Last Updated on August 10, 2022
If you’re the owner of a General Motors vehicle with the 2.4L Ecotec four-cylinder engine, you may want to pay attention. GM is being sued over an alleged PCV system problem that’s been plaguing these engines for years. According to the recently filed lawsuit, the issue can cause extensive engine damage and lead to costly repairs. So far, GM has yet to issue a recall for the affected vehicles. If you’re impacted by this problem, what can you do? Read on for more information.
Lawsuit Claims PCV System Defect Causes Elevated Crankcase Pressures
The suit alleges that the 2.4L Ecotec engine contains a design defect allowing the PCV (Positive Crankcase Ventilation) system to become clogged by various elements, such as moisture, sludge, grime and ice. As a result, the engine’s crankcase pressure exceeds the engineered threshold of the rear main seal. When this happens, the seal fails and oil begins to find it’s way out of the engine.
As the vehicle continues to be driven, the oil continues to leak outside the engine. The result–dangerously low levels of oil leading to reduced engine power, stalling, and potential engine failure.
Owners have reported hearing a single “pop” noise right before the oil leak started.
What Does the PCV System Do & Why Is It Important?
The PCV system has two jobs, to remove blow-by gases from the crankcase and recirculate them via an intake manifold. If PCV isn’t able do its job, then there can be a build up of excessive pressure leading to oil leaks in your car. Because the crankcase pressures can rise so quickly, even the best gaskets lose their ability to seal the engine.
The PCV system is a crucial component in controlling internal crankcase pressures. When functioning properly, the system will expel the gases from the crankcase faster than the engine produces them. This process keeps crankcase pressures in range, and reduces stress on the seals.
2.4L Ecotec PCV System Unlike Traditional PCV Systems
GM’s 2.4L Ecotec engine uses a unique PCV design, with a fixed orifice vacuum port molded within the intake manifold. Rather than a more traditional design which makes use of a ventilation valve, the Ecotec engine relies on the fixed orifice seated between #2 and #3 intake runners to expel the engine’s gases.
However, according to the lawsuit this design leads to the PCV system easily becoming clogged during normal operation. Owners affected by the GM PCV system problems claim there are no early warning signs. In fact, all owners represented in the suit experienced similar symptoms when the PCV system failed. These symptoms include the engine beginning to run noisy and a sudden drop in power. Additionally, some owners claim a check engine and other warning lights illuminated at the event of the PCV system failure.
Owners report that when they are able to safety park the vehicle to check the engine oil, the dipstick would be nearly dry. Often times, the engine would require two to three quarts of oil just to bring levels within a safe operating range.
According to the suit, GM has allegedly known about the 2.4L engine’s PCV system problems when exposed to cold winter weather. In fact, the suit claims GM knew about the design defect as far back as 1985. However, it’s claimed they continued to market and sell vehicles utilizing this PCV system.
Is There A Fix For The GM PCV System Problems?
Currently their is no permanent fix known at this time. However, GM technicians have been instructed per a diagnostics bulletin on how to clear a clogged 2.4L Ecotec PCV system. The service calls for the use of a 1/16 drill bit to be inserted into the PCV orifice in order to clear any debris. The bulletin also instructs the technician to inspect all related PCV hoses and connections for potential damage.
Owners Forced to Pay Out-Of-Pocket For PCV System Repairs
Owners have had to pay out-of-pocket for the repairs, as their is currently no recall for this defect. Reported costs range from $2,000 to as much as $7,083.89 for repairs. Making matters worst, owners are often told the problem “could” reoccur far down the road despite the cleaning the PCV orifice and new rear seal.
Vehicles Affected
The following GM vehicles are affected by this PCV system defect:
- 2010-2016 Buick Lacrosse (including Hybrid/eAssist models)
- 2011-2017 Buick Regal
- 2012-2017 Buick Verano
- 2010-2015 Chevrolet Captiva
- 2010-2017 Chevrolet Equinox
- 2013-2014 Chevrolet Malibu
- 2010-2017 GMC Terrain
Status of the GM 2.4L Ecotec PCV System Class Action Litigation
This is an active class action lawsuit. This suit has been brought on behalf of the Plaintiffs and a class of current and former Buick, Chevy or GMC vehicle owners.
