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GM Transmission Shift Defect Class Action Lawsuit Overview:
- Who: Six GM customers teamed up against the automobile giant.
- Why: The plaintiffs claim a defect in certain vehicles’ transmission that causes jerking and lurching in lower gears. They allege that GM knew about the defect for years but failed to disclose it.
- Where: The class action lawsuit was filed in Michigan federal court.
Six drivers filed a 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.
The defect appears in first generation 8L90 and 8L45 transmissions built after Mar. 1, 2019, and “causes “harsh shifts” in lower gears, which can feel like jerking, lurching and/or hesitations,” according to court documents.
The class vehicles are 2019-2022 model year vehicles, designed, manufactured, marketed, distributed, sold, warranted and serviced by GM and equipped with GM’s eight-speed Hydra-Matic 8L90 transmission or Hydra-Matic 8L45 transmission. This includes the 2019-2022 Chevrolet Camaro, Colorado and Silverado; the 2019 Corvette; the 2019 Cadillac ATS, ATS-V, CTS, CT6 and CTS-V; and the 2019-2022 GMC Canyon and Sierra.
There are six named plaintiffs in the class action lawsuit against GM: Matthew Battle, Juan Castaneda, David Figueroa, Robert Gribble and Walter and Janice Helms. The plaintiffs seek to represent statewide classes that include all original purchasers or current owners of class vehicles who purchased the vehicles from authorized GM dealers in California, Michigan, New Jersey, Indiana and Washington.
GM Class Action Alleges Automaker Ignored ‘Safety Hazard’ Since 2013
The shift defect detailed in the GM class action lawsuit presents a safety hazard because it affects “the driver’s ability to control the vehicle’s speed, acceleration and deceleration,” the complaint says. However, GM “has not… nor can it” fix the defect until the “planned deployment of a major redesign in MY23 models (Gen 2).”
The plaintiffs argue that GM knew about the defect since 2013. They also allege that the defect is covered by GM warranties, but that GM’s authorized agents have denied customers meaningful remedies to the defect under warranty.
Have you purchased any of the above class vehicles? You could be a member of this class action lawsuit!
The plaintiffs are represented by Theodore J. Leopold of Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll Pllc et al. The GM Transmission Shift Defect Class Action Lawsuit is Battle et al. v. General Motors, LLC, Case No. 2:22-cv-10783, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.
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105 thoughts onGM Class Action Claims Transmission Defect Causes Jerking, Lurching in Lower Gears
I purchased a 2022 GMC Yukon Denali and a couple of months after I purchased the vehicle the hard shifting started. Dealership would usually state that they could never duplicate the problem. When they were able to duplicate the issue they said I needed to allow the vehicle to warm up for a while before driving it to avoid this from happening, basically making it seem as though it was something I was doing. Now I am currently trying to get assistance for repairs due to shuttering and hard jerking. I have already had to have the sensor replaced in the transmission. Pay attention to your work orders and make sure that your complaint is properly noted so that you can have a record of all issues you have. Fortunately, I have all my repair orders.
So far, aside from the issues with the transmission, Most of these issues occurred within the first year of owning the vehicle.
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Currently replacing the transmission on 2016 Sierra 6 speed
I have a 2012 GMC Yukon Denali xl (with a 6L80E transmission) that just now has 200,000 miles on it. I just replaced the transmission for the second time. To the tune of a total of $12,000.00 for 2 transmissions. The sad part is I just found out that they just rebuilt the old ones. They didn’t even put a brand new different brand in. UGH!!! My dealership states they have never had a problem with them and sometimes this just happens. If a class action starts up on these I want in on it. There is multiple service bulletins on it so I don’t understand why they haven’t done a recall. Maybe if they had addressed this situation at the very beginning they wouldn’t have multiple law suits against them. Shame on you GM! I have been a faithful customer for years. NO MORE THOUGH!
I have a 2015 GMC Sierra 1500 Kodiak Edition, 93k miles, that just went in for trans issues. Wound up the Torque Converter failed which ripped off a sensor and sent it throughout the trans. $5700 repair. I would also like to be included in this possible Class Action suit as well.
My 16 gmc Sierra transmission started not shifting gears when I hit 92k miles I would like information how join the lawsuits going on?
My 2017 silver 1500 4.3L transmission has been rebuilt at 115,000 miles and Jerks, hesitates, shudders, and surges from 1st all the way to 3rd and every time barley engages 2nd gear it just has a 2nd gear hickup that immediately goes to 3rd and revs up to 2500 rpm until i reach 45 mph then falls into 5th and gurgles then rattles while cruising in 5th. It has been doing so for 3 weeks before i parked it today. And with this particular engine, gm thought they would help us save gas by implementing a AFM sensor that forces pistons 5 & 6 to stop once cruising speed above 55 is reached forcing pistons 1-4 to work through more oil and gas that has been flooding my engine due to incorrect signals from pcm to fuel injectors. I know this is why these gears stick or have trouble shifting and accelerating is because they have been handing the load for the life of the engine. The throttle body sensor was doomed because it relies on accurate reading from the MAS to send the right amount of air that the pcm commanded of it to know exactly how much to open or close. A giant mess of sensors, regulators, valves, and solenoids made of plastic that arent built to last. I knew that from a young age, parts fail, we then replace them. But how can you ever have an engine performing right if the pcm never sends a check engine diagnostic code with a specific part. Some codes are vague and without spending 400 to hook up to gm computers that might turn out to be a bad wire harness that only costs 60. This actually happened to me. You cant go to a normal auto store because the scanners will send you insane figuring out why or even where to start because they can’t run a diagnostic they can only read what the pcm say finally caused a check engine light to appear. 15 things might have been malfunctioning before the final blow.
I have 2016 GMC Sierra 1500 6-speed transmission starter jerking and downshifting at $127,000 Mi what do I do I’m stuck with $6,000 bill
Have 2017 Silverado 19000miles transmission hesitates and slips is their any recourse or any I screwed its pass warranty.
I have a 2015 Cadillac Escalade (6 speed transmission) that has the same chronic rough and hard shift issues that very in severity to a clunky vs smooth gear shift to a hard lurching shift that is so harsh that you feel like you have been hit from behind. Symptoms are typically worse when vehicle/transmission fluid is cold vs warmed up. These symptoms have been present since day one of ownership (Aug 2018). The vehicle threw a check engine code earlier 2022 indicating that the transmission temperature sensor needed to be replaced. Repair was completed outside of warranty but chronic shifting problems remain.
I have a 2014 Chevy Silverado four-wheel-drive with the 6L 80 transmission that is real jerky and fifth and six in overdrive and it’s acting like it is chattering
We bought my son a 2019 chevrolet silverado in december of 2019. By february of 2020 it was in the shop for jerking and shifting hard along with other stuff. I was told that we didnt know what we were talking about. I called the dealership and fought with GM for several years now. They did nothing to help. now we are going to have to replace the transmission or loose alot of money trading it in.
2015 escalde does the same thing. They want you to keep paying diagnostic fees to basically turn around and say they cant find anything. Then not enough evidence for an attorney to look at. Wont be buying another cadillac thats for sure