— A GM transmission lawsuit alleges Hydra-Matic 8-speed 8L45 and 8L90 automatic transmissions hesitate, jerk, surge and lurch.
According to the class action lawsuit, the jerking, hesitation, surging and lurching are safety hazards because they affect the vehicle’s speed, acceleration and deceleration.
General Motors allegedly concealed the transmission defects that cause owners to complain about harsh shifts in lower gears in these vehicles.
- 2019-2022 Chevrolet Camaro
- 2019-2022 Chevrolet Colorado
- 2019-2022 Chevrolet Silverado
- 2019 Chevrolet Corvette
- 2019 Cadillac ATS
- 2019 Cadillac ATS-V
- 2019 Cadillac CTS
- 2019 Cadillac CT6
- 2019 Cadillac CTS-V
- 2019-2022 GMC Canyon
- 2019-2022 GMC Sierra
The lawsuit says the model year 2019 vehicles include only those purchased after March 1, 2019.
The GM transmission lawsuit alleges the automaker cannot fix the 8-speed problems and only a planned major redesign in 2023 models will help. The plaintiffs also claim the automaker has known about the alleged transmission problems since 2013 but has "deliberately" not admitted it to the plaintiffs or consumers.
According to the lawsuit, the 8-speed transmission is covered by an express warranty:
“The warranty covers repairs to correct any vehicle defect, not slight noise, vibrations, or other normal characteristics of the vehicle due to materials or workmanship occurring during the warranty period.”
GM’s warranty covers all defects except for “slight noise, vibrations, or other normal characteristics of the vehicle due to materials or workmanship occurring during the warranty period.”
The plaintiffs argue the transmission problems don't fall into the excluded categories, but when General Motors customers bring their vehicles to dealerships for repair, customers are typically told the 8-speed transmissions are working normally.
The transmission lawsuit also alleges dealers may replace transmissions or other components with equally defective parts.
GM allegedly knows anything dealers do won't help the transmissions, and at one point GM allegedly "considered a service proposal for Class Vehicles to include valve body replacements on the 8L transmissions at $1,250."
The GM transmission lawsuit also alleges a technical service bulletin (TSB) from August 2020 related to harsh first shifts told dealer technicians, “[r]eplacing transmission components or complete assemblies will not improve the condition.”
According to the 8-speed class action, GM hasn't recalled the vehicles even though customers have overpaid for their defective vehicles.
The GM transmission class action lawsuit was filed by these customers:
- Matthew Battle / Georgia / 2020 GMC Canyon
- Juan Castaneda / California / 2021 GMC Canyon
- David Figueroa / New Jersey / 2021 GMC Canyon
- Walter and Janice Helms / Washington / 2021 GMC Sierra 1500
- Robert Gribble / Illinois / 2021 Chevrolet Silverado
The GM transmission lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan: Battle, et al., v. General Motors, LLC.
The plaintiffs are represented by Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC, Gordon & Partners, P.A., Berger Montague PC, Capstone Law APC, The Miller Law Firm, P.C., Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP, Keller Rohrback L.L.P., and Pitt, McGehee, Palmer & Rivers, P.C.
