GM’s 3.6L HFV6 engines (LY7, LLT, LFX, LF1, LWR) are known for timing chain stretch, leading to cam/crank correlation codes (P0008, P0009, P0016, P0017) and expensive repairs. Low oil change intervals and oiling system sensitivity accelerate wear.
| Ref ID | Year(s) | Make | Model | Should Purchase? | Reason | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 2008 2009 | Chevrolet | Equinox, Malibu | Not Suggested | Timing chain stretch; cam/crank correlation faults |
Engine: 3.6L HFV6 RPO: LY7 Early design with high chain wear rate |
|
| 2007 2008 2009 | GMC | Acadia | Not Suggested | Chain stretch leads to drivability issues |
Engine: 3.6L HFV6 RPO: LY7 Sensitive to oil change intervals |
|
| 2007 2008 2009 | Buick | Enclave | Not Suggested | Frequent P0008/P0009 codes |
Engine: 3.6L HFV6 RPO: LY7 Often requires full timing set replacement |
|
| 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 | Chevrolet | Traverse, Camaro | Not Suggested | DI version still prone to chain stretch |
Engine: 3.6L HFV6 DI RPO: LLT High soot → oil contamination → chain wear |
|
| 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 | GMC | Acadia | Not Suggested | Chain stretch causes cam/crank sync errors |
Engine: 3.6L HFV6 DI RPO: LLT Expensive repair ($2,000–$3,500) |
|
| 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 | Buick | Enclave | Not Suggested | Same LLT timing chain defect |
Engine: 3.6L HFV6 DI RPO: LLT Requires full timing set replacement |
|
| 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 | Chevrolet | Impala, Equinox | Not Suggested | Improved but still chain stretch prone |
Engine: 3.6L HFV6 RPO: LFX Better than LLT but still problematic |
|
| 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 | GMC | Terrain | Not Suggested | Chain stretch + oiling sensitivity |
Engine: 3.6L HFV6 RPO: LFX Still produces P0008/P0009 codes |
|
| 2010 2011 2012 | Chevrolet | Traverse | Not Suggested | Chain stretch common on early DI engines |
Engine: 3.6L HFV6 RPO: LF1 Same timing chain defect as LLT |
|
| 2010 2011 2012 | GMC | Acadia | Not Suggested | Chain stretch → cam/crank sync errors |
Engine: 3.6L HFV6 RPO: LWR Requires full timing set replacement |
GM’s 3.6L HFV6 engines (LY7, LLT, LFX, LF1, LWR) from 2007–2017 are widely known for timing chain stretch, cam/crank correlation codes, and expensive repairs. These engines are highly sensitive to oil change intervals, and many require full timing set replacement well before 150k miles.