Class Action Lawsuit: Chevy Equinox, GMC Terrain Oil Consumption Issue

If you own or lease a 2010-2017 Chevy Equinox or a 2010-2015 GMC Terrain and had problems with the car’s oil consumption, you should be aware that a class action lawsuit has been filed against General Motors (GM) that may affect you. Read on for more.

What’s Going On?

A number of drivers have complained that their Chevy Equinoxes and GMC Terrains are consuming oil much more quickly than they should. Some even say that the cars need one quart of oil for every 1,000 miles driven. In light of these complaints, attorneys have taken action against GM.

What do the lawsuits allege, exactly?

The lawsuits against General Motors allege that the 2.4-liter EcoTech engines found in model year 2010-2017 Chevy Equinox and GMC Terrain SUVs burn excessive amounts of oil. The safety risk posed by the apparent defect is substantial, the lawsuits claim, given that an engine operating without sufficient oil could wear down and fail prematurely, even during the course of normal operation, due to friction.

According to the lawsuits, General Motors, for its part, actively concealed from consumers that its Equinox and Terrain vehicles suffered from an oil consumption defect. Worse, the suits say, GM allegedly failed to offer vehicle owners and lessees any help by way of repairs or recalls. 

The lawsuits can be read here, here, and here.

How Could a Class Action Help?

In a successful case, a class action lawsuit could help drivers and lessees get back money they spent on:

Unreasonably frequent oil changes
Oil purchased to be carried around in the car “just in case” 
Inspections, diagnostic tests and repairs to their car
Loss of the car’s value

Plus, a lawsuit could order GM to replace the engines in the affected cars.

I own/lease one of these cars. What can I do?

• Keep a sharp eye on your vehicle’s oil consumption. We know it might be easier said than done, but please don’t drive an unsafe vehicle with little or no oil in its engine.
• Save every single receipt, such as those from buying oil or having your car serviced.
• Call your car dealership or local mechanic. Call them more than once, if you have to. Tell them exactly what’s going on with your vehicle and ask about any repair options.
• Check back with us—or, better yet, sign up for ClassAction.org’s newsletter—for updates.

Were the Cars Recalled Over the Oil Consumption Issue?

Unfortunately, no official recall has ever been issued. In July 2015, however, the company sent out a service bulletin titled “Special Coverage Adjustment – Excessive Oil Consumption.”

The service bulletin concerned 2011 Chevy Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles with 2.4L engines. It warned that these cars could “exhibit excessive oil consumption (less than 2,000 miles per quart of engine oil).” Additionally, the service bulletin noted that:

“If this condition is present, the oil can light may illuminate on the instrument panel or the following message may appear in the Driver Information Center: ‘Oil Pressure Low – Stop Engine.’”

The notice instructed dealers to replace the four piston assemblies on the 2011 models at no charge to the customer. No such fix, however, was ever offered for the other model years.  

In fact, consumers have complained that GM’s only policy for the other models is to have the customer bring in the car every 500 miles for an oil check.

What Problems Have Consumers Reported?

Drivers have posted a number of complaints online about their cars burning excessive amounts of oil, stalling, shutting off while driving and other issues. Some of these complaints can be read below [sic throughout]:

Excessive oil consumption has hundreds of complaints. 2012 equinox 130k miles car shuts off at stop signs or pulling out. I'm now replacing the catalytic converter and camshaft actuator. Someone is going to die before this problem is taken seriouly. Nothing but issues since I purchased 3 years ago!”
— NHSTA ID NUMBER 10928729, Blythewood, South Carolina

I have a 2012 chevy equinox that i have owned since Aug. 2015. The car uses excessive oil, two or more quarts between oil changes on my four cylinder engine. A web search found this to be a very common problem.”
— NHTSA ID NUMBER 11006606, East Berlin, Pennsylvania

While waiting at a red light, my engine turned off. I was able to start it again easily and it drove fine. My check engine light did go on, but then turned off the following morning. Took it to the mechanic that morning anyway, and they said I had no oil. My mileage was at 41,000 and I wasn't due for another change until 44,000. My mechanic said there is a known issue with some GM vehicles burning through oil very quickly, however there is not an official recall.”
— CARCOMPLAINTS.COM, Nydia M., Wauwatosa, Wisconsin

I have had more problems with my 2011 Chevy Equinox, uses about a Qt of oil every 500-800 miles, went through the Chevy dealer oil consumption test which took months, and they told me it was within normal limits? REALLY are you kidding me? I have never had a car use as much oil as this one does…”
— CARCOMPLAINTS.COM, jammz, Spanaway, Washington

I absolutely HATE the gmc terrain. It has been nothing more then a constant stress and worry in my life. I have spent 5000 dollars to replace the engine and it almost happened again this morning even though the oil life said 33% and it was UNDER the 5000 miles. When they checked the oil, it was 1 quart and a half low and didn't even register on the dip stick."
—  CarComplaints.com, carolinehowse, Conway, USA

The biggest issue is over the last 3 years there has been excessive oil consumption, no oil leak just the engine continues to burn the oil up leaving nothing in it. With synthetic oil you are suppose to get 5k miles out of it before a oil change but I constantly had to have additional oil put in around 2k miles…It is a pain to deal with and just now it took a turn for the worse because I was driving down the road and the check engine light came on and the next time I tried to turn on the car it wouldn't start. Had it towed to the mechanic and it turns out the engine is a total loss because there wasn't any oil. The last oil change I had was LESS than 2k miles ago. GMC has no recalls but knows it is an issue with 2011 Terrains because the dealerships are offering a test to determine if the vehicle is overly consuming oil and will potentially change out the pistons if they validate the issue. It would have been nice to be notified of this before my engine gave out to see if it would have solved the issue but it's to late now. I'm replacing the engine because I still have 2 years left on the loan but can't wait to be done with this car. If you or know of anyone looking at buying a GMC Terrain it will be the worst car decision ever made. I hope GMC will do the right thing and recall this issue or at least do something knowing these issues exist."
— CarComplaints.com, mcloner11, Massillon, USA 

It is believed that not only is the oil consumption issue annoying, it can also pose a safety risk as it can cause engine failure while the cars are in motion. In addition, because of the number of complaints about the issue, it is suspected that GM knows about the problem, but won’t recall all the affected models or provide a suitable repair.

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