A new class action lawsuit was recently filed against GM in regard to alleged oil consumption issues with the automaker’s naturally aspirated 2.4L I4 LEA gasoline engine.
According to a recent report from Car Complaints, GM knowingly sold vehicles equipped with the atmospheric 2.4L I4 LEA despite knowledge of the engine’s oil consumption issues. The lawsuit alleges that the engine introduces an excessive amount of oil into the combustion champers, leading to low oil levels, low oil pressure, engine knock, and fouled spark plugs, among other issues.
The lawsuit includes all current and former owners or lessees of 2014 through 2017 model year Chevy Equinox and GMC Terrain crossovers equipped with the 2.4L I4 LEA engine who reside in or purchased their vehicle in Missouri.
According to the lawsuit, Missouri plaintiff Rachel Buchholz purchased a new 2015 Chevy Equinox LT and began to notice the excessive oil consumption in November of 2021. The plaintiff apparently lost engine power when reversing out of a parking space, and although she managed to restart to vehicle, the Equinox lost power again while driving on the highway.
After a third power loss, the plaintiff brought her vehicle to the dealer. A technician allegedly told her that the 2.4L I4 LEA was known for consuming excessive oil. After discussing the issue with the dealer further, the plaintiff was told to bring her vehicle in for an oil change every 2,500 to 3,000 miles, and that in order to permanently fix the issue, she would need to replace the engine at a cost of $9,500.
After asking if GM would pay for the engine replacement under warranty, she was asked to bring her vehicle in for an oil consumption test every 500 miles. After a few tests, dealers technicians said that the engine had a failed piston ring, and that the repair would cost $2,200, $1,900 of which was the Plaintiff’s responsibility.
The latest 2.4L Ecotec class action lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri (Western Division). The plaintiff is represented by Williams Dirks Dameron LLC.
The 2.4L I4 LEA has been the subject of several other lawsuits against GM in the past, including a lawsuit filed last year, in 2021, and in 2019.
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Comments
I bought my 2.4L Terrain in Michigan, so I’m good.😀
I have an older version 2.4L engine in the 2009 Pontiac G-6 that I bought new. It now has 98k on it and still uses no oil. A few years ago I switched from conventional oil that I changed every 3k to full synthetic oil that I change every 5k. It is my third vehicle (backup) but I won’t sell it because it’s in great shape and just as dependable as my new car and truck. Although, my 14 year old granddaughter has her eyes I on it as a first car and she may get it. Granddaughters seem to have a way with their grandpas.
I am in Indiana and have a 2016 Chevy equinox 2.4l and have so many issues with it but I don’t know how to contact someone to join any of the class action suits against GM for everything. It went into the shop because it started making some strange grinding noises, lost power, etc then the timing belt broke, almost all of the engine valves cracked at the same time so had to have a new head, 2 months after having all of that done and now it’s jerking, still leaking a lot of oil and another valve leak and of course I’m still making payments on it. It’s non-stop issues with this thing and of course I’m disabled and on SSDI so repair after expensive repair has been extremely troublesome.
I have a 2015 Chevy Equinox 2.4 At 80,000 miles it started consuming one quart of oil every 1500 miles. I talked to the dealership they told me that that was acceptable oil consumption. At 117,000 miles a valve stuck and they wanted to do an engine replacement rather than a head replacement. The estimate was 11,000 dollars at one Chevy dealership. And 9900 at another. We went to different route and took the car too a different repair shop. Bought a long block rebuild for $3,800. And had it installed for $1,800. I feel for you. Endurance warranty wouldn’t cover the issues with our vehicle either. Due to the fact that it was consuming oil. That voided the warranty. They got you coming and they got you going
NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS ARTICLE.
Yeah the story I heard was that GM intentionally loosened the piston rings to create less internal friction and thus better mileage. Of course, with weak rings, oil blew right by and burned off. Duh! I know two people who had V-6 Impala’s that drank oil.
Yeah, they also increased the oil pan capacity to keep people from running them out of oil between changes.
My daughter had an SC-1 Saturn coup with a 4-cyl single OVC engine that burned oil like crazy, more than any car I‘be ever seen except for one. That Saturn burned a quart in less than 1000 miles. The only other car I ever saw that used more oil than that belonged to a high school buddy. It was a 66 or 67 Ford Fairlane GT with a 390 engine and it got so bad before we pulled it that it used a quart of oil in less than 100 miles. Several of us guys saved our used oil for him to use instead of buying so much new oil. He build a real nice 351 Cleveland engine for it that was a screamer. Those old memories are fun, we did all of our work in our dirt floor barns and exchanged those engines using an old Ford tractor with a manure bucket. Fun times!
Wonder when the oil consumption issue starts. I know a few people with 2.4’s in their Buick Lacrosse that have had no such issues. They are only at 50k miles or so. The Buick dealer did say to keep a tight oil change schedule fwiw.
Between 70 and 80 thousand miles. Get rid of it while you can.
I had a 2015 nox 6 yrs and 80k miles no oil problems. I never waited on oil change lite, changed at 4k to 5k miles with full syn oil. Never wait on that idiot lite.
