2009 Hummer H3T Alpha V8: Owner Long Term Review – Still Going Strong

2009 2010 hummer h3t pickup truck alpha v8 off-road
2009 Hummer H3T Alpha (by Jeremy Trask)

This is my 2009 Hummer H3T Alpha. My name is Jeremy, I’m from Corner Brook Newfoundland, Canada. I was 10 years old when I decided that one day I would own a Hummer. That day came true in 2009. I drove almost 1,400km or 869 miles to pick up my new truck. It was the only dealer on the island of Newfoundland that had the Alpha H3T and I had to get the V8. At the time it was 1 of 3 Alphas on the island. 2010 was a sad year for Hummer owners and enthusiasts, the year GM stopped the production of Hummer. With the rapid advancement in the automotive industry, it would have been interesting to see what GM could have done with the Hummer brand with today’s technology.

[Editor’s Note: Huge thanks to Jeremy for telling his pickup story. Thank you for sharing your truck with us.

H3T Alpha is powered by a 5.3L V8 with 300 hp and 320 lb-ft of torque. It’s backed up by a 4-speed automatic transmission and a 4×4 system with front and rear lockers. Max towing: 5,900 lbs and Max payload: approx. 1,100 lbs.]

2009 2010 h3t alpha pickup truck interior seats

After seven years of ownership and 130,000k KM, my truck is still going strong. Other then regular vehicle maintenance the only issues that occurred were with the HVAC system. On two separate occasions my AC/heat would stop working. The first time they replaced the blower motor harness. The second time the mechanic found that the blower motor connector was melted. GM put out a recall for this issue a few months after those incidents.

Burnt connector
Burnt blower motor connector

Vehicles affected by the recall: approximately 165,000 model-year 2006-10 Hummer H3 SUVs manufactured between Feb. 5, 2005, and May 24, 2010; and 2009-10 Hummer H3T pickup trucks manufactured between May 21, 2008, and May 24, 2010

The problem: the connector module that controls the blower motor speed for the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system may overheat, increasing the risk of a fire.

The fix: the dealer will replace part of the blower motor connector and harness for free.

2009-hummer-h3t-alpha-rear

They reimbursed me for all costs and my truck hasn’t had an issue since. On a cosmetic side , GM decided it was a good idea to put rubber strips between where the fenders touch the main body. After several years of trail driving the rubber has rubbed the paint away and caused rust. Other then my truck needing a paint job, and the HVAC – I’ve had no major problems in seven years. It’s a solid midsize truck and when parts start to break, I plan to upgrade or replace them. Possibly an LS376/480 engine swap when the time comes?

Current vehicle mods:

  • Magnaflow Cat-Back exhaust system
  • Air Doc Performance intake system
  • K&N®33 Series Panel air filter
  • Predator HD brush guard
  • 35” Baja Claw TTC Radial tires on 17” Warrior rims
  • 2.25” Readylift leveling suspension kit

For any current or potential Hummer owners, I would suggest using www.hummer4x4offroad.com. Awesome community and they can help you with anything related to any Hummer. Just keep in mind that the GM parts are expensive and you are very limited to aftermarket parts since the H3T was only in production from 2008-10.

I have no plans to ever sell this truck. When they stopped the production of Hummer in 2010, I took off my original tires with the Hummer rims as well as the side steps to preserve them.

[Editor’s Note: TFLtruck has not had a chance to do a video review of the H3T, but here is a look at the Plan B Suppy Humvee.]