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.
Don’t Miss Out!
Check out our list of Class Action Lawsuits and Class Action Settlements you may qualify to join!
Read About More Class Action Lawsuits & Class Action Settlements:
444 thoughts onGM transmission class action to proceed
Hello my name is Jonathan. I have a 2016 GMC sierra 1500 and my transmission just recently went out. Now from what I know it is an 8 speed transmission and does switch from v8 to v4 over and over when slowing down. I did a transmission fluid change to it and didn’t do works at all. I want to see if I qualify for the lawsuit being said that my truck is parked and not drivable because of a bad transmission.
I have a 2018 Chevy Colorado truck and there is some thing going on with the transmission and I’m being told they are backed up. I have a warranty and it makes me think they are waiting out my warranty.
I might. I drive a 2020 Chevy Trax. Transmission was replaced once right after I bought it. Under warranty. Seems bad again.
I have already paid $1900.00 to correct the prob lem yet it still exists but not quite as bad. My vehicle is a 2018 GMC Sierra 1500 Denali
I have a 2018 Chevy Silverado that I’ve complained every visit to the dealer about this. They’ve done 2 flushes. 1 I paid out of pocket for with zero improvement.
Mine does exactly this. When attempting to accelerate it will rev up and eventually lurch forward. The dealer flushed the transmission and said nothing else could be done. Now I have a car that’s not safe to drive. Will it go through an intersection or will it stall out and rev up like it’s in neutral. It’s going to get me killed.
I have a 2018 Sierra with the 6.2 8 Speed Tranny listed above, Ill be driving and will constantly feel vibrations while on the highway, sometimes jerks when pressing on gas or brake. I’ve been to the dealer with the Check Engine light on and they’ve said they can’t make the issue reoccur, yet I’ve driven it after that service call and continues to do this all the time while driving my vehicle
I had this issue and Cadillac did a transmission fluid flush
Add me, I own a 2015 Gmc Denali, that has trouble shifting and accelerating. Check engine light is constantly on due to transmission problems.
I own a 2016 Camaro 2SS with the 8 speed. Have had a multitude of problems due to heat soak and dealer refused to check into any starter issues and just continued to blame the battery. Have had a few shudders and jerks but assumed it was altitude changes. It has 17k miles on it currently. Now I’m scared to drive it at all. GM needs to do something about this.