NHTSA Complaint #10342542 — 2007 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500

2007 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500 5.3L ENGINE. AT 40,000 MILES, THE CAMSHAFT AND A COUPLE OF LIFTERS WERE REPLACED DUE TO WEAR AND EVENTUAL TAPPING. AGAIN AT 90,000 MILES, THE CAMSHAFT AND A COUPLE OF LIFTERS (LOBE 4) WERE REPLACED DUE TO LIFTER WEAR AND BREAKAGE CAUSING ENGINE TAPPING. ON THE SECOND OCCURRENCE, AFTER THE LIFTERS HAD STARTED TAPPING (AND 900 MILES FROM HOME) A PIECE OF A LIFTER BROKE OFF AND CAUGHT IN THE OIL PUMP CAUSING IT TO STOP. I QUICKLY TURNED OFF THE ENGINE TO AVOID FURTHER DAMAGE. UPON THIS SECOND OCCURRENCE OF LIFTER FAILURE CAUSING THE CAMSHAFT TO WEAR, I FELT SURE THAT CHEVROLET AND GM WOULD REPLACE THE ENGINE WITH A SHORT BLOCK BUT I WAS EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED. GM AND THE CHEVROLET DEALER ADMITTED THAT A CAMSHAFT SHOULD LAST AS LONG AS THE VEHICLE BUT I AM ON MY 3RD CAMSHAFT IN THIS ENGINE BEFORE THE WARRANTY ENDED. ONE TRIED TO CONVINCE ME THE CAMSHAFT WAS PROBABLY OF A BAD LOT MADE BUT THESE 2 OCCURRENCES WERE TOO FAR APART FOR ME TO BELIEVE THAT A RECALL WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED DURING THAT TIME. THE OTHER (GM) TRIED TO CONVINCE ME THAT THE CAMSHAFT WORE OUT THE LIFTER BUT I DON'T BUY THAT EXCUSE EITHER. A NEW SET OF TIRES LASTED LONGER THAN THE ENGINE ON BOTH OCCURRENCES. I BELIEVE THE PROBLEM IS STILL THERE. I STILL HAVE THE DEFECTIVE ENGINE BLOCK IN MY VEHICLE WHICH CAUSES ME TO DOUBT THE ENGINE DEPENDABILITY AND WILL CAUSE A REDUCTION OF THE VALUE OF MY VEHICLE WHEN IT IS TIME TO SELL OR TRADE. *TR