'It’s Not Even Registering:' North Carolina Woman Gets a New Engine at Chevrolet Dealership. Then She Checks the Oil

"Left me stranded three days in a row."

Photo by: medicmom494 & Roberto Nickson

By: JT Wilson

Sep 7, 2025 at 1:00pm ET

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When you buy a $90,000+ vehicle and put less than 45,000 miles on it, you don’t expect the dealership to tell you to “stop and buy oil” after your engine runs completely dry. But that’s exactly what happened to one North Carolina woman whose 2023 Chevrolet Tahoe High Country has been a source of frustration and expensive repairs.

TikTok user Christi (@medicmom494) shared details of her Chevy saga from her kitchen, sipping an iced coffee while detailing the latest chapter in her North Carolina twang.

A History of Problems

Christi’s 2023 Tahoe High Country, equipped with the 6.2-liter V-8 engine, has been anything but reliable since she bought it, according to the video. As she explains in the video, the vehicle has already required a complete engine replacement after leaving her stranded multiple days.

“Left me stranded three days in a row. Took to the Chevrolet place. They told us it was fine. Left stranded for another day, then they kept it for six weeks, seven weeks. I had to have a new motor in it, the whole recall thing, all of that,” she recounts.

The problems didn’t end with the new engine. Just weeks after the motor replacement, her husband noticed the vehicle was consuming oil. When she took it to the dealership, she encountered the familiar frustration many customers face when dealing with service departments.

“Well, of course, being a female, taking it up there, they’re like, oh, well, it’s right where it should be. I’m like, okay, but that’s not what he told me to have you check or have you look at. Like, it was using oil and shouldn’t be using oil yet,” she explains.

The Oil Disappearing Act

The situation escalated when her husband checked the oil level and made a shocking discovery.

“Yesterday, or the other day, he checks the oil. And it’s not even registered on the dipstick. Like, there’s none in it,” Christi reveals.

When her husband called the Chevrolet dealership about the completely dry engine, their response was both surprising and infuriating: “They tell him to stop and get a quart of oil and put it on the way home.”

Her reaction captures the frustration of dealing with warranty issues on expensive vehicles: “No, sunshine, this motor, this engine, this whole vehicle is still under warranty.”

“Y’all just put a new motor in it. We shouldn’t be having any trouble but yet we are. Like, make it make sense,” Christi adds.

The Bigger Picture: 6.2L V-8 Issues

Christi’s experience isn’t isolated. According to Car and Driver, in April, Chevrolet voluntarily recalled 721,000 full-size trucks and SUVs with the 6.2-liter V-8 engine after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened an investigation following 39 complaints of engine failure.

The recall stems from internal engine parts (crankshaft and connecting rods) damaged during the manufacturing process. Car and Driver reports that GM’s service bulletin said that vehicles passing inspection receive new oil filters, oil caps, and higher-viscosity 0W-40 oil, while engines failing inspection require repair or replacement.

While it’s unclear if Christi’s specific issues are directly related to this recall, the timing and symptoms align with the broader problems affecting the 6.2-liter engine.

Shared Frustration

The TikTok community responded with a mix of sympathy and their own horror stories about GM vehicles.

“Stay away from the 6.3 engines. They are garbage. I have a 2016 Tahoe LT Z71 and it has the 5.3 engine in it. It’s the best Chevy engine to own,” advised Aubrey Lynn, while noting transmission issues even with the more reliable engine.

Other commenters shared similar experiences. “I had a 2016 Yukon and went through 2 transmissions in less than a year! I will not own another GM product,” wrote Andrea Shipley.

The sentiment among formerly loyal GM customers was particularly telling. “I’m a die hard Chevy girl and I’ll never own another (new) one,” commented hometown_girl, who says her ex-husband is an ASE certified mechanic for Chevy/GM who has since moved to heavy equipment work.

User lblancaster80 shared a strikingly similar experience: “My son’s truck ($70,000) is a year old, less than 20,000 miles & was in the shop 3 months. Ended up having to have a new motor.”

The Bottom Line

Christi’s experience is a reminder of broader issues with recent GM vehicles, particularly those with the 6.2-liter V-8 engine. Her frustration is palpable as she concludes, “At this point like they need to fix it. Like this is our family vehicle.”

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Her call to action is clear: “If you see this, everybody needs to tag GM or Chevrolet.”

Motor1 direct messaged Christi for comment, asking if she was aware of the recall. We’ll update this if she responds.