— A GM 2.4L Ecotec class action lawsuit alleges Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain SUVs in Missouri suffer from severe oil consumption problems.
According to the Ecotec lawsuit, the allegedly faulty engines permit too much oil into the combustion chambers which leads to low levels of oil, low oil pressure and knocking engines.
The GM class action also alleges the spark plugs knock and foul, the engine lacks lubrication and critical engine components are damaged.
The GM 2.4L Ecotec class action lawsuit includes:
"All current and former owners or lessees of 2014 through 2017 model year Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles equipped with 2.4 liter engines and who reside in and/or purchased their vehicles in the state of Missouri."
The plaintiff asserts General Motors knew the Ecotec 2.4-liter "LEA" engines were defective prior to when she purchased her Chevy Equinox in July 2015.
But the automaker allegedly failed to warn customers about the engines that consumed too much oil.
GM 2.4L Ecotec Class Action Lawsuit: The Plaintiff
In July 2015, Missouri plaintiff Rachel Buchholz purchased a new 2015 Chevrolet Equinox LT, but in November 2021 she noticed problems with oil consumption.
"While Plaintiff was picking up her daughter from daycare, she shifted the vehicle into reverse to back out of a parking space, and the vehicle lost power. She was able to restart the vehicle. A short time later, however, the vehicle lost power again while she was driving down the highway." — GM 2.4L Ecotec class action lawsuit
The plaintiff claims the vehicle lost power a third time, so she took the Equinox to a dealership where she was told the Ecotec engine was consuming too much oil. In addition, technicians allegedly told her "that this was a well-known problem in this type of engine."
"In order to address the problem in the short term, the dealership recommended that she bring the vehicle in for oil changes every 2,500 – 3,000 miles, rather than relying on the vehicle’s Oil Life Monitor, and that she check the oil level herself on a weekly basis." — GM 2.4L Ecotec engine lawsuit
The plaintiff says she did what she was told which cost her more money as she purchased a $60 additive to clean out burnt oil deposits.
And according to the plaintiff, she spoke to the GM dealership multiple times about the oil consumption issue, and she was allegedly told GM knew about the engine problems. On top of that, she was allegedly told, "GM was waiting for these vehicles to die off."
The plaintiff also contends she was warned it would be difficult to sell or trade her Equinox due to the oil consumption problems. She alleges she asked about a permanent way to fix the Ecotec engine and was told the engine could be replaced for about $9,500.
The class action alleges the plaintiff wrote to GM and asked if the automaker would pay for an engine replacement under the warranty. She was told to bring the vehicle to the dealer for an oil consumption test. That test requires her to bring the Equinox to the dealer every 500 miles, which she says she did.
"After returning to the dealership just a few times, Plaintiff was informed that her vehicle had already failed the oil consumption test due to piston ring failure. The most GM would do is perform the needed repair at the price of $2,200 and pay $300 towards that price; Plaintiff would be responsible for the remaining $1,900.00."
The plaintiff says she was left no option other than to have the engine replaced January 4, 2023, and was required to pay $1,945 towards the cost of repair.
The GM 2.4L Ecotec class action lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri (Western Division): Rachel Buchholz v. General Motors LLC.
The plaintiff is represented by Williams Dirks Dameron LLC.
