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[No Doubt]

You're right, some '06 cars did not have the magnetic drain plugs. However, I have an '07 and most if not all '07 cars have them as well. Furthermore, most of the rocker arm failures have been with '07 cars.

So, I should have said my car has magnetic drain plugs. Furthermore, most of those who have discovered the rocker arm needle bearings did so by finding them on their magnetic drain plugs.

The fact remains, however, this has been a problem since the C5 and GM has yet to address the issue. It is especially disconcerting knowing there is an aftermarket rocker arm design, in the form of modified OEM rocker arms, that prevent it from happening in the first place.

GM simply took the cheap way out and probably determined the failure rate was acceptable when compared to redesigning the rockers, let alone recalling all cars that have the failure prone parts for example.

Make no mistake, the 'bean counters' have more of a say in all facets of a mass produced vehicles design and construction than most people realize. Chevrolet is able to produce the Corvette at the cost they do for this very reason.

Lastly, the needle bearings in question should never get to the oil filter. If they do, then they would have had to go through the scavenge pump pickup filter as well as through the crankshaft driven two-stage oil pump. Thus, engine damage would likely result. However, this does not happen. That is not to say a magnetic filter ring is not useful in other ways.