Why does this class action allege that vehicles with the General Motors Generation IV 5.3L V8 Vortec 5300 LC9 engine are “engineered to fail”? The complaint alleges that the engine consumes an excessive amount of oil, far outside of normal standards, and that this relates to “low oil levels, insufficient lubricity levels, and corresponding internal engine component damage.”
The Nationwide Class for this action is all current and former owners and lessees of a class vehicle that was bought or leased in the US. The complaint also proposes an Indiana Class for those who bought or leased the vehicle in Indiana. The class vehicles are the following:
- 2011-2014 Chevrolet Avalanche
- 2011-2014 Chevrolet Silverado
- 2011-2014 Chevrolet Suburban
- 2011-2014 Chevrolet Tahoe
- 2011-2014 GMC Sierra
- 2011-2014 GMC Yukon
- 2011-2014 GMC Yukon XL
What causes the abnormally-high oil consumption? The complaint claims that it’s not just one thing but a combination of factors. The primary cause, the complaint says, “is that the piston rings that GM installed within the Generation IV Vortec 5300 Engines fail to keep oil in the crankcase.”
Another case, according to the complaint, is the Active Fuel Management (AFM) System. This allows the engines to be converted from eight cylinders to four for lighter duty. However, it has an oil pressure relief valve that sprays oil on the piston skirts. This dirties the piston skirts and helps oil migrate past the rings, the complaint alleges. Also, nothing is going on in four of the combustion chambers, it claims, which also contributes to oil migration and consumption.
The PVC system for the engine is also flawed, the complaint says, in the way that it “vacuums atomized oil from the valvetrain into the intake system, where it is ultimately burned in the combustion chambers.”
This is all made worse, the complaint alleges, by an inadequate Oil Life Monitoring System which does not actually monitor oil levels. Instead, the complaint claims, “it monitors engine conditions, such as revolutions and temperature, to calculate the expected deterioration in oil quality and thus the time for a recommended oil change.”
The complaint says this results in “a system that directs drivers to travel thousands of miles with inadequate engine lubricity levels, wearing out and damaging moving internal engine components…” Also defective, it claims, is the oil pressure gauge.
Finally, the problem dirties spark plugs, which then provide a weak spark or no spark, which causes misfires and shutdowns of the engine.
All this, the complaint alleges, leads to damage to parts of the engine and driving problems, such as excessive engine noise, vibration or shaking, piston cracking, and finally, engine seizure.
GM does not have a permanent fix for the engine defect, the complaint says. It reproduces numerous complaints from owners and lessees relating to the oil consumption problem.
Article Type: LawsuitTopic: Automobile
Most Recent Case Event
GMC, Chevrolet Gen IV Vortec Engine Excessive Oil Consumption Complaint
February 9, 2021
Why does this class action allege that vehicles with the General Motors Generation IV 5.3L V8 Vortec 5300 LC9 engine are “engineered to fail”? The complaint alleges that the engine consumes an excessive amount of oil, far outside of normal standards, and that this relates to “low oil levels, insufficient lubricity levels, and corresponding internal engine component damage.”
GMC, Chevrolet Gen IV Vortec Engine Excessive Oil Consumption ComplaintCase Event History
GMC, Chevrolet Gen IV Vortec Engine Excessive Oil Consumption Complaint
February 9, 2021
Why does this class action allege that vehicles with the General Motors Generation IV 5.3L V8 Vortec 5300 LC9 engine are “engineered to fail”? The complaint alleges that the engine consumes an excessive amount of oil, far outside of normal standards, and that this relates to “low oil levels, insufficient lubricity levels, and corresponding internal engine component damage.”
GMC, Chevrolet Gen IV Vortec Engine Excessive Oil Consumption Complaint