GM Lawyers Hit Back Over Alleged “Chevy Shake” In Court
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In addition to a class-action lawsuit surrounding General Motors’ eight-speed automatic transmission, GM faces a pending class-action lawsuit over what owners have deemed the “Chevy shake.” However, GM lawyers have begun their arguments in court to move to dismiss the pending litigation.
Carcomplaints.com detailed GM’s response to the lawsuit and said it’s a “classic example of overreach.” In the lawsuit, the plaintiff alleges his 2015 Chevrolet Silverado experiences vibrations and shaking within a year of owning it. Specifically, the shake becomes violent between 75-80 mph. The plaintiff took his Silverado to a Firestone to have the tires, rotors, brakes replaced, a realignment, and the wheels re-rounded. The shaking persisted and the plaintiff returned to the store months later.
Eventually, he made an appointment with a dealership, which told him the shaking was due to the brake rotors, even though they’d been replaced. The dealer also said the vibrations “were within normal limits.”
GM poked at the arguments made and said the plaintiff didn’t seek out answers or possible repairs until 19 months after the Silverado allegedly began to shake. Although the repair supposedly didn’t fix the problem, GM noted the plaintiff waited three and a half months before trying to remedy the issue again.
“Throughout the entire 27-month period between the time in which Plaintiff claims he first experienced the shaking to the time when Plaintiff first sought repair at an authorized GM repair facility, Plaintiff does not claim that he was unable (or unwilling) to drive his vehicle,” GM lawyers argued.
Further, GM lawyers said the plaintiff is unable to make arguments that every other Silverado, Sierra, Tahoe, Suburban, and Yukon also house the defects. GM pointed to other cases where lawsuits were tossed out as plaintiffs made assumptions about vehicles he or she never owned. Finally, GM noted there is no breach of warranty because the plaintiff does not have evidence that “the Silverado was not fit for its intended purpose of providing transportation.”
GM also dismissed the notion it knew about the “defect” ahead of time and evidenced the 109 complaints filed surrounding the “Chevy shake.” Only 24 were made before the plaintiff’s problems and just seven of them refer to the Silverado specifically.
The pending lawsuit alleges the aluminum driveshafts are the source of the issue in the vehicles and cause the shaking. Only a custom-made steel driveshaft fixes the problem, per the documents. The plaintiff and the class-action lawsuit argue for reimbursement for out-of-pocket repairs.
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Source: Carcomplaints.com
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GM doesn’t deny the truck shakes as alleged between 75-80 which is legal speed in several states. GM seems to be saying just drive slower. Do Ford trucks have this problem?
Yes. My 2016 F-150 did and they couldn’t get itbto go aeay. They told mebit was within their spec so they wouldn’t do any more for me. The Super Duty’s have had vibration problems for a looooong time.
It can’t be a common occurrence because the three 15 Silverados that my family owns don’t get the shakes until about 110 MPH. And that’s not a problem because my 13 Malibu doesn’t even accelerate past 90 MPH, despite only being at 3500RPM at 90 in 6th.
I have a 2018 Colorado that vibrates at different speeds. The dealer replaced the torque converter stating GM has had problems with this vibration in Canyons and Colorados in Florida and Texas. Something about the oil inside the converters. After replacement the problem was solved for about four months. It has started again and I have to make an appointment with the dealer to address the same problem a second time.
The issue with your truck is actually the transmission fluid that they’re using. It was discovered that that new fluid caused quite a few issues in a lot of vehicles GM was just the first to start using it. I believe they’ve either released an updated fluid or other people have gone back to an older version of ATF had no problem
This is your issue. The new fluid will fix the shudder for good. The previous fluid (fluid available up until a few months ago) had an issue with moisture absorption that would cause the torque converter clutch to shudder.
https://gm-techlink.com/?p=11127
My 2014 Silverado had that same problem. One of the many reasons I got rid of it
Had my 15 Sierra well over these speeds many times and have zero vibrations. I don’t know how these people with issues drive their truck, but I’m not particularly easy on it. My dad has a 15 Silverado with the V6 and has no issues either. Sometimes I think people just want to complain about something. Which for the prices of these beasts you’d expect no problems, but still.
