GM just welcomed another class-action lawsuit on their desk. The GM vehicles with the V8 Vortec engines have excessive oil consumption issues which is another unfortunate event on top of the other class-action lawsuits that GM is currently defending.
 

Defective Piston Rings

Apparently, the GM engineers made the Generation IV Vortec 5300 engine to falter from consuming large amounts of oil since the piston rings cannot maintain oil inside the crankcase.

GM SUV and truck owners must spend large amounts of money on repairs to combat excessive oil consumption, which causes internal engine damage and improper material lubrication.

The plaintiffs are represented by Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C., and DiCello Levitt Gutzler LLC. The counsel for the plaintiffs filed the lawsuit, Airko, Inc., et al., v. General Motors LLC in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, at Cleveland.
 

Faulty Vehicles

From 2010-2014, the following GM SUV and full-size trucks had faulty 5.3L LC9 Vortec V8 engines that were prone to leaking oil:
 

• Chevrolet Tahoe


• Chevrolet Avalanche


• Chevrolet Silverado


• Chevrolet Suburban


• GMC Yukon


• GMC Sierra


• GMC Yukon XL







 

Allegedly, there are oil burn issues caused by the PCV-positive crankcase ventilation system inside the engine.

It can draw out the oil from the valvetrain and into the intake manifold before it is therefore consumed inside the engine's combustion chambers. The vacuuming process, moreover, is a contributing factor in the excessive consumption of oil.

The piston rings cannot maintain pressure inside the crankcase, and the oil pressure relief valve just releases oil at the piston skirts. Thus, overloading the rings by permitting oil to go past the internal combustion chamber.

This also causes oil to go past the piston rings, where it accumulates or burns as a carbon buildup on the combustion chamber's surface.

After that, the engines only maintain low oil levels in GM's larger vehicles. The leaky oil causes the spark plugs in the trucks to run lousy, misfire, or the vehicle just completely shuts down. These difficulties cause significant damages to the engine's piston and rods.
 

Oil Monitoring System

GM large trucks and SUVs with the V8 system also have a defective oil monitoring system. When the owner has driven several thousands of miles, the oil monitoring system advises the owner of a necessary oil change.

On the other hand, the oil monitoring system does not tell the owner that the oil levels are dangerously low since the engine has consumed excessive oil amounts.

Additionally, the oil pressure gauge monitoring system does not let the owner know that the oil pressure is too low; thereby, damaging the engine.
 

GM Fixes

GM told its dealers and mechanics to perform short-term fixes. Some of the fixes included repairs to decarbonize the rings and update the combustion chamber with abrasive and harsh chemicals.

GM listed the various fixes in the Technical Service Bulletin. But these fixes only temporarily resolve the problem.

Howbeit, GM knew about the defective Vortec 8 oil consumption issues since 2007, when the first models rolled out onto the dealership floor.
 

Maintenance

Owners must put in two quarts of oil into the engine every month, making the SUV or truck's value diminish.

Drivers were paying up to $1,500 for repairs. About every 1,000 miles, the engine needed another quart of oil, like the expensive synthetic oil formulated for large trucks.

Customers stated on the Technical Service Bulletins that the mechanical fix of carbonizing the combustion chambers did not fix the issues. There is a conglomerate of problems that cause the leaking fuel issues, like the piston rings, PCV valve difficulties, and the fuel management system.
 

Szep v. General Motors LLC

The newly filed case is like the one filed in 2019, Szep v. General Motors LLC. The case number is 1:19-CV-02858 filed in U.S. District Court in the Northern District of Ohio.

Design flaws led to a damaged engine. The engineers redesigned 2014 V-8 5.3 Liter engine parts and piston rings by adding shields to push away from oil from the piston skirts. The 2014 updated engine featured brand new valve covers and oil level sensors.

Furthermore, excessive oil consumption damages the sparks plugs and leads to damaged and bent pushrods, camshaft wear, rod bearing wear, and valve wear. The class-action lawsuit includes all owners of the vehicles as mentioned earlier and lessees.