Rant: the water pump on my 2011 Colorado died at 61k and the shop said that was normal
Last Tuesday I was driving home from work in Phoenix when the temp gauge shot up and I pulled into a Circle K parking lot with steam rolling out from under the hood. Turns out the water pump let go at 61,000 miles, which the shop told me is "about average" for that motor. I get that some parts are wear items, but a pump going out before the truck even hits 70k feels like a design that was never meant to last. Now I'm stuck deciding between a $700 OEM replacement or a $180 aftermarket one that might die in two years. Anyone else had a pump go this early, or did I just get a bad one?
Honestly 61k is not that wild for a water pump on those trucks, they are known to go somewhere in that range and shops see it all the time. A pump is a wear part with a bearing and seal inside, so it takes a beating from heat and coolant, and Phoenix summers do not help. I would not call it a design flaw, just a part you gotta budget for like brakes or a battery.