Kiriacopoulos et al. v. General Motors LLC. Case No. 2:16-mCase 2:22-cv-10785-SDD-JJCG, was filed in the United States District Court Eastern District of Michigan.
GM 2.4L Ecotec Owner Voices
My 2017 equinox engine died in the middle of the road I’m coming traffic both ways start a backup started making knocking noises no oil light came on…after all this fighting with gm many times they stated that it was due to the pcv system that the rear main seal was out I had to have the car towed because i was out of warranty no one would help me so I have a thirty something $33000 that I couldn’t drive lost both of my jobs due to the 2.4L having the same issues as prior year equinoxes.
While driving on the highway with my child, vehicle suddenly went into reduced power mode. 5 minutes later after exiting the highway, the low oil pressure Alert came on. The vehicle was parked two minutes later then towed home. After towing it to my local certified dealership, it was determined the pcv was clogged with ice resulting in a blown rear main seal. There was a recall for a defect in earlier terrains for this same issue. Currently GM will not cover repair costs under this specific recall despite this vehicle apparently having the same 2.4L Ecotec engine. Apparently this a known cold weather issue for this vehicle.
Questions About This Lawsuit?
MyCarVoice.com is not counsel or the settlement administrator in this class action lawsuit. Our goal is to inform owners of these vehicles of the recent lawsuit. This post will be updated when/if new suit information is released.
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Managing Editor
Christopher is an automotive technical writer. When he’s not at the local autocross event, he can often be found working on one of his cars. Specializes in automotive class action law, industry trends, and automotive maintenance. Email me direct, or learn more about us
Cindy M Rapert
February 10, 2023 at 9:57 pmSee my comments above. Please PLEASE keep reporting this issue to the national highway traffic and safety commission!
justine Porreca
February 9, 2023 at 2:30 pmMy 2017 equinox is currently in the garage for a blown rear seal. Mechanic states he is amazed it didn’t catch on fire and is a HUGE hazard.
Cindy M Rapert
February 10, 2023 at 10:00 pmSee my comments above. Please continue to report this to the national highway traffic and safety commission!
Katie Fatzinger
February 6, 2023 at 7:02 pmI have a 2017 equinox that I bought a little over 2 years ago, and my car is in the shop right now but seems to have the same issue that people are talking about here. We had cold temperature this past weekend in MA and while I was on the turnpike my car just died. I had it towed and there seemed to be an oil leak, the mechanic did confirm from the rear seal, so I’m just waiting to see what the damage will cost me, which is absolutely ridiculous for a fairly new vehicle, and this is a huge safety concern as there was no warning at all and I was on the turnpike when it happened!
Cindy Rapert
February 5, 2023 at 10:05 amI am a recent 2017 Equinox owner with a 2.4L Ecotec engine. I purchased the vehicle 9 months ago and have put less than 30k miles on it since owning the vehicle.
On Tuesday, 1.31.23, while driving to a work appointment on I-94 near Chelsea and exit 157, my equinox seemed to have a power failure and started making a noise. I proceeded to move toward the shoulder of the highway and before I could get to the shoulder, a warning light came on that there was low oil pressure, to stop the vehicle. Before I could safely get all the way to the shoulder, the car shut off and the engine ceased. From the time my vehicle started making noises, to it ceasing on that 4-degree weather day, was bout 6 seconds.
The mechanic states the engine is ceased and that it would be 7k for a used engine replacement or 10k for a remanufactured engined installed. For now, I have a 17k paper weight and I am not sure how I will financially recover from this.
Trying to find answers to my issue, I stumbled across your lawsuit against GM, Case No. 2:16-mCase 2:22-cv-10785-SDD-JJCG, and am curious as to where this case is at as of today.
If you could please provide me with an update, it would be greatly appreciated. Please let me know if joining this suit against GM would be possible. As much as, I have been an avid Chevrolet car enthusiast since the time I started driving, I am faced with a very hard decision on this vehicle that I just purchased less than a year ago.
