Overview & Reviews

Few vehicles are as instantly recognizable as a Hummer SUV. Unapologetically boxy and impossibly wide, these rugged vehicles were originally built for military use, and it shows. For Hummer aficionados, the fact that these mammoth rock-crawlers are tank-like both in appearance and nature is a selling point, not a flaw. Go to a Hummer dealer and all you'll see are SUVs. There is no such thing as a Hummer car, at least not yet.

The Hummer brand can actually trace its roots back to another military icon -- the Jeep. Designed by the Willys-Overland company in the 1940s, the Jeep became so popular that when Henry J. Kaiser purchased the Willys-Overland company in 1953, the name was changed to Kaiser-Jeep. In 1970, American Motors bought Kaiser-Jeep and renamed it the Jeep Corporation. At that point, Jeep was producing vehicles through two divisions: the Commercial Products division in Toledo, Ohio, and the Government Products division in South Bend, Indiana.

A year later, the Government Products division was spun off as a wholly owned subsidiary known as AM General. In the early 1980s, the company, now owned by the LTV Corporation, designed a vehicle to compete for a contract offered by the U.S. Army. Called the High Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV, or Humvee, as it came to be known), it was designed to serve as the military's main light tactical vehicle. AM General won a 1983 production contract (the first of many with the U.S. Army) that required the delivery of 55,000 vehicles over a five-year period.

AM General's Humvees distinguished themselves in active duty during the Persian Gulf War in the early '90s. The vehicle's wartime prowess garnered a great deal of positive publicity, and not just within military circles. As a result, AM General (now under the ownership of the Renco Group) decided to introduce a civilian version of the Humvee, dubbed the Hummer, in 1992. In 1999, General Motors bought the rights to the Hummer brand name and became responsible for the development, marketing and distribution of future Hummer SUVs.

The original Hummer, called the H1, was sold for a few years as the brand's flagship vehicle. Production ended after 2006, but Hummer has been expanding its vehicle lineup to include vehicles that still possess the Hummer bravado but with more civilized road manners.

User Reviews:

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  Not reliable - 1997 Hummer H1
  By Sheryl - March 26 - 9:32 pm

  I have owed a 1997.5 H1 for 10 years. It is with out doubt the most unreliable 4 x4 I’ve ever owned. It’s gone thru 2 engines 6.5l turbo . I’ve now up graded to the p400. As long as you run a electrical injection pump you will need $$$ and will have continual breakdowns. I’m finally getting rid of my electrical pump and going mechanical. Oh God I hope this will fix all problems. I’ve spent a mortgage on this truck in maintenance and repair work. Just hoping the mechanical fuel injection pump will fix all my problems so hopefully myself and my family will be able to finally enjoy going away in it. And not worrying about it breaking down again and putting on the back of a tow truck. Where it has spent 80% of its life living in a mechanics shop not being enjoyable experience owning one. I would love to have it run perfectly with no issues for a year or even two would be a dream come true. Fingers crossed for everything to finally be problems free and be able to enjoy some holidays with my wife and children. If your getting a hummer get either a duramax or a p400 then make it mechanical or it will live at the mechanics and you’ll wish you never ever brought one.

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  Never Again! - 2006 Hummer H3
  By attaboy33 - May 14 - 10:45 pm

  My happiness last for about 3 months until the sunroof began to leak and hasnt stopped since. I have taken it in 5 times and each time they only want to replace the drain hose. I bought it preowned and learned after 2 years of ownership that the problem existed prior to purchase and it was never disclosed, now the warranty is up and they refuse to fix it. The leaks have caused stains on the seats, a foul odor, possible rust. It is now currently under investigation by GM. Not to mention all the other problems listed below: tire monitor unsteady alignment hood latch recall 2 new batteries electrical issues 2 a/c issues repaired rattles shocks have gone out and I only weight 175

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  Hummer - 2008 Hummer H3
  By Gus Moore - June 25 - 3:30 pm

