A judge in Florida federal court has put her stamp of approval on a $42 million settlement agreement which resolves three lawsuits claiming that General Motors sold vehicles with an oil consumption defect.
Plaintiffs Ellen Berman and Dayana Guach allege that General Motors model year 2010-2013 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain cars that have 2.4-liter Ecotec engines suffer from the defect that consumes oil at a very high rate.
The primary cause of the defect is malfunctioning piston rings, which are prone to premature wear, the judge’s order states. The defect necessitates the need for the car owner to replenish the car’s oil more frequently.
The plaintiffs filed suit in September 2018, claiming that General Motors breached their written warranties under the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act and violated the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act.
Two other class action lawsuits were subsequently filed, based on similar allegations. The judge’s approval of the settlement resolves the claims in these three cases.
Starting in 2014, General Motors issued Special Coverage Adjustments (SCAs) for the model years 2010-2012 of the class vehicles, the judge’s order reads.
The SCAs were put into effect to extend the class vehicles’ warranty for piston replacement beyond the normal warranty expiration period, which was five years or 100,000 miles.
“The SCAs provided that owners of Class Vehicles could take their vehicles to a dealership and undergo an oil consumption diagnosis. If the diagnosis indicated excessive oil consumption, GM would replace the piston rings for free, if the vehicle was within certain time and mileage limitations,” the judge states in her order.
The Settlement Class is defined as: “All persons within the United States who purchased or leased, at any time before the Preliminary Approval Date, a new retail or used model year 2010, 2011, 2012, or 2013 Chevrolet Equinox or GMC Terrain vehicle equipped with 2.4 liter Ecotec engines, manufactured prior to the Production Change, and who have not executed a prior release of claims related to Class Vehicle oil consumption or resulting piston or engine damage in favor of GM.”
In addition, the judge’s order states that, for model year 2010-2012 class vehicles, owners will be able to get a free replacement of piston assemblies at authorized dealerships.
Also, Class Members who already paid for covered repairs but who did not already submit a claim under the Special Coverage Adjustments will have 120 days to submit a claim.
For model year 2013 class vehicles, Class Members will receive free piston assembly replacement. Also, those who previously paid out-of-pocket for repairs can file claims for reimbursement of expenses.
Each Class representative will receive $4,500 as a service payment, which the judge determined to be “appropriate, fair, and reasonable.” This award is being paid by General Motors separately from the funds being made available via the settlement agreement.
Also, the attorneys for the plaintiffs will receive fees of $3,390,351, which is eight percent of the settlement value. Class Counsel will also receive reimbursement of $109,649 for litigation expenses.
Do you own one of the class vehicles mentioned as part of the settlement? Leave a message in the comments section below.
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The plaintiffs 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; Hindsman, et al. v. General Motors LLC, Case No. 3:17-cv-05337, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California; and Sanchez, et al. v. General Motors LLC, Case No. 1:18-cv-02536, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
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2,106 thoughts on$42M GM Chevy Equinox Oil Guzzling Class Action Settlement Approved
i have a 2012 gmc terain that has 113400 miles on it and have to add 3 1/2 qts between oil change is it covered for the recall
I have a 2012 Equinox with 125000 miles. Nice little car but goes through a lot of oil. Doesn’t smoke and runs good though. Any information about this would be greatly appreciated. Otherwise probably going to get a new vehicle soon.
My 2012 GMC Terrain burns oil and I had taken it in for evaluation for the past 3 years ony to be given the runaround every which way I turn. They first told me it just burns oil nothing they can do about it. I just had to carry oil around with me in the car. Then they told me they could fix it just had to document how much oil it was low at every fill up which I did and scheduled to bring it in for repair and was put off because they were to busy to work on it and when I brought it back for the 3rd time they kept it to work on it and after it being there for 2 months they said oh its past the date and we can’t fix it . Now its worse than ever.
How do I get my 2013 equinox fixed thru this class action
Mine burns so much oil
I have just spent $5200.00 for repairs to my 2013 Chevrolet Equinox. The estimate referenced Special Safety Field Investigation DCS5282. N192291100. There was no indication of excess oil consumption. Service Engine light came on 2 days prior. The Diagnostics indicated excessive oil consumption. I bought car brand new and only have 62,321 miles on vehicle. I did not receive a notice from GM. Would I qualify under this class action suit? GM has offered me nothing after many phone calls.
Hello I have a 2013 Chevy equinox with 156000 miles Purchased in NH
I live in maine I contacted Chevy about the lawsuit and they told me my mileage was too high to be covered .
I have complained to Chevy for years with no help!
I burn about 2 quarts every 1000 miles
Does anyone know who to contact?
Anyone who reads this article and is on Facebook, There is a great group to join called “Chevrolet Equinox 2010-2017 (2nd generation)” that has a lot of useful information about how to maintain these engines in the meantime. Installing catch cans, etc. Please join if you want!
I have a 2013 equinox ecotec that burns about a quart every other tank. I bought it in 2018. Do I qualify for this?
I have a 2013 chevy equinox that I bought at about 120000 miles. It consumed about 1 quart of oil every 1.5 weeks. I had it replaced through my warranty with a used motor and it is back to consuming oil again. At about 1 quart a month. What can I do?
I bought my vehicle because they said it is was the ONLY vehicle I qualified for, 2013 Chevy Equinox LT. I have had problems since week 1, literally!
500+ a month in repairs plus the payment. They forced me to buy a warranty and 2 months later I had a new-used engine. Now the same thing is starting all over. My O2 sensor went, and plug 1 is full of oil, the oil smells like gas but the dealer denies it.