Top Class Actions’s website and social media posts use affiliate links. If you make a purchase using such links, we may receive a commission, but it will not result in any additional charges to you. Please review our Affiliate Link Disclosure for more information.
General Motors is facing yet another class action lawsuit involving claims its Vortec-branded engines burn off too much oil.
Roger Heater, a West Virginia resident, is the latest lead plaintiff to take the automaker to court over the alleged defect.
The lawsuit joins several other lawsuits filed recently alleging similar complaints, including a class action lawsuit filed last week in Ohio District Court.
According to the latest class action, General Motors has known about the faulty system that burns off extraordinary amounts of oil, causing engine failures and misfires, but allegedly continued selling vehicles despite the defect.
General Motors introduced the Generation IV Vortec 5300 V8 engines in 2007. Heater bought a 2011 Chevrolet Silverado with a Vortec engine in it before filing the class action lawsuit.
Heater alleges these engines were designed to fail and cites several aspects of the engine as evidence of defects.
Piston rings in the Vortec engines fail to keep oil sealed in the crankcase, the class action contends. This leak leads to atomized oil to escape through the ventilation, where it is burned off.
Furthermore, according to the class action lawsuit, General Motors’ Vortec engines have an oil pressure relief valve that spits oil along the piston’s skirts. This pushes extra oil past the piston rings, overloading and fouling parts of the engine.
If the oil isn’t burned off, it builds up as carbon, Heater argues.
Exaggerating the alleged excessive oil that’s burning off on these Vortec engines even more is General Motors’ “oil life monitoring system” that’s installed on the Vortec engine vehicles, the class action claims.
Heater alleges while the name suggests it checks oil levels, in reality, it does nothing but monitor engine temperatures and revolutions.
The lack of proper sealing to keep the oil from leaking leaves it messing up the Vortec engine spark plugs, according to the class action. These defects leave drivers in risky situations where their vehicle engines could suddenly cut off.
The alleged defect “can damage critical engine components and cause drivability problems, such as lack of power from misfire, spark plug fouling, excessive engine noise, abnormal vibration or shaking, piston cracking, head cracking, and, ultimately, engine seizure,” the class action stated.
Heater is seeking to represent Class Members who bought or leased a GM vehicle of the following models from 2011 to 2014:
- Chevrolet Avalanche
- Chevrolet Silverado
- Chevrolet Suburban
- Chevrolet Tahoe
- GMC Sierra
- GMC Yukon and Yukon XL
Formally, the class action lawsuit is accusing General Motors of violating the West Virginia Consumer Credit and Protections Act, along with breaches of warranty, fraudulent concealment and unjust enrichment.
Do you drive a vehicle made by General Motors with a Vortec engine? Have you had issues with oil consumption? Let us know in the comments below.
Counsel representing the plaintiffs in this class action lawsuit are L. Lee Javins II, Taylor M. Norman of Bailey Javins & Carter L.C.; Adam J. Levitt, John E. Tangren, Daniel R. Ferri of DiCello Levitt Gutzler LLC; W. Daniel Miles, III, H. Clay Barnett, III, J. Mitch Williams, Tyner D. Helms of Beasley Allen Crow Methvin Portis & Miles PC.
The GM Vortec Engine Class Action Lawsuit is Heater et al., v. General Motors LLC, Case No. 1:21-cv-00024, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia.
Read About More Class Action Lawsuits & Class Action Settlements:
- BREAKING: GM Oil Consumption Class Action Lawsuit Alleges Engine Defect in Popular Vehicles
- Do You Qualify: Car Company Pre-Recorded Robocalls & Pre-Recorded Voicemail Class Action Lawsuit
- GM Class Action Lawsuit Alleges Engine Oil Guzzling Defect
- Do You Qualify: Uber Sexual Assault, Lyft Driver Lawsuit Investigation
38 thoughts onGeneral Motors Facing Another Vortec Engine Class Action
Add me to the my Silverado 1500 year 2011 having a problem and like to be put on list
Add me
I bought a 2010 silverado new and had problems with oil comsumption,lifter noise,valve cover replacement to make it better it did not,spark plug replacement. just a bad motor. 5.3.any info on class action lawsuits?
I have a 2010 GMC Terrain and I’m just one year past the warranty so GM wont cover the 5k engine fix thats needed from this issue. Extremely frustrating. I just want them to cover this cost.
I have a 2015 GMC Terrain and have been dealing with this issue as well. The company has not dealt with this issue properly and should be held to account for their wanton disregard. Please include me in any future litigation.
I have a 2011 Silverado 1500 with the 5.3L. I had to replace the entire engine. The engine had less than 60,00- miles. I had no oil consumption issue prior to the complete failure. I am religious about oil changes and take good care of my truck. I had the STOP ENGINE light come on and found no oil in the engine. I replaced 3-4 quart, but this was a very temporary fix to get me home, 70 miles. I took it to t GM dealer who tore the engine apart and gave me the option of new vs used, 12,000$ vs 8000$. I had a Jasper engine put in by a private mechanic and Jasper has a REAL warranty. cost 5,000$. GM GARAGE CHARGED ME ABOUT 1200$ FOR TEARING THE ENGINE DOWN. Engine parts were not put back and were in the bed of the truck.
I am so upset. I was offered no alternative by GM, I was not even contacted by GM.
I have spent 100s of thousands of dollars on GM products over the years.
I need a new truck but it will not be a GM. What a shame and bad business practice.
Pistons all had to be replaced because of this crappy motor design $3000.00. For that. Multiple oil leaks. All in about $4000.00 for us so far.
I owned a Silverado with the vortec and it started used oil from new . It started knocking at 80,000 and I sold it at scrap price ..
Add me
Absolutely we have two of them. LH6 is a vortec engine (5.3L) in a Saab 9-7x and LC9 (5.3L) in a GMC Yukon. Both of which have oil consumption issues. I have to add more than a quart in each before hitting 3,000 miles. I had a lifter failure in the Saab that cost over $2,000 to fix and it is currently sitting in my driveway with the same issue. 140k miles.