GM class action alleges vehicles have park-detection defect

GM class action lawsuit overview:

• Who: Five plaintiffs filed a GM defect class action lawsuit against General Motors LLC.
• Why: GM allegedly knowingly sold vehicles with a defective shifter assembly that fails to detect when a driver places a vehicle in park.
• Where: The GM park defect class action lawsuit was filed in Michigan federal court

General Motors LLC knowingly sold vehicles with a defective shifter assembly that fails to detect when a driver places a vehicle in park, a new GM class action lawsuit alleges.

This GM park defect allegedly causes the vehicle to go into accessory mode, preventing the driver from turning off or locking the vehicle and draining the battery.

“When the [GM defect] manifests, owners must resort to all manner of gimmicks to get the vehicle to recognize the transmission has been placed in park and allow the driver to turn off the vehicle,” the GM class action lawsuit claims. 

In some cases, it has taken drivers more than 20 minutes of moving the shifter or driving back and forth before the vehicle will shut off, according to the GM defect class action.

The vehicles allegedly affected by the GM park defect are:

• 2021-2023 Chevrolet Trailblazers
• 2020-2022 Chevrolet Traverses
• 2020-2023 Chevrolet Malibus
• 2020-2023 Buick Encores

GM class action: Automaker sold vehicles despite knowing about park defect

Plaintiffs Barbie Green, Karen Malmkar, Maria Garza, Glenda Brown and Michelle Crosier each say they purchased new GM vehicles that eventually manifested the GM park defect. 

Even though their vehicles were covered by GM’s three-year/36,000-mile new vehicle limited warranty, which purportedly covers repairs to vehicle defects occurring during the warranty period, GM allegedly declined to repair their vehicles pursuant to the warranty. 

Instead, the GM dealerships told the plaintiffs they pay out-of-pocket for the dealership to repair the alleged GM defect, according to the GM class action lawsuit.

The plaintiffs claim the GM park defect impairs their vehicles’ “ability to provide safe and reliable transportation and renders the vehicles unmerchantable and worth less money at the time of sale or lease.”

The automaker knew about the GM defect based on consumer complaints, presale testing, dealership reports and technical service bulletins that acknowledged the problem in earlier vehicle models, the GM class action lawsuit claims.

The GM defect lawsuit asserts claims for fraudulent concealment, breach of express and implied warranty and various state laws.

General Motors, Chrysler and Volkswagen recently recalled vehicles due to concerns involving airbags, tailgates, weight capacity labels, fuel leaks, front cameras and wheels.

Do you own a vehicle affected by the alleged GM park defect? Tell us about your experience in the comments.

The plaintiffs are represented by Sergei Lemberg of Lemberg Law LLC.

The GM class action lawsuit is Barbie Green, et al. v. General Motors LLC, Case No. 2:24-cv-10917-SJM-EAS, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.

Read About More Class Action Lawsuits & Class Action Settlements:

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• Kia recall issued for Telluride SUVs due to rollaway risk
• Ford class action alleges Fusions, Escapes have defective transmissions