There are plenty of owners of just about any vehicle that thinks saving a few cents on maintenance is a smart thing. I know of an owner of two Fords that had timing chain failures at less than 100k who never considered lube changes as necessary until the change oil alert was on for a few weeks. And even then, cheap oil was good enough. But if you were to ask him why he had those failures, it was because of a “bad design”. Lawyers and class action suits are mostly fishing expeditions. This one is no different.
all engines use a small amount of oil the owners manual stated the owner should check the oil every fill up.the biggest issue is the oil LIFE monitor if you go more than 5 or 6 thousand miles on an oil change then you risk sludge buildup which can shorten the life of the engine .
My 2011 GMC terrain just had a timing chain put on and I still have problems starting it what could be the problem
The greedy law firm knows it do not have a prayer with the information in this post. They better have a lot more admonitions to fight with than this B/S
Actually the first class action brought by plaintiffs already won and settled, same problems, different years. The 10-14 equinoxes were not included so a second one has been started for the above years. I happen to be one of those owners who goes through approximately 2quarts in a month. Not typical at all. In addition, the vehicle looses pressure in the engine when at a stop sign/light and stalls. I’ve had this happen several times and I have almost been hit from behind several times in rush hour traffic. No engine pressure while going up hill, slows to about 50mph in 65. Shall I go on? Oh also, there are almost 400 complaints on the NHTSA for almost exactly the same exact reasons. Yet nothing from Chevy. No willingness whatsoever. So yes filing a lawsuit is extremely imperative. We bought our cars in good faith that they will perform well, be safe to drive, and last a good amount of time with proper care
Never heard of “tight” rings. Have heard of improper or too little gap not allowing for expansion. The rings are supposed to be placed on the piston with the gaps 120 to 180 degrees opposed. There should be enough ring tension to produce firm contact with the cylinder walls to provide a seal on compression rings and wiping on the next set and oil distribution on the oil rings. Under size or loose rings are a no no.
I heard they intentionally lessened the outward ring pressure on the cylinder walls to reduce internal friction, which probably worked but the unintended consequences were bad.
Who do I talk to about this lawsuit?? I own a 2015 terrain and my friend had a equinox both had the same issues and I spoke to GMC in January and they knew about the lawsuit didn’t say anything O had the same ex act issue and I had the plus and a few other things replaced multiple times due to oil consumption
I am having these same issues with my 2014 Chevy Captiva with the 2.4L L4 LEA engine
I would love to be added to this lawsuit but I am in South Dakota I have a 2016 Equinox that now needs a full engine replacement due to Chevy negligence and using faulty parts.
I am currently having a motor put in my 2015 Equinox. Went to two different dealerships for estimate on the job. One of the dealerships wanted 11,500 dollars and the other wanted 9400. I shopped around with private repair shops and got it done for only 6000 and that is an upgraded rebuilt motor from NAPA. 100,000 mile / 3 year warranty. GM could fix these cars for that price as well, but they would just as soon sell you another piece of crap. The original motor stuck a valve #2 piston.
I have a 2016 GMC 2.4 that had oil problems and now my car is no longer running the shop said I’ll need a new motor. I got the car from a dealer in Alabama and still paying on it. How do I go about signing up for the class action lawsuit ?
I have a 2016 terrain I’m in Michigan $180,000 MI $9,000 IP has same problem oil consumption PC valve is not working clogged inside of intake 1,000 to replace intake this has been going on for decades even though the 16th are notare included I hear now is GM going to honor a trade-in knowing their vehicles that they produce have oil consumption problems they should be liable
I just found out today that although my Chevy Equinox 2015 2.4 l uses less than 1 quart of oil per thousand miles. Endurance warranty will not honor and engine failure based on the fact that the car used excessive amounts of oil. It never used more than what GM said was allowable which is one quart per thousand miles. Now I’m stuck with the repair of a stuck exhaust valve due to neither GM nor endurance auto warranty wanting to cover the cost of the expense
Endurance are crooks
2017 Terrain. Garbage due to cylinder issues and drinking oil. I will never buy another.
I have a 2011 Equinox 2.4 and faithfully have oil changes every 5,000 miles. Since I reached over the 100,000 mile range I have had to add an extra quart every 1,500 miles upon doing so. This is my first time of reading a class action law suit because I had never been notified by General Motors as I thought being a registered title of my equinox I wouldn’t have to hunt down any such actions?
These new car owners are a joke. Here they have a ten year old automobile that they are having mechanical trouble with. Back in the day we were thrill to get 100 thousand miles out of our car. They want their automobile to last 20 years and 250,000 miles now, with no mechanical issues. These people are spoil and do not read the automobile new car warranty. When they buy a washing machine and after 6 years, they don’t tell Whirlpool my washing machine motor or agitator went bad. They go and buy a new washing machine. Read your warrenty, and if you think you need an extended warranty, then purchase one. These Lawyers are filling their head up with a lots of baloney.
