If you own a GMC Terrain and are looking for a GMC Terrain class action lawsuit to join, what’s available depends entirely on your model year. Two cases are active right now: one over fuel pump failures in 2020–2024 Terrain and Equinox SUVs, and one over excessive oil consumption in 2014–2017 models. An earlier settlement covering 2010–2013 Terrains closed in 2019, and the special coverage programs it created have all expired.
Active Fuel Pump Class Action for 2020–2024 Terrain and Equinox
The newest case is Kerr et al. v. General Motors LLC, filed in May 2024 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware by Capstone Law APC. It covers 2020–2024 GMC Terrain and Chevrolet Equinox vehicles and centers on fuel pump modules that can fail to maintain consistent fuel pressure, causing the engine to stall.
The lawsuit grew out of a March 2023 NHTSA recall (campaign 23V013, GM recall number N222372310) that covered 2021–2022 Equinox and 2022 Terrain vehicles with defective ACDelco fuel pumps. Under that recall, dealers replace the fuel pump module at no charge. The plaintiffs allege the replacement parts share the same design flaw, making the recall, in the words of the complaint, “meaningless.”
Named plaintiffs Greg and Twila Kerr of Florida own a 2021 Equinox and say a dealership told them nothing could be done until their vehicle “completely died,” so they replaced the fuel pump themselves. Robert Knowles of Texas owns a 2023 Terrain and alleges the dealership confirmed the fuel pump issue but failed to resolve it. Out-of-warranty replacement runs roughly $1,200 to $2,000. The lawsuit accuses GM of knowing about the defect before selling the vehicles and passing repeat repair costs to owners.
As of mid-2025, the case was still active. GM has moved to dismiss, arguing plaintiffs lack standing, that state laws vary too widely to support a nationwide class, and that some vehicles are out of warranty or have already been repaired individually. The court has not ruled on class certification. No settlement has been reached, and discovery is ongoing. If you own a 2020–2024 Terrain with fuel pump problems, this is the case to watch.
Active Oil Consumption Class Action for 2014–2017 Models
Owners of 2014–2017 Terrains with the 2.4-liter Ecotec engine are covered by Buchholz et al. v. General Motors LLC, filed in January 2023 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri by plaintiff Rachel Buchholz.
The suit alleges the same core defect at issue in earlier litigation: low-tension oil rings that fail to seal the combustion chamber, causing engines to burn oil at excessive rates. Reported symptoms include engine knock, stalling, sudden power loss, and in some cases engine fires. GM has never recalled these model years for oil consumption, and it did not extend the special coverage adjustments given to earlier Terrains.
The complaint alleges violations of the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act. In August 2023, a Missouri federal judge denied GM’s motion to dismiss, finding the plaintiffs had alleged enough facts to proceed. The case remains pending, with no class certification ruling or settlement yet announced.
One note on timing: the law firm Williams Dirks Dameron, which had separately pursued 2014–2017 Equinox and Terrain claims, announced it was no longer taking those cases and warned owners that the statute of limitations was running.
The 2010–2013 Settlement Is Closed
If you own a 2010–2013 Terrain, the class action route is effectively over. Berman et al. v. General Motors, LLC, which consolidated with Hindsman v. General Motors and Sanchez v. General Motors in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, received final approval from Judge Robin L. Rosenberg on November 19, 2019. The settlement was valued at $40 million to $45 million and covered 2010–2013 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain SUVs with the 2.4-liter Ecotec engine.
The settlement required GM to run Special Coverage Adjustment programs paying for piston assembly replacement, and after the court pushed back, GM expanded the deal to cover “any and all repairs for damage caused by the oil consumption defect, including the cost of engine replacement.” The coverage terms varied by model year:
- 2010 models (SCA 14159): 10 years or 120,000 miles from initial sale.
- 2011 models (SCA 15285): 7 years and 6 months or 120,000 miles.
- 2012 models (SCA 16118): same terms as 2011.
- 2013 models: a new SCA on the same 7.5-year/120,000-mile terms, for vehicles built before a May 2013 production change.
Class members who had already paid out of pocket for qualifying piston assembly repairs could seek reimbursement if they met the time and mileage limits and hadn’t already been reimbursed. The court approved $3.5 million in attorney fees. GM denied wrongdoing.
All of the SCAs have since lapsed. The coverage windows, running 7.5 or 10 years from first sale, closed before 2026, and some reimbursement claim deadlines ended as early as May 2018. There is no open claims process to enter.
Canadian Owners
Canadian Terrain owners were not included in the U.S. settlement, and no Canadian recall was issued for the oil consumption defect. In September 2020, plaintiff Michael Bell filed a proposed class action in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice (Case No. CV-20-00001443-00CP) against General Motors of Canada Company and General Motors, LLC. It covers 2010–2017 GMC Terrain and Chevrolet Equinox models along with other GM vehicles using the 2.4-liter Ecotec or 5.3-liter V8 Vortec engines. The claim seeks $100 million in general and special damages plus $25 million in punitive damages. Under Ontario rules, the case faced automatic dismissal if not set down for trial within five years of filing, a deadline falling in September 2025. The Consumer Law Group has separately described an ongoing investigation into a Canada-wide class action for the same defect.
Other Terrain Recalls
Two other recalls sometimes come up alongside these lawsuits but are separate matters. NHTSA ordered a recall of roughly 726,959 GMC Terrain SUVs from the 2010–2017 model years after finding the headlights were more than three times brighter than federal safety standards allowed. GM petitioned for an exemption in 2019; NHTSA denied it in March 2022. A smaller December 2023 recall affected 265 units of the 2024 Terrain for door strikers that could fracture and allow a door to open while the vehicle was moving. Neither is part of the current class action litigation.