More Owners Complain Of GM