Yukon Engine Failure - Buyback?

[jfoj]

Have lots of questions if you would be willing to answer.

Trying to get an understanding of the engine failures that occur after 7500 miles.

If you would be willing to answer the following questions it would be helpdful.

1. What City/State do you live in? Need this info to understand the climate conditions.
2. Is remote start used often to warm up the engine in the Winter/colder temps?
3. What fuel is typically used, Regular or Premium?
4. Is the vehicle typically used for trips shorter than 30 minutes on a regular basis?
5. Is the Auto Stop/Start typically turned off or currently bypassed?
6. Is the transmission typically run in L9 or is there a DFM bypass installed?
7. Is the vehicle used for towing and/or hauling heavy loads often? If towing, weight?
8. If towing or hauling, are elevation changes greater than 100 Feet or steep grades used?
9. What oil weight are you using? 0W20 or something different?
10. How often is the oil changed? Typical mileage? Per the OLM?
11. Does the engine consume oil? If so, how much between oil changes?
12. Has the low oil light come on often?
13. Are you the primary driver of the vehicle or your spouse?

If you do not want to post this info here, send me a Private Message, I will not share your details. Again, trying to get a profile for engine failures beyond 7500 miles to see if there are common factors. You are not the first and will not be the last failure in the mileage window from 12,000-45,000 miles which seems to be the window of failures beyond 7,500 miles.

 

[Firetrout]

1. What City/State do you live in? Need this info to understand the climate conditions. South Texas/Gulf Coast
2. Is remote start used often to warm up the engine in the Winter/colder temps? remote start used less than 10 times in life of vehicle
3. What fuel is typically used, Regular or Premium? Premium
4. Is the vehicle typically used for trips shorter than 30 minutes on a regular basis? yes other than road trips
5. Is the Auto Stop/Start typically turned off or currently bypassed? no
6. Is the transmission typically run in L9 or is there a DFM bypass installed? no
7. Is the vehicle used for towing and/or hauling heavy loads often? If towing, weight? tow utility trailer less than 5k
8. If towing or hauling, are elevation changes greater than 100 Feet or steep grades used? really flat topo down hear, nothing reaches +100 ft in elevation for a while
9. What oil weight are you using? 0W20 or something different? 0w-20 full synthetic
10. How often is the oil changed? Typical mileage? Per the OLM? 4000-5000miles
11. Does the engine consume oil? If so, how much between oil changes?none
12. Has the low oil light come on often?never
13. Are you the primary driver of the vehicle or your spouse?wife is primary driver unless we are together then i drive most of the time


Hope that covers the questions and helps build your profile to assist others. There was no indication of pending failure previously. Wife had cruise control activated and she stated that it acted like it was in a strong wind or something as it started to decrease speed, she pulled onto the shoulder and then got the message that others have received on the dash. I brought a trialer out to load it onto so we would not have to wait on the side of the highway for a wrecker but I could not get it into nuetral without doing the disconnect down on the transmission. It was at that time I figured its not my problem so dont mess anything else up and let GM handle it. Onstar was called and sent a wrecker that took it to the nearest dealership which is where it has been since.

 

[jfoj]

@Firetrout

Thanks for the info. Not sure I have a specific idea on what happened, but have some thoughts. Not sure you can get any details or were given details from the dealer if the problem was a spun main bearing or spun rod bearing(s) as this seems to be the failure mode most often.

Sounds like you were doing the best you could to maintain the engine. While hard to quatify the short trips less that 30 minutes are tough on these engines because the oil capacity is around 11-12 qts total with the oil cooler and oil lines, so the oil just gets tup to the engine temp by around 30 minutes unless the ambient temps are in the 70-80's+ then you still need about 20 minutes of driving. Fuel dilution of the oil can be a real problem and can be cumulative if the vehicle is not driven for longer periods in between a lot of short trips, especially in the colder weather.

Just not sure where the oil temps end up on the 6.2l when towing. Assume you have pretty hot temps in TX in the Summer as well. I know I have seen 226F for a while on the highway with fuel and only my smiling face in the Yukon. I really question if 0W20 is good for the engine by itself, but when towing I would clearly have a problem with 0W20, just too thin IMHO for the oil temp and bearing loads.

Been running 5W30 in my 6.2l so far, may change it up to 0W40 due to higher oil temps I am seeing with no real load.

If you plan on keeping the vehicle after repairs I can make some suggestions.

 

[LegalBrief]

@Firetrout it may help you to separate the issues
1. You are in a paid rental car, just not one you like, that’s between you and the rental car center manager, they have a lot of latitude, if your kind.
2. Did you buy new or used? Used yourrights are very limited.
3. You are TX, TX has a very specific and short lemon law 24/24 w/ 30 out of service. TX lemon law is run by the state, you may or may not have made the window - you only have 6 months to file a claim (if you haven’t filed do it today) here’s how https://www.txdmv.gov/motorists/consumer-protection/lemon-law
3. You are still covered under Federal law (36/36 or 60/60 (powertrain)

http://www.jtexconsumerlaw.com/V11N3/JCCL_Magnuson.pdf

4. There are specific requirements to file a notice with the manufacturer (asking for buy back on the phone, doesn’t cut it). You need to send a Formal written demand by certified mail, with all service records attached. You need a case number.
5. A buyback is radically different then a lemon law claim. Either process takes an incredibly long time, truck will be fixed ( and you have to pick it up) while the process works forward.

