NHTSA Complaint #11387432 — 2016 CHEVROLET CRUZE

BEFORE LEAVING WORK, I TURNED ON MY CAR FOR ABOUT TEN MINUTES TO WARM UP. WHEN I ENTERED THE CAR TO LEAVE WORK, I WAS OVERCOME WITH THE SMELL OF WHAT I THOUGHT WAS GASOLINE. I DROVE LIKE NORMAL ON MY WAY HOME, ROLLING THE WINDOW DOWN TO GET RID OF THE SMELL, AND I ALSO THOUGHT SOME SMOKE OR HAZE MAY HAVE ENTERED MY CAR, ALTHOUGH IT WAS DARK AND FOGGY SO I CANNOT BE SURE. WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, MY CAR'S (2016 CHEVY CRUZE) OIL LIGHT CAME ON. IT GAVE ME AN URGENT MESSAGE OF "LOW OIL PRESSURE- STOP ENGINE" AND BEEPED CONTINUOUSLY, WHILE A THICK SMELL OF OIL FILLED THE CAR. I AM VERY LUCKY THAT I WAS NEAR AN EXIT AND I PULLED OFF IMMEDIATELY INTO A GROCERY STORE PARKING LOT. THE CAR HAD TO BE TOWED AND LATER THAT WEEK, I LEARNED THAT MY CAR HAD LEAKED 3.3 QUARTS OF OIL, LEAVING ME WITH 1.25 QUARTS. THE MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT I WAS LUCKY I PULLED OFF WHEN I DID, AND THAT THERE WAS A SERIOUS RISK OF ENGINE DAMAGE. HE ALSO LET ME KNOW THAT ANOTHER CAR, SAME MAKE AND MODEL, WAS ALSO IN THE SHOP WITH THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM, AND THAT THAT CAR'S ENGINE HAD TO BE REPLACED. I QUOTE FROM MY $500+ INVOICE, "THE TURBO OIL FEED PIPE WAS LEAKING AT THE OIL COOLER DUE TO POOR SEALING. VEHICLE WAS 3.3 QUARTS LOW ON FLUID."