Lawsuit claims GM's pickups damaged by US diesel 

Lawyers allege the trucks were equipped with fuel pumps that could only handle thicker overseas fuels.

General Motors faces a lawsuit that claims the company sold hundreds of thousands of diesel trucks that were not designed to be filled with US fuel.

Lawyers claim the high-pressure fuel pump used with the 6.6-liter Duramax engine in 2011-2016 Chevrolet and GMC trucks was prone to failure, allowing destructive metal shavings to enter the fuel injection system and then move through the engine, according to details posted by The Detroit News.

The Bosch-supplied pumps are claimed to be better suited to European diesel fuel, which is said to have a higher viscosity than diesel grades sold in the US. Thicker fuel allegedly prevents formation of air pockets that can inhibit lubrication of pump components.

"The pump secretly deposits metal shavings and debris throughout the fuel injection system and the engine until it suddenly and catastrophically fails without warning," the suit alleges.

The class-action lawsuit claims at least "tens of thousands" of owners have been affected across the country and the problem is a "ticking time bomb" for others.