NHTSA Complaint #10186482 — 2004 CHEVROLET COLORADO

THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON ACCOMPANIED BY AN ENGINE MISFIRE DUE TO WEAK EXHAUST VALVE SPRINGS WHICH MUST BE REPLACED. RECENTLY GMC ISSUED A BULLETIN TO THEIR SERVICE DEPARTMENTS ADVISING MECHANICS ON THE ISSUE, AND RECOGNIZING THE PROBLEM WITH THE VALVE SPRINGS AND HOW TO FIX IT, BUT WILL NOT ACKNOWLEDGE A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT. ACCORDING TO THE BULLETIN THIS PROBLEM OCCURS IN ALL CHEVROLET COLORADOS 2004-2006, GMC CANYONS 2004-2006, AND THE HUMMER H3. THE ESTIMATED COST OF REPAIR IS ABOUT $2000, QUOTED BY THE DEALER MECHANIC. NOT ONLY DOES THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COME ON AND STAY ON, IT ALSO CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO STALL WHILE IN OPERATION. THE TRUCK SHUT DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSECTION WHILE DRIVING. ADDITIONALLY YOU WILL HAVE DIFFICULTY WHEN YOU START YOUR CAR, IT WILL MISFIRE AND YOU MAY HAVE TO RESTART AGAIN. THIS WILL BEGIN TO HAPPEN REGULARLY UNTIL YOU DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. I WENT TO DIFFERENT DEALERS TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEMS BECAUSE DIFFERENT MECHANICS COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM WITH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. THE LAST STEP WAS A DEALER MECHANIC THAT HAD JUST RECEIVED THE ABOVE MENTIONED BULLETIN. THEY DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM WITH THE VALVE SPRINGS, INSTEAD THEY RESET THE COMPUTER TO STOP THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT FROM OCCURRING. THE MISFIRING AND STALLING CONTINUED TO HAPPEN.*AK