm guessing that there may not be a 1:1 relationship here... it might depend on what options I have? Is there a way to compare the option / RPO codes between trucks to determine compatibility with other models or years?

And before anyone suggests it... yes, I did talk to the service department at two different local dealerships. Neither could find any members of their service staff who could give a definitive answer on compatibility with other models / years.

Bonus points for replacement tips, and if you can tell me if a seat with more options than my current simple 6-way power will work just fine (not looking for the extras to work, necessarily, as long as I have at least the 6-way power I have now).

Thanks in advance!

posted by SquidLips to Travel & Transportation (6 answers total)

This isn't quite what you are asking, but my local salvage yard has the ability to order in parts from all over the country. So as long as someone, somewhere, has a 2004 Avalanch seat in their salvage yard, your local yard should be able to bring it in.
posted by Forktine at 8:14 PM on January 12, 2009

http://www.car-part.com/ <>
Car-part.com is a searchable database of many (!!) junkyards across the country. Apart from the obvious, one of its other uses is that it will tell you which parts from other years/models are cross-compatible/interchangeable. Just plug in your vehicle (yours is listed as "Chevy Truck - Avalanche ), and complete the search form. Results are sorted by price, descending. A quick search for Avalance seats as I was preparing this reply returned 25 pages of results. I doubt that all of these are up to date, but I'm sure some of them are. Call around on the list -- prices may well be negotiable; with interior parts, watch out for Katrina-related water damage/smell.
posted by mosk at 8:20 PM on January 12, 2009

Best answer: You might try asking here. I'll bet someone there will know.
posted by rglasmann at 8:44 PM on January 12, 2009

Junkyards used to have a book, now it's online = every cross-referenced part, and everything it works on. Which is how I figured out that 64-78 Corvette four-pot brakes, from balljoint to balljoint, can be swapped into my 1970 Impala.
posted by notsnot at 8:52 PM on January 12, 2009

Response by poster: Forktine, I figured as much, I was only trying to narrow down my search to a reasonably local area... shipping these things would cost me almost as much as the seats themselves, if not more. It's a last resort option though, so thanks for the thought.

Mosk / notsnot - I should have mentioned this in my original post. I did try car-part.com. Based on what I saw, they do not have cross-reference data across different years - it presents me with a date range, which according to their FAQ means they do not have interchange data available for that part. I've encountered this more than once. I did check with one of the most reputable salvage yards in town, and they were unable to tell me any interchange data either. I also lost faith in their ability to do this since I visited the same place for a replacement tailgate handle this fall, and though they didn't have the exact model for my truck in stock, they sold me one they claimed was compatible, which it turned out not to be.

I'm guessing that most junkyards use this interface from car-part.com, it seems pretty universal across many sites I visited, and I get the feeling it has interchange data only for mechanical and body parts... not interior parts like seats.

rglasmann, I did find that site after posting and continuing my search.. Thanks! I will be setting up an account there, seems like a valuable resource for things way beyond my silly seat.

Thanks everyone for the replies... keep 'em comin!
posted by SquidLips at 10:18 PM on January 12, 2009

Response by poster: Thanks to the website provided by rglasmann, I actually got a firm answer, as well as confirmation that interchange data (used by the car-parts.com site) ranges from sparse to non-existent for interior parts like seats.

For anyone searching this thread in the future... 2003-2006 full size Chevy and GMC models (silverado, sierra, suburban, tahoe, yukon) should all be inter-compatible, but be sure to look for similarly equipped parts, as it seems the wiring harnesses may be completely different for seats with different options.
posted by SquidLips at 9:16 PM on January 15, 2009