The Lemon Index
The 2.4 L inline-4, direct injection in the Chevrolet Equinox, GMC Terrain, Buick Regal and Buick LaCrosse, model years 2010–2017. Owners filed 6,096 complaints about cars with it (matched by VIN); 51% name the engine, #4 of the 39 everyday engines we track (1 = the most).
Known issues, checked against owner complaints
Problems owners of cars with this engine name much more often than owners of the other 38 everyday engines we track (at least 1.5× the median, and 10+ complaints):
- Oil consumption (piston rings). 1,079 of 6,096 owner complaints (18%) mention burning or losing oil, against a median of 0.5% for the other 38 everyday engines we track.
Oil consumption, took to dealer and dealer replaced parts with manufacturers replacement parts, 1 and a half year later oil consumption happened again, dealer checked 2nd time and said manufacturer will not cover 2nd time for same issue.
2014 owner · NHTSA complaint 11756787 - The timing chain. 519 of 6,096 owner complaints (8.5%) mention the timing chain, against a median of 0.1% for the other 38 everyday engines we track.
Timing Chain driving, clanging noise while driving on I-475 expressway near Perrysburg exit
2017 owner · NHTSA complaint 11769667
What YouTube owners say Tone 0-100, higher = more praise than trouble.
Average owner tone 34/100 across 8 model years, from 95 videos about this engine and its cars (#163 of 165 engines with a YouTube study).
Most-watched videos
- GMC Terrain 2.4 Clogged PCV | Oil cap pressure REPAIRED 347,765 views
- Equinox / Terrain 2.4L ECOTEC Blown Motor Teardown! What Happens When You Run These Low On Oil? 344,196 views
- Chevy Equinox/GMC Terrain 2.4L PCV Cleaning 339,329 views
Counted from video titles and captions: praise words against trouble words, weighted by views. Videos only count when the title names this engine or a car that had only this engine in those years.
Cars with this engine Tap a year for that car's full report.
- Chevrolet Equinox20102011201220132014201520162017
- GMC Terrain20102011201220132014201520162017
- Buick LaCrosse2011
- Buick Regal2011
Model years from NHTSA VIN decoding of owner complaints. Only years we have a car page for.
Owner complaints by model year
Counts of complaints filed so far. Older cars have had longer to collect them, and popular cars draw more because more were sold: no one reports sales by engine, so there's no per-car rate. Compare the shares below instead.
By car
| Car | Model years matched | Complaints | Name the engine |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chevrolet Equinox | 2010–17 | 4,183 | 51% |
| GMC Terrain | 2010–17 | 1,715 | 52% |
| Buick Regal | 2011 | 175 | 45% |
| Buick LaCrosse | 2011 | 23 | 30% |
“Name the engine” = the share of that car's VIN-matched complaints that list the engine as a problem area.
What owners complain about
Share of this engine's complaints that name each area (one complaint can name several).
What owners write
| Complaints that | Count | Share | Median, other everyday engines |
|---|---|---|---|
| Say the engine stalled, shut off or lost power | 1,308 | 21% | 13% |
| Mention burning or losing oil | 1,079 | 18% | 0.5% |
| Mention the timing chain | 519 | 8.5% | 0.1% |
| Say the engine knocked, seized or failed | 488 | 8.0% | 2.7% |
| Mention an oil leak | 235 | 3.9% | 0.5% |
| Mention fire, flames or smoke | 186 | 3.1% | 3.2% |
| Mention a lifter, rocker or ticking | 81 | 1.3% | 0.3% |
| Mention coolant loss or overheating | 53 | 0.9% | 1.2% |
| Mention a misfire | 43 | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Mention a spark plug | 35 | 0.6% | 0.5% |
Counted from the owner's own words in each complaint (all of the car, not only the engine). A share, not a failure rate.
When problems show up
Half of the owners who gave a mileage reported the problem between 50,500 and 106,400 miles; the middle report was at 80,000 miles (4,041 complaints with a mileage).
Recalls that name this engine 0
No NHTSA recall on these cars and years names this engine.
NHTSA recalls on these cars and model years whose text names this engine (its size or name). The rest (brakes, air bags, wiring ...) are on each car year's page.
In owners' words
On 10/1/26 I was in an accident where the entire front of the car was pushed in. The air bags did not employ, which resulted in me hitting my ribs on the steering wheel
2016 owner · NHTSA complaint 11772027
Timing Chain driving, clanging noise while driving on I-475 expressway near Perrysburg exit
2017 owner · NHTSA complaint 11769667
I have replaced the fuel pump on this vehicle three times. The last time was done the first week of August. It’s the first week of October and it’s going out again.
