NHTSA Complaint #11316861 — 2014 BUICK REGAL

MY BUICK PURCHASED NOVEMBER 2019 HAS THE MISFORTUNE OF HAVING THE 2.0 LTG 4CYL TURBO. THROUGH RESEARCH I HAVE LEARNED THAT CATASTROPHIC FAILURE WITH THE PISTONS IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE ACROSS THE GM PLATFORM WITH SAME ENGINES. THIS IS LIKELY CAUSED BY A MISFIRE OR PREIGNITION IN THE CYLINDER WHICH WHICH FEEDS ON ITSELF AS IT GETS WORSE. ALSO THE PCV SYSTEM DESIGNED FOR A NATURALLY ASPIRATED ENGINE NOT A TURBO ENGINE. THIS SYSTEM FUNCTIONS ONLY WHEN THERE IS NO BOOST FROM THE TURBO. THIS CAUSE GUNK TO BUILD UP EVENTUALLY BACK FLOWING INTO #1. SINCE LIQUID WILL NOT COMPRESS IT CREATES PRESSURE IN THE CYLINDER DAMAGING THE RINGS. I PURCHASED MY CAR USED WITH NO WARRANTY AND EXACTLY 100K. EVEN ON THE TEST DRIVE I FELT A MISFIRE BUT WAS TOLD IT'S NOTHING. MAYBE MY FOOT SLIPPED. FIVE DAYS LATER THE PREIGNITION HAPPENED AGAIN. CHANGE THE PLUGS AND WIRES AND THE PROBLEM WENT AWAY FOR AWHILE. THREE WEEKS LATER WHEN I COLD START THE ENGINE IN THE MORNING TO WARM UP. IT WAS EXHIBITING THE SAME MISFIRING ALONG WITH A FLUCTUATING IDLE AND EXCESSIVE FUEL BEING BLOWN OUT THE EXHAUST. PULLED THE CODES ALL IT SAID WAS MISFIRE IN #2. BROUGHT IT IN TO SERVICE SHOP. THEY PULLED THE CODES WITH NOTHING REPORTING. I WAS TOLD IT WAS A NORMAL SITUATION IN THE BUICKS. BEING NAIVE AND UNFAMILIAR WITH THE MOTOR I BELIEVED THEM. I DID FIND A GM SERVICE BULLETIN THAT DID SUPPORT WHAT THEY SAID. CLAIMED IT WAS DOUBLE IGNITING TO HEAT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTOR UP FASTER. THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO EXHIBIT THE SAME ISSUES ALL ALONG IM BEING TOLD NOTHING IS WRONG. FAST FORWARD TO LAST WEEK THE PROBLEM EXPONENTIALLY INCREASED. BROUGHT IT INTO THE DEALER. THEY COULDN'T "FIND" ANYTHING THOUGH THEY AGREED WASN'T RUNNING RIGHT. MARCH 7 ANOTHER DEALERSHIP. YEP SOMETHING IS WRONG BUT THE CAR IS NOT SAYING ANYTHING. THE TECH WENT FOR A TEST DRIVE AND THE MOTOR FAILED. A BORE SCOPE REVEALED SEVERE PISTON DAMAGE.