GM To Pay Up In Dexcool Repair Cases

[forzfed]

GM To Pay in Coolant Repair Cases
Detroit Free Press

By Justin Hyde

March 27, 2008

WASHINGTON – General Motors Corp. has agreed to pay as much as $800 each to millions of customers to settle lawsuits that it sold about 35 million vehicles with faulty coolant and engine parts.

The move announced by lawyers Wednesday would close one of the largest product-liability lawsuits faced by a U.S. automaker. GM declined to say how much it expected the settlement to cost, but the agreement gives payments to customers even if they bought the vehicles used.

The suits stem from GM's use of Dex-Cool, a coolant it first introduced in its vehicles in 1995 and sold in more than 35 million cars and trucks between 1995 and 2004. About 14 federal and state lawsuits seeking class-action status have been filed against GM over a variety of problems in V6 engines linked to Dex-Cool.

Thousands of customers have complained of problems ranging from small coolant leaks to complete radiator and engine failure. Court documents show that GM has received tens of thousands of repair requests linked to Dex-Cool and engine gaskets in the affected engines, and considered recalls for some models.

Under the settlement approved by a California judge last week, people who paid for Dex-Cool-related repairs on 3.1-, 3.4-, 3.8- or 4.3-liter V6 engines within seven years or 150,000 miles are eligible for some payment from GM. Repairs made within the first five years are eligible for up to $400, while sixth-year repairs could receive $100 and seventh-year repairs $50.

If the damage went beyond the engine's cooling systems – as many customers claimed – GM is to reimburse them up to $800. The company will also allow owners who made multiple repairs to apply for multiple repayments.

GM spokesman Tom Wilkinson said the company settled the case because the lawsuits were "time consuming and expensive." He said GM was unable to estimate how many consumers might apply for payments.

As part of the settlement, GM is to pay $18 million in lawyers' fees and expenses. The settlement covers 49 states, excluding Missouri, which has an identical settlement authorized by a different court.

Owners and customers who have paid for Dex-Cool-related repairs have until Oct. 27 to submit a claim. Further details of the settlement and instructions for applying for payments are available at Dex Cool Litigation Website.

[gbsean]

wow.....I still have my invoices from my radiator replacement and heater core I will have to check this out

[JBenn911]

Nice to read, but a damned shame they didnt include the LT1's....had quite a bill fixing my heater core and cooling system from that crap..

[PhillyTurboSix]

OH hellll yes! Thanks for the post! Finally get my intake fixed! It's been leaking for 3 years thanks to that $hit! I had to replace the radiator and the heater core is on the way out next so looks like I'll be collecting some loot!

[tony moore]

whats the deal with dexcool? i have fixed my intake gasket,radiator and replaced the heater core. all this is on my 97 chevy Z71. i think the heater core is leaking again.

[PhillyTurboSix]

dexcool is junk is the problem! Eats gaskets and just about anything else it comes across! It really loves GM gaskets! Seems like people who flush it often and don't follow the "good for 5 years" rule don't have as many issues with it. If you leave it in long it starts eating gaskets! Use green antifreeze and you don't have to worry about anything. I've flushed all the dexcool out and use the green.

[gbsean]

yep///the shop that did my 97 blazer changed it over to the green stuff...said he had been doing alot of change overs....

[Scott-N-GA]

Had a job to replace another intake on a late model Vortec engine, lost on that one. I have did around 15 or more in the last year or two.

Now they should find the engineer that designed the intake gaskets and go after them. They aren't the best design dexcool or green antifreeze.

Scott

[87GTA-turbo]

I worked P/T in a parts store and retards used to come in and say I need the orange GM coolant.
Id' say "Dexcool"?
and then I would explain how it was garbage, harmful, etc etc..
8 out of 10 would say "But the car needs the orange antifreeze, I want that one."
"OK, asile 6 in the back" Then they'd pay like 17.99 a gal for it.

[Old Buzzard]

See how the General has cleaverly omitted the v-8 failures?
If I read it right, it's v-sicks only.
As usual, the bloodsuckers have made out like "a tall dog"...
"As part of the settlement, GM is to pay $18 million in lawyers' fees and expenses."

[motorhead]

Yeah, our LS1 has that crap in it too. I would have changed it out last year if I wasn't too busy playing Army for the better part of the Summer. Oh well, out it comes this year.

[turbofish38]

Welcome to yesterday. Who ever wrote that had his head stuck up his imported a$$! And I like The Deroit Free Press. I've been trying to find the straight scoop to the settlement since I read this in Rueters at least 6 weeks ago and haven't had any luck. Okay it aint that Dexcool is a bad product. Dig deeper and you'll read about it. It's the F'ing design of the 3.1/3.4 intake gasket. What else could it be? GM still uses Dexcool in 100% of everything so if it was such a gasket eater than why haven't they switched back to the green? No V-8 or 3800 motors in the settlement either. 3800s leak because the plastic intake plenums crack. V-8's leak because the intake manifolds crack. Take a look at your heater cores and radiators. Hey those aint the old and expensive brass and copper units. New style plastic and aluminum. Not a drop of solder anywhere. Look at the money they are paying out. What a joke! The only people getting rich from this are the lawyers. I'd say they didn't have much of a case to begin with. If they did than people would be making money instead of taking it in the shorts.

You know those intake gaskets were made by FelPro. It finally took a team of GM engineers concerned about this issue to get FP to kick out the GM spec parts to cure the problem. Go back to last FelPro HG gasket thread. Still think FP knows how to design a gasket? I dont think so.

I'll post a few copy and pastes of the TSBs.

Really if Dexcool was so bad wouldn't GM be sueing Texaco?

[Top Speed]

I agree. I think it more of a bad gasket design problem than a problem with the coolant itself. I've had a 97 Silverado since new and no problems with dexcool.

[TurboJim]

Originally Posted by turbofish38

Okay it aint that Dexcool is a bad product. Dig deeper and you'll read about it. It's the F'ing design of the 3.1/3.4 intake gasket. What else could it be? GM still uses Dexcool in 100% of everything so if it was such a gasket eater than why haven't they switched back to the green? No V-8 or 3800 motors in the settlement either. 3800s leak because the plastic intake plenums crack.

Really if Dexcool was so bad wouldn't GM be sueing Texaco?

Funny, VW and Chrysler arent having such problems. VW coolant is an OAT (same as Dexcool, an Organic Acid Technology coolant) but Chryslers is a little different (HOAT - Hybrid Organic Acid). Yet the only manufacturer with real design/warranty flaws is GM.

I think this is turning out like the Firestone fiaco in the 90's. FelPro said a million gaskets will cost $XYZ. GM said make em cheaper, use this spec. SO they did. And this is the result

The real problem with Dexcool is when an owner doesnt keep on top of maintenance. When Dexcool hits air it cruds up. When a cooling system is allowed to run low, what you are reading about is the result. The acid base of the coolant does in fact attack plastics as well. I see it often.

[Scott-N-GA]

Told someone to call the dealership and see if their 5.7 was included. Of course they said no. They told him that GM is not admitting to any wrong doing!

Scott