  I bought a loaded 2008 H3 with just 30k miles and kept it just 5 weeks before trading it back into the dealership. In that 5 weeks, I had to buy a $150 battery (come to find out it was the third battery the vehicle has went through) and jump start the vehicle 4 times something that you shouldnt have to do to a $25,000 SUV. When it did actually start, I found the 5 cylinder engine woefully under- powered which would be acceptable if it got better that 14 miles per gallon (My trade-in was an 03 F150 4x4 V-8 that got that good!) The H3 looks are fantastic but as my wife "Its all show and no go". That coming from a woman who drives a 2009 Scion xb 4cyc. After 5wks, I traded.

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  Electrical Issues - 2004 Hummer H2
  By steveFL - April 28 - 9:43 am

  Electrical issues. AC panel does not work. Dealer replaced speedometer cluster $500+ told me that its fixed. 2weeks later ac panel not working they replaced it another $250. A week later the ac panel does not work again. So far I paid $800 out of pocket for an obvious electrical short and they replaced parts that had nothing to do with the problem.

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  not so great H3 - 2006 Hummer H3
  By kris karpinsky - October 30 - 11:53 am

  Engine is way too weak for a truck this size 3.5 l. 5cyl its a JOKE!!! This truck is clearly made for women driving to and from grocery stores Every single friend of mine who was driving my H3 is saying same thing great handling more like a car not truck, quiet and comfy inside, good looking interior but engine is so weak !!! beige leather got dirty after two weeks of driving ( Im driving to work 22.5 miles one way) probably because my black leather belt and jeans believe me Im using AC and Im not over weighted & 200lb. (by the way enough space inside to get in and out)

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  Hummer 2 - 2004 Hummer H2
  By william fincher - October 16 - 10:00 am

  gas mileage is not the best, however the vehicle requires only regular gas. The vehicle is fun to drive and performs better than expected as far as comfort and handling

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  close, but not quite - 2007 Hummer H3
  By R. OConnor - July 10 - 4:22 pm

  We wanted something different than the normal SUV and settled on the Hummer H3. It is so close to being a good vehicle but it has some drawbacks that would keep me from buying another one. The engine power is weak, the sideways opening trunk is not practical for towing anything, you cant reach the seat controls on the side unless you open the door, the horn is a joke (youd be better off rolling the window down and yelling "excuse me"), and the rear seats dont fold flat. The monsoon system is awesome though, the height at which you ride is great, it has a surprisingly good turning radius, and the ride is nice. If GMC could fix the issues identified we would have been thrilled.

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  Needs V8 - 2006 Hummer H3
  By Ryan - March 10 - 9:03 am

  Test drove H3 and as I expected, way underpowered. I am a V8 kind of guy and a truck as heavy as this needs alot more than a 5 cylinder with HP and torque in the low 200s. Will consider purchase when a real engine is put in vehicle.

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  Not safe for children - 2006 Hummer H3
  By DAWN JANNUCCI - October 27 - 4:40 pm

  My husband bought an h3 for me for christmas coming from a ford expedition i was really disappointed. The h3 is cute from the outside ,but it is really small, worst part the h3 does not i repeat does not have child safe rear doors. which means that a child can unlock the door from the inside back seat of the vehicle . I called the number in the back of my owners manual and was told that hummer could not even install them for me. I do not believe that a car that a child can open that easily is even remotely safe for them.

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  Not worth the name - 2006 Hummer H3
  By Sheila - April 15 - 9:56 am

  The truck has been nothing but problems. We had a Trailblazer which had a lot of problems so we leased an H3 because of Hummers reputation. It has 27K miles, they have already replaced all 5 cylinders, worked on tire pressure monitor, it does not start whenever it does not feel like it and now the heating and air conditioning does not go on, no blower, nothing! They really just beefed up a regular SUV and called it a Hummer. Shame on GM.