‘I know a lot about cars…’
A DIY-focused TikTok creator who normally posts crafting and home content went viral after deciding to do her own version of the “car reveal” trend, but without the brand-new luxury car.
She’s a “normal person that makes a normal amount of money,” she says, and her celebration was a 2017 Chevrolet Silverado with 120,000 miles that she negotiated under $20,000. The video has drawn enthusiastic congratulations from over 600,000 viewers, plus a chorus of warnings about a known transmission problem she may have already pre-empted.
Olivia Saad (@oliviasaad3) posted her first car-reveal video on Wednesday. It has since drawn more than 669,000 views. A follow-up posted the next day, with more details, has racked up another 12,400 views.
In the first video, Saad sets up the post by pushing back against the typical car-reveal trend. “You guys know that trend where people are like, ‘Oh, car reveal’? Well, I’m a normal person that makes a normal amount of money, and I just bought a new car, and I’m excited about it,” she says. “She cost less than 20 grand, but I worked super hard for it.”
She uses the remote start to make it sound a little fancier, then asks viewers to guess what it is before showing the truck. “Say nice things because I worked hard for this car,” she says.
Then the reveal: a 2017 Chevrolet Silverado Z71 with the 5.3-liter V-8.
“I got me a little 2017 Silverado V-8. I’m excited about it. It got a couple dings and scratches, but it just made it more affordable for me,” she says. “So, there’s the car reveal for a person that works a nine-to-five.”
In the follow-up, she fills in the details viewers asked about. The truck has 120,000 miles on it. It used to be a farmer’s truck, which is why the interior was dirty when she drove it home (she has a detailer booked). She has already had a transmission flush and an oil change.
“I know a lot about cars, so I ain’t worried about it,” she says. “Higher mileage doesn’t scare me. Trucks are built to last. Yeah, I’m officially a truck owner. Gang gang.”
Paying under $20,000 for a 2017 Silverado V-8 earned Olivia kudos in the comments section. “How tf did you get that for only 20k?” wrote Aurae. “Less than 20k for that car, you hit a bargain,” added Brandon. Saad credited her negotiating skills.
Whether it was a steal depends on the trim and condition. According to Kelley Blue Book, a clean 2017 Silverado 1500 currently ranges from about $9,575 in trade-in value to roughly $21,500 as a high-end retail figure across all mileage and trim variants. Edmunds puts the band between $7,750 and $29,356, depending on configuration. A Z71 V-8 model in good cosmetic condition with 120,000 miles sits comfortably within that range, and an under-$20,000 price for one with documented service history is reasonable but not unbelievable.
Several commenters chimed in with similar deals. “I have one, same year, 140K miles, just change the oil and drive, excellent acquisition,” wrote Josue Jacobsen. Casie added, “I got a 2014 crew cab LTZ for under 20 a few years back. Probably my favorite vehicle ever owned.”
International commenters noted just how relatively cheap that is by global standards. “It might be less than 20,000 where you’re from, but in Australia that thing costs more than a brand new Mercedes,” wrote Resist_the_slave_mind. “The base model in Aus is like $80k.”
The other recurring theme in the comments section was a more serious concern about a known transmission issue with the 2014–2019 generation.
“Transmission noooooo,” wrote PhillipTheBuilder. “Everyone I know that has one has transmission issue. Always need a transmission replacement.” Cristal M added, “Litterly that’s why it was under 20k… ours has been parked for a year.”
The issue is real and documented. The 6L80 six-speed and 8L90 eight-speed transmissions used in this generation of Silverado are prone to torque converter shudder, a problem GM internally calls “chuggle.” It causes a noticeable shaking under light acceleration and, if untreated, can cascade into transmission failure.
GM addressed the issue with a service bulletin, which calls for flushing the transmission and refilling with Mobil 1 Synthetic LV ATF HP (the “blue label” fluid). For trucks where the shudder is caught early, the fluid swap often resolves it.
Saad mentioned in her follow-up that the transmission flush is already done. Whether the work was done with the GM-specified fluid will determine whether her preemptive maintenance hits the actual fix.
A few commenters in the comments section offered a deeper diagnosis. “The torque converters are programmed from factory to have a certain degree of slip to make the shifting smoother but this eventually sends debris through the transmission and oil pump,” wrote Smk77. “Deleting this stupid programming and then replacing the torque converter will solve that problem.”
The comments were mostly celebratory, with some pointed mockery of the more polished, big-purchase car-reveal videos that flood TikTok.
“You won this trend!” wrote mamaandee. “Love a good realistic car reveal!! Congrats girlie!” added Jenn. Just V framed it as a generational lesson: “I’ve never bought a brand new vehicle, I’ve always bought used. And this is what we should be teaching the younger generation. Not buying and overspending.”
Kendra spoke for many, writing, “I was gonna say something really extra just to hype you up, but GENUINELY I’m impressed. I was expecting something much … less.”
For Saad, the win was the act of celebrating the purchase out loud. As commenter Taylor Burchett put it: “Way more than you realize. (I realized ‘rich’ when I got a new washer and dryer! Adulting is wild.)”
Motor1 reached out to Olivia Saad via the email address listed on her TikTok profile for additional comment. We’ll be sure to update this if she responds.
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– The Motor1.com Team