YFCvii

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General Motors V8 Engine Valve Lifter Lawsuit Claims Recall Is Needed​


It appears that news is spreading about a class action law suit that has started in regards to engine valve lifters and engine fuel management design. This affects many 2014-present models of 5.3, 6.0 and 6.2 equipped vehicles.

Yoikes … I have 3 of them in my stable. One which I got in 2019 to replace a 2015 Sierra with a 5.3 that had the engine fail on at least 2 cylinders. I was not privy to the details of the repair when a dealer stepped up to get me into a new 2019 Sierra with a 6.2 as the repair was going to take at least 8 weeks for parts (GM labor strike at the time). Now I am wondering if I experienced one of these failures that GM told me was an anomaly event. 🤔

As this involves every C7 Corvette, I thought it best to post. You can google “GM lifter class action” and get a GM Authority webpage and a report/posting on the Corvette Blogger … among others.

Will be warching for how this unfolds.

Here’s a clip from GM Autoroty …

“This class-action lawsuit includes vehicles equipped with either the EcoTec3 GM 5.3L or 6.2L V8 engines, or the older 6.0L Vortec V8. This lawsuit also includes vehicles equipped with the performance-oriented 6.2L LT1 V8 engine in the sixth-generation Camaro and C7 Corvette Stingray, along with the supercharged 6.2L LT4 V8 in the 2016 to 2019 model year Cadillac CTS-V.”
 
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Where do I sign up lol. I'll never touch a 6.2L without full powertrain warranty again! Its a potential time bomb with the A8, those of you with the M7 do not put it in eco mode like I did...
 

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So I'll ask a dumb question....as I have a 2019 -M-7 car. ( just got the car 6 mons ago) I drive it in Sport Mode all the time. How would I avoid putting it in Eco mode.....I'm guessing that mode shuts off cylinders. Is that simply the round dial on the console ?
 
So I'll ask a dumb question....as I have a 2019 -M-7 car. ( just got the car 6 mons ago) I drive it in Sport Mode all the time. How would I avoid putting it in Eco mode.....I'm guessing that mode shuts off cylinders. Is that simply the round dial on the console ?
Yes, choosing "Eco" on the mode selector on the centre console is the only way that you can activate AFM on your 7 speed manual C7. Keep doing what you're doing and your car will never see the Active Fuel Management (V4) mode.

Other methods would be to use an AFM disabler (Range device) or apply a custom tune. Neither of which is really necessary for an M7.
 
Actually it's definition is shown in the owners manual. ECO - Eventually Causes Overload. It's in very tiny print on page #912. Looks like a dirt smudge near the top left hand bottom right edge near the center of the page. :Biggrin:
 
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I wonder if it's actually a general issue with the engine or something specific to a certain location where somebody messed up or they are using lower quality parts. None of the plaintiffs have a Corvette so fingers crossed.

I haven't heard or seen any official Corvettes with blown engines caused by the AFM only speculation. Anyone know anybody with the issue that's 100% confirmed by the GM engineers?
 
Nobody has spoken up here yet and we have a ton of C7 owners on the forum. Many with the A8 have gone the aftermarket AFM delete route but that was before this issue became public. And welcome to the forum.
 
I have not done any afm aftermarket delete on any of my C7s nor my 6.2 Sierra. That resolve would be speculative on something GM is tight-lipped about. I did do the A8 Mobil 1 transmission fluid exchange last summer on both (thanks to a friend who helped me with that). That turned out real well on the shifts now. The A10 does not have anything similar to the A8 shifting anomaly.

GM has acknowledged nothing.
I lost my 2015 model year 5.3 and was never given any details. After towing it from a boat launch, When I saw my engine dismantled to the block in the service bay in Wetaskiwin with parts lying all over counters and the floor, I chose the route to not keep my truck. It was in its last 6 months of powertrain warranty and therefore nothing was being disclosed to me - only appeared that nobody knew what was going on. There was a strike at the time and parts were up to 8weeks to source. The dealership that negotiated with me for a replacement truck, had the 5.3 truck come back for another complete top end engine rebuild within a month of reselling it. GM admitted to nothing … I moved along until I saw this recent class action article.
My best guess is that a letter will come out to original owners of vehicles equipped with the engines and the fuel management option … should GM have to settle the class action. History will likely be an extension of warranty due to failure of something specific. All of which has to be determined … all I can say is that my event smells rather similar to the wording of the lawsuit for what I believe I experienced. I am not regretting moving along to my 2019 6.2 Sierra … but waiting for how it plays out for my 3 vehicles.
 
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I went to my dealer twice this past summer about hearing more noise than usual from the engine/lifter area. They told me that it was still normal operational levels. I am not sure how they evaluate that...I called GM Customer Care to see if they could help the dealership with my issue as the noise I am hearing is higher than when I first got the car and it only happens between 2000 and 2500 RPM (roughly). Sort of sounds like a sewing machine. The dealership called back but my car was now stored for the season. They said they wanted to try to change the passenger NPP valve as it might be a rattling coming from there....so I complain about engine noise and they go all the way back to the exhaust. Anyhow I will share this with them to see if they want to verify the lifters again in the spring.
 
