GM Class Action Says Chevrolet Equinox SUVs Burn Oil at Alarming Rate

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Chevrolet Equinox SUVs burn through motor oil at an alarming rate causing engine damage and other serious issues, according to a class action lawsuit filed by two vehicle owners.

Plaintiffs Ellen Berman and Dayana Guach allege that their Chevy Equinoxs with a EcoTech 2.4-liter engine contain a defect that causes the SUVs to consume abnormally high amounts of oil.

In addition to burning excessive oil, the plaintiffs say their Equinox vehicles have an “Oil Pressure Warning” system that is supposed to alert drivers to low oil levels, which also fails to work.

The 2013 GMC Terrain oil consumption recall class action lawsuit claims these combined issues create considerable safety concerns both to the vehicle itself and its occupants.

“The Oil Consumption Defect is unreasonably dangerous because it can cause engine failure while the Class Vehicles are in operation at any time and under any driving conditions or speeds, thereby placing drivers, passengers, and the public at risk of accidents and injury,” the Chevy oil-guzzling class action lawsuit states.

Guach says she brought her 2013 Chevrolet Equinox in for a routine oil change in April of this year and was informed by a service technician that the vehicle was consuming oil very quickly.

The plaintiff says she also noticed at this time that she could hear a loud “ticking” noise coming from her SUV when she drove it. Allegedly, this was determined to be a spark knock causing internal engine damage.

The 2013 GMC Terrain oil consumption recall class action lawsuit states that Guach has changed her oil every 1,000 – 1,500 miles after discovering the oil consumption defect. Since April, the plaintiff says she’s brought her SUV in for an oil change 15 different times.

The plaintiffs claim that General Motors is well aware that its Chevrolet Equinox vehicles contain this defect but have not issued a recall nor have they informed SUV owners that their vehicles need a repair.

Guach says that without a recall and with no warranty coverage, she was informed that to fix the 2013 GMC Terrain oil consumption recall issue, she would need to pay $3,000.

Both Chevy Equinox owners allege that had they known of the oil consumption defect or been made aware that the Oil Pressure Warning system didn’t work, neither of them would spend $26,000+ on the SUV.

“GM kept Plaintiffs and the other Class members ignorant of vital information essential to the pursuit of their claims,” the 2012 GMC Terrain recall oil consumption class action lawsuit states. “As a result, neither Plaintiffs nor the other Class members could have discovered the defect, even upon reasonable exercise of diligence.

2013 GMC Terrain Oil Consumption Recall Settlement 

In response to this class action lawsuit, General Motors has agreed to pay between $40 million and $45 million to cover the 2012 GMC Terrain recall oil consumption issue.

The GMC class action settlement was reached in April 2019 and resolves three related oil-guzzling lawsuits.

Under the terms of the settlement, SUV owners will be reimbursed for costs related to repairs on their vehicle’s piston assembly caused by the excessive oil consumption problem.

The GM settlement covers 2010 to 2013 Equinox and Terrain SUVs equipped with 2.4-liter Ecotec engines.

In addition to providing reimbursement to GMC owners, General Motors has agreed to pay $2.5 million in attorneys’ fees.

Notable GMC Defects

General Motors has faced numerous class action lawsuits this year, most notably ones that allege a Chevy Shake transmission defect. 

These lawsuits claim that more than a dozen GMC vehicles are equipped with a transmission that causes them to “shake, shudder, jerk, clunk, or ‘hard shift’” when changing gears.

Those vehicles that allegedly contain the “Chevy Shake” include: 2015-2019 Chevrolet Silverado; 2017-2019 Chevrolet Colorado; 2015-2019 Chevrolet Corvette; 2016-2019 Chevrolet Camaro; 2015-2019 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV; 2016-2019 Cadillac ATS, ATS-V, CTS, CT6, and CTS-V; 2015-2019 GMC Sierra, Yukon, and Yukon XL, and Yukon Denali XL; and the 2017-2019 GMC Canyon.

Berman and Guach are represented by Rachel Soffin, Gregory F. Coleman, Adam A. Edwards and Mark E. Silvey of Greg Coleman Law PC, Robert Ahdoot of Ahdoot & Wolfson PC, and Daniel K. Bryson and J. Hunter Bryson of Whitfield Bryson & Mason LLP.

The GM Chevrolet Equinox SUV Oil Consumption Defect Class Action Lawsuit is Ellen Berman, et al. v. General Motors LLC, Case No. 2:18-­cv-­14371, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.

UPDATE: On Nov. 18, 2019, a judge in Florida federal court approved a $42 million settlement agreement which resolves three lawsuits claiming that General Motors sold vehicles with an oil consumption defect.