I bought a 2007 Chevy Trailblazer with 63,000 miles in August 2015. Took it in for the first oil change and there was literally no trace of oil on the dipstick. Didn't think I had to check the oil since I just purchased it from the dealership which they supposedly inspected the vehicle prior to purchasing. Thankfully the engine was not damaged due to running it mostly out of oil. There is no smoke and no trace of external leaking, it simply vanishes.

They told me to come back every 200 miles for 1,000 miles for an oil consumption test. The dealership is located 50 miles from my home and place of work so ideally this is unrealistic for me. Been doing a lot of research of how to fix and how much it should cost, but I feel if so many Chevy owners are experiencing the same issue why is it GM or Chevrolet hasn't resolved the issue for its customers? Taking it to a another mechanic to get a diagnostic quote next week. What gives for like consumers? Why should we be stuck with the bill when so many others have had the same issue? Wheres the recall on this if it is on the Chevy Bulletin Board as a common occurrence (or what ever language they used)?

Update from Mar 5, 2016: Up date on my previous complaint. I had found when the dealership did an oil change they put only 5 qt.'s of oil, after reading my owners manual I discovered the 5.8l V8 requires 6 qt.'s of oil. This still does not explain why I didn't have a trace of oil on the dipstick but, it doesn't help when the required amount of oil is added in the first place.

The oil consumption issue is not a normal Trailblazer issue, but mine has the 5.3L V8. From browsing the 1/2 ton and larger SUV complaint site I see that I am not alone. A little back ground, I have 41000 miles on my 2007 TB. I noticed that the truck was using 1 quart of oil at around 30,000 miles. Who would ever expect to have to check the oil on a low mileage auto that often. Once I noticed the oil usage I asked the dealership about the oil usage and they said it was normal for the 5.3L V8 to use one quart every 2-3000 miles.

Red flags, lights and buzzers started to go off in my head.

Background: I was a diesel mechanic for over ten years. I worked in private shops and dealerships on light, medium, and heavy duty trucks. Gas, natural gas, and diesel. All makes and models, V8, V6, and inline 6. Gas Ford, Chevy, Toyota, Natural gas big and small block Chevy and ford, and all diesel motors from Ford, Chevy, Cat, Detroit, Cummings, Mercedes, and International. In working on any of those motors never was 1 quart in 2000 miles normal usage. I would be tearing down the motor, or waiting for it to come in behind a tow truck seized. If you add 1 quart out of 6.5 in the TB, is a lot compared to a semi needing 4 quarts out of 42 in the same time frame

I have now been checking the oil on the TB regularly. Oil consumption has been in the 1 quart every 2000 miles, until recently. Of course after the warranty and found the recorded problems others have been having with oil consumption in this motor. On the trip it used over a quart in less than 1000 miles. Good thing I put an extra quart in the SUV prior to leaving. I have never had the low oil light go on I have always caught it before it dropped below the fill mark, 1 quart

Maintenance history. Changed oil by dealership 3-4000 miles far sooner than oil% reading, mostly due to low driving mileage on the TB. Last oil change I received the TB back from the dealership and checked the oil since I wanted the baseline for oil usage. It was overfilled. Common from other 5.3 owners. I tracked the oil and had to add oil before 2000 miles. Conservative .5 quarts overfilled had to add a quart, 1.5 used in 2000 miles. I am now changing my own oil, so I can track the usage better. Out of warranty, and does not sound like GM will do anything anyway.

It does not take a rocket scientist to figure out the problem is. When the 5.3 is running on 4 cyl. mode oil accumulates around or past the rings or the valve seats during the non firing power stroke which causes a vacuum that does not exist in V8 mode. In normal operation during the intake stroke the intake valve is open when the cyl moves down (normal vacuum amount). The problem occurs in the power stroke when cyl. is shut off. Take a bike or basketball pump and pull back on the plunger with your finger over the end. Now imagine that suction in the motor. Oil is sucked into the combustion chamber past the rings and valve seats. When the engine kicks back in it burns off the oil. This causes deposits which take out the piston rings, valve seats and guides allowing more oil to leak into the cyl. More burnt oil deposits on the sensors and plugs the cat converter. Once this starts there is no fix, metal cannot heal. OK GM must have found the problem and fixed it on the newer models, since 2007 seams to have the most problems.

There is no way to say that this is acceptable this day and age, and to say your motor may run out of oil and stop is not a safety issue, is insane. No one drives though a desert or freezing temps?

My solution: I am finding a way to de-activate the 4 cyl mode, trading off the TB when I can, and see-ya GM!