Jessy Edwards  |  June 9, 2021

Category: Auto News

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General Motors Hit With Class Action Lawsuit Over Alleged Gas-Guzzling Engines
(Photo Credit: Jonathan Weiss/Shutterstock)

General Motors sells at least eight different vehicles fitted with an engine that is defective and burns through oil, a new class action lawsuit alleges.

Plaintiff Michael Bell filed the new class action lawsuit against General Motors, alleging vehicles with its 2.4-litre Ecotec LAF and LEA engines suffer from oil consumption problems, CarComplaints.com reports

Bell says he owns a 2012 Chevrolet Equinox fitted with a 2.4-litre Ecotec LEA engine. However, in August 2017, he says the engine started to repeatedly stall. 

He took it to be checked out, and says his car was diagnosed with engine failure. The class action lawsuit alleges the engines allow excessive engine oil to flow into the combustion chambers.

“This allegedly causes low levels of engine oil, low oil pressure, lack of engine lubricity, engine knock, spark plug fouling and knock, piston ring fouling, and major damage to other critical engine parts, including, but not limited to, timing chains,” the class action reportedly says.

The ultimate problem is defective piston rings, the claim alleges, which allows the excess oil flow and fouls spark plugs, creating carbon buildup in pistons and cylinders. 

It says the vehicles fitted with the faulty engines burn amounts of oil that exceed industry standards. It says the rate can be as high as 0.946 litres of engine oil per 1,600 kilometres of driving.

Bell says the engines eventually wear out and overheat because they don’t have enough oil. The lack of lubricant eventually causes engine failure, which owners have to pay for. 

The class action lawsuit also alleges Generation IV 5.3-litre V8 Vortec 5300 LC9 engines are defective. 

The vehicles named in the class action are the 2010-2017 Chevrolet Equinox, 2010-2013 Chevrolet Silverado, 2010-2014 Chevrolet Suburban, 2010-2014 Chevrolet Tahoe, 2010-2013 GMC Sierra, 2010-2017 GMC Terrain, 2010-2014 GMC Yukon and the 2010-2014 GMC Yukon XL.

Meanwhile, faulty Takata airbag inflators in February prompted another recall of thousands of General Motors vehicles in Canada, including Cadillac Escalades, Chevy Silverados and GMC Yukons. 

General Motors of Canada (GM Canada) is recalling more than 470,000 trucks and SUVs to replace the bad inflators on the Takata airbags, according to GM Authority.

What do you think of the allegations against General Motors in this case? Let us know in the comments! 

The plaintiff is represented by McKenzie Lake Lawyers.

The GM Canada Ecotec Class Action Lawsuit is Michael Bell, et al., v. General Motors of Canada Company, et al., Case No. unknown, in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice.


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34 thoughts onGeneral Motors Hit With Class Action Lawsuit Over Alleged Gas-Guzzling Engines

  1. Brittany Kren says:

    How do I get added to this please add me 2016 equinox

  2. Brittany Kren says:

    2016 equinox. Please add me to lawsuit, having the same problem! How do I join this lawsuit?

  3. Sandie Hay says:

    Is this suit still open, and if so, how does someone get added as a claimant? In fall of 2023, my son bought a used 2014 Equinox (2.4L I4) with only 90K km… he started having difficulties within a few weeks, and an inspection found metal fragments in the oil. The engine ended up having a catastrophic failure (a hole was blown in the engine, large enough to fit a man’s arm), and he just had to spend over $10K to replace with a remanufactured engine.

  4. Tim Dawson says:

    I have a 2016 Chev Equinox and have huge oil consumption issues .. please add me to this class action

  5. Robert Collins says:

    I wish to be added to this lawsuit. 2015 Terrain engine failure.

  6. Kali Lanigan says:

    My 2015 Equinox has 120,000km. I personally put on 11,000. The car suddenly started breaking me, I lost all power and was not able to break. Had this happened a few km earlier, I would not be here to tell the story as there is a major river valley I had just exited. The car had ZERO oil and was halfway through an oil change completed by Chevy. They tell me the engine is blown and have made their most generous offer to replace the engine at $11,000 down from the $13,000 originally quoted. I am now out a $16,000 car with an additional bill of $11,000 to repair an issue that GM knew about and has done nothing. Please add me to this suit.

  7. Kyle lucas says:

    Purchased 2013 terrain from gm in February 2022 for 15k. Piston through block have to replace motor. Still owe 10k. No help from gm or insurance. Please add me to settlement

  8. Pat Pelletier says:

    Please add me to the lawsuit.

  9. Tracy MacLennan says:

    My 2017 Equinox, just had this exact issue
    My bill is over 11,000 to have the engine replaced.
    I have contacted every possible resource for some sort of cost assistance on this vehicle and have been denied.

    1. Reg says:

      Please call me I have a 2020 Silverado. Engine just blew and gm won’t cover

  10. David Crozier says:

    I want to be added to the Lawsuit.

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