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GM knowingly sold Corvette vehicles with defective engines, according to a recent class action lawsuit against the automotive company.
The class action lawsuit was filed against GM by individuals from numerous states who leased or purchased a 2013 Chevrolet Corvette 427 or 2006-2013 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 vehicles equipped with an LS7 engine.
The plaintiffs say that the engines in these vehicles suffer from excessive valve guide wear, a problem known by General Motors.
The GM engine class action lawsuit states that, due to the defects in the manufacturing of the LS7 7.0LV8 engines, the Class vehicles are prone to frequent mechanical failure. The defect causes oil to suddenly leak under the vehicle which can cause the rear tires to lose traction, according to the General Motors class action lawsuit.
The plaintiffs state that the engines present a “dire and significant safety danger” to the vehicle operator which could result in life-threatening bodily harm. Many of the plaintiffs maintain that this failure has occurred in their vehicles.
The GM class action claims that “Upon failure, the subject engines are subject to explosion, resulting in the ejection of engine fragments and other materials that can strike the driver of the subject vehicle, or other vehicles or drivers in the vicinity.”
Because of the design defect of the engines that are installed in the Class vehicles, the owners and lessees of these vehicles have suffered economic expense for repairs on the cars, according to the Corvette class action lawsuit.
The plaintiffs argue that GM has not issued a recall so that the Class vehicles could be tested and repaired. In addition, they assert that GM has recalled the Corvettes at issue for two other, less serious defects.
The General Motors class action lawsuit argues that, even when confronted by the engine defects, the company insists that the “valve train noise” was an “inherent feature” of the engines and that they are not defective.
GM has assured the Class Members that the engines were performing as designed; however the engines continue to fail at a high rate, the plaintiffs claim.
The class action maintains that, as a result of consumer complaints about the engine, GM put into place a technique called the “wiggle method” to ascertain whether the valve guides were out of specification. However, once GM realized that this test would lead to more repairs than it wanted to perform, the “wiggle test” was unreasonably rejected, the plaintiffs state.
“In dealing with multiple complaints concerning the subject engine in the class vehicles, New GM acted, at all times, to deflect criticisms, defer investigations and repairs, and minimize the extent of the problems,” alleges the GM class action lawsuit.
The plaintiffs claim that Class Members have continued to suffer from valve train noise, out of specification valve guides and engine failures all the while GM has minimized the extent of the defect in the vehicle engines.
A similar lawsuit was filed against GM in November 2017 by vehicle owners who allege that the Corvette Z06 cars have defects that make them unsafe to drive.
Do you own a Corvette with a defective engine? Leave a message in the comments section below.
The plaintiffs are represented by David M. Honigman, Douglas L. Toering, and Kenneth Chadwell of Mantese Honigman, PC and André E. Jardini, K.L. Myles, and Michael D. Carr of Knapp Petersen & Clarke.
The General Motors Engine Defect Class Action Lawsuit is Estate of William D. Pilgrim, et al. v. General Motors LLC, et al., Case No. 2:20-cv-10562, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.
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125 thoughts onGM Class Action Says Corvette Engine Is Defective
Please add me to the list I own a 2006 zo6
I have a 2006 Z06. Recently had the heads changed to prevent total engine failure. Cost of approximately $5000. Feel much safer now, but it is a shame that this expense and repair had to be done.
I have a 2009 Corvette Zo6 20,000 miles ,no issues yet
I have a 2009 Corvette Zo6 20,000 miles ,no issues get. Please add me to your list.I plan on keeping my car.
Own a 2009 Z06 with 42000 kms or 26000 miles on it. From Ontario Canada. Have owned it since 2010. Never tracked and all hwy miles. Totally stock but head issue always in the back of my mind. Plan on doing heads when i can afford it. Please add me to this class action lawsuit.
Okay, I *just* bought an ’06 Z06 less than two weeks ago! And had I known that there’s a problem with the LS7 engines AND that to date, GM doesn’t appear to be acknowledging the issue for what it is and responding appropriately, I may not have bought it. I had always believed the entire series of LS motors were tried and tested, and considered to be among some of the best engines ever mass produced by any automaker. In fact, I had been originally searching for something with an LS3 in it, and after some browsing, I decided to search the Z06s for sale locally.
At the time I bought it, I hadn’t heard a peep about any issues, let alone one that can cause catastrophic engine failure and equate to….what, $15K for a new crate motor (plus another $3-4K to correct the issue on the new motor, so it doesn’t happen again.
My Z06 has 21K original miles on it and in fact, I had been noticing a ticking noise, reminiscent of valve train noise I’ve heard in the past with other motors (in need of repair or adjustment). After reading comments from quite a few Z06 owners on a popular “Z06 Vette” website’s discussion forum, I’m now essentially afraid to drive it, not to mention spiritedly. I’ve read of several whose motors failed with very low miles…19-22K..
Before reading this article, I commented on the forum thread addressing the valve train concern and premature engine failure. I said virtually the same thing as is stated in the above article, that the *only* reason GM isn’t responding with a recall…is the financial impact correcting the issue will cause them. Sadly, I’m guessing Z06 owners with the 427 won’t be going away. I’m chiming in, because I’m now pretty ticked off at GM (and I’ve been a fan since I was a kid) for being in this quandary. I bought the 2nd most expensive car I’ve ever owned earlier this month because of all the praise I had been reading about in some of the original articles posted by the folks at Car & Driver and other well known companies that have been reviewing newly released or soon to come new models for decades. Nothing but rave reviews.
Please add me to the list of Z06 owners who’d like to be kept apprised of the Class Action law suit against GM.
Please add me to the list. I have a 2006 Z06. The valve train is very noisy and I very concerned about my safety if there is an engine.
I have valve train noise in my ’09 Z06, I’ve been told by Corvette service advisors in Albany NY that this is normal for this engine. I don’t buy it since GM would not release an engine from the factory sounding like this. I had to substitute 15E-45 Rotella synthetic for Mobil-1 5W-30 to eliminate it.
I have a 2007 Corvette Z06, I bought the car 2 years ago, first month dropped a valve in 2018 and had to get a new engine, including the oil system replaced and 2 years later right now in 2020 I am dealing with the same issue again. The new engine has a manufacturer warranty but this car is a ticking time bomb. Hopefully this time it is covered. Last time this happened was over 18k. At this point to replace it again is more in to repairs than what the car is worth.
I own a 2006 z06
Engine stopped running while driving
Dealer say it need a new engine
Veh has 22,000 miles on it
I have a 2006 corvette zo6 with 47,000 miles an have been making strange noises. Didn’t know what it was until reading every one reviews. I think I have the head problem
I have a 2012 Z06 I bought February 5th 2020. I noticed valve train noise from day one. I didn’t get alarmed since I have a 1999 Silverado with a 6.0 LS engine that also has valve train noise. I first heard of this LS7 valve guide wear out problem from a neighbor , then again in the September 2020 Hemmings Motor News. I checked the internet yesterday and found it is a well known problem that is all over the internet. I’m now afraid to drive my Corvette. GM, do what Nissan, Toyota or Honda would do. Make it right. Please add me to the class action suite. My Vette only has 26K miles on it and sounds like a $200 dollar junker.