Missouri Vortec Oil Consumption Lawsuit Latest in a Series Against GM

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. 👍🏼

About the Lawsuit ∞

• Will this be the case that finally forces GM to do something? The automaker has been fending off these sorts of suits since at least 2016.
• This case is a little more focused than other. It specifically mentions the 4th generation Vortec 5300 L9 found in the 2010-2014 Avalanche, Silverado, Suburban and Tahoe.
• The GMC equivalents of these Chevy vehicles, including the Sierra and Yukon, are mentioned as well.
• The plaintiffs want something more than a "stop-gap" fix such as decarbonizing the combustion chambers. Is it useful? Absolutely. But it means nothing if the piston rings aren't actually redesigned and replaced.

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The 5.3L Vortec 5300 Engine Burns Through An Abnormal Amount of Oil

From 2010-2014 GM's Vortec 5300 engine had multiple design flaws that led to an excessive oil consumption responsible for soiled spark plugs, bent pushrods, and timing chain wear to name a few. The problem was compounded by an inadequate oi