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GM being sued over imploding Bosch fuel pumps in Duramax diesel trucks

Texas-based law firm Hilliard Martinez Gonzalez (HMG) this week filed a class-action lawsuit against General Motors over an alleged issue with Bosch CP4 fuel pumps. The suit claims Bosch designed the CP4 pump to work with European diesel fuel, which is thicker than U.S. diesel. When GM installed that pump in the 6.6-liter Duramax engine used from the 2011 to 2016 model years, the lawsuit claims the thinner U.S. fuel didn't provide enough lubrication, allowing air pockets to form in the fuel pump. That, in turn, allegedly let metal rub against metal inside the pump, causing the pump to eventually disintegrate and "send thousands of metal shards into the fuel injection system and every part of the engine." The Detroit News reported on the most recent lawsuit filed in Michigan's Eastern District Court, but the case is another piece of nationwide legal maneuvering going on since at least last September. Every U.S. truck maker used the Bosch CP4 fuel pump, and HMG originally went after all of them, as well as Bosch. On September 30, 2018, HMG filed a class-action suit in Texas on behalf of eight plaintiffs. The law firm wanted to prosecute the affair under RICO — the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act — and named 10 defendants: FCA US LLC, FCA North America Holdings, LLC, F/K/A Chrysler Group, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, N.V., Ford Motor Company, General Motors LLC, Robert Bosch GmbH, Robert Bosch LLC, VM North America, Inc., and VM Motori S.P.A.  The firm filed another suit in Florida on Nov. 2, 2018, against the same 10 defendants, again under the RICO statute, this time on behalf of more than 30 plaintiffs. We don't know how many other suits might have been filed, but the two suits mentioned apparently didn't have legs — the courts dismissed both quickly. So HMG shifted its strategy away from the RICO angle, and focused its efforts on GM, filing suit in California on Nov. 20, 2018. Instead of trying to catch 10 fish with a small net, HMG wants to score one fish with a big net. The results have borne more promise for the plaintiffs. In July this year, a judge in California denied GM's motion to dismiss, noting "the alleged defect is central to the vehicleÂ’s function." This latest suit filed on Aug. 6 in Detroit singles out GM again.  The Bosch CP4 is known to be problematic, however.

Ford Australia goes miniature with Beachkhana 1.0 video

Ken Block's Gymkhana franchise may have started with Subaru, but it's most closely associated with Ford, which the rally star joined way back in 2010. That fruitful partnership has spawned a number of Gymkhanas, and Block even showed up to help introduce the new Focus RS. To honor this, Ford Australia has come up with an adorable parody (for lack of a better word), starring the hero Sun Block. Rather than a full-scale rally Fiesta piloted by a Vegemite-munching Aussie, though, Ford of Oz has gone tiny for its tribute. Really tiny. The product is Beachkhana 1.0 – Wild on the Beaches of Australia, is a funky little stop-motion feature using tiny, 1:43-scale cars in much the same manner as Mr. Block drives his Fiesta rally car. It even pokes some fun at Mercedes-Benz's hilarious Magic Body Control ad. Check it out. Related Video: News Source: Ford Australia Facebook, Ford Australia via YouTube Ford Hatchback Racing Vehicles Videos Ken Block gymkhana ford australia

2022 Detroit Auto Show Editors' Picks

As tends to be the case in this post-ish-pandemic world of auto shows, the North American International Auto Show was a strange one. It was at least mostly indoors and thus not at the mercy of Mother Nature. And unlike that first Chicago Show following the initial pandemic shutdown, this one was all assembled before the media arrived. Even with a much thinner show floor, the Detroit Auto Show still gave us a number of noteworthy reveals. Now, full disclosure, the rules for our Detroit picks were made a little more flexible, since some of these vehicles were revealed a little before the week of the show. But we still focused on vehicles that were making their show debut, and were actually present on the floor. Sadly, that means we had to leave out the Jeep Recon and Wagoneer S electric SUV concepts. Odds are, those would've made it into our list of the top five if they had actually been on display. Now, on to the winners. 2023 Jeep Wrangler Willys 4xe View 18 Photos 5. 2023 Jeep Wrangler Willys 4xe This was an easy one. While there's nothing so remarkable about the Willys that it makes this package a must-buy, it's nice to see another model available with the 4xe powertrain. Just one question, though: Where was the Recon? – Byron Hurd Chevrolet Blazer EV View 7 Photos 4. 2024 Chevy Blazer EV As a fan of the K5 and S-10 Blazer generations, I was a bit bemused when the current-gen crossover came out ... until I drove it and realized how good it actually is. Now that there's a Blazer EV incoming, I feel like I can become a true fan again. And there's a lot for fans to appreciate: FWD, RWD and AWD versions, and even a 557-horsepower SS variant. In a lineup of practical, Ultium-based Chevy utes, it's good to see an attainable product that enthusiasts can get behind — along the lines of Ford with its Mustang Mach-E — while we wait for an electric Corvette. — Senior Editor, Green, John Beltz Snyder 2023 Chrysler 300C View 28 Photos 3. 2023 Chrysler 300C In a poignant press conference with the Spirit of Detroit statue in the background, Chrysler sent its flagship 300 out properly with a 6.4-liter Hemi V8. Stellantis design chief Ralph Gilles articulated the car's successes — its many awards and sterling reviews from its early days — and the cover came off with a veritable 300C hot rod on display. One more time, the 300 is at full strength. To be clear, this isn't the 300S with an available 5.7-liter.