Avoidable Classic: GM Diesels

Have I Got a Smokin’ Deal for You…

by Tony Quiroga

When pundits ponder why diesel cars failed in the U.S., the infamous engines built by Oldsmobile from 1978 to 1985 come to mind instantly.

Critical engineering flaws, consumers who ignored strict maintenance schedules, and the handicap of a casually water-logged diesel supply turned the cackling diesels into rolling grenades. Most have gone off by now.

Since the last Oldsmobile diesel rolled off the line in 1985, a class-action lawsuit from owners against GM has been settled, but the car remains the subject of cruel jokes that can still cause former owners to furrow their brows over their (often 100%) financial losses.

A fixture on “worst” lists everywhere, the Oldsmobile diesel suffered a public relations fate worse than the Edsel. But like the Edsel, GM diesels may be staging a (suitably slow and rattly) comeback.

Built to fulfill the CAFE (corporate average fuel economy) regulations of 1978, which required a fleet average of 18...