NHTSA Complaint #10716024 — 2008 PONTIAC TORRENT

I HEARD A SLIGHT CLATTERING COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD ONE AFTERNOON ON MY WAY TO TOWN. I PULLED OVER THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, CALLED ON STAR TO ASK THEM TO RUN A DIAGNOSTIC.THE ON STAR ADVISER SAID TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP, THEY THINK THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE POWER TRAIN.I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP. AFTER CHECKING OUT THE CAR THEY SAID HALF OF THE MOTOR WAS NOT GETTING OIL PUMPED TO IT, IT HAS A DUAL OVERHEAD CAM. THEY SAID IT HAD BEEN GOING ON FOR SOME TIME AND THEY DON'T KNOW WHY THE OIL WOULDN'T GET THROUGH TO BOTH PARTS OF THE MOTOR. IT HAD SOME SORT OF "CLOG" IN IT, BUT COULD NOT SPECIFY WHERE. I WAS TOLD TO REPLACE THE MOTOR OR THEY COULD BREAK IT DOWN AND FIND THE PROBLEM BUT IT WOULD BE MORE EXPENSIVE TO DO IT THIS WAY. I ENDED UP PAYING $7098 FOR A NEW MOTOR. THE EXTENDED WARRANTY HAD ALREADY EXPIRED, I PAID THE CAR OFF THE MONTH BEFORE AND WAS TOLD THEY HAD NO RECALLS ON THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE. I TOOK EXCELLENT CARE OF THIS VEHICLE, CHANGED THE OIL EVERY 2800 MILES AND USED A HIGH GRADE FILTER AND SYNTHETIC OIL. THE DEALERSHIP COULD NOT GIVE AN EXPLANATION AS TO WHY THIS HAPPENED. I BELIEVE THERE WAS A DEFECTIVE PART IN THE MOTOR TO CAUSE THIS PROBLEM.