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A class action lawsuit claims that more than a dozen GM vehicles possess a defective transmission that causes them to shake when when shifting gears, and can cause the transmission to fail prematurely.
The GM transmission shake class action lawsuit was filed by Dennis Duffy, Richard Sullivan, Daniel Baptist, Dennis Speerly, Michael Plafker, John Iasiello, and Benjy Tompkins, who say they all drive GM vehicles manufactured between 2015 and 2018.
The vehicles listed in the GM class action include the 2015-2019 Chevrolet Silverado; 2017-2019 Chevrolet Colorado; 2015-2019 Chevrolet Corvette; 2016-2019 Chevrolet Camaro; 2015-2019 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV; 2016-2019 Cadillac ATS, ATS-V, CTS, CT6, and CTS-V; 2015-2019 GMC Sierra, Yukon, and Yukon XL, and Yukon Denali XL; and the 2017-2019 GMC Canyon.
Allegedly, each of these vehicles are equipped with one of two models of eight-speed automatic transmissions, both manufactured by GM: the GM 8L90 or 8L45.
The GM class action states that while the vehicles are being driven, if a driver attempts to accelerate or decelerate, their vehicles hesitate then “shake, shudder, jerk, clunk, or ‘hard shift’” when the transmission changes gears.
The GM shake class action lawsuit says this shaking also happens when the vehicles accelerate in one gear, and not just when they shift gears.
Allegedly, this defect makes the vehicles uncomfortable to drive, and can be so violent that the driver thinks they have been hit and can cause them to lose control of the vehicle.
The GM shake class action lawsuit notes that “one purchaser reported that the transmission shifted from ‘reverse’ to ‘drive’ so harshly that he almost drove through his garage door.”
Additionally, the GM transmission defect class action lawsuit asserts that the defect can cause the transmissions to fail prematurely. Allegedly, the shaking and jerking is caused by internal issues in the transmission and/or torque converter.
This internal problem reportedly causes friction on surfaces, hydraulic systems, and gears, preventing the system from functioning properly and causing metal shavings to be circulated throughout the transmission.
The GM transmission class action lawsuit says this defect, and the metal shavings circulating, causes damages to the transmission over time and requires components to be replaced.
The drivers argue that GM is aware of the defect but failed to notify consumers. Allegedly, GM’s actions and the defect caused financial injury to consumers, who say that had they known their vehicles were defective, they would not have purchased it or would not have paid as much as they did for it.
Supporting their claim that GM is aware of the defect, the drivers note that GM has issued 13 versions of a “technical service bulletin” related to the shifting transmission problem since 2015.
Allegedly, these bulletins were designed to inform dealerships of the problems, and advising them how to deal with the issue. However, the plaintiffs say GM has not implemented a solution to the problem and has not compensated drivers.
The plaintiffs further note that GM has not informed customers of the problem and instead misleads them into believing that the vehicles are functional and free of defects.
The GM drivers are represented by Theodore J. Leopold, Andrew N. Friedman, Douglas J. McNamara, and Julia A. Horowitz of Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC; and by Robert Gordon and Steven Calamusa of Gordon & Partners PA.
The GM Transmission Defect Class Action Lawsuit is Dennis Duffy, et al. v. General Motors Inc., Case No. 2:19-cv-11875-AC-MKM, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
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78 thoughts onGM Class Action Alleges Transmission ‘Shake’ Defect
I purchased a 2015 Escalade used. I drove it a short distance and noticed nothing. They provided me with a car fax listing everything that had been done to it. I purchased this car 2.5 hours away from my home. I went home and few days later went back and purchased. I drove it two hours home and noticed an issue. It had a few hundred miles left on the warranty. I took it to my local dealer and they replaced motor mounts. Still issues and went out of warranty. I decided to buy a car fax myself and found the dealer left a page out that showed multiple complaints about the transmission and they replaced the torque converter once and still issues. Now my local dealer want $4000 to fix a car I’ve had less than a year I paid over $45,000 on. I want some satisfaction on this issue and will do whatever it takes to be part of this class action suit.
Mine is the same with a 2016 Cadillac Escalade. My car shifted so hard one time, my husband thought we were either hit or the rear end fell out…no joke. What can we do? My car is still under original manufacturers warranty.
I just bought a 2019 Silverado one trip from Michigan to Florida and know my transmission slams into second gear and go says it’s normal.
My 2015 Escalade started shaking at various speeds. Prior to me knowing about the class action lawsuit brought against GM, I took my Escalade to the dealership to have the issue looked at. To keep a long story short, I was basically told to buy another vehicle. At no time did the service tech advise me of the problems that my model vehicle was having. I found that to be very dishonest and misleading. Especially, since my $100k vehicle has only 73,000 miles.
Had to have something done to the transfer case after 16 months of Service four wheel drive coming on and the dealership I bought my 2017 Colorado from saying there was nothing wrong with it. Took it to a different dealership and they found the problem in a week.
Last October my transmission went out on my 2016 Chevrolet Silverado. The transmission cost me $3150.00 to get fixed due to the hard shifts. My mechanic showed me the Torque converter and it was shredded to chunks not to mentionthe other components. Anyways after the fix I didn’t even get 3000 miles and it done it once again only I was still under mechanics warranty. Since the repair it’s started doing the same violent jerks with the loud thump sound, so it’s only a matter of time until it’ll be back in the shop. CHEVROLET will definitely have to make it right or I’ll never buy another CHEVROLET
Same issue with steering wheel shuddering. I have brought my 2017 GMC Sierra SLT in to the dealership 3 times for hard shifting, shuddering and lunging. So far I have had the transmission fluid changed, torque converter changed, then the transmission fluid changed again, replacing it with a different type. Each time the steering wheel has stopped shuddering for a few months, but the hard shifting continues. Some of the problems have lessened in severity this time, but it has only been a few weeks. As I said the hard shifting and hesitation then jumping or lunging remain an issue. Southern Louisiana.
Same problem with my 2017 Camaro. Already had the transmission fluid changed at dealership, but that didn’t fix the problem. Is this an open class action to join?
Same here! sometimes it is like it has a mind of its own! I now have to park where there is nothing around me because I am afraid that when i shift into drive or reverse i will hit someting.
My2017 Chevy Silverado clunk hard on down shift and forward shift some times