General Motors Ecotec Engine Problems: What You Should Know
What’s wrong with the General Motors Ecotec engine?
On 2020 and newer Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain SUVs, GM’s own recall and service documents describe 1.5 turbo engines that stall, won’t start or lose power, and a proposed class action filed in 2026 claims the engine’s brake vacuum pump can fail and make the brake pedal hard to press.
GM Ecotec Engine FAQ
Is your Ecotec using too much oil, stalling or leaking? The answers below explain what is wrong and which GM vehicles have this engine.
What’s Wrong With General Motors Ecotec Engine?
GM’s oil consumption guidelines for its cars and light trucks through the 2025 model year call one quart every 2,000 miles acceptable, under the driving and maintenance conditions the bulletin lists. If a test shows the engine uses more than that, the bulletin sends the technician on to repair diagnosis.
The same bulletin warns that running an engine below the minimum oil level can cause severe engine damage, and that those repairs aren’t covered by the new vehicle warranty. On 2025 and 2026 Equinox and Terrain models, GM also gave technicians tips for an oil leak at the left front of the vehicle, which it ties to a misaligned charge air cooler pipe.
GM’s technician bulletin on the 1.5 turbo in some 2020 to 2022 Equinox and Terrain models covers engines that won’t start, are slow to start or have a harder brake pedal. GM says a camshaft part can be out of position, and a broken engine vacuum pump is replaced along with the camshaft.
What GM Vehicles Have the Ecotec Engine?
A GM service bulletin places the Equinox’s 1.5 turbo, the same engine the Terrain uses, in its Ecotec engine family. The EPA lists a 1.5 turbo for every gas 2020 to 2026 Equinox and Terrain, plus a 2.0 turbo option in 2020, and no 2.4 Ecotec in those years.
GM recalled some 2021 and 2022 Equinox and some 2022 Terrain models because the fuel pump module can deliver too little fuel, which can make the engine stall, and the dealer fix is a new module, free of charge. For some 2023 and 2024 Equinox and some 2023 Terrain models, a GM service update replaces the high-pressure fuel pump while the emissions warranty is still in effect.
If your 2020 or newer Equinox or Terrain keeps having engine problems after repairs, you could have grounds for an individual lemon law claim.
What Are My California Lemon Law Rights for a GM Ecotec Engine?
If you live in California, bought or leased your vehicle from a licensed California dealership with GM’s new vehicle warranty, and your vehicle keeps having problems, Lemon Law Help may be able to help with a lemon law claim for your Equinox or Terrain Ecotec engine problems.
Under the California Lemon Law, the warranty must cover the defect, and the defect must substantially impair your SUV’s use, value or safety. GM or its authorized repair facility must also have been unable to fix it after a reasonable number of attempts. The law sets no fixed count, so the facts of your SUV’s repair history decide it.
When the law applies, GM must either buy back your SUV or give you a replacement, and you, not GM, can choose the buyback. If you go forward with a case, we represent you at no cost, and we seek cash compensation, a replacement vehicle or a buyback.
Lemon Law Help works only in California. We help California residents who bought or leased a defective model year 2020 or newer vehicle from a licensed California dealer. We cannot help people outside California, unless they are active-duty military.
Get help today from Lemon Law Help.
How Do I Opt Out of a GM Ecotec Class Action Lawsuit?
A proposed class action filed in February 2026 says the engine-driven brake vacuum pump on some Equinox and Terrain models, including 2020 to 2022 models in its first complaint, can fail and leave the brake pedal very hard to press. As of late October 2026, the case is still open and no class has been certified, so there is no opt-out deadline yet. If a class is certified, the court’s notice will give the deadline for asking to be excluded, which keeps your right to bring your own lemon law claim.
Contact a California lemon law attorney about your individual right to pursue a lemon law claim.
