NHTSA Complaint #11183290 — 2013 GMC TERRAIN

THIS (NORMALLY-GARAGED, 1-OWNER, RELIGIOUSLY-SERVICED AT DEALERSHIP) VEHICLE HAD SAT OUTSIDE FOR 38 HOURS WITHOUT BEING STARTED. VEHICLE WAS STARTED IN +4 DEGREE F TEMPERATURE, ALLOWED TO WARM UP, DRIVEN 15 MINUTES ON A 2-LANE ROAD BEFORE STOPPING AT A STOP SIGN. ENGINE BEGAN CHUGGING HEAVILY AS IT LEFT THE STOP, ATTEMPTING TO CROSS 2 LANES OF A DIVIDED 4-LANE HIGHWAY BEFORE TURNING LEFT IN THE OTHER 2 LANES OF THAT HIGHWAY. WITH ENGINE LOSING POWER, DRIVER MANAGED THE LEFT TURN AND PULLED OFF ON RIGHT SHOULDER JUST AS ENGINE SUDDENLY DIED. JUST AS IT DIED, DRIVER NOTICED A BRIEFLY-LIT DASHBOARD INDICATOR SIGNIFYING SOMETHING ABOUT OIL. VEHICLE WAS 3 MONTHS PAST 6-YEAR WARRANTY. IT WAS HAULED SOME 200 MILES TO THE ORIGINAL GM DEALER, OFFLOADED IN PARKING LOT ON SUNDAY EVE. DEALER WAS INFORMED NEXT MORNING, AND LATER RESPONDED THAT IT WOULD NEED A NEW ENGINE. OWNER VISITED DEALER, NOTICED VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN MOVED SINCE DROPPING IT OFF, BUT DEALER SOMEHOW KNEW ENGINE STATUS. MANAGER WAS SURPRISINGLY UNDERSTANDING. REAR SEAL WAS BLOWN, LIKELY PCV ORIFICE ISSUE (AS IN GM TSB 14882). DEALER SAID GM WOULD PAY 45%, TSB 14882 WOULD COVER $400+, DEALERSHIP WOULD PAY HALF THE REST. OWNER RESPECTS/APPRECIATES DEALERSHIP'S COOPERATION, BUT REMAINS CONCERNED ABOUT POTENTIAL DANGER OF SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER WHILE CROSSING 4 LANES OF HIGH-SPEED TRAFFIC. OWNER LEARNED ABOUT TSB 14882 ONLY AFTER THIS INCIDENT, ONLY VIA GOOGLE, PRIOR TO VISITING DEALER. OWNER STILL DOESN'T KNOW IF VIN IS ON THE TSB 14882 LIST, WHICH, IF IT IS, SHOULD HAVE LED TO A PREVENTIVE FIX PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT.