General Motors is facing a lawsuit for allegedly selling “hundreds of thousands” of diesel trucks with engines that are not compatible with the diesel fuel in the United States.
The affected pickup trucks, which are powered by a 6.6-liter Duramax compression ignition motor, reportedly span model years 2011 to 2016 and are part of the GMC and Chevrolet lineup.
The case, filed in a Detroit federal court, claims that American diesel has thinner consistency than the fuel used in Europe, thereby providing less lubrication and allowing air pockets to form inside the fuel injection pump that was developed and supplied by Bosch. Due to poor lubrication, metal components rub against each other and create small metal shavings in the process. These metal shavings get distributed by the diesel fuel to the injection system, causing damage to the engines.
According to the lawsuit, “The pump secretly deposits metal shavings and debris throughout the fuel injection system and the engine until it suddenly and catastrophically fails without warning. Such catastrophic failure often causes the vehicle to shut off while in motion and renders it unable to be restarted, because the vehicle’s fuel injection system and engine component parts have been
completely contaminated and destroyed.”
The lawsuit was originally filed on behalf of eight plaintiffs but claims that the number of the affected owners could reach up to “tens of thousands and are numerously and geographically dispersed across the country.” A complaint lodged by an unidentified owner of a 2012 GMC Sierra 3500 HD with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration was also cited in the lawsuit.
The list of affected vehicles includes the 2011-2016 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 HD, Silverado 2500 HD, and Sierra 3500 HD 6.6-liter V-8 Duramax diesel trucks with LML engines; 2010-2011 Chevrolet Express vans, GMC Savana vans, and GMC Sierra trucks with Duramax LGH engines; 2011-2012 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD, Silverado 3500 HD, Sierra 2500 HD, and Sierra 3500 HD 6.6-liter V-8 Duramax diesel trucks with LGH engines.
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My 2011 GMC Dulley has that problem it shuts down while driving then it states add Deff which is full – the truck then starts at a very hi RPM shuts off never starts till you unplug the batteries then it runs for 150 miles and does the same thing again and again – the truck has 97,000 miles is there a recall the truck has gone to the dealership but I paid.
Hi Tony,
There is a recall (which can be found here: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2011/CSC-10040503-7623.pdf) on select 2011 GMC trucks for issues with the DEF system. You might contact your local dealer and see if your vehicle qualifies.