I had a 2015 Silverado with the exact same issue. Dealers told me I would have to pay for a road force balance. I called corporate too. They all denied that issue exists. Now I see this article!
I had 2014 Silverado Double Cab LT with the same issue and that is why I traded it. It got so bad it sounded as if the back window was down and one of the tires was seriously out of round
I have a 2012 Chevy avalanche and my vehicle is shaking as well during acceleration and I’ve replaced upper and lower control arms engine mounts etc. still shakes. Sadly same thing happen with my moms 2002 Chevy avalanche. I’m just gonna sale it to car max this is ridiculous.
My father had the same problem and took his truck to the dealership no less than 6 times. He asked for paperwork detailing what had been done to alleviate the problem and was told that they could not provide it because it had to be mailed to him. He never received any documents in the mail. The last time he took it to the dealership he was shown a document that now stated that the shake was normal according to manufacturer specifications and he was promptly ushered out the door with no remedy. This took place over the space of a year. The truck was approximately 1.25 years old at this point. My father gave up and traded the truck on a new vehicle.
My father had originally purchased this vehicle for towing a camper that would be going on a trip from West Virginia to Alaska. He put off going on that trip for a year due to the problematic shake. He is currently on this trip with a new truck.
The dealership was right: Chevy determined that the shaking was “normal” for these trucks (not Ford or Ram) and therefore just live with it and drive slowly. The GM 8 speed trans has similar “normal” issues that cannot be fixed and GM is just phasing it out now.
I don’t know where you got the idea that Ford and Ram don’t have “normal” or “acceptable” levels of vibration. All manufacturers do. Ford told me the vibration in my 2016 F-150 after trying all the cheap fixes they could. My truck still had a shake on the highway and Ford told me it was within spec. A basic Google search shows that every manufacturer has complaints for vibrations. Most manufacturers just never get publicity like GM did on the issue.
https://www.lemonlaw.com/wordpress/ford-f-150-vibration-continues-leave-drivers-shaken/
God I’m so tired of these I knew a guy with an issue stories.
@ArcticDog – Troll much???????
I’m not sure of what you would accept as proof. Do I need to provide photos, vin, and video? I posted only because the story struck a chord with me. I have been with my father when the shake was happening so this is from first hand experience of the problem.
Sounds like you neither know what a troll is or what first-hand experience is. First-hand experience would be me owning a 2018 Silverado and stating that I’ve not had any issues like that.
I’ve read other people do. But I see far more “I know a guy that had this issue this issue this issue.” It causes a relatively small problem to get blown completely out of proportion. Welcome to the internet.
The plaintiff has no idea what’s causing his issue, he just paid Firestone to throw money at it when they clearly didn’t know what was going on. now he read something on the Internet where someone needed a new driveshaft and he thinks that’s his fix too but he has no freaking clue.
I hear some of these trucks have issues. My 2018 is very smooth, but just because mine is smooth I won’t say all of them are just like he shouldn’t say that all of them have an issue.
My 2017 Silverado shakes between 70 and 75 mph. If I inflate tires two psi above recommended it reduces the shake but does not eliminate it.
If I put 4 midgets under my tonneau cover and have them roll back and forth while I’m driving down the highway it makes the truck seem like one leaf spring is longer than the other, but if I put alligators in the bed instead of midgets it makes it seems like one leaf spring is shorter than the other. The only thing that fixes it, I read in my favorite nsfw Chevrolet forum, is to put seafoam in the ashtray while flooring it and holding the lighter plug in.
Funny, but not a comment from the original Homer on GMA
My 2018 Colorado shakes at any speed if you have to slow down and then get back on the gas. Dealership says that it is “within normal range”. This is the first vehicle I have ever owned that had an allowable range for a vibration. New trucks shouldn’t have those! Also had to have the carrier bearings replaced at 14000 miles. Thinking maybe a Tacoma soon. Colorados are junk!