At the Price for Automobiles today they should last 250,000 or more miles. Back in the day a 100,000 miles before rebuild was usually unheard of, but they also only cost a few thousand dollars, instead of $30,000 dollars.
I have a 2017 equinox that has the 2.4 in it and it was running just fine yesterday and this morning when I tried to go to the store the check engine light came on the information screen said low engine pressure and went into limp mode. I cannot afford these freakin repairs and from everything I have been told I need a whole new engine. Thanks GM keep beating up the lower class citizen.
I own a 2015 that stuck a valve and the GM dealership where took it wouldn’t repair it. All the talked about was replacing the motor. I was quoted 11,500 at one dealership and 9,400 at another. The car is only worth maybe 9,000 on a good day. I found a private shop to do the work for under 6,000 complete.
Don’t let GM Dealerships do the repairs. They won’t stand behind the engine anyway. Buy an aftermarket engine withe the improved rings.
I just had a time chain put on my 2011 GMC terrain and I’m still having trouble starting the truck what could be the problem?
I have owned 2 chevy Captiva with the very oil loving 2.4L engine ,this cars were made foe the rental market so I guess Chevy didn’t think much of them, until the rental company’s started selling them off to the general public ,that’s when the crap hit the fan ,chevy has no plans on fixing these cars nori after this I will not be buying chevy ever again 2, first CAR a 2012 Captiva sport FOUND METAL SHAVING IN THE OIL ,had to junk it just after had paid it off @ $8300. The second captive a 2013 Captiva sport timing chain broke and transmission went to hell another $8500 pick of junk .yes i want to take action and recover the money that we our out. we are in Kansas any help would be great
Is there a class action suit going on for my 2011 equinox? Any information on the law suit or name of the law firm that I can reach out to would be greatly appreciated. Please I’ve sunk way too much money into my equinox already and it’s still a money pit especially because of the ecotech pile of junk under the hood.
Did this go anywhere? I had engine work done last year and now back to the same crap.
I bought a new 2010 GMC Terrain with the 2.4 Ecotec in May of 2010. Within the first two years of ownership the high pressure fuel pump was recalled by the manufacture for being faulty. The engine oil was somehow passing through the H.P. fuel pump and burning out through exhaust system. GM paid for the new fuel pump but to late because major engine damage had already occurred. They were not willing to take responsibility and I have been paying for it by refilling my engine oil almost as much as I refill the gas tank. I would like to recover some of the cost I incurred through out the years. Can anyone provide me information about who I might contact?
Is there still an open class action lawsuit against GM. Engine blown, only one warning, “low oil pressure, stop engine”, damage done!! I had to have a remanufactured engine put in and you can only imagine the cost!!!
I reside in Illinois and would like any feedback on open lawsuits.
Same issues and I’m in indiana
I have a 2017 equinox with 56,000 miles.
It has the 2.4 engine. Just had to replace the engine at a cost of $7800.00. That was taking it to a certified mechanic. GM wanted me to take it to the dealership at a cost of $175 an hour for labor which my mechanic charged $60 an hour. That would be the only way they would possibly re-emberse you for any of it. GM has the old engine and probably so I have no evidence.
I cannot afford the dealer prices
Did all my regular maintenance on it regularly.
They know there is a problem with that engine
Sad that they try to get out of this mess. They only made $10 billion in 2023.
Do’t know where to turn. Could you point me in the right direction. This happened in January
My daughter has a 2017 GMC terrain and it’s having these problems oil knocking and possible engine shot off because you can’t keep resetting the check engine light
I have a 2016 Terrain with a 4L engine and we just had to replace the engine, because it was consuming so much oil and it took out the engine. Cost us $9000 to replace the engine! It had 149,000 miles on it! We never should have had to replace the engine! GM should be held responsible for these cars! My mechanic said he’s seen so many of these cars like this!
But GM has never had to pay for them!
I have a 2017 Equinox, 2.4 engine that I just replaced at 56,000 miles. Sad that GM will not offer any cost assistance unless you take it to the dealer at $175 an hour labor. My price was $7,800 at a certified mechanic shop. Worked for GM 33 years & bought their cars for 40 years. Will reconsider other brands when I get ready to buy again.
Please help me to find out if my car which is a 2016 Buick Verano with Catastrophic engine failure due to low oil pressure.
Is part of the Consumers act lawsuit
I have a 2014 Chevy Equinox with this motor in it in Florida. It was consuming oil like crazy and now it won’t even start. I’ve tried contacting GM and the attorney in Missouri that’s representing the plaintiff and I’ve gotten no response from the attorney. GM told me that since there is no official recall, I would have to pay out of pocket to fix it. The biggest issue I have is that I’m still paying on the vehicle.
I had to replace engine 2.4 ecotech, in my 2017 equinox with no help from GM at the cost of $7,800. No help from GM because I didn’t take it to the dealer, only a local certified mechanic. Has 56,000 miles on it. GM only gives cost assistance on them when you take it to the dealer at $175 an hour labor. Worked for GM for 33 years, bought GM cars for forty some years. Will not even consider buying another GM vehicle.