Update:Â
- General Motors must face class action claims that certain transmissions in its vehicles from the last decade are defective and can create unsafe driving conditions.Â
- On Aug. 28, a 6th Circuit panel rejected GM’s motion to dismiss the claims, saying it found no reason to undo class certification for the drivers.Â
- The plaintiffs say GM’s Hydra-Matic 8L90 and Hydra-Matic 8L45 transmissions manufactured between 2014 and March 2019 can cause vehicles to shudder, lurch forward or delay acceleration.
- They allege the issues are caused by transmission fluid issues, which can allegedly cause the GM transmissions to fail to purge air properly from valve bodies.
GM class action overview:Â
- Who: Thirteen consumers filed a class action lawsuit against General Motors (GM).Â
- Why: The class action lawsuit claims vehicles with a GM Hydra-Matic 8L90 or Hydra-Matic 8L45 transmission have transmission fluid and transmission issues that cause the vehicles to shudder, lurch forward or delay acceleration.
- Where: The GM transmission class action was filed in federal court in Michigan.
(April 25, 2024)
A group of 13 consumers claims certain transmissions in General Motors vehicles from the last decade are defective and can create unsafe driving conditions, according to a new GM transmission class action.
The plaintiffs say GM’s Hydra-Matic 8L90 and Hydra-Matic 8L45 transmissions manufactured between 2014 and March 2019 can cause vehicles to shudder, lurch forward or have delayed acceleration.
They allege the issues are caused by transmission fluid issues, which can allegedly cause the GM transmissions to fail to purge air properly from valve bodies. This, the class action argues, is the cause of the shudder, lurching and delayed acceleration, as well as overall poor shift quality.
GM class action: Automaker elected not to recall, replace defective transmissionsÂ
The GM transmission issues happen around the time the affected vehicles’ warranties run out, the class action claims. The plaintiffs allege that GM covers fluid flushes for customers who complain about their transmissions during the warranty period, without fixing the underlying issues.
GM engineers asked the company to fix the transmission issues for $305 a vehicle, which would have cost GM about $592 million, according to the lawsuit.
GM instead only replaced the defective transmission in 6,518 unsold Cadillacs and trucks in certain states where it expected customers to complain within warranty, the GM class action claims.
Six drivers filed a 2022 class action lawsuit alleging that several vehicles manufactured by GM are equipped with defective eight-speed transmissions and that GM concealed the defects from buyers for years.
Do you own a vehicle with a GM Hydra-Matic 8L90 engine? Let us know in the comments.
The plaintiffs are represented by Theodore J. Leopold, Douglas J. McNamara, Karina G. Puttieva and Madelyn N. Petersen of Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC along with Robert Gordon, Steven Calamusa, Geoff Stahl and Rachel Bentley of Gordon & Partners PA; Russell D. Paul and Amey J. Park of Berger Montague PC; Tarek H. Zohdy, Cody R. Padgett and Laura E. Goolsby of Capstone Law APC; E. Powell Miller, Sharon S. Almonrode, Brian M. Saxe, Emily E. Hughes and Dennis A. Lienhardt of The Miller Law Firm PC; Joseph H. Meltzer, Melissa L. Yeates, Lisa M. Port, Tyler S. Graden, Jordan E. Jacobson and James A. Maro of Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check LLP; Lynn Lincoln Sarko, Gretchen Freeman Cappio and Ryan McDevitt of Keller Rohrback LLP; and Michael L. Pitt and Beth Rivers of Pitt McGehee Palmer Rivers PC.
The GM class action lawsuit is Ulrich, et al. v. General Motors LLC, Case No. 2:24-cv-11007-JJCG-EAS, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan Southern Division.
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444 thoughts onGM transmission class action to proceed
add me
I have a 2018 GMC Sierra 1500 with same transmission and issues.
Add me as well please, I have a Silverado and had numerous issues related to this
Had to have transmission replaced in 2015 Cadillac SRX about 8 months ago. Not sure it’s the same transmission?
The issue extends much earlier from my experience and the class really should be expanded. This gearbox is based on the layout of the ZF 8HP transmission from 2008, with the only difference being that gearsets 1 and 3 are swapped. The delay in acceleration I personally experienced when getting into traffic could have been catastrophic and would unexpectedly occur under many driving conditions without warning. In taking in my Yukon Denali for this issue was told by the GM Dealer shop manager that I simply needed to get used to the new electronic technology so I had to modify my driving behavior while I owned this model to avoid causing an accident.
The 8L 45 in question for this class is an eight-speed automatic transmission built by General Motors debuting in the 2016 Cadillac CT6. It is designed for use in longitudinal engine applications attached to the front-located engine with a standard bell housing. It is a hydraulic (hydramatic) design sharing much with the 8L 90 transmission which needs to be considered as well.
The 8L 90 is an eight-speed automatic transmission built by General Motors. It is designed for use in longitudinal engine applications either attached to the front-located engine with a standard bell housing or in the rear of the car adjacent to the differential (as in the Corvette). It is a hydraulic (hydramatic) design. GM also produces a similar design with the smaller 8L 45.
I have a 2017 GMC Sierra 1500 SLT with the same transmission issues. The dealership told me at first they could not duplicate the problem and it was ok. Next I was told by the dealership that it is functioning properly within GM specifications.
I have had this issue since the day I bought the vehicle twice they flushed and changed out. The fluid has not improved it at all… Especially noticeable on the highway. Say going from 55 on up. You can feel the vehicle hesitate shake just a little bit and then finally drops into gear
Add me please
We have a 2016 GMC Sierra and have complained about this numerous times. It lurches, shudders, and shifts hard.
Same here. I have complained about it since day 1. They told me that it was the truck learning my driving habits. I’ve had 2 fluid replacements and nothing has seemed to improve. I planned on giving this truck to my son but I’m afraid with the random transmission issues that he’d end up in a wreck, and I won’t risk that.
My 2018 Colorado Z71 4×4 shutters, lurches and slips. Had the dealer look at it but of course, never happened for them. Have not had it looked at since because I’m not seeing definitive fixes.