Ditto. 2014 Silverado
Every manufacturer has a spec for acceptable vibration. My 2016 F-150 had a vibration that thevdealer and Ford engineers couldn’t fix with wheel replacements, tires, a dozen attempts at road force balancing, new driveshaft, etc. They gave up eventually and said it was within spec and sent me on my way. The 09-14 F-150’s had vibration problems in some configurations as well.
Carrier bearing at that age says there is a problem with driveshaft. Think about how it works.
Finally, GM noted there is no breach of warranty because the plaintiff does not have evidence that “the Silverado was not fit for its intended purpose of providing transportation.”
That’s a pretty low threshold for warranty protection !
I have a 2014 Silverado and it shifts and clunks like crap. I love my truck but I really wish GM would put more care into the transmission and drive line to give a smoother, less clunky acceleration and deceleration. Or PLEASE make more manuals so they are easier to get.
Glad you mentioned this i have had 14 with same clunky shifting traded in to a 16 and same thing they never start that way dont really notice until after 40k had a tranny flush and new fluid no difference..did you try anything else to help?…..kills me that my 06 with 179k is so smooth
The harder it shifts, the longer your tranny will last. Uncomfortable truth.
I have a ’15 Silverado crew cab 5.3 and have no vibrations at all. For the longest I’ve heard of vibration issues but never experienced it.
It’s because of the roads. People don’t get certain roads are supposed to grip tires and cause it no matter what truck. Same people just want cheap trucks and thats why they flock to cheap rams.
Had a shake at 75mph in my 17 2500hd gasser. Tires needed balanced and problem solved. Great truck since and that was 20k miles ago.
I owned a 2014 Sierra that vibrated excessively at 72 to 78 mph. Yhe dealer says they could not replicate the problem so basically FU. The resolution was to trade lt for a 2019 Ram 1500 and voila – same roads same speed and smooth as silk! Loving my Ram for many more reasons. More truck better truck less money.
My 2014 shook at 70 miles an hour. I traded it in on a Ram 2500 and couldn’t be happier. I got 28,000 miles on my Ram and not one single problem.
You clearly aren’t a truck guy if you think a Ram is a big improvement quality wise. FCA produces the lowest quality vehicles out there.
Uh, the recent Dodge Rams were named “Truck of the Year” by Car and Driver if I recall two years in a row! They have power, a smooth ride, and the interiors are better than Ford or Chevy! Yeah, they’ve improved a lot in recent years! Their weak point is fuel mileage avg but is still a big truck seller, only slightly behind the Ford 150, which has been declining in quality in recent years.. Check Edmunds or other vehicle sites.. and yeah, no “shake” problem like Chevy or Ford trucks!
I just traded in my 2016 silverado 1500 because of this. Spent 3500 in repairs cause it had been lifted by the dealership which voided my factory warranty. The extended warranty wouldnt cover it because it was still within the factory warranty mileage so I got stuck with the bill. Then after that bill I had to get new tires and rims because it was still doing it. After a couplt of months on the new tires it came back setting off all the sensors on the block. Dealership wanted to change out all the same parts again said no.
My daughters 15 z71 shook from day one they replaced ring gear and pinion tires brakes shocks drive line and never fixed it
We’ve had three Silverados. An 01, 09, and now a 2018. This truck has horrible clunking, shudder, and vibration. The 01 and 09 were great trucks, not this one! Dealer says it’s caused by too much road force. Since I can’t find less forceful roads it can’t be repaired. Can’t wait for the day someone totals the truck or the extended warranty runs out so I can say goodbye to Chevrolet! Not sure which manufacturer we’ll pick next time but I’m POSITIVE which manufacturer we wont! Chevrolet should have employees that do nothing but read forums like this and perhaps they’d get the picture!