Quick News About Chevrolet 1st Generation Express Gen 1 Problems

Short stories about 1996-2020 Express recalls, lawsuits, and other interesting bits. Signup to have these stories emailed to you for free from CarComplaints.com.

  1. GM is urging owners of the 2021 Express to park outside and away from anything that could burn until the vans get repaired.

    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"

  2. A new class-action is accusing General Motors of knowingly selling vehicles that consume abnormally high quantities of oil.

    It's not the first time GM has been sued for oil issues in the Vortec engine. Specifically (and stick with me here) the Generation IV 5.3L V8 Vortec 5300 LC9 engine.

    As with previous lawsuits, the plaintiffs say low-tension piston rings, oil spray from the Active Fuel Management (AFM) system, and agressive vacuuming from the engine's positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) system are to blame.…

    keep reading article "Another Vortec Oil Consumption Lawsuit Hits the Docket"

  3. f you crank the heat in certain GM vans, you might get more than you bargained for due to an electrical short.* If the temperature is set to maximum heat or the mode knob is set to maximum floor vent and an electrical short occurs, components inside the modules may overheat and catch fire.

    Any potential fires will start in the headliner. I like the cabin toasty on a cold winter day, but that’s a bit too much. GM doesn’t know when the recall will begin, so keep the heat down in the meantime.

    keep reading article "The Heat System in These Recalled GM Vans is Taking Things Too Far"

  5. There’s a problem with the power window switches in more than 200,000 Express and GMC Savana vans.

    GM says liquid can enter the switch and corrode it, leading to high electrical resistance. The resistance can cause the switch to overheat, smoke, melt and cause a fire, although the automaker isn't exactly sure what is causing the corrosion.

    Spill a coffee, get a fire. That’s a really bad day.

    keep reading article "Power Window Switches Can Corrode in GM Vans"

  6. GM owners are still trying to convince a judge that Vortec 5300 engines have oil consumption problems and don’t give owners adequate warnings when oil levels are dangerously low.

    According to the lawsuit, the Vortec 5300 engines in the vehicles consume extreme levels of oil because of defects in the oil rings that allow oil to invade the combustion chambers … The plaintiffs claim the oil pressure warnings can fail to activate in time to prevent engine damage, something GM has allegedly known is a problem with the Vortec engines.

    The judge had previously dismissed the lawsuit and doesn't seem too interested in complaints about fires, oil rings, or inadequate warnings.

    The plaintiffs have a small, uphill chance if they can amend their complaints.

    keep reading article "GM Owners Still Trying to Convince Judge of Vortec Oil Problems"

  8. There's something funky going on inside GM's 5.3L Vortec 5300 engine causing it to use a higher-than-normal amount of oil.

    Some might even say it's excessive. A lawsuit filed in Minnesota says the problem is multi-faceted.

    1. GM used low-tension piston rings that allow oil to leak out of the crankcase and into the combustion chamber.
    2. The rings, which are already leaking, are then overloaded by a spray of pressurized oil from the Active Fuel Management (AFM) system.
    3. Even more oil is being burned off after being sucked into the intake by the engine's positive crankcase ventilation (PCV).

    That's a recipe for disaster, but the cherry on top is the somewhat useless oil monitoring system. Instead of measuring the volume of oil left in the crankcase, the system measures environmetal variables to determine the quality of the oil.

    Sure, there's only a pint of oil left in the engine but don't worry ... the oil quality is great.

    The lawsuit mentions GM has tried to improve the situation by updating the vehicle's crankcase ventilation and active fuel management system, but it never really helped. Eventually GM just updated the Generation IV Vortec 5300 engine and replaced it with a redesigned Generation V Vortec 5300 that stopped using low-tension oil rings and reintriduced an oil level sensor.

    keep reading article "Lawsuit Claims There Are Multiple Reasons for Excessive Oil Consumption Problems in GM's V8 Vortec 5300 Engine"

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