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I went to my dealer twice this past summer about hearing more noise than usual from the engine/lifter area. They told me that it was still normal operational levels. I am not sure how they evaluate that...I called GM Customer Care to see if they could help the dealership with my issue as the noise I am hearing is higher than when I first got the car and it only happens between 2000 and 2500 RPM (roughly). Sort of sounds like a sewing machine. The dealership called back but my car was now stored for the season. They said they wanted to try to change the passenger NPP valve as it might be a rattling coming from there....so I complain about engine noise and they go all the way back to the exhaust. Anyhow I will share this with them to see if they want to verify the lifters again in the spring.
I notice this as well with our C7s from time to time. Never consistent though, so I have not asked for anything other than for the Deslership to note my “complaint” in my service record for both C7s without going on a $160/hr after warranty search and destroy mission. This so that should anything come of it, I have a precedence on paper. The only thing I have perhaps had consistency with is that the tapping sound seems to go away (diminish) once the engine is warmed up.
 
Nobody has spoken up here yet and we have a ton of C7 owners on the forum. Many with the A8 have gone the aftermarket AFM delete route but that was before this issue became public. And welcome to the forum.
I'm banking on the warranty saving my behind so I won't touch the AFM. I don't think this lawsuit will end up winning a recall either because cars aren't blowing up left and right, and they can probably argue it's not a safety issue either. GM might extend warranty however on the powertrain. I really hope they do, I am not looking forward to the possibility of spending 10k on a new engine after 2024.
 
I wonder if it's actually a general issue with the engine or something specific to a certain location where somebody messed up or they are using lower quality parts. None of the plaintiffs have a Corvette so fingers crossed.

I haven't heard or seen any official Corvettes with blown engines caused by the AFM only speculation. Anyone know anybody with the issue that's 100% confirmed by the GM engineers?
The simple answer is - yes. It's a relatively well known failure that has plagued the C7, and numerous other GM vehicles using the L83, L86, LT1, and LT4 engines, since it's inception. For those lucky enough to have a C7 ZR1 (LT5), they are not at risk for AFM related failures as that engine doesn't use it. The problem has been well documented on most US forums and one case, that I know of, here on the CCF. Who wants to puke?? ( random lifter failure). The good news is that the failure rate is not overly extensive (no comfort to those that have experienced it) and, if it's within the Powertrain Warranty period, GM will usually cover the cost of engine replacement or repair. Unfortunately, there are owners who's vehicles were outside of the warranty period, or were denied for other reasons, and had to pay for the repairs. Hence the lawsuit.

As to whether or not the issue has been confirmed by GM engineers I would again say - yes, as the attached TSB would indicate. There are many articles, GM Techlink documents and warranty related stories that can be turned up by searching "C7 Corvette AFM lifter failure". It's a real problem that, so far, doesn't have a satisfactory answer. Although there are a number of methods and devices available that will circumvent or deactivate AFM, ie: don't drive in Eco (M7 only), drive in manual mode only (A8), use an AFM disabler (Range device) or apply a custom "tune", none of them guarantee that the vehicle will not experience some form of AFM related failure. It truly is a crap shoot.

Hope this helps.

Best regards
Ross
 

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The simple answer is - yes. It's a relatively well known failure that has plagued the C7, and numerous other GM vehicles using the L83, L86, LT1, and LT4 engines, since it's inception. For those lucky enough to have a C7 ZR1 (LT5), they are not at risk for AFM related failures as that engine doesn't use it. The problem has been well documented on most US forums and one case, that I know of, here on the CCF. Who wants to puke?? ( random lifter failure). The good news is that the failure rate is not overly extensive (no comfort to those that have experienced it) and, if it's within the Powertrain Warranty period, GM will usually cover the cost of engine replacement or repair. Unfortunately, there are owners who's vehicles were outside of the warranty period, or were denied for other reasons, and had to pay for the repairs. Hence the lawsuit.

As to whether or not the issue has been confirmed by GM engineers I would again say - yes, as the attached TSB would indicate. There are many articles, GM Techlink documents and warranty related stories that can be turned up by searching "C7 Corvette AFM lifter failure". It's a real problem that, so far, doesn't have a satisfactory answer. Although there are a number of methods and devices available that will circumvent or deactivate AFM, ie: don't drive in Eco (M7 only), drive in manual mode only (A8), use an AFM disabler (Range device) or apply a custom "tune", none of them guarantee that the vehicle will not experience some form of AFM related failure. It truly is a crap shoot.

Hope this helps.

Best regards
Ross
Interesting Document Thx 👍🏻 … none of which was disclosed to a customer in July/Aug 2019 with a dismantled truck in the shop in the 6th week of waiting for parts … mine was with an instant power loss and “do not drive any further” engine light (can’t remember either blinking or not blinking) 😡 💸

Here’s hoping for no repeats wirh what I have now. 🙏🏻

(Sorry for all the edits … phone app really sucks when typing)
 
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Damn.... As an owner of an A7 this issue is certainly not favorable news to hear. Thankfully, hopefully my driving the car 70% of the time in manual mode, may delay this issues ( if it were to ever arise) for a while longer and see what happens if a class action suit were to come forward.
 
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