GM Fuel Pump Lawsuit Investigation: Terrain, Equinox Recall Not Enough?

Attorneys working with ClassAction.org are investigating whether a class action lawsuit can be filed against GM in light of reported problems with the fuel pump in certain Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles.

In early 2023, General Motors (GM) issued a recall for roughly 23,000 model year 2021-2022 Chevy Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles after identifying hundreds of reports of the cars stalling due to a faulty fuel pump. However, consumers have complained to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that their vehicle’s fuel pump failed even after being replaced or that their car wasn’t covered by the recall and exhibited the same problems.

Attorneys believe the recall may not have gone far enough to address the problem and are now looking to speak with more people who experienced issues with their car’s fuel pump to determine whether a class action lawsuit is viable.

Chevy Equinox, GMC Terrain Fuel Pump Recall

GM issued a safety recall of certain 2021-2022 Chevy Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles in early 2023 due to “a condition in which the fuel pump module may not consistently provide sufficient fuel to the engine.”

According to a notice sent to customers, the fuel pump problem could cause an affected engine to stall, which could result in a crash. Other symptoms and warning signs of a bad fuel pump could include the vehicle’s check engine light illuminating, engine hesitation or a failure to start.

Though GM offered to replace the fuel pump in recalled vehicles for free, customers reported that replacement parts were not available for months, and some claimed the recall failed to address the problem.

Complaints About the Fuel Pump Problem

The NHTSA has received numerous complaints about the fuel pumps in 2020-2023 Chevy Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles. Specifically, drivers have reported that their vehicles stalled in traffic, failed to start, lost power or made a stuttering sound. Some customers said their vehicles exhibited the same problems as those with the recalled fuel pumps but were not included in the recall. Others said they had their vehicles repaired under the recall only to have their fuel pump fail again, sometimes multiple times.

Below is a sampling of complaints from the NHTSA’s website [sic throughout]:

There was not an accident. I was leaving work on 9/16/23 and tried to start the car and it wouldn’t turn over. I got assistance from a friend that had jumper cables because I thought it might be the battery, but it wasn’t. I had to have the vehicle towed to the dealership to find that these fuel module was defective. I see in the Google information that this sane issue was placed on the recall list for 2021-23 Chevrolet Equinox’s, but not on my 2020 model...”
— 2020 Chevrolet Equinox complaint, NHTSA.gov

[C]ar has been in shop for replacement of fuel module 4 times. Now was in shop again with failed fuel pump at 9k miles. [H]ad loss of power at 70mph on freeway and could have been rear ended. [I]f the fuel loss happens during a left turn could result in a collision. [H]ave already reported the first four failures. [A]dding this number 5”
— 2022 Chevrolet Equinox complaint, NHTSA.gov

Fuel Pump Power Control Module failed. My daughter was driving down Carpenter Road in Ypsilanti Michigan when the vehicle stalled and would not start. This is a VERY busy four lane road. The police showed up and helped push her out of the way. Yes, the problem has been confirmed by the dealer. The dealer replaced the part but how do I know that the part is not faulty as well as it appears that there is a potential recall for this vehicle that hasn't been confirmed yet since parts are limited. No warning before the issue happened.”
— 2022 Chevrolet Equinox complaint, NHTSA.gov

[O]n 08-31-2023 left house and got about 1 mile down the road going about 45 mph and had loss of power and engine stalled. Pulled over and tried to restart engine but would not start, engine light was on. Called dealership and said to have it towed in. 2 days later dealer called and said it was ready and it was a fuel module issue. When picking the car up the service guy said they reprogrammed it...”
— 2022 Chevrolet Equinox complaint, NHTSA.gov

The contact owns a 2023 Chevrolet Equinox. The contact stated that while driving at 45 MPH and exiting a ramp to merge onto the highway in oncoming traffic, the contact depressed the accelerator pedal and the vehicle failed to respond as intended. The contact stated that the vehicle lost motive power with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed high-pressure fuel pump module. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed that the parts to complete the repair were unavailable...”
— 2023 Chevrolet Equinox complaint, NHTSA.gov

The engine cutoff while driving through a major intersection in 3/2022 with no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure. Dealership replaced the fuel pump module. Subsequently, the engine cutoff while driving in 5/2023. Dealership replaced the fuel pump module. Each of these occurrences placed my life, my passengers life and the lives of others on the road in danger as an accident could have resulted if I was not able to coast out of harms way. GMC has an existing recall on the fuel pump module for 2021 - 2022 Chevrolet Equinox and 2022 GMC Terrain vehicles. Why did this happen a second time after replacing the fuel pump module?”
— 2020 GMC Terrain complaint, NHTSA.gov

The contact owns a 2022 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The check engine warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that she was able to restart the vehicle; however, the vehicle failed to remain started. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the fuel pump module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred...”
— 2022 GMC Terrain complaint, NHTSA.gov

How Could a Class Action Lawsuit Help?

A class action lawsuit could help compensate Equinox and Terrain owners and lessees for repair costs related to the fuel pump and possibly force GM to provide a permanent fix for the issue.

What You Can Do

After you get in touch, an attorney or legal representative may reach out to you directly to explain how you may be able to help get a class action started. It costs nothing to speak with someone, and you’re not obligated to take legal action if you don’t want to.

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