Engine Defects in Michigan Lemon Law Cases

Engine defects routinely satisfy Michigan’s substantial-impairment test under § 257.1401(g) (use or value).

Common engine defect categories

Intermittent stalling

Safety-critical. Strong Magnuson-Moss federal-court exposure.

Misfires

Rough idle, hesitation under load.

Excessive oil consumption

Common in Subaru FB-series, Honda 1.5L turbo, BMW N20. See Subaru and Honda.

Head-gasket failures

Common in Subaru EJ-series and Hyundai/Kia engines.

Theta II engine failures (Hyundai/Kia)

See Hyundai and Kia.

Timing-chain stretch / failure

BMW N20, Audi 2.0T, Ford EcoBoost — the EcoBoost cases are particularly common in Michigan given Ford’s home presence.

Ford EcoBoost coolant intrusion

Particularly significant in Michigan — Ford’s 2.7L and 3.5L EcoBoost engines have produced multiple Michigan TSBs and federal cases.

GM 5.3L AFM/DFM lifter failures

GM’s 5.3L V8 in Silverado/Sierra/Tahoe — well-documented manufacturer pattern.

Stellantis HEMI MDS/lifter failures

Stellantis 5.7L/6.4L HEMI V8 — significant Michigan case volume.

Cold-start engine issues

Michigan winters surface engine defects warmer states don’t see:

• Carbon buildup affecting cold-start emissions.
• Hard starts below -10°F.
• Cold-stall scenarios.
• Block-heater dependency that wasn’t disclosed at sale.

Magnuson-Moss willfulness exposure

TSBs and recalls support Magnuson-Moss federal claims with mandatory § 2310(d)(2) attorney fees.

What you should do

1. Report defect within 1 year of delivery.
2. Pull every repair order.
3. Document oil-consumption test results.
4. Save TSBs and recall notices.
5. Send certified-mail notice to manufacturer.
6. Get a free case review.

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