NHTSA Complaint #10592977 — 2008 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE

EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION. INITIAL PROBLEM OCCURRED ON FEBRUARY 11, 2014 AND GM DEALER DID SOME INITIAL WORK, BUT THE PROBLEM WAS NOT FIXED. ON APRIL 27, THE ENGINE BEGAN RUNNING VERY, VERY ROUGH AND SEVERAL LIGHTS CAME ON (ENGINE LIGHT, TRACTION LIGHT, STABILITRAC LIGHT AND THERE MAY HAVE BEEN OTHERS). I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER, CHECKED THE OIL LEVEL FOUND IT WAS 1.5 QUARTS LOW, SO I ADDED OIL AND STARTED ENGINE AGAIN. SO I HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO MY GM DEALER. THE NEXT WEEK, THE DEALER SAID THEY WERE LOOKING INTO THE PROBLEM. FINALLY THE WEEK OF MAY 5, THEY SAID THEY WOULD NEED TO REPLACE PISTONS, RINGS, LIFTERS AND I DON'T REMEMBER THE ENTIRE LIST. I ASKED WHAT WAS THIS GOING TO COST AND WHO WOULD BE PAYING FOR THE WORK. SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME THE TOTAL WOULD BE IN THE $4500 RANGE, BUT HE WOULD CHECK WITH GM TO SEE IF THEY WOULD PAY PART OF THIS. NEXT DAY SERVICE MANAGER SAID GM WOULD PAY FOR ALL EXCEPT A $500 "WARRANTY DEDUCTIBLE". MY RECEIPT SHOWS THEY REPLACED ONE PISTON, THE CAMSHAFT, 16 LIFTERS, LIFTER GUIDES, THE MANIFOLD, A SENSOR, 8 SPARK PLUGS, ADDED 6 QUARTS OIL, INSTALLED OIL FILTER, RECHARGED A/C SYSTEM AND CHARGED FOR NUMEROUS GASKETS, NUTS AND BOLTS. THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT THE REASON FOR THE PROBLEM WAS DUE TO THE FACT THAT MY ENGINE WAS MADE IN MEXICO. THEY SAID THEY USED PARTS MANUFACTURED IN CANADA ON MY REPAIR WORK. I HAVE READ ON THE INTERNET THAT THIS EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION PROBLEM WITH THIS ENGINE IS NOT NEW - IT HAS BEEN REPORTED TO GM FOR SEVERAL YEARS. WHY DIDN'T GM STOP USING ENGINES MANUFACTURED IN MEXICO BEFORE 2008 IF IN FACT THIS IS THE MAIN REASON FOR THIS PROBLEM. THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN PROACTIVE TO PREVENT THIS WIDESPREAD PROBLEM AND CAUSING THEIR CUSTOMERS TO PAY NEEDLESSLY FOR REPAIRS THAT GM SHOULD HAVE PAID FOR IN TOTAL - OR REPLACED THIS ENGINE TOTALLY! *TR