2017 owner · NHTSA complaint 11768687
Against the other everyday engines
| Engine | Years | Complaints | Name the engine | Stalled or lost power | Burning oil | Recalls naming it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.5 EcoBoost | 2014–25 | 5,622 | 66% | 15% | 0.2% | 2 |
| 6.2 V8 (Gen V) | 2014–25 | 7,219 | 65% | 24% | 2.2% | 2 |
| 2.4 Theta II | 2010–22 | 21,551 | 51% | 20% | 8.1% | 8 |
| 2.4 Ecotec | 2010–17 | 6,096 | 51% | 21% | 18% | 0 |
| 3.0 EcoDiesel | 2014–23 | 2,871 | 50% | 24% | 0.2% | 7 |
| 3.3 Lambda II | 2013–21 | 3,254 | 50% | 17% | 5.9% | 2 |
| 2.0 EcoBoost | 2012–25 | 9,735 | 48% | 12% | 0.1% | 0 |
| 2.0T Theta II | 2011–22 | 3,325 | 44% | 18% | 4.8% | 2 |
| 1.4 Turbo | 2011–22 | 3,926 | 39% | 17% | 0.9% | 2 |
| 2.4 Tigershark | 2014–22 | 9,631 | 35% | 34% | 4.5% | 5 |
| 1.5 Turbo | 2016–25 | 4,471 | 33% | 27% | 0.3% | 1 |
| EA888 2.0T | 2009–25 | 7,443 | 29% | 16% | 3.7% | 5 |
| A25A | 2018–25 | 2,979 | 26% | 12% | under 0.1% | 1 |
| 1.5 Turbo | 2017–22 | 6,390 | 26% | 14% | 0.2% | 0 |
| J35 V6 | 2003–25 | 24,038 | 24% | 14% | 0.9% | 4 |
| Skyactiv-G 2.5 | 2014–25 | 2,631 | 22% | 11% | 2.7% | 1 |
| 2.7 Turbo | 2019–25 | 1,090 | 22% | 12% | 0.5% | 0 |
| 2AZ-FE | 2001–09 | 7,176 | 22% | 3.7% | 8.6% | 0 |
| 5.4 Triton | 2005–14 | 3,952 | 21% | 15% | 0.1% | 3 |
| 5.7 HEMI | 2003–24 | 23,895 | 19% | 23% | 0.1% | 6 |
| QR25DE | 2002–20 | 16,161 | 19% | 14% | 1.5% | 4 |
| 5.3 V8 (Gen V) | 2014–25 | 13,191 | 18% | 13% | 0.5% | 3 |
| 3.6 Pentastar | 2011–25 | 34,634 | 18% | 16% | 0.4% | 9 |
| 2.3 EcoBoost | 2015–25 | 3,975 | 16% | 9.9% | 0.1% | 12 |
| 3.8 Lambda II | 2020–25 | 4,423 | 16% | 8.0% | 5.6% | 0 |
| FB20 | 2012–25 | 2,336 | 15% | 8.2% | 1.7% | 0 |
| 3.6 V6 | 2009–23 | 14,214 | 14% | 14% | 0.1% | 1 |
| K24 | 2002–19 | 15,062 | 14% | 5.1% | 1.6% | 0 |
| 2GR-FKS | 2016–24 | 3,758 | 12% | 11% | 0.2% | 2 |
| 3.5 Cyclone V6 | 2007–19 | 21,313 | 12% | 11% | 0.1% | 0 |
| VQ35 V6 | 2002–25 | 12,613 | 12% | 11% | 0.2% | 1 |
| 3UR-FE | 2007–21 | 1,377 | 12% | 8.8% | 0.4% | 0 |
| FB25 | 2011–25 | 9,853 | 11% | 6.2% | 1.5% | 0 |
| 2AR-FE | 2009–18 | 4,673 | 11% | 6.6% | 1.3% | 1 |
| 2GR-FE | 2005–18 | 8,680 | 10% | 3.5% | 0.3% | 0 |
| 3.8 V6 | 2007–11 | 7,877 | 9% | 17% | 0.5% | 0 |
| 5.3 V8 (Gen IV) | 2007–14 | 9,241 | 8% | 4.5% | 1.3% | 0 |
| 1GR-FE | 2003–24 | 5,757 | 7% | 4.0% | under 0.1% | 0 |
| 4.8 V8 | 2007–13 | 726 | 6% | 4.8% | 0.1% | 0 |
Shares of each engine's own complaints, matched by VIN. They show what owners complain about, not how often engines break.
Quick answers
Is the GM 2.4 Ecotec (LAF / LEA) reliable?
No one reports sales by engine, so there's no per-car score. Of the 6,096 complaints owners filed about cars with it, 51% name the engine, #4 of the 39 everyday engines we track (1 = the most). 1,079 (18%) mention burning or losing oil, against 0.5% for the other engines. 519 (8.5%) mention the timing chain, against 0.1% for the other engines.
What cars have the GM 2.4 Ecotec (LAF / LEA)?
In our data: the Chevrolet Equinox, GMC Terrain, Buick Regal and Buick LaCrosse, model years 2010–2017, matched by the VIN in each owner complaint.
What are the most common 2.4 Ecotec problems?
In owner complaints to the government: engine, wipers & visibility, transmission & drivetrain.
How many recalls name the 2.4 Ecotec?
0 NHTSA recalls on these cars name it.
Complaints: NHTSA owner complaints filed under each car's own NHTSA names (the same ones its car pages count), all years filed, one per complaint number. Engine: decoded from the complaint's VIN with NHTSA's vPIC decoder (displacement, cylinders, engine model, turbo, hybrid) and the engine maker's model years; a VIN that doesn't decode to exactly one engine is left out. Older cars have had more years to collect complaints, and popular cars draw more because more were sold. Source: NHTSA owner complaints (FLAT_CMPL + COMPLAINTS_RECEIVED_2025-2026), received through 20261111; engines: NHTSA vPIC VIN decoder (batch); NHTSA recalls API. Engine names and model years: GM.