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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 have been having issues with the shudder vibration since last year.I did the transmission flushing maintenance last year and it seemed to help. But it is doing it again. I called the transmission shop and they said they are aware no have been replacing the torque converter in the Chevy as this is the main issue. It is around $3000 min to have this fixed. I would like to be added to this lawsuit as I should not have to pay for something that is a major issue as this and not something we did.
I have 2017 Chevy Silverado and I just paid for a brand new transmission , my shop said they averaged 4 transmission repairs a year . They had done 15 Chevy transmission within 2 months this year . Please add me to the lawsuit
I am experiencing problems with my 2016 Colorado WT edition sputtering and shaking when shifting into gear. About a week ago it failed to go up a hill in busy traffic, I put my hazard lights on and tried to reverse into a parking lot to get out of the road. Truck wouldn’t move in reverse. After several minutes had passed I was able to slowly inch it into a parking lot in reverse. Once the vehicle was at home again I haven’t drove it snymore. My only transportation in a small.town. I have now lost a job due to not having a running truck. Please add me to this lawsuit.
2/22/2021 My 2015 GMC YUKON XL transmission/gears failed on an uphill, we started rolling backwards because drive and reverse were not working. My insurance NJM roadside assistance could not find anyone to tow us to a mechanic. We waited 8 hours making phone calls, asking a police officer for help and finally we found someone to tow us to the mechanic and order an uber home. We are still waiting for repair estimate and exactly figure out what went wrong. Please help.
I’m sorry 3/22/2021 not 2/22/2021
I have been experiencing problems with my 2016 GMC sierra Denali. Please add me to the lawsuit.
I have a 2016 Cadillac Escalade ESV that sometimes jerk so hard in the low gears it feels like I’ve been hit. I took it to the dealer and they did the $400 transmission fluid change but the problem still persists. Please contact me about being added to this lawsuit
I need to be added to this. I am currently having the problem with my 2017 Chevy Camaro.
How do I get added to this I have a 2017 escalade
Please add me to this lawsuit. My 2019 Chevy Truck Silverado 1500 4wd is having the same issues
My GMC Terrain Denali did this at 67k miles and the transmission stopped working while on an AZ highway in the mountains. We are from KS. Please add us to the class action lawsuit. 12/22/20.