NHTSA Complaint #10441952 — 2005 CHEVROLET SILVERADO

IN JUNE, 2011, I BEGAN NOTICING MY ANTIFREEZE LEVELS WERE DROPPING SLIGHTLY. THERE WERE NO NOTICEABLE LEAKS OF ANTIFREEZE ANYWHERE. I ATTRIBUTED IT TO EVAPORATION & ADDED COOLANT. OVER TIME THE TRUCK STARTED USING MORE & MORE ANTIFREEZE. A FRIEND OF MINE NOTICED A PUFF OF WHITE SMOKE COMING FROM THE TAILPIPE. AT THE TIME I DIDN'T REALLY THINK ANYTHING OF IT. LAST WEEK WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM WORK AFTER FINISHING UP A "B" TRICK JOB (11PM), I NOTICED A KNOCKING SOUND COMING FROM THE ENGINE. IT SMOOTHED OUT AFTER A FEW MILES OF DRIVING IT. THE NEXT DAY IT HAPPENED AGAIN ( I WORK 26 MILES FROM HOME) AGAIN IT SMOOTHED OUT & I WAS JUST GRATEFUL I GOT HOME SAFELY THAT NIGHT. BY THIS TIME I KNEW THERE WERE SOME SERIOUS ISSUES & DECIDED NOT TO DRIVE IT AGAIN. I BEGAN RESEARCHING THE ISSUE ON LINE & FOUND OTHERS THAT WERE EXPERIENCING IDENTICAL SYMPTOMS. TURNS OUT THE PROBLEM LIES WITH THE CYLINDER HEADS IN THE ENGINE MANUFACTURED FOR GM BY CASTECH. ACCORDING TO OTHER PEOPLE & BY GMS OWN ADMISSION, A FAULTY, WEAK MATERIAL WAS USED TO BUILD THE CYLINDER HEADS. OVER TIME THE MATERIAL WEARS AWAY CAUSING POROUS CRACKS & THE ANTIFREEZE SEEPS INTO THE OIL SYSTEM POLLUTING IT, CAUSING SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE. (BY THIS TIME MOST EXTENDED WARRANTIES ARE UP). THE ANTIFREEZE MIXES WITH THE OIL & IS EMITTED OUT OF THE TAILPIPE AS EXHAUST. THIS IS WHY NO TRACES OF ANTIFREEZE WERE FOUND & THE REASON FOR THE WHITE PUFF OF SMOKE. GM ISSUED A BULLETIN #06-06-01-019B IN JUNE 2007 INFORMING REPAIR TECHNICIANS ON WHERE TO LOOK FOR THE DAMAGE. THROUGH OTHER PEOPLES EXPERIENCES, I AM FINDING THE ENGINES WERE RUINED IN 90% OF THE CASES & GM CLAIMS NO RESPONSIBILITY. IN MY CASE I AM DRIVING A FRIEND'S VEHICLE WAITING ON WORD FROM MY MECHANIC AS TO MY OPTIONS. THESE REPAIRS ARE COSTLY. UP TO $5000!! THIS IS NOT FROM NORMAL WEAR & TEAR THIS IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT & I FEEL A RECALL SHOULD BE ISSUED. *KB