Short stories about GMC Savana recalls, lawsuits, and other interesting bits. Signup to have these stories emailed to you for free from CarComplaints.com.
Late last year they said the van's batteries could drain when the positive battery cable accidently came in contact with the fuse block assembly. Now they're saying it's less drain, more flame—as in at least four vans have gone up in smoke due to the batteries short-circuiting.…
keep reading article "GM Recalls 2021 Chevy Express After 4 Battery Fires"The original case was tossed out by a judge last year, but the plaintiffs were given a chance to ammend their complaints. So they've switched their focus into a potentially defective oil pressure warning system that doesn't properly monitor oil levels and can lead to early engine failure.…
keep reading article "Vortec Engine Excessive Oil Lawsuit Takes Aim At Monitoring System"The case has been tossed out. Concerning owner-reported complaints, the judge found those owners talk about excessive oil consumption but they don't specifically say what is causing the oil consumption. As for the bulletin sent to dealerships, it doesn't say anything about the oil rings and sending the bulletin doesn't mean GM believed the Vortec engines were defective.
So ... the judge says the plaintiffs don't specifically say what's causing the problem. But in the next breath, the judge says there's no mention of the plaintiff's claims of defective oil rings in TSBs sent by GM to dealerships.
I feel like I'm taking crazy pills.…
keep reading article "Vortec Engine Excessive Oil Lawsuit Shot Down by a Judge"According to the plaintiffs, changes to the engine design allow oil to enter the combustion chamber, leading to excessive oil consumption and premature engine failure.
The lawsuit says GM 5.3L oil consumption problems are caused by defective piston rings, PVC systems and "active fuel management" (AFM) systems that cause the spark plugs to wear out prematurely and the engines to experience all kinds of malfunctions.
The problem may be due to low-tension oil rings and a new PVC system, both of which are allowing too much oil to enter the combustion chambers to burn off early.…
keep reading article "Excessive Oil Consumption in the 5.3-L V8 Vortec 5300 Engine?"Both are violations of federal safety laws.The 2016-2017 Chevrolet Express and 2016 GMC Savana were manufactured without inside rear-view mirrors and with right-hand convex exterior rear-view mirrors. That's a problem because federal safety regulations say the vans are required to have either inside rear-view mirrors or both left- and right-hand flat exterior rear-view mirrors.
The recall only affects 40 vans, but still the GM design team should take a long, hard look in the ... well, you know.
keep reading article "GM Should Look in the Convex Mirror"The best way to find out what's wrong with a vehicle is from the people who drive them. Not only do owner complaints help us rank vehicles by reliability, but they're often used to spark class-action lawsuits and warranty extensions. Plus, they're a great way to vent.