Generac class action lawsuit overview:
- Who: Plaintiff Gerald Yafchak filed a class action lawsuit against Generac Power Systems Inc.
- Why: Yafchak claims Generac sold portable generators with a defect that causes them to leak fuel and pose a fire risk.
- Where: The Generac class action lawsuit was filed in Illinois federal court.
A class action lawsuit alleges Generac Power Systems falsely advertised the safety of its portable generators despite knowing they contained a defect that causes them to leak fuel and pose a fire risk.
Plaintiff Gerald Yafchak claims Generac represented that the portable generators were “safe and reliable” despite being aware that both design and manufacturing defects “rendered them hazardous.”
“As a direct result of these misrepresentations, [consumers] purchased defective products that failed to perform as advertised and posed a substantial risk of serious injury,” the Generac class action lawsuit says.
Yafchak wants to represent a nationwide class and Illinois subclass of consumers who purchased a Generac portable generator that was recalled between May 2025 and February 2026.
Generac accused of denying refunds for defective generators after recall
The class action lawsuit accuses Generac of refusing to offer refunds for the defective generators, instead only offering free repairs that he claims require owners to “invest substantial time, effort and travel.”
This refusal was despite the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announcing a nationwide recall of Generac portable generators in April. The generators were sold at Home Depot, Lowe’s and other home improvement and hardware stores and online between May 2025 and February 2026.
The Generac recall involved various portable generator models, such as the GP6500E, GP8000E and GP3600, among others. Approximately 149,400 units were recalled in the United States, along with 260 units in Canada.
Yafchak claims Generac is guilty of negligence and unjust enrichment while violating the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Trade Practices Act and Wisconsin Deceptive Trade Practices Act.
He demands a jury trial and requests declaratory and injunctive relief and an award of compensatory, statutory and punitive damages for himself and all class members.
Recently, Generac agreed to pay $15 million in a class action settlement to resolve claims that its SnapRS devices in its PWRcell solar power systems were defective and that the company allegedly denied consumers rightful repairs and replacement costs.
Were you affected by the Generac portable generator recall? Let us know in the comments.
The plaintiff is represented by Michael R. Reese and Charles D. Moore of Reese LLP and Jason P. Sultzer of Sultzer & Lipari PLLC.
The Generac class action lawsuit is Yafchak v. Generac Power Systems Inc., Case No. 1:26-cv-05559, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
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