Christopher
February 6, 2023 at 12:54 pmHi Cindy. This is not a lawsuit we have filed, but only reporting on it. With that said, my understanding is it’s still an active case. But sorry to hear about your engine problems. It’s costly and I’m sure unexpected. However, feel free to reach out to Hagens Berman law firm for additional questions and advice for your situation. Hope this helps.
Darin Sebastian
January 21, 2023 at 8:13 amOur 2017 Chevy Equinox 66,000 miles. blew the main rear seal, on Christmas Day. had the car towed Home and then Towed to the Dealership, Hoping that Gm would help us as the car is barely out of warranty and this is a known problem. Service manager said that Gm would not help so car is being repaired now so far at a cost of $2600.00 pending that there is no further engine damage done and no guarantee that this would not happen again.
Ken
January 17, 2023 at 10:54 amHad all the same problems who do I contact to cover this
Christopher
January 17, 2023 at 12:54 pmKen, this is currently an active lawsuit. You may try to contact your local dealership to see what they are willing to help with.
Don
January 6, 2023 at 6:36 pmWe have a 2016 Chevy Equinox with a 2.4 L engine that just blew the rear main seal due to a frozen PCV valve. Can Canadians register as part of this US class action? thx Don
Jim H
January 3, 2023 at 7:14 pmI own a 2016 Chevy Equinox 2.4L. I also had the same issue as many have posted. On December 21st, 2022 the temperature was about 5 degrees outside. The car was running normal and suddenly the rear main seal blew out causing catastrophic oil loss within seconds and the motor was making noise and died. Everything under the car was covered in oil. This is a very common cold weather PCV problem on the 2.4L engine from all the posts I’ve seen on the internet. I called my Chevy dealer , Bowman Chevrolet in Clarkston, Michigan and talked to Ray in service and he said there are no recalls on this issue and there is nothing Chevrolet will do for me, not even a discount on a new motor.
Mary
December 29, 2022 at 9:44 pmI have a 2012 Malibu with the same problems. Could this year be included also??
Bob
December 30, 2022 at 3:17 pmSame issue with my 2021 malibu. Pcv orifice on 1.5 turbo may have now caused a rear main seal to blow out. Was a $1650 fix for the orifice, now I’m looking at thousands to fix it. How is this not a recall yet?
Janelle
December 29, 2022 at 7:43 pmMy 2017 Equinox rear main seal just went in 18 degree temperature. I’m livid!
Nate Jones
December 29, 2022 at 6:46 pm2016 terrain. After noticing a pool of oil under my car, I took it to our mechanic and was told it was the PCV valve issue which caused the rear main seal to break. Intake manifold also needs to be replaced for a total of $2700. Not once was I informed by GMC about the possibility of this issue. I would think they would at least inform their customers of a possible issue and let them decide rather than cover it up and screw over customers. I’ve signed on to the class action lawsuit. I was also told to try to contact GM and submit the bill of repairs and ask for a reimbursement. Has anyone been successful with this or have any tips on what to include in the letter to get reimbursed?
Eric
December 29, 2022 at 11:26 amHave a 2017 Equinox. It needed a new transmission at 100k miles and the rear main seal just went after single digit temps. So far in repairs I’m at over 5k. Shouldn’t have purchased this vehicle.
Cindy M Rapert
February 10, 2023 at 9:56 pmReport to the national highway traffic and safety commission please! More complaints the more light can be shed on this huge safety issue with these vehicles! https://www.nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem?gclid=CjwKCAiArY2fBhB9EiwAWqHK6iJZsONb7meCPCcaLduot_DywzB-RCReaFQplIrNUIR5EWPclVGinRoCoSgQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds#index
Shar
December 3, 2022 at 9:59 amLast year the rear seal in our 2017 gmc gave out leaking oil everywhere spent thousands on mechanics figuring out the problem ended up being the pvc system.
Dalia Brito
November 29, 2022 at 3:42 pmOur 2013 Terrain is currently in the shop. Started with oil consumption, fuel inefficiency, timing chain problems, Reduced Engine Power, damaged PVC etc. etc.. we’ve spent thousands for repairs. How would I be able to join this potential class action lawsuits. Thank you.
