2008 Pontiac Torrent Engine Problems

VEHICLE WITH AROUND 100K. TRACTION CONTROL HAS BEEN DISABLED FOR ABOUT TWO YEARS FOR NO REASON. GOES OFF SPORADICALLY. NOW VEHICLE IS OVERHEATING FOR NO REASON. I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT THERE ARE NO INDICATIONS OF HEADGASKET. OIL IS CLEAN, OVERFLOW IS FULL, NO LEAKS TO BE SEEN. OVERHEATS MOSTLY WHEN STANDING IDLE. VEHICLE IS A HEADACHE. HOW ARE THERE NO RECALLS FOR THIS VEHICLE WHEN MULTIPLE PEOPLE ARE STATING THE SAME ISSUES? VEHICLE IS DRIVING NORMALLY BESIDES THAT. MOST OF OUR DRIVING IS IN TOWN / HIGHWAY DRIVING (LESS THAN 20MILES DISTANCE). WE'VE ONLY PUT 10K ON THE VEHICLE SINCE PURCHASING 2 YEARS AGO.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 PONTIAC TORRENT. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT AND REDUCED ENGINE POWER WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE STALLED AND WAS UNABLE TO BE RESTARTED. THE FAILURE RECURRED TWICE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNAVAILABLE.

I HEARD A SLIGHT CLATTERING COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD ONE AFTERNOON ON MY WAY TO TOWN. I PULLED OVER THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, CALLED ON STAR TO ASK THEM TO RUN A DIAGNOSTIC.THE ON STAR ADVISER SAID TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP, THEY THINK THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE POWER TRAIN.I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP. AFTER CHECKING OUT THE CAR THEY SAID HALF OF THE MOTOR WAS NOT GETTING OIL PUMPED TO IT, IT HAS A DUAL OVERHEAD CAM. THEY SAID IT HAD BEEN GOING ON FOR SOME TIME AND THEY DON'T KNOW WHY THE OIL WOULDN'T GET THROUGH TO BOTH PARTS OF THE MOTOR. IT HAD SOME SORT OF "CLOG" IN IT, BUT COULD NOT SPECIFY WHERE. I WAS TOLD TO REPLACE THE MOTOR OR THEY COULD BREAK IT DOWN AND FIND THE PROBLEM BUT IT WOULD BE MORE EXPENSIVE TO DO IT THIS WAY. I ENDED UP PAYING $7098 FOR A NEW MOTOR. THE EXTENDED WARRANTY HAD ALREADY EXPIRED, I PAID THE CAR OFF THE MONTH BEFORE AND WAS TOLD THEY HAD NO RECALLS ON THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE. I TOOK EXCELLENT CARE OF THIS VEHICLE, CHANGED THE OIL EVERY 2800 MILES AND USED A HIGH GRADE FILTER AND SYNTHETIC OIL. THE DEALERSHIP COULD NOT GIVE AN EXPLANATION AS TO WHY THIS HAPPENED. I BELIEVE THERE WAS A DEFECTIVE PART IN THE MOTOR TO CAUSE THIS PROBLEM.

HAVE SENT THIS LETTER TO THE CEO OF GENERAL MOTORS ON 6/3/14. I AM STILL WAITING FOR A REPLY. AS IT IS STATED, IN THIS SITUATION WHERE GAS AND ANTIFREEZE WERE MIXING IN THE ENGINE, DUE TO EITHER A SLOW LEAK OR A GASKET BLEW, THE TORRENT WAS NOT BUILT WITH A SENSOR TO TURN ON THE ENGINE WARNING LIGHT TO NOTIFY THE DRIVER OF A POTENTIAL SERIOUS SITUATION-TOTAL MECHANICAL FAILURE-LEADING TO POTENTIAL FATAL INJURIES WHILE DRIVING-SUCH AS A FIRE, ACCIDENT, OR EVEN DEATH. [XXX] IN REFERENCE TO CLAIM NUMBER [XXX]. I HAVE CALLED AND SPOKEN TO DEAN AT CORPORATE ON 6/3/14 AND THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED MY VEHICLE. 5/30/14, I CALL THE DEALERSHIP FIRST SPOKE TO A FEW PEOPLE AND LEFT MY INFORMATION, I RECEIVED NO PHONE CALL BACK UNTIL I CALLED CORPORATE ON 6/3/14 AND COMPLAINED. I FIND THIS VERY UNPROFESSIONAL ESPECIALLY KNOWING THE SITUATION WHERE LIVES WERE POTENTIAL AT RISK, AND OTHERS STILL ARE. THE MAJOR CONCERN WITH MY VEHICLE IS THAT OUT OF NOWHERE WITHOUT WARNING THE ENGINE FAILED. ACCORDING TO THE MECHANIC THE VEHICLE DOES NOT COME WITH ANY WARNING LIGHT TO NOTIFY THE DRIVER OF THIS SITUATION-THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. MY CAR IS A 2008 PONTIAC TORRENT WITH 50,000 MILES ON IT. THE MECHANIC AND THE INSURANCE COMPANY THAT HAS NOW INSPECTED THE CAR, CONCUR THAT THIS IS FROM MECHANICAL FAILURE. AS A MOTHER OF 3 CHILDREN, TO THINK THAT THERE COULD HAVE BEEN AN ACCIDENT WITH THEM IN THE CARE-POSSIBLY LEADING TO DEATHS?WELL YOU CAN IMAGINE MY CONCERN. AS I AM BLESSED THAT THIS WAS NOT THE CASE AND THE CAR JUST DIED, I DO NOT FEEL THIS IS A SAFE CAR, AND BEING A WOMAN IN YOUR POSITION I HOPE YOU CAN UNDERSTAND MY POSITION AND WILL DO THE RIGHT THING FOR THE SAFETY OF MY FAMILY. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). TR

I HAD A CODE P0008 FOR CAMSHAFT POSITIONING SENSOR ON FIRST INCIDENT AND TIMING CHAINS WERE REPLACED IN JANUARY 2012. I HAD APPROXIMATELY 52,465 MILES ON THE CAR. I HAD SECOND CODE P0008 IN MAY 2014 WITH APPROXIMATELY 70,759 MILES ON THE CAR. THE TIMING CHAINS WERE STRETCHED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. I NOW HAVE THE CODE P0008 WITH APPROXIMATELY 83,204 MILES ON THE CAR.