A Chevrolet Silverado owner says his truck suffered major engine damage after just 16,453 miles. General Motors refused to cover the repairs under warranty, according to a lawsuit, leaving the owner with a $41,319.79 repair estimate.
Robert Hubof bought his 2024 Silverado 2500HD new in December 2023. In June 2025, he heard a loud bang while driving.
At the dealership, a GM technician found oil in the cooling system, metal shavings in the engine oil, and fluid leaking from under the truck. Hubof blames a failed oil cooler, a part that helps keep engine oil from overheating.
Instead of paying the repair bill, Hubof sued GM. His lawsuit, filed September 24, 2026, in Michigan, claims GM knew about bad oil coolers in its heavy-duty diesel trucks but failed to fix the problem.
A Costly Failure
According to the lawsuit, oil coolers in some Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra heavy-duty trucks can crack or break during normal driving. Oil may then leak into the cooling system or spill out of the truck. Without enough oil, the engine can suffer major damage.
The complaint also questions how GM handles these repairs. Some owners claim GM blamed poor maintenance for their engine problems, even though they believe a bad oil cooler caused the damage.
In other cases, the lawsuit says GM agreed to replace the oil cooler but would not pay to fix the damaged engine. That could leave owners facing repair bills worth thousands of dollars.
Owners Were Talking
Months before Hubof filed his lawsuit, other truck owners were sharing similar problems online. In February 2025, the YouTube channel JB Reviews posted a video about oil cooler trouble in newer Duramax diesel trucks.
One Silverado 3500 owner said his truck had problems after nearly 36,000 miles. Others reported trouble at around 15,000 to 18,000 miles. One owner said the dealership had kept his truck for three months.
The video also raised questions about GM’s change in oil filters. The presenter wondered if the new filter played a part in the failures, but he could not prove it.
In August 2024, GM issued service update N232430450. It told dealers to check certain 2024 diesel trucks for dirty coolant. If needed, it told them to replace hoses and flush the cooling system.
That service update dealt with a problem from when the trucks were built. It did not confirm that oil coolers were breaking during normal driving.
GM’s Own Guidance
In March 2025, GM released another document that addressed the oil cooler problem more directly.
The guide for dealership technicians said that when engine oil was found in the cooling system of a 6.6-liter L5P Duramax, the oil cooler was the most likely cause.
That detail may be important in court. Hubof claims GM knew about the problem before his truck broke down. The document shows GM knew oil coolers could cause this type of trouble. Still, it does not prove that every truck named in the lawsuit has the same defect.
The lawsuit seeks to cover certain 2024 through 2027 Silverado and Sierra heavy-duty diesel trucks. Hubof wants GM to pay damages and set up a repair plan for affected owners. The court has not yet approved the case as a class action, and the claims have not been proven.
For owners facing engine damage, the cost of a new oil cooler may be the smallest part of the repair. Hubof claims GM has sometimes agreed to replace that part while refusing to pay for the far more costly damage left behind.