GM Class Action Says Corvette Engine Is Defective

GM knowingly sold Corvette vehicles with defective engines, according to a recent class action lawsuit against the automotive company.

The class action lawsuit was filed against GM by individuals from numerous states who leased or purchased a 2013 Chevrolet Corvette 427 or 2006-2013 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 vehicles equipped with an LS7 engine.

The plaintiffs say that the engines in these vehicles suffer from excessive valve guide wear, a problem known by General Motors.

The GM engine class action lawsuit states that, due to the defects in the manufacturing of the LS7 7.0LV8 engines, the Class vehicles are prone to frequent mechanical failure. The defect causes oil to suddenly leak under the vehicle which can cause the rear tires to lose traction, according to the General Motors class action lawsuit.

The plaintiffs state that the engines present a “dire and significant safety danger” to the vehicle operator which could result in life-threatening bodily harm. Many of the plaintiffs maintain that this failure has occurred in their vehicles.

The GM class action claims that “Upon failure, the subject engines are subject to explosion, resulting in the ejection of engine fragments and other materials that can strike the driver of the subject vehicle, or other vehicles or drivers in the vicinity.”

Because of the design defect of the engines that are installed in the Class vehicles, the owners and lessees of these vehicles have suffered economic expense for repairs on the cars, according to the Corvette class action lawsuit.

The plaintiffs argue that GM has not issued a recall so that the Class vehicles could be tested and repaired. In addition, they assert that GM has recalled the Corvettes at issue for two other, less serious defects.

The General Motors class action lawsuit argues that, even when confronted by the engine defects, the company insists that the “valve train noise” was an “inherent feature” of the engines and that they are not defective.

GM has assured the Class Members that the engines were performing as designed; however the engines continue to fail at a high rate, the plaintiffs claim.

The class action maintains that, as a result of consumer complaints about the engine, GM put into place a technique called the “wiggle method” to ascertain whether the valve guides were out of specification. However, once GM realized that this test would lead to more repairs than it wanted to perform, the “wiggle test” was unreasonably rejected, the plaintiffs state.

“In dealing with multiple complaints concerning the subject engine in the class vehicles, New GM acted, at all times, to deflect criticisms, defer investigations and repairs, and minimize the extent of the problems,” alleges the GM class action lawsuit.

The plaintiffs claim that Class Members have continued to suffer from valve train noise, out of specification valve guides and engine failures all the while GM has minimized the extent of the defect in the vehicle engines.

A similar lawsuit was filed against GM in November 2017 by vehicle owners who allege that the Corvette Z06 cars have defects that make them unsafe to drive.

Do you own a Corvette with a defective engine? Leave a message in the comments section below.

The plaintiffs are represented by David M. Honigman, Douglas L. Toering, and Kenneth Chadwell of Mantese Honigman, PC and André E. Jardini, K.L. Myles, and Michael D. Carr of Knapp Petersen & Clarke.

The General Motors Engine Defect Class Action Lawsuit is Estate of William D. Pilgrim, et al. v. General Motors LLC, et al., Case No. 2:20-cv-10562, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.

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