GM class action lawsuit overview:
- Who: Two California consumers filed a class action lawsuit against General Motors LLC.
- Why: The plaintiffs claim GM’s Sierra, Silverado, Canyon and Colorado pickups are equipped with a defective Hydra-Matic 8L90 or 8L45 transmission.
- Where: The GM class action lawsuit was removed to Michigan federal court.
A new class action lawsuit alleges General Motors sold thousands of Sierra and Silverado pickup trucks equipped with a defective eight-speed transmission, then concealed the problem from consumers for years.
Plaintiffs Matthew Barba and Renzo Calvo-Saez filed the GM class action lawsuit on behalf of California consumers who purchased 2019 model year GMC Sierra, Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Canyon and Chevrolet Colorado trucks equipped with GM’s Hydra-Matic 8L90 or 8L45 transmission manufactured after March 1, 2019.
According to the lawsuit, these transmissions suffer from a common design flaw that causes harsh shifting, jerking and hesitation in lower gears.
Barba and Calvo-Saez claim GM knew about the transmission problems as early as 2013 but continued selling the class vehicles without disclosing the defect. The lawsuit points to GM’s “Gen 2” transmission redesign, approved in early 2018 and introduced starting with the 2023 model year, as proof GM recognized the shift problems could not be fixed with minor updates to the original design.
The class action lawsuit seeks to represent California consumers who purchased a 2019 Sierra, Silverado, Canyon or Colorado equipped with the 8L90 or 8L45 transmission built after March 1, 2019.
Service records admit Silverado transmission fix does not work, lawsuit claims
Both plaintiffs say they bought new Silverado trucks and experienced the alleged shift defect firsthand. Barba claims he brought his 2019 Silverado to a California dealership more than once for hard shifting and harsh downshifting, only to be told the behavior was normal.
Calvo-Saez brought his Silverado in three times over about a year, reporting hard shifting and jerking, especially when decelerating — a problem he says is serious enough that his wife now refuses to drive the vehicle.
According to the class action lawsuit, a December 2023 GM technical service bulletin addressing harsh first-of-the-day shifts states that “replacing transmission components or complete assemblies will not improve the condition.” The plaintiffs argue this acknowledgment shows GM already knew the dealer fix would not work.
The class action lawsuit accuses GM of violating California’s Consumers Legal Remedies Act and Unfair Competition Law by concealing the defect.
The plaintiffs are demanding a jury trial and are asking the court to certify the class, bar GM from continuing the alleged practices and award attorneys’ fees and costs.
Meanwhile, GM is facing a separate lawsuit claiming it sold certain Chevrolet and GMC trucks, including the Chevy Silverado, with a rear sliding window defect.
What do you think of the allegations made in this GM class action lawsuit? Let us know in the comments.
The plaintiffs are represented by Cody R. Padgett, Shahin Rezvani and Kathy Pham of Capstone Law APC.
The GM class action lawsuit is Barba, et al. v. General Motors LLC, Case No. 4:26-cv-13030, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.
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