NHTSA Complaint #10184815 — 1999 CHEVROLET S10

TSB #030601024A -- RATTLE NOISE IN ENGINE. *TT (NHTSA ID #10004301, MARCH 01 2004) #6 ROD CAP STRETCHED, CAUSING BEARING TO FAIL. ALSO OTHER BEARINGS BEGAN TO FAIL. POSSIBLY DUE TO COOLANT LEAK FROM INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET OR JUST VERY DEFECTIVE PART - MECHANIC UNSURE THIS OF A VEHICLE THAT IS PROPERLY (SOMETIMES OVERLY) MAINTAINED. HAVE ALL SERVICE RECORDS TO PROVE IT. EVEN MECHANICS COMMENTED ON UPKEEP OF VEHICLE. SERVICE FACILITY REFUSES TO MAKE REPAIRS - TRYING TO FORCE COMPLETE ENGINE REPLACEMENT EVEN THOUGH CRANK JOURNALS CAN BE POLISHED, NEW BEARINGS CAN BE PUT IN AND ROD CAN BE REPLACED. BASICALLY THEY AND GM ARE LOOKING FOR A BIG PAYDAY - THEY ARE SADLY MISTAKEN. I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE, WITH EACH REPAIR BECOMING MORE AND MORE EXPENSIVE. I NOW HAVE TO GET RID OF THE TRUCK AND HAVE FINANCIAL HARDSHIP DUE TO THE COSTLY REPAIRS. THE SAD PART ABOUT THIS IS GM DOES NOT STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCTS / SERVICES, A RECALL SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE FOR THIS PROBLEM AS IT IS VERY COMMON TO THEIR ENGINE FAMILIES, SIMILAR TO THE PISTON SLAP ISSUE WITH THE TRUCK LS-SERIES OF ENGINES. *JB