The Lemon Index
The 3.6 L V6, direct injection in the GMC Acadia, Chevrolet Traverse, Cadillac SRX, Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Impala, Chevrolet Colorado, Chevrolet Camaro, GMC Canyon and Cadillac CTS, model years 2009–2023. Owners filed 14,214 complaints about cars with it (matched by VIN); 14% name the engine, #27 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):
- Timing chain stretch. 418 of 14,214 owner complaints (2.9%) mention the timing chain, against a median of 0.1% for the other 38 everyday engines we track.
There was a recall for gmc premature timing chain engine recall. This recall was complete in 2011 but it did not fix the problem. The timing chain keeps breaking off the cam shaft sensor and needs to be replaced.
2009 owner · NHTSA complaint 11672573
What YouTube owners say Tone 0-100, higher = more praise than trouble.
Average owner tone 39/100 across 9 model years, from 139 videos about this engine and its cars (#151 of 165 engines with a YouTube study).
Most-watched videos
- Review: 2016 Chevrolet Camaro V6 RS 1,212,939 views
- Things Camaro V6 Owners Say 865,383 views
- Review: 2010 Chevrolet Camaro RS V6 824,244 views
- '11 Buick Enclave: Won't Stay Running - No Codes - 3rd Shop To Look At It 823,195 views
- This Acadia Repair Exposes What's Wrong With Other Mechanics 681,880 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.
- GMC Acadia200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023
- Chevrolet Camaro201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021
- Buick Enclave200920102011201220132014201520162017
- Chevrolet Impala201220132014201520162017201820192020
- Chevrolet Traverse200920102011201220132014201520162017
- Cadillac CTS20102011201220132014201520172019
- Cadillac SRX20122013201420152016
- Chevrolet Colorado20152016
- GMC Canyon20152016
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| GMC Acadia | 2009–23 | 3,589 | 14% |
| Chevrolet Traverse | 2009–17 | 3,357 | 22% |
| Cadillac SRX | 2012–16 | 1,692 | 3% |
| Buick Enclave | 2009–17 | 1,527 | 14% |
| Chevrolet Impala | 2012–20 | 1,441 | 10% |
| Chevrolet Colorado | 2015–16 | 992 | 5% |
| Chevrolet Camaro | 2010–21 | 955 | 20% |
| GMC Canyon | 2015–16 | 484 | 5% |
| Cadillac CTS | 2010–19 | 177 | 8% |
“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 | 2,007 | 14% | 13% |
| Mention the timing chain | 418 | 2.9% | 0.1% |
| Mention fire, flames or smoke | 319 | 2.2% | 3.2% |
| Say the engine knocked, seized or failed | 281 | 2.0% | 2.9% |
| Mention coolant loss or overheating | 151 | 1.1% | 1.2% |
| Mention the water pump | 77 | 0.5% | 0.2% |
| Mention a misfire | 76 | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Mention a spark plug | 40 | 0.3% | 0.5% |
| Mention a lifter, rocker or ticking | 34 | 0.2% | 0.3% |
| Mention an oil leak | 29 | 0.2% | 0.6% |
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 35,000 and 90,000 miles; the middle report was at 60,000 miles (8,320 complaints with a mileage).
Recalls that name this engine 1
14V212000 Apr 2014 Power Train SRX 2013
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013 Cadillac SRX vehicles manufactured May 29, 2012, through June 26, 2013, and equipped with 3.6L engines. In the affected vehicles, in certain driving situations, there may be a three to four second lag in acceleration due to the transmission control module (TCM) programming.
Fix. GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the transmission control module, free of charge. The recall began on June 3, 2014. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. General Motors' number for this recall is 14132.
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
Stabilitrak, and Power Steering Nearly died? It hasn't it keeps happening randomly, and the mechanic cannot reproduce it. They have checked my battery, and other systems and cant tell whats wrong. Nothing prior to failure
2016 owner · NHTSA complaint 11777000
* DTC PO128: Engine Coolant Temperature Belowâ¨Thermostat Regulating Temperature * "Steering Assist Is Reduced - Drive With Care" displayed while driving * AC not functioning properly * Engine temperature gauge pinned at "Cold" * Cooling fans continue to run after shutdown
2019 owner · NHTSA complaint 11776559
When I slow to make a turn the car will shut off and I have to struggle with the steering wheel to avoid crashing into someone or aomething
2013 owner · NHTSA complaint 11775559
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 3.6 V6 (LLT / LFX / LGX) reliable?
No one reports sales by engine, so there's no per-car score. Of the 14,214 complaints owners filed about cars with it, 14% name the engine, #27 of the 39 everyday engines we track (1 = the most). 418 (2.9%) mention the timing chain, against 0.1% for the other engines.
What cars have the GM 3.6 V6 (LLT / LFX / LGX)?
In our data: the GMC Acadia, Chevrolet Traverse, Cadillac SRX, Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Impala, Chevrolet Colorado, Chevrolet Camaro, GMC Canyon and Cadillac CTS, model years 2009–2023, matched by the VIN in each owner complaint.
What are the most common 3.6 V6 problems?
In owner complaints to the government: steering, airbags, electrical.
How many recalls name the 3.6 V6?
1 NHTSA recall on these cars names 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.