NHTSA Complaint #11162291 — 2012 BUICK REGAL

AT ROUTINE OIL CHANGE APPOINTMENT (71000 MILES) PLUS MY CONCERN TO CHECK OUT A NOISE DURING COLD STARTUPS, BUICK DEALERSHIP TECH NOTED NO OIL ON DIPSTICK. THEY RECOMMENDED OIL CONSUMPTION TEST, DISCUSSED POSSIBLE NEED TO REPLACE PISTONS @ $3200 AND TOLD ME TO RETURN IN 1000 MILES TO REASSESS. ON LEAVING THE DEALERSHIP, MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS LIT (NO WARNINGS/LIGHTS/ DRIVING PERFORMANCE ISSUES PRIOR TO LEAVING THE DEALERSHIP THAT DAY), I IMMEDIATELY TURNED AROUND AND THEY RE-RAN DIAGNOSTIC SCREEN, REPORTED TO ME THAT IT REPORTED NOTHING DIFFERENT THAN THE ONE RUN EARLIER THAT DAY, TOLD ME AGAIN TO RETURN IN 1000 MILES. APPROX 100 MILES LATER, MY ENGINE SUFFERED CATASTROPHIC DAMAGE, LEAVING ME STRANDED AT A STOPLIGHT INTERSECTION. I FEEL LUCKY THAT THIS HAPPENED IN A SAFE TOWN IN BROAD DAYLIGHT, AND WHILE I WAS AT A STOPLIGHT. THEY AGAIN FOUND NO OIL ON DIPSTICK, AND MAJOR ENGINE DAMAGE ,MY DEALER GAVE ME OPTIONS FOR REPLACING THE ENGINE WITH A NEW ($6300, 3 YEAR WARRANTY), OR REBUILT ($5000, NO WARRANTY) ENGINE. I HAVE DONE OIL CHANGES ALWAYS AS RECOMMENDED BY ONBOARD MONITORING SYSTEM. SEEMS THAT MAYBE THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALL OR CONSUMER ALERT ISSUED ON THIS LONGSTANDING ISSUE FOR THESE GM CARS, NOT JUST A CLANDESTINE BULLETIN THAT ONLY NOTIFIED DEALERS OF THIS PROBLEM FOR VEHICLES WITH LONG OIL CHANGE INTERVAL RECOMMENDATIONS. VERY DISAPPOINTED 55 YEAR OLD LADY.