NHTSA Complaint #10208889 — 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500

FOR SOME UNKNOWN REASON I BEGAN LOSING COOLANT FLUID FROM MY SILVERADO TRUCK, BUT IT WAS NOT LEAKING OUT UPON THE GROUND. AFTER A MONTH OF THIS PROCESS, AND HAVING TO CONTINUALLY ADD COOLANT TO MY ENGINE, I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC I HAVE KNOWN FOR SEVERAL YEARS. THINKING IT WAS MOST LIKELY A BAD HEAD GASKET (WHICH I FOUND OUT WERE BEING ERODED AWAY FROM THE "COOLANT "ITSELF), WE REPLACED THE HEAD GASKET. LESS THAN ONE WEEK LATER, I AGAIN HAD TO ADD MORE COOLANT. AGAIN WE REMOVED THE HEADS AND INVESTIGATED THE PROBLEM. WHEN WE SEARCHED ONLINE MECHANICAL DATA BASES, WE DISCOVERED THAT MY TRUCK HAD BEEN FITTED WITH DEFECTIVE HEADS, PRODUCED FROM A PLANT IN MEXICO. WE EVEN DISCOVERED A GENERAL MOTORS MEMO REGARDING THE PROBLEM. THIS PLANT PRODUCED OVER 1.5 MILLION HEADS FOR VARIOUS VEHICLES. IT SEEMS THAT INFERIOR METAL PRODUCTS WERE THE REASON THE HEADS THEMSELVES WERE ALLOWING COOLANT TO BE SUCKED INTO THE CRANKCASE, COMPROMISING THE OIL, AND DAMAGING OR SEIZING UP THE ENGINE. I HAVE TALKED WITH SEVERAL SERVICE SHOPS,(GREASE MONKEY, JIFFY LUBE), AND HAVE DISCOVERED THAT THIS IS AN EVER GROWING PROBLEM, THE ONLY REMEDY OF WHICH IS TO TOTALLY REPLACE THE HEADS. THE EXPENSE TO THE CONSUMER,WHO DIDN'T INTEND TO PURCHASE A DEFECTIVE VEHICLE, RANGES FROM $1,800 TO $9,000 IN REPAIRS, AND MAY WELL EFFECT SOME SIX TO 800,000 VEHICLES ON THE ROAD. I SPOKE TO ONE WOMAN WHO WAS DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY WHEN HER ENGINE SEIZED UP. IT WAS A MIRACLE SHE DID NOT LOSE CONTROL WHILE DRIVING. I HAVE CONTACTED GENERAL MOTORS REGARDING SOME FORM OF COMPENSATION FOR MY EXPENSES, AND AS YOU WOULD EXPECT, THEY JUST BLEW ME OFF AND TOLD ME NO RECALL WAS BEING CONSIDERED. I HAVE NO IDEA IF THIS PLANT IN MEXICO IS PART OF THE NAFTA PROGRAM, BUT IT SURE SEEMS STRANGE THAT GM WANTS TO KEEP SOMETHING OF THIS MAGNITUDE SO QUIET, AND REMAIN SO UNCONCERNED OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND EXPENSE. I WOULD THINK A RECALL TO CURB THESE FAILURES WOULD BE THE VERY LEAST GM SHOULD OFFER. *TR