Update:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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:
- Who: Thirteen consumers filed a class action lawsuit against General Motors (GM).
- 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 transmissions
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
Had transmission replaced 130k miles…ran good for about 5k miles then same lurching downshifting and jumps and hesitate while accelerating
My 2019 Chevy 4×4 RST has the same problems. My wife called me when I left the house as to why I left fast and threw gravel behind the truck. I told her that the truck lurches periodically. It also had a shutter but a transmission flush resolved this. It also shifts hard when downshifting at around 5 mph.
Dealer said that all this was normal.
My 2019 GMC Canyon, have been lurching and mis-shifting, took it to the dealer several times and each time I was treated like I didn’t know what I was talking about, I was dismissed every time.
My 2018 Colorado had a bad shutter and my used car warranty would not cover it, cost me $380.00 to have it flushed at a dealership. Not happy about that!!!
2017 Silverado doing the same problems as soon as factory warranty expires
I had to replace a2018 silverado transmission with under 90k miles.. but over warranty.. and now the transmission line just started leaking according to the dealership.. but no signs in my driveway.. it’s ridiculous
2017 GMC Sierra has jumped out of gear since 13,000 miles.
Alfred Yost l hv a 2017 Cadilac Escalade barely 100,000 miles nd the transmission acts like it is confused on whether to shift up or back down at low speeds very rough nd loud chunks.
I purchased a new 2018 GMC Sierra in June of 2018. The transmission started the “shudder” shortly after my warranty expireed.
Yes my husband had his transmission replace 3 months after buying his 2017 silverado and is now having issues again
Yes terrible lurching and hard shifting. Fluid was replaced twice never fixed the issue. Also had to replace the 6.2 motor because of lifter failure after the lifters were replaced. Terribly disappointed in my GM product