NHTSA Complaint #11219822 — 2011 BUICK REGAL

BACK ON FEBRUARY 9TH, 2019 I HAD AN OIL CHANGE AND RECEIVED WHATEVER PREMIUM-ULTRA SYNTHETIC OIL THEY HAD. THIS OIL WAS RATED UP TO 9,000 MILES I BELIEVE. AS I WAS HEADING IN FOR AN OIL CHANGE ON THE MORNING OF JUNE 2ND, 2019 THE CAR SUDDENLY LOCKED WITH BRAKES AND STEERING BECOMING EXTREMELY STIFF. I WAS DRIVING WHEN THIS OCCURRED BUT HAD BEEN COMING TO A STOP WITH NOBODY IN FRONT OF ME LUCKILY. HAD THIS HAPPENED 15 SECONDS BEFORE AS I WAS GOING 55MPH AROUND A CURVE, I WOULD HAVE UNDOUBTEDLY KILLED MYSELF OR SOMEONE ELSE. THERE WAS NO ABILITY TO STEER THE CAR OR BRAKE. WHEN I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP THEY TOLD ME THE ENGINE WOULD REQUIRE A COMPLETE REBUILD, COSTING SEVEN-THOUSAND-DOLLARS. THEY CLAIM IT WAS CAUSED BY A "LACK OF MAINTENANCE (IE. NOT KEEPING UP ON OIL CHANGES)". THE LACK OF OIL THEN CAUSED THE TIMING CHAIN TO BREAK, WHICH THEN FURTHER DAMAGED INTAKE VALVES, HEAD GASKETS, BALANCE CHAIN, ETC. NOW I KNOW FEBRUARY 9TH AND JUNE 2ND IS NEARLY FOUR MONTHS APART, HOWEVER, IN THAT TIME I HAD PUT LESS THAN 2,000 MILES ON THE CAR. HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO KNOW THAT MY ULTRA SYNTHETIC OIL WHICH IS RATED FOR FOUR TIMES LONGER, IN A CAR THAT IN THAT TIME HAD BEEN REPORTED TO BURN OIL, AND DOESN'T HAVE AN OIL LEVEL SENSOR, WOULD BURN OIL? IN MY MIND THIS ISN'T A LACK OF MAINTENANCE, IT IS GM'S LACK OF COMMUNICATION. GM NEVER INFORMED ME OF ANY ISSUES REGARDING OIL BURN, YET THEY SUPPOSEDLY REQUIRE TECHNICIANS TO ROLL BACK THE SENSOR BECAUSE OF THIS VERY ISSUE. I SHOULD ALSO MENTION THAT MIRACULOUSLY THE CAR WASN'T GIVING ANY OUTWARD SIGNS OF DISTRESS INCLUDING EXTRA NOISE, LOUD IDLE, HANDLING DIFFERENCES OR ANYTHING. WHILE MY SITUATION ENDED WITH NO INJURIES, AFTER READING ABOUT THIS ISSUE I AM ONE OF THE LUCKY ONES. THIS ISSUE IS NOT ONLY UNJUSTLY DRAINING BANK ACCOUNTS BUT ALSO COSTING LIVES.