2010 GMC Terrain oil use

lecineg

Wife has a 2010 GMC Terrain with approx 26k miles, and the 4cyl eng.Car uses 1 qt of oil every 1k-1.5k miles. Seems excessive to me. She is being told by the dealership (laugh) that it is normal. Anyone else with this vehicle having the same issue.

circuitsmith

Yes, it's normal.
Every Owner's Manual I've seen says 1 qt every 600-1000 miles is OK.
Certain brands like Saturn and Audi have a reputation of burning as much oil as your wife's when brand new.
Did she buy it new? Did she follow instructions for break-in?

vln123

I've never had a car that burned oil, I personally would get rid of that car fast. Burning oil is never normal, even though the dealerships think it is.

oldtimer 11

It is not the dealerships that do that , it is the manufacturers. My 2012 Toyota Camry's owners manual claims that oil usage is normal if it doesn't exceed 500 miles per quart. Fortunately it doesn't show any signs of burning oil.

gsragtop

You have what's known as a loose motor, some say it will last longer then a tight motor. I don't know about that, but what others have said is right the manufacturer not the dealership sets the rules on oil burning, because they have to pay to fix it. You still have lots of warranty left, so keep an eye on it and if it gets worse make sure the dealership knows. Also document the oil loss with the dealership starting now so you have proof this is a long term issue.

UncleTurbo

Try different brands of oil (not a different weight) and see if there is a difference. Some brands of oil burn off at a faster rate than others. The amount of oil burn off per 1000K miles seems high even if GM says it is within their "normal" limits. See if a different brand oil works and lasts better in your car.

Triedaq

Uncle Turbo gave you good advice on trying a different brand of oil. Sometimes this makes a difference. My brother bought a used 1977 Cadillac back in the early 1980s. It used a quart of oil every 900 miles. 150,000 miles later, it still used a quart of oil every 900 miles. Some engines use a little oil. To me, a quart every 1000 to 1500 miles is not excessive. My first car, a used 1947 Pontiac that cost me $75, used a quart of oil about every 300 miles. To me, it would have great to have only used a quart every 1000 miles.

ok4450

How often do you change the oil, both as to miles and time? With 26k miles and approx. 2.5 years of age it's possible this could be caused by oil sludging or coking if the oil has only been changed once or twice.

Are you following a dashboard OLM in regards to oil changes and so on?

vln123

Sorry, I meant manufacturer as well. Still, oil burning is very annoying. I would find it troublesome as well.