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.
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.
GM owners tired of their dashboards looking like a faultline have taken the matter to the court.
General Motors allegedly tells consumers the damage is merely cosmetic, but the plaintiffs claim in addition to safety hazards, the damaged dashboards and instrument panels cause a loss of value of the vehicles.
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.
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.
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.
10th Generation Suburban News and Notes
Bite-sized content about all the recalls, lawsuits, and investigations surrounding the 2007-2014 Suburban.