 

[blanchard7684]

1. What City/State do you live in? Need this info to understand the climate conditions. South Texas/Gulf Coast
2. Is remote start used often to warm up the engine in the Winter/colder temps? remote start used less than 10 times in life of vehicle
3. What fuel is typically used, Regular or Premium? Premium
4. Is the vehicle typically used for trips shorter than 30 minutes on a regular basis? yes other than road trips
5. Is the Auto Stop/Start typically turned off or currently bypassed? no
6. Is the transmission typically run in L9 or is there a DFM bypass installed? no
7. Is the vehicle used for towing and/or hauling heavy loads often? If towing, weight? tow utility trailer less than 5k
8. If towing or hauling, are elevation changes greater than 100 Feet or steep grades used? really flat topo down hear, nothing reaches +100 ft in elevation for a while
9. What oil weight are you using? 0W20 or something different? 0w-20 full synthetic
10. How often is the oil changed? Typical mileage? Per the OLM? 4000-5000miles
11. Does the engine consume oil? If so, how much between oil changes?none
12. Has the low oil light come on often?never
13. Are you the primary driver of the vehicle or your spouse?wife is primary driver unless we are together then i drive most of the time


Hope that covers the questions and helps build your profile to assist others. There was no indication of pending failure previously. Wife had cruise control activated and she stated that it acted like it was in a strong wind or something as it started to decrease speed, she pulled onto the shoulder and then got the message that others have received on the dash. I brought a trialer out to load it onto so we would not have to wait on the side of the highway for a wrecker but I could not get it into nuetral without doing the disconnect down on the transmission. It was at that time I figured its not my problem so dont mess anything else up and let GM handle it. Onstar was called and sent a wrecker that took it to the nearest dealership which is where it has been since.

fantastic information thank you...Did you do the oil changes yourself?

 

[Firetrout]

fantastic information thank you...Did you do the oil changes yourself?

We have a fleet account at a local oil change place that we take all our vehicles to. They usually do a very good job and we have never had issues with the work or materials.

 

[Firetrout]

@Firetrout it may help you to separate the issues
1. You are in a paid rental car, just not one you like, that’s between you and the rental car center manager, they have a lot of latitude, if your kind.
2. Did you buy new or used? Used yourrights are very limited.
3. You are TX, TX has a very specific and short lemon law 24/24 w/ 30 out of service. TX lemon law is run by the state, you may or may not have made the window - you only have 6 months to file a claim (if you haven’t filed do it today) here’s how https://www.txdmv.gov/motorists/consumer-protection/lemon-law
3. You are still covered under Federal law (36/36 or 60/60 (powertrain)

http://www.jtexconsumerlaw.com/V11N3/JCCL_Magnuson.pdf

4. There are specific requirements to file a notice with the manufacturer (asking for buy back on the phone, doesn’t cut it). You need to send a Formal written demand by certified mail, with all service records attached. You need a case number.
5. A buyback is radically different then a lemon law claim. Either process takes an incredibly long time, truck will be fixed ( and you have to pick it up) while the process works forward.

We have not taken the rental car, the $44 per day for rental will put you in a GM vehicle like a Chevy Malibu. That does not work going on ranch properties that our suburban travels on. I am driving one of the extra work trucks and my wife is in my truck for now. I greatly appreciate the feedback, I was just adding to commentary of others and hope it can get some information out there to others that may run into the same issues.

edit for typo

 

[DunzoDenali]

You should research the vehicle lemon law for your state. Do not rely on GM to help you with a repurchase / replacement vehicle.

If you qualify (based upon your research), contact an attorney that specialities in consumer law. Do not tell the dealer or a GM representative that you are pursuing a repurchase.

My state provides reasonable attorney fees from the manufacturer for consumers that have a lemon-vehicle that qualifies under state law.

I have undergone two new vehicle repurchases from GM - I filed the action myself on one, and won in BBB arbitration and later used an attorney for the second one.

Don’t give up - don’t let GM string yo

You should research the vehicle lemon law for your state. Do not rely on GM to help you with a repurchase / replacement vehicle.

If you qualify (based upon your research), contact an attorney that specialities in consumer law. Do not tell the dealer or a GM representative that you are pursuing a repurchase.

My state provides reasonable attorney fees from the manufacturer for consumers that have a lemon-vehicle that qualifies under state law.

I have undergone two new vehicle repurchases from GM - I filed the action myself on one, and won in BBB arbitration and later used an attorney for the second one.

Don’t give up - don’t let GM string you along.

There's hope. Let me know if you're up to discuss any specifics. My situation with failure #2 is increasingly sketch and I'm not sure what is next.

 

[LegalBrief]

We have not taken the rental car, the $44 per day for rental will put you in a GM vehicle like a Chevy Malibu. That does not work going on ranch properties that our suburban travels on. I am driving one of the extra work trucks and my wife is in my truck for now. I greatly appreciate the feedback, I was just adding to commentary of others and hope it can get some information out there to others that may run into the same issues.

edit for typo

$44 rental car can be anything you want, you just need to talk to the rental car manager. Just because it’s a particular value doesn’t mean you get that car or class.

 

[adventurenali92]

$44 rental car can be anything you want, you just need to talk to the rental car manager. Just because it’s a particular value doesn’t mean you get that car or class.

Have you rented a vehicle lately? Last time I rented a Tahoe on a trip, which was a couple years ago now, that Tahoe run me close to $150 a day with all the added tax and fees. $44 bucks a day won’t get you a big full size SUV lol.