ZL1 Engine Failure

[OldScoolCamaro]

There are miles on the car, which isn't an issue at all with warranty because it's under. GM will fix the problem. The problem is the engine. Why should GM replace the entire car? Your point may have merrit if to some degree it happened immediately after taking ownership and some argument could be made by the owner to justify that position.

[The Baron]

Why do you people think this car is so special gm should cough up a new one because there was a part failure? Lol.
Forget the precident that would set for future customer concerns ( hey my trucks engine failed give meva new one!)

This car is not some specialty build.. its not even a one year build luke the 427 vert corvettes..

[One Mean Chevy]

I'm thinking something in the Super Charger came loose.

[Mr. Wyndham]

Originally Posted by MBS

Babied it? What does that have to do with anything? What if he burned his tires to the rims? Or took it out on the track and hammered it as hard as he could , This car is made to do just that, And covered for repair , How he drives has nothing to do with the warranty .

Welllll.....not entirely true.

They won't cover abuse. And as over-built and bullet-proof as the ZL1 is...you can still abuse it, and they'll know if that's what happened.

....not saying that's the case here. Benefit of the doubt suggests it isn't. But I just wanted to clarify that we can't beat on these cars like apes and expect them to cover what happens no matter what.

[simon.w]

Originally Posted by shrinkdoc

I am not talking about whether covered under warranty. We already know its covered. GM says its covered even if run hard and used for track. I am saying if he babied it GM should bite the bullet and give him a new car because if he ran it hard and used it on the track it probably would have failed 5000 mi. earlier. It was a faulty build from the start so give him a new car. With that kind of good publicity GM will make more friends and customers.

So if they give him a new car because of an engine failure they will set a precedent that can be used against them legally in the future with ANY customer who have a similar complaint.

Would you expect them to do the same if it was a cheap car like a spark, sonic or cruze?

GM is quite within the right of their warranty to repair the car. I have only ever heard of a replacement if there is a lemon factor of a fault or multiple issues that cannot be diagnosed, solved or keep reoccurring.

[LeanPocket]

Originally Posted by MBS

You really think a guy who bought a ZL1 never changed the oil? Or used low octane ? I really doubt that .

I wasn't implying that.
I was originally implying that unforeseen factors like that happen when we drop our car off for a oil change and they put in the wrong weight, or lack there of, or the gas station mixes up the octane in their storage tanks, which has happened many times where I live, not common but had happened more than once.

Otherwise, op has stated this wasn't the case, and I believe him. I was trying to piece together how it happened and I think the general consensus is that it was a internal parts failure; valve float/dropped valve/lifter failure something along those lines. Thx.

[autoguy]

Actually this is not the first one.

My 2012 ZL1 that I traded on my 2013 Convertible had the engine replaced at 1660 miles. I actually sold it to a friend that owns a car dealership, and he only put about 100 miles on it when he said it started making a knocking noise. He dropped it off at the Chevy dealership closest to his house and they said GM told them to not touch anything, do not take the engine apart, they are sending a new crate engine. So, at 1660 miles, I think my old car was the first and earliest to grenade itself.

I owned the car since day one, used 92 or 93 octane the entire time I owned it, did the break in the way we have been repeatedly told as far as keeping it under 4000 rpm and 80mph. The Oil and Filter were changed at a Chevy Dealer at 1200 miles, and I know for a fact that the car was Never hammered. He actually never even picked it up at the dealer. Once the engine was installed, he sold it to the dealer and it is on their lot right now with 1665 miles on it.

[LeanPocket]

Dam this is horrible news -_-

I really hope this isn't a problematic issue

I've seen ctsv's blow head gaskets, albeit at a race track, bone stock.

I think I have the video somewhere of that.

[autoguy]

My car was bone stock as well. No CAI, Tune, etc.

[AdamZ]

holy cow

[sspolo]

It sucks for the owner, but come one guys! It was bound to happen. It is a car that is mass produced and somewhere along the lines they got some bad parts. It would suck if this was normal, fortunately it hasn't happened that many times. I didn't read through the whole thread, but I sure hope that GM went all out to get it fixed.

[hognutz]

7k+ cars built = failure at somepoint. I wonder what a normal rate of faliure on a motor is on a production car?

the interesting theme in this thread so far is both cars that had issue were actaully not run hard at all.

I would be interested in know what component failed for sure. valve spring, rod bolt.

[fastvee]

I know a V took a shit a couple years about because of a cam lobe failure.

Haven't heard of many LSAs taking a shit though. Still curious on what happened here.

[IcePick06]

Hmmm...I'm wondering what happened here too. I just got my car back after the supercharger was replaced since the bearing was bad and making a loud whistle sound while driving around and at idle. Sounds perfect again now tho so I'm sure this issue will be fixed too! Just hope it's an isolated incident.