Plaintiffs in the lawsuit allege General Motors’ 8-speed transmissions are defective.
Certain Chevrolet, Cadillac and GMC models built between 2015 and 2019 may have a defect in their 8-speed transmissions, according to a class-action lawsuit posted to ClassAction.org. GM Authority spotted the lawsuit, which says there are serious problems with GM’s Hydra-Matic 8L90 and 8L45 transmissions.
More specifically, the transmissions have a defect that cause vehicles to hesitate and jerk when accelerating or coming to a stop. The lawsuit reads, “These transmissions have a common defect…Drivers have reported that the shift is sometimes so violent, they feel as though they have been hit by another vehicle.” It also mentions the case of an owner whose vehicle shifted from reverse to drive harshly enough that it nearly lurched through his garage door. The defect centers around the transmission itself or the torque converter. Over time, any shuddering, jerking or hestitation may cause internal issues, including metal shavings being circulated throughout the transmission.
The class-action lawsuit further alleges the metal shavings end up causing costly damage over time, and can make GM cars and trucks with the transmission dangerous to drive. Since 2015, the filing states GM has issued thirteen Technical Service Bulletins (TSBs) on the issue. To date, none of GM’s solutions have remedied the problem.
The lawsuit affects Chevy, Cadillac, and GMC vehicles
The lawsuit includes all vehicles equipped with the Hydra-Matic 8L90 or 8L45 transmissions, including.
- 2015-2019 Chevrolet Camaro
- 2017-2019 Chevrolet Colorado
- 2015-2019 Chevrolet Corvette
- 2015-2019 Chevrolet Silverado
- 2016-2019 Cadillac ATS and ATS-V
- 2016-2019 Cadillac CTS and CTS-V
- 2016-2019 Cadillac CT6
- 2015-2017 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV
- 2015-2019 GMC Sierra
- 2015-2019 GMC Yukon and Yukon XL
- 2015-2017 GMC Yukon Denali and Denali XL
- 2017-2019 GMC Canyon
The plaintiffs are seeking six statewide classes on behalf of GM owners with these transmissions. Those states include California, Florida, Illinois, Oklahoma, New York and Texas.
At this point in time, General Motors has not commented on the lawsuit. We will provide more updates if and when we hear anything.
Have you had any issues with your 8-speed transmission? Let us know in the comments below.
