Chevy’s New 1.5L Engines Are Melting Themselves

Buying a car with a new family of engines is always a risk. New engine designs are tested rigorously before being released but, nothing compares to real world use. Car companies are much better at designing durable engines; however, the demand for performance and fuel economy is higher than ever pushing companies to build engines that may be compromised.

When Chevy replaced the old 2.5L naturally aspirated 4-cylinder in the base Malibu with the new 1.5L EcoTec turbo it promised to modernize the drivetrain of the Malibu. The new smaller turbo engine offers better fuel economy and more usable torque while being able to fit in the Malibu and Cruze making it a worthy investment for GM. Building a tiny engine like this to motivated an entire midsized sedan is no easy task and GM spent a lot of time trying to get this engine right. Unfortunately, some customers are experiencing serious issues with these engines.

The new 1.5L turbo engines are melting their pistons deeming them inoperable.  The last thing you want from a new car is an engine that melts itself but some Chevy customers who drive the new Malibu and Cruze are experiencing just that. The 1.5L will turn itself into an even more economical three-cylinder giving you a rough ride, insane blow by, and a bad headache.  It will take some time for GM to perfect the 1.5L but for the mean time, I would stay away from an engine that will deem your new car inoperable.