John Brooks
October 21, 2022 at 11:43 amFor 12,000.00 Bought 2013 GMC Terrain 2.4 ecotech engine. Drove 6000 miles and jumped timing wrecked valves so needs an engine
C
Nathaniel
November 10, 2022 at 9:15 amI have been dealing with the same PCV value issue for a few years now and never knew there was an active suit for the issue. Does anyone know if it is to late to join the suit? If not what would the process be?
Christopher
November 11, 2022 at 10:14 amNathaniel this is an ongoing case, so you won’t need to do anything to be considered a part of a potential class action settlement. If this case settles, anyone who was affected would be able to claim compensation. But we do recommend adding your complaint so we have you on record and send you any important updates that pertain to this lawsuit. Hope this helps.
kurt sovine
December 9, 2022 at 11:17 amHow do you add your complaint to the lawsuit?
Christopher
December 14, 2022 at 7:30 amHi Kurt. You can add your complaint by following this link: Add your car complaint.
Cindy Rapert
February 8, 2023 at 7:43 amReport to the national highway traffic and safety commission please! More complaints the more light can be shed on this huge safety issue with these vehicles! https://www.nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem?gclid=CjwKCAiArY2fBhB9EiwAWqHK6iJZsONb7meCPCcaLduot_DywzB-RCReaFQplIrNUIR5EWPclVGinRoCoSgQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds#index
Greg Van De Grift
January 1, 2023 at 9:03 pmOur 2017 terrain is in shop now has blown rear main seal caused by plugged pvc. It has the 2.4 echo tech. Would have never purchased this vehicle had known about this issue.
Brandon
January 6, 2023 at 8:02 pm2017 terrain rear main sealon my wife’s vehicle went out a couple weeks ago. Well that’s when I noticed the fresh oil stain on the driveway. Pep boys gave me a $5200 estimate for repair. How do we join the class or is there a need? Who do I have my info to?
Christopher
January 8, 2023 at 8:12 amThere is nothing you need to do to join this lawsuit. However we recommend you add your complaint so when a settlement is announced, you receive an email alert. Add your complaint here.
Cindy Rapert
February 8, 2023 at 7:44 amReport to the national highway traffic and safety commission please! More complaints the more light can be shed on this huge safety issue with these vehicles! https://www.nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem?gclid=CjwKCAiArY2fBhB9EiwAWqHK6iJZsONb7meCPCcaLduot_DywzB-RCReaFQplIrNUIR5EWPclVGinRoCoSgQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds#index
Cindy Rapert
February 8, 2023 at 7:43 amReport to the national highway traffic and safety commission please! More complaints the more light can be shed on this huge safety issue with these vehicles! https://www.nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem?gclid=CjwKCAiArY2fBhB9EiwAWqHK6iJZsONb7meCPCcaLduot_DywzB-RCReaFQplIrNUIR5EWPclVGinRoCoSgQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds#index
Wayne w
January 20, 2023 at 9:41 amThis just happened to our 2016 GMC terrain with only 40,000 miles on the engine. What a piece of crap. They did a complete new rear main seal and then we had to take it to another mechanic which they cleaned out the upper intake with the whole thing the orifice and they also put a new cam cover which was full of sludge and did a complete engine clean out. Now we get less gas mileage it seems like it just eats the gas very fast. What a piece of crap. And GM doesn’t do anything about it it’s just horrible, GM products are crap anymore I will recommend to everybody I know and maybe even make a video I’m sure there’s lots of them on YouTube but one more won’t hurt to let everybody know about this problem and GM’s not taking care of it cuz it cost a total of almost $3,000 for the jobs out of our pocket. And again it’s using twice as much gas the gas gauge goes down real fast it really sucks
Cindy Rapert
February 8, 2023 at 7:42 amReport to the national highway traffic and safety commission please! More complaints the more light can be shed on this huge safety issue with these vehicles! https://www.nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem?gclid=CjwKCAiArY2fBhB9EiwAWqHK6iJZsONb7meCPCcaLduot_DywzB-RCReaFQplIrNUIR5EWPclVGinRoCoSgQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds#index