NHTSA Complaint #10655114 — 2008 HUMMER H3

WITHOUT ANY WARNING, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO MISFIRE AND STALL OUT AFTER STARTING FROM A GREEN LIGHT. IT ONLY LASTED ABOUT 10 SECONDS. AFTER THIS, THE ENGINE QUIT MISFIRING AND BEGAN TO HAVE AN AUDIBLE WHINE COME FROM UNDER THE GEAR SHIFTER. THIS WAS SUBSEQUENTLY DIAGNOSED BY ELECTRONIC MEANS AS AN INTERMITTENT MISFIRE AND ACCELERATOR PEDAL POSITION SENSOR. AFTER EXAMINATION BY A MECHANIC, IN THE LOWER PORTION OF THE ENGINE A BOLT HOLDING IN PLACE ONE OF THE BALANCERS WORKED ITSELF FREE. THE ENTIRE BOLT WAS DISPLACED FROM ITS ORIGINAL LOCATION AND THE THREADS WERE PROTRUDING OUT OF THE PLATE BEHIND THE FLYWHEEL IN THE AREA OF THE REAR MAIN SEAL CAUSING A SIGNIFICANT LOSS IN OIL. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION AFTER THE ENGINE WAS REMOVED, MULTIPLE COMPONENTS APPEARED DAMAGED AS A RESULT OF THE BOLT GETTING STUCK IN ONE OF THE INTERNAL CHAINS. THE WHINING NOISE WAS A RESULT OF THE CHAIN RUBBING AGAINST THE REMAINS OF THE BOLT THAT WAS LODGED AND PARTIALLY EXPELLED FROM THE LOWER REAR OF THE MOTOR. FINALLY, TO BE CLEAR, THIS INCIDENT APPEARS TO BE THE RESULT OF A BOLT BEING IMPROPERLY TORQUED, MACHINED OR THE BALANCER BEING IMPROPERLY MACHINED AND MATCHED FOR THE BOLT. AGAIN, THE ENTIRE BOLT (INCLUDING THREADS) WAS FREE FROM THE COMPONENT IT WAS INSTALLED IN. *TR