Good question. IDK. Either it has liners or nikosil, which is a nickel ceramic plating. BMW uses it and some boxer engines have 300K miles and still have the cross hatch pattern, but then that's a BMW.

Considers there are TSBs for this and it's a known problem, I am kind of surprised GM uses active fuel management with all aluminum engines on their new trucks that are coming out. All I can say is that their durability testing must be lacking.

 

Interesting, because GM issues the TSB
My 2007 Suburban with AFM has 136,000--it has been at the dealer's 6 times in the first 100k for issues with the flashing MIL and stabilitrak warning light--the last time at just over 100K, the dealer and then GM, said they wouldn't honor the power train warranty. I was quoted an estimate of approx $3000 for an engine rebuild.

I took it to my freind's mechanic who found a loose head bolt--cost me $1900---and this was after the local Chevy dealer, reportedly with supervision of a GM technical representative, replaced lifters and rings while under warranty.

Now I'm chasing a P0300 code--I've done about everything short of replacing the lifters--but I'm afraid that's the problem with this engine, at least with the 2007 -2009 models.

This was a nice effort by GM to improve their MPG to help with the Gov't requirements-too bad they took a good basic 5.3 L engine design and made it too complicated.

Just my 2 cents--but I would not own another GM beyond the warranty timeframe.

 

Mine has 73K and I have powertrain until 100K. The thing is, even with powertrain, it doesn't cover everything. Read the fine print. That said, I have read that AFM can be disabled with aftermarket tuners. If it was out of warraty, I'd fix it myself or just sell it. I'll also say that the new GM trucks coming out use all aluminum engines with AFM. Talk about about doing the same thing over and expecting different results. I will not buy another GM product after this and I haven't had it remediated yet. We will be downsizing in the future and that gives us a lot more choices. Lastly, the 5.3 is undersized/underpowered for a 6000lb vehicle too.

 

I to have oil burning consumption as well, going thru test at dealer now..From what I read looks like bad things ahead, starting burning oil at 40,000, now at 53,000.Contacted GM, They will give me a Owner loyalty check for $3,000, I said no,will see you in court..looking for other persons that want to go after GM ..

 

I purchased my 2007 New, My third new car, First GM. I have had problems starting car, Battery seems dead, I jump with charger, car starts right up.Dealer says they can't replicate numerous Times,still going on. Car starting burning oil at 40,000, now 53,000 . Dealer started oil consumption test,they added two-one half quarts of oil, with 2,000 miles since they changed oil. Car lifters making noise like diesel..GM said they would send me a check for $3,000 owner loyalty towards new. I said NO, I will never buy GM again.. looking for people to Go after GM...From what I have read it looks like bad Times ahead. Vehicle is still under Warranty for 7,000 more miles.

 

I have another 13 months and 26K miles on the powertrain warranty. I haven't had time to go down to the dealer. The problem is that it is that the Suburban is our only car and I ride a motorcycle and we have 5 kids, so the Burb is necessary all the time. I will say $3000 is an insult and judging by my conversation with the GM customer service person here, I don't think they really want to deal with it and based on their offer to you, they must think you are an idiot and hope to buy you out cheap. How about dropping a new crate engine in and disable the AFM? That should be the least they should do, the least. I won't buy another GM based on my experience and what I have seen here. They don't stand behind their products.

 

I got the stabilitrak error and running like crap. It was a severely oil fouled plug in #1 cylinder. I replaced the plug and the errors went away, but It's been less than a thousand miles and it's starting to idle a little rough again. GM really laid a stinker with this one. I will be getting it into the shop and I won't be taking a $3000 dealer loyalty check. Seems that is the rage. I have a friend with a BMW bike. It's been fixed for bad crank seals so many times the wiring harness got screwed up as the bike has to be split in half. BMW's response was an offer of 2500 off a new bike as they would have to replace the engine, which is 9000. He said no way. He's spent double that fixing the POS. Seems manufacturers want to pass on the cost of crappy engineering or manufacture to the consumer.

 

Much like cell phones, TV's and just about all consumer products...vehicles too are now being designed as disposable...you use it till the newer model comes out and you are supposed to "throw it away" .... Ideally auto manufactures want you on a never ending payment plan...and sadly its ALL manufactures... go to a Toyota forum or a Dodge forum... Ford... the Dodge Rams had issues with dashes cracking...

 

With BMW bikes, there are issues like final drive failures, fuel strip failures, fuel pump controller failures on the R series that are common enough that it's like a club if it happens to you and BMW doesn't admit a problem with anything. The fuel strip is particularly bad that BMW blames american fuel and I know people that have gone through 7 of them (I've replaced 1 under warranty). Every K1600 that was sold in Arizona before last June had at least one water pump failure. Last june BMW changed vendors and so it goes. The thing is, I am not interested in being loyal to a brand that makes a product with known problems and chooses to ignore them or offer ridiculous discounts on a new vehicle. It's doing the same thing and expecting a different result.

SO, when we bought a new vehicle in April, we bought a VW. I sold the 2001 Jetta I had last June before we moved to AZ. It was 12 years old, 150K miles and still had the original clutch. The only thing to break was the AC last year. Otherwise it was oil, brakes, tires, spark plugs, air filters and one timing belt. That's the way it is supposed to be. I hope the new Passat is as good.

 

Planned obsolescence. Gotta love it. Too bad. There was a time when pride mattered.