My engine was replaced at 17k... massive oil consumption. I didn't put the first 100-200 miles on the car originally, which are the most important, so I'm not sure how the initial break-in was done. (could have been test drove and beat to hell on a cold engine, and also could have been kept at steady RPM on a 100mile trip to the dealership by whoever delivered it). The new engine had 12 miles on it after the dealership was done with the swap... so I got to break the new engine in my way.
I've talked to several local people who know of others having the same issues though. This is definitely not isolated... and nobody is blowing anything out of proportion. Having your engine replaced because it's drinking oil like it's going out of style is NOT a fun thing to have happen on a brand new car.
All I know is if the new engine starts to develop an appetite for oil - I'll let it be the problem for someone else and find a new car. There would be no love lost.
