How Reliable is the Chevrolet Silverado 1500?

Toss another lawsuit onto the ever-growing pile of GM Vortec oil consumption cases.

The Missouri based class-action is the latest in a series of suits saying the 5.3L Vortec engine churns through oil because of defects in the low-tension piston rings. The problem is compounded by GM's questionably designed oil life monitoring system which doesn't warn owners when oil levels get dangerously low.

In fact the system doesn't monitor oil levels at all, just the quality of the oil itself. So while the engine may be dry and on the verge of collapse, rest assured that last quart of oil is still in tip-top shape. 👍🏼…

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.…

A lawsuit says a failed vacuum pump in GM’s brake boosters can make the brake pedal extremely hard to push, leading to longer stopping distances and accidents.

While investigating a rear-end collision involving the lead plaintiff ”GM told her she should read the manual to understand how the brakes worked.” Nothing says “we value our customers” like accusing them of not knowing how brakes work. GM promised to fix the plaintiff’s bumper in exchange for confidentiality. Obviously this didn’t go over well.

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.

Well, that didn't work.

Last year a very reasinable argument was made that the Vortec 5300 engine is designed in a way that creates excessive oil consumption. It's also designed in a way that doesn't warn you when an excessive amount of oil has been used.

However, a federal judge has ruled there isn't enough evidence to support the claims.…

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.