NHTSA Complaint #10872262 — 2010 BUICK LACROSSE

GM 3.6 L VVT TIMING CHAIN ISSUE I WAS DRIVING OUR '10 BUICK LACROSSE (WITH 65,340 MI) ONE EVENING AND THE CAR'S FRONT END BEGAN TO SHAKE AND THE ENGINE STARTED TO POWER DOWN, AND DID SO FOR ABOUT 5-10 SECONDS. IT THEN RAN NORMAL FOR ABOUT 75 YARDS AND THE DISPLAY SHOWED LOW ENGINE POWER MESSAGE WITH THE EXCLAMATION POINT. I PULLED OFF ON A SIDE STREET AND SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF. I TRIED TO RESTART IT, BUT IT WOULD NOT FIRE. I HAD IT TOWED TO A LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THE NEXT DAY THAT I NEEDED A NEW MOTOR THAT WOULD RUN $6800. I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED BACK HOME AND WHILE CALLING AROUND TO DIFFERENT DEALERSHIPS FOR ENGINE QUOTES, I FOUND A DEALERSHIP THAT ASKED ME IF THEY COULD TAKE A LOOK AT IT. I TOLD THEM WHAT HAPPENED AND THY RIGHT AWAY SAID IT DID NOT SOUND LIKE MY ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THEY TOWED THE VEHICLE TO THEIR DEALERSHIP AND DISCOVERED THE TIMING CHAIN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND THAT WHEN IT BROKE, IT DAMAGED THE REAR VALVES AND ONE OF THE HEADS. THE TOTAL COST WAS ABOUT $3250. I CALLED GM CUSTOMER CARE AND THEY WILL NOT OFFER ANY HELP ON THE REPAIRS.