GM Class Action Lawsuit Alleges Diesel Fuel Pump Defect

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Another group of consumers have lodged a class action lawsuit over an alleged GM diesel fuel pump defect.

The plaintiffs, led by Tyler Allen Click, claim in the class action lawsuit that certain General Motors (GM) vehicles equipped with the Bosch-supplied CP4 high pressure fuel injection pump are essentially ticking time bombs.

The problem, according to the GM class action lawsuit, is that the pump is not compatible with American vehicles.

This is the third class action lawsuit to hit the car maker over an alleged GM diesel fuel pump defect. Fourteen plaintiffs in Florida also say that their vehicles are affected by the incompatible pump.

“GM knew all along [that] Bosch’s CP4 pump was never compatible with American diesel fuel standards,” alleges the GM diesel fuel pump defect class action lawsuit.

According to the GM diesel class action, the Bosch pump cannot provide the lubrication necessary for smooth running of the engine. “As a result,” say the plaintiffs, “the pump is forced to run dry and destroy itself as air bubbles allow metal to rub against metal.”

As a result of the GM diesel fuel pump defect, alleges the GM class action lawsuit, metal shavings and debris are deposited throughout the fuel injection system and the engine.

Ultimately, the defect will “suddenly and cataclysmically” fail. Additionally, larger pieces of metal will be deposited, causing more problems for owners of GM vehicles with diesel engines, who likely did not know that the pump was defective in the first place.

“This total fuel injection system failure and consequential engine failure results in an outrageously expensive repair bill, even when it is ‘covered under warranty,’ all for a repair that will not truly ameliorate the issue so long as the vehicle is being filled with U.S. diesel,” alleges the GM diesel fuel pump defect class action lawsuit noting that repair bills have ranged from $8,000 to $20,000.

“And, although complete and total pump failure takes time to occur, the defective CP4 pump starts damaging the vehicle’s fuel injection system and engine immediately upon the vehicle’s first use.”

Consumer safety is another risk, say the plaintiffs, because the failure of the engine due to the GM diesel fuel pump defect can cause an unexpected shut off in traffic.

According to the GM class action lawsuit, the plaintiffs and other Class Members paid a premium for their diesel vehicles made by GM because diesels are known to last longer – for 500,000 to 800,000 miles.

The plaintiffs say they would not have paid such a premium for their GM vehicles if they had known they contained the Bosch CP4 fuel injection pump that is “substandard” for American diesel.

“GM saw Bosch’s CP4 fuel injection pump as another way to make money—to take advantage of consumers’ desire to drive diesel vehicles that were reliable, durable, fuel-efficient, and powerful,” alleges the GM diesel class action lawsuit.

Though the car maker promised consumers “improvements in torque, horsepower, durability, and fuel economy” the GM diesel fuel pump defect never delivered, allege the plaintiffs.

“GM could never deliver on that promise for American vehicles because the CP4 fuel pump is not compatible with American diesel fuel; in fact, GM knew this from the start, and equipped its modern Duramax diesel vehicles with the European-designed CP4 fuel pump anyway,” contends the General Motors class action.

The plaintiffs seek to represent consumers who purchased or leased certain GM diesel vehicles manufactured between 2011 and 2016.

The plaintiffs are represented by T. Michael Morgan of Morgan & Morgan PA, Robert C. Hilliard, Rudy Gonzales Jr., John B. Martinez, Marion Reilly, Bradford P. Klager of Hilliard Martinez Gonzales LLP, and by Steve W. Berman and Sean R. Matt of Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP.

The GM Diesel Fuel Pump Defect Class Action Lawsuit is Click, et al. v. General Motors LLC, Case No. 2:18-cv-00455, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Corpus Christi Division.