New Chevy Suburban's Check Engine Light Came On And Started An Ordeal For Owner That Lasted Months

No one ever figures that both a dealership and the company that made a vehicle would be without answers over a vehicle’s check engine light. An automaker and trained dealer technicians without answers is scary, even, though that’s what one Chevy Suburban owner went through, according to The Boston Globe.

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Corey Morris purchased his Chevy Suburban in June 2022. Just over six months later, in December, as he and his family were heading home from a Christmas party, the $75,000 SUV’s check engine light came on. Morris says he was stunned. Morris took the Suburban to MacMulkin Chevy in Nashua, N.H., but the dealer wasn’t much help.

After his Christmas Eve fright, Morris expected a quick fix at the dealership. But when he picked up his SUV, a MacMulkin service manager handed him a copy of a bulletin issued by GM to all dealerships saying there was currently no fix for the known problem with the check engine light.

The bulletin briefly touched on the issue, saying while the cause of the issue was “not known at this time”, the problem was associated with an oil pressure sensor and the cause was “under investigation.” Months went by, with Morris constantly calling the dealer seeing if they had received an answer from GM about just what was wrong with it. All the while, he was still driving the Suburban. Morris says he wasn’t explicitly told he shouldn’t or couldn’t continue to drive it; the dealer said other customers had been doing so but just to keep an eye out on the check engine light. If the light began blinking, things could get worse.

Meanwhile, Morris still wanted answers. Mainly because the car wouldn’t pass state inspection with the check engine light on, which he relayed to the dealer. The dealer again told them they’d check with GM. A few days later, Morris got an answer.

“At this time we do not have an answer for you,” a MacMulkin manager replied in an email. “I would suggest going to your inspection station and at least getting a rejection sticker if it does not pass the emissions part.”

Morris finally got in contact with GM’s customer service line. A few weeks of email exchanges with agents got him a response: “Your concern is extremely important to us at Chevrolet, and to me specifically.” When The Boston Globe got involved, a GM “executive customer care” person soon got in touch, and Morris’ oil pump is now scheduled to be replaced, an end to the ordeal seemingly in sight. GM gave the following statement to The Globe:

GM is aware of concerns raised by Mr. Morris about his Chevrolet Suburban, and our Customer Assistance team will continue to work with him directly to resolve the matter as quickly as possible.