One Man vs. GM: My C7 Corvette Experienced Engine Failure at 45,000 KM

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OneManVersusGM

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2018 Corvette
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Hello everyone,

I'm here to share my story of a catastrophic engine failure in my 2018 base C7 Corvette. This isn't a story about me being a bad owner; it's a story about GM's complete failure to stand behind its halo product and honor its moral obligations to a loyal customer. This is a matter of consumer protection and public interest, and the public should be made aware of my experience thus far.

I have spent months trying to resolve this issue through GM's internal process, only to be met with continuous delays and disrespectful behavior. I've now exhausted all internal options and am taking my case to the public.

Here’s the TL;DR of my story:

  • The Vehicle: 2018 Corvette with just over 45,000 km. Never tracked, and all regular maintenance performed at an authorized Chevrolet dealership.
  • The Failure: The car suffered a catastrophic engine failure, which I believe is related to a collapsed lifter.
  • The Dealership: The local dealership and its management could not diagnose the issue and recommended either engine teardown (20+ hours) or engine replacement.
  • GM Corporate: The case was escalated to GM’s Executive Review team and Mary Barra (CEO) and Kristian Aquilina (GM Canada President and Managing Director). GM's Executive Review team has engaged in continuous stalling tactics and failure to take any meaningful steps towards a resolution. Most recently, a deadline was set for a definitive plan for resolution (after GM failed to meet the first deadline), and the Executive Review team provided a response at 5:28 PM (2 minutes before the close of business day), simply stating, among other things, that "We are still looking into the issue."
  • My Stance and the Law: I am demanding a definitive plan for a full diagnosis and repair from GM, as I believe the vehicle was not "fit for its purpose" under British Columbia law. Under Section 18(c) of the Sale of Goods Act, RSBC 1996, c 140 (British Columbia), there is an implied warranty that sold goods will be durable for a reasonable period of time having regard to the use to which they would normally be put and to all the surrounding circumstances. Furthermore, under subsection (e), any express warranty cannot negate this implied warranty.
    • In plain English, this means that when you buy a product, there is an implied warranty (beyond any written, express warranty) that the product will perform in the way that it was designed to perform, for that particular purpose.
    • My position is that it is not reasonable for a 2018 Corvette, which is GM's halo product, and which has never been tracked or abused, and which has had all regular maintenance performed at an authorized Chevrolet dealership, should not experience catastrophic engine failure at such low mileage.
    • (this is not intended to be legal advice)
I've meticulously documented everything and have a complete file of service records, emails, photos, videos, and other documents. It has now been approximately 3 months since I first experienced the issue, and GM has taken no meaningful steps to remedy the issue or to stand behind its product. I am determined to document my entire, factual experience with GM and will provide updates as they develop. I am ready and willing to answer any questions. Thank you for your time.

Below are 6 videos of the vehicle where the sound can clearly be heard.











 
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Sorry to hear about your issues with the Chevy resolution process. The warranty is 5 years and I would guess that GM will stick to that as their defense. Have you scanned the US Corvette forum for similar engine issues and the outcome of an out-of-warranty claim?

The LT1 is a solid engine with good overall reliability but anything mechanical can fail. I sure hope you can get this resolved and in the meantime it might be worth an oil analysis to determine if the oil contains any abnormal metal residue.
 
Firstly welcome to the Forum. It's unfortunate to hear about your engine problem but given your explanation I believe anything GM would do for you at this point would be good will as I don't believe your entitled to warranty coverage.
What is a reasonable amount of time? Your car is now 8 model years old. Are you the original owner and did you buy an extended warranty to take you beyond the 5 year powertrain warranty? GM is dragging there feet because they don't plan on doing anything is my first thought. Bottom line is the car is at least 7 years old, out of warranty and any machine can fail. Just after the C8 came out there were faulty valve springs that were breaking.
Those cars were all covered by warranty. If GM has the problem documented what steps have you taken to confirm what the problem is? I would be tearing it down to find out definitively what the issue is and how much parts would be to fix it? The cost to challenge GM on what a reasonable amount of time is, or what the implied warranty should be beyond the stated powertrain warranty of the product, would cost you more than the cost of repair.
Don't get me wrong, were on your side here but I think if you speak to your council, they would advise you much the same.
 
OneManVersusGM said:
Hello everyone,

I'm here to share my story of a catastrophic engine failure in my 2018 base C7 Corvette. This isn't a story about me being a bad owner; it's a story about GM's complete failure to stand behind its halo product and honor its moral obligations to a loyal customer. This is a matter of consumer protection and public interest, and the public should be made aware of my experience thus far.

I have spent months trying to resolve this issue through GM's internal process, only to be met with continuous delays and disrespectful behavior. I've now exhausted all internal options and am taking my case to the public.

Here’s the TL;DR of my story:

  • The Vehicle: 2018 Corvette with just over 45,000 km. Never tracked, and all regular maintenance performed at an authorized Chevrolet dealership.
  • The Failure: The car suffered a catastrophic engine failure, which I believe is related to a collapsed lifter.
  • The Dealership: The local dealership and its management could not diagnose the issue and recommended either engine teardown (20+ hours) or engine replacement.
  • GM Corporate: The case was escalated to GM’s Executive Review team and Mary Barra (CEO) and Kristian Aquilina (GM Canada President and Managing Director). GM's Executive Review team has engaged in continuous stalling tactics and failure to take any meaningful steps towards a resolution. Most recently, a deadline was set for a definitive plan for resolution (after GM failed to meet the first deadline), and the Executive Review team provided a response at 5:28 PM (2 minutes before the close of business day), simply stating, among other things, that "We are still looking into the issue."
  • My Stance and the Law: I am demanding a definitive plan for a full diagnosis and repair from GM, as I believe the vehicle was not "fit for its purpose" under British Columbia law. Under Section 18(c) of the Sale of Goods Act, RSBC 1996, c 140 (British Columbia), there is an implied warranty that sold goods will be durable for a reasonable period of time having regard to the use to which they would normally be put and to all the surrounding circumstances. Furthermore, under subsection (e), any express warranty cannot negate this implied warranty.
    • In plain English, this means that when you buy a product, there is an implied warranty (beyond any written, express warranty) that the product will perform in the way that it was designed to perform, for that particular purpose.
    • My position is that it is not reasonable for a 2018 Corvette, which is GM's halo product, and which has never been tracked or abused, and which has had all regular maintenance performed at an authorized Chevrolet dealership, should not experience catastrophic engine failure at such low mileage.
    • (this is not intended to be legal advice)
I've meticulously documented everything and have a complete file of service records, emails, photos, videos, and other documents. It has now been approximately 3 months since I first experienced the issue, and GM has taken no meaningful steps to remedy the issue or to stand behind its product. I am determined to document my entire, factual experience with GM and will provide updates as they develop. I am ready and willing to answer any questions. Thank you for your time.

Below are 6 videos of the vehicle where the sound can clearly be heard.











Click to expand...

Just curious. Do you drive your C7 in Eco mode much?
 
Sorry to hear what you are going thru, must be frustrating. As someone already pointed out, out of pocket cost for you to go after GM, on a unit that is Out of warranty, might be significantly higher than spending your money on tearing down the engine to find out, or, replacing the engine. A base C7, 2018, are currently listed between $57k to $66, depending on kms, carfax history, etc. Maybe sell yours for parts, take a hit, and buy another one? Provided you still want another C7, or buy a new engine, maybe around 7k to 15k?? (Just a,guess)
In any event, we all here would hope yo come to a satisfactory resolution to your problem. Good luck
 
Mr.Abuelo said:
Sorry to hear what you are going thru, must be frustrating. As someone already pointed out, out of pocket cost for you to go after GM, on a unit that is Out of warranty, might be significantly higher than spending your money on tearing down the engine to find out, or, replacing the engine. A base C7, 2018, are currently listed between $57k to $66, depending on kms, carfax history, etc. Maybe sell yours for parts, take a hit, and buy another one? Provided you still want another C7, or buy a new engine, maybe around 7k to 15k?? (Just a,guess)
In any event, we all here would hope yo come to a satisfactory resolution to your problem. Good luck
Click to expand...
These are in USD but should give an idea of what they are going for. A number of different suppliers seem to be almost identical in prices.
www.karlkustoms.com

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This won't help, but you're not alone........(at the neighbours)
1758734271796.webp
 
Jack Raccoon! said:
Your 1st post is a massive vent/rant, and almost 24 hours later you still only have 1 post? Hard to take you seriously at this point. Where is your follow up to people who have responded to your post? What is your end goal here by posting? Yeah yeah I know. Expecting a DM...
Click to expand...
It's been a day and a half since he posted. Give the guy a break. Some people have actual lives outside of CCF.
 
Hello Everyone,

I appreciate everyone's input, whether supportive or not, as I recognize that everyone has differing views. What I do have to emphasize is a distinction that must be made between an express warranty (ie. age and mileage) and an implied warranty (ie. a reasonableness standard of durability and fitness for sale). My position is not based on an express warranty, but an implied warranty. An implied warranty is in addition to the express warranty, assessed on a reasonableness standard, and is imposed by law in BC (and likely many other Canadian and American jurisdictions). It is not a question of whether or not there is an implied warranty, because there simply is. The question is about what is "reasonable", as many of you have precisely identified this point.

To add some additional context, here is a detailed history of my vehicle drivetrain issues that appeared just 7 months into ownership.
I purchased this car brand new in 2018. The current engine failure is simply the latest in a series of major issues, supporting that this vehicle has never met the basic standard of quality expected.
  • Just 7 months into ownership, a serious defect appeared related to the torque tube and flex plate. It was a major issue that required 30+ hours of labor.
  • GM attempted several fixes, including replacing the torque tube, flex plate, and propeller shaft, transmission fluid triple flush, replacing the water pump, and tightening the torque tube and bell housing coupler.
  • It took 2 and a half years of attempted repairs to finally resolve the transmission failures in March 2021.
This was of course covered by the express warranty, but this information is critical to understanding my frustration and the basis of my claim. Given the extreme repairs required, I reached out to GM corporate in March 2021. GM promised to me, verbally over the phone, that since it was a long, ongoing issue, they will help with resolution related to these repairs even after the express warranty expires.

I am not relying on that verbal promise, but only highlight it to identify that GM is able to show goodwill when it is warranted. This extensive history serves not to support that my current engine issues are causally related to the previous promise by GM, but rather that because of this particular vehicle's history of issues, it provides evidence that it does not meet the durability standard. There is a pattern of major defects since early ownership.

To be clear, I understand that my express warranty has expired, but my legal grounds rest on the statutory protections of the implied warranty under the Sale of Goods Act (BC).

Finally, even if the chance of winning is small, I feel obligated to fight for my rights and share my experience with the public because it is the right thing to do. If manufacturers are not held accountable to the law and are simply allowed to ignore their failures, they will never improve their quality or customer care.

I look forward to everyone's input and thank you again for your time.
 
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OneManVersusGM said:
Hello Everyone,

I appreciate everyone's input, whether supportive or not, as I recognize that everyone has differing views. What I do have to emphasize is a distinction that must be made between an express warranty (ie. age and mileage) and an implied warranty (ie. a reasonableness standard of durability and fitness for sale). My position is not based on an express warranty, but an implied warranty. An implied warranty is in addition to the express warranty, assessed on a reasonableness standard, and is imposed by law in BC (and likely many other Canadian and American jurisdictions). It is not a question of whether or not there is an implied warranty, because there simply is. The question is about what is "reasonable", as many of you have precisely identified this point.

To add some additional context, here is a detailed history of my vehicle drivetrain issues that appeared just 7 months into ownership.
I purchased this car brand new in 2018. The current engine failure is simply the latest in a series of major issues, supporting that this vehicle has never met the basic standard of quality expected.
  • Just 7 months into ownership, a serious defect appeared related to the torque tube and flex plate. It was a major issue that required 30+ hours of labor.
  • GM attempted several fixes, including replacing the torque tube, flex plate, and propeller shaft, transmission fluid triple flush, replacing the water pump, and tightening the torque tube and bell housing coupler.
  • It took 2 and a half years of attempted repairs to finally resolve the transmission failures in March 2021.
This was of course covered by the express warranty, but this information is critical to understanding my frustration and the basis of my claim. Given the extreme repairs required, I reached out to GM corporate in March 2021. GM promised to me, verbally over the phone, that since it was a long, ongoing issue, they will help with resolution related to these repairs even after the express warranty expires.

I am not relying on that verbal promise, but only highlight it to identify that GM is able to show goodwill when it is warranted. This extensive history serves not to support that my current engine issues are causally related to the previous promise by GM, but rather that because of this particular vehicle's history of issues, it provides evidence that it does not meet the durability standard. There is a pattern of major defects since early ownership.

To be clear, I understand that my express warranty has expired, but my legal grounds rest on the statutory protections of the implied warranty under the Sale of Goods Act (BC).

Finally, even if the chance of winning is small, I feel obligated to fight for my rights and share my experience with the public because it is the right thing to do. If manufacturers are not held accountable to the law and are simply allowed to ignore their failures, they will never improve their quality or customer care.

I look forward to everyone's input and thank you again for your time.
Click to expand...
You have had quite the ordeal to say the least . To hire a law firm and go after a Corporation the size of GM would be a very tall order for sure given that they have deep pockets and an in-house law department but have you thought of the following which I dug up ? I'm not positive but if someone doesn't respond to a civil action within a certain time frame are they not found liable ? Probably wouldn't be hard to find out. It may just fly under their radar . Just a thought, crazy as it may sound, lol.

In British Columbia, you can sue a corporation in Small Claims Court. To do so, you must perform a company search to obtain the corporation's registered name and address to correctly name the defendant on the claim form. The procedure for suing a corporation is similar to suing an individual, but the registered corporate details must be accurate.The monetary limit for claims in Small Claims Court in British Columbia is up to $35,000. Claims exceeding this amount generally need to be taken to the BC Supreme Court, though you can technically initiate a claim for more than $35,000 in Small Claims Court only if you abandon the portion exceeding $35,000. Claims under $5,000 may often be resolved through the Civil Resolution Tribunal instead �����.
 
1st Vette said:
You have had quite the ordeal to say the least . To hire a law firm and go after a Corporation the size of GM would be a very tall order for sure given that they have deep pockets and an in-house law department but have you thought of the following which I dug up ? I'm not positive but if someone doesn't respond to a civil action within a certain time frame are they not found liable ? Probably wouldn't be hard to find out. It may just fly under their radar . Just a thought, crazy as it may sound, lol.

In British Columbia, you can sue a corporation in Small Claims Court. To do so, you must perform a company search to obtain the corporation's registered name and address to correctly name the defendant on the claim form. The procedure for suing a corporation is similar to suing an individual, but the registered corporate details must be accurate.The monetary limit for claims in Small Claims Court in British Columbia is up to $35,000. Claims exceeding this amount generally need to be taken to the BC Supreme Court, though you can technically initiate a claim for more than $35,000 in Small Claims Court only if you abandon the portion exceeding $35,000. Claims under $5,000 may often be resolved through the Civil Resolution Tribunal instead �����.
Click to expand...

Thank you for the detailed research and for sharing that clever thought process! It's great to see people digging into the specific BC legal options. You are absolutely correct about the Small Claims Court process and the $35,000 limit, and the Civil Resolution Tribunal road.

Regarding the idea of a default judgment, unfortunately, I strongly suspect a corporation the size of GM has a sophisticated legal department (or an outside firm) dedicated to monitoring every civil action filed against them so that no default judgment will be ordered against them. They likely not only check physical mail for service of process, but also Court Services Online which would simply involve a few clicks every couple of days. I don't think it would be a surprise that slips under their radar.

The truth is, while litigation remains an option, it is costly and time-consuming. Right now, I'm focusing all my energy on the public campaign because it is the most efficient and cost-effective way to bring GM to the table, and also because the public should be educated on implied warranties so that they will not be bullied by corporations that have wronged them (generally speaking).

Thanks again for sharing—it’s encouraging to see the community supporting the legal right to a durable product!
 
Can, I ask something...setting aside the issue of if you could have bought a longer duration express warranty, and the reasonable amount of time for an implied warranty, what is the cost to fix your car?
Also, what is the status of your being able to reach your contact at GM from March 2021? What was the thought process and discussions with them about changing the car or having them buy it back from you given all the issues and 2.5 years of repairs which would have qualified back then for the lemon law?
Finally, why didn't you get rid of the car once the C8's came out and the used car market went through the roof for the prior generations?
 
OneManVersusGM said:
Thank you for the detailed research and for sharing that clever thought process! It's great to see people digging into the specific BC legal options. You are absolutely correct about the Small Claims Court process and the $35,000 limit, and the Civil Resolution Tribunal road.

Regarding the idea of a default judgment, unfortunately, I strongly suspect a corporation the size of GM has a sophisticated legal department (or an outside firm) dedicated to monitoring every civil action filed against them so that no default judgment will be ordered against them. They likely not only check physical mail for service of process, but also Court Services Online which would simply involve a few clicks every couple of days. I don't think it would be a surprise that slips under their radar.

The truth is, while litigation remains an option, it is costly and time-consuming. Right now, I'm focusing all my energy on the public campaign because it is the most efficient and cost-effective way to bring GM to the table, and also because the public should be educated on implied warranties so that they will not be bullied by corporations that have wronged them (generally speaking).

Thanks again for sharing—it’s encouraging to see the community supporting the legal right to a durable product!
Click to expand...


Once again I will ask....

Rruuff Day said:
Just curious. Do you drive your C7 in Eco mode much?
Click to expand...
 
Rruuff Day said:
Once again I will ask....
Click to expand...
How strong is the evidence that that is detrimental to engine longevity ? I have been driving in manual Z mode 90% of the time mainly because I prefer it but if it prevents potential engine issues that's a bonus. And yes , the LT2 is different than the LT1 but I have read opinions that the LT2 may be affected by it. Not that you can believe anything you hear and half of what you see...
 
1st Vette said:
How strong is the evidence that that is detrimental to engine longevity ? I have been driving in manual Z mode 90% of the time mainly because I prefer it but if it prevents potential engine issues that's a bonus. And yes , the LT2 is different than the LT1 but I have read opinions that the LT2 may be affected by it. Not that you can believe anything you hear and half of what you see...
Click to expand...
I just find it hard to believe that an engine that shuts down 4 cyl repeatedly on and then off can be good for it. At the very least, more technology to go awry... Much like the engine that shuts down at every stop... wonder what the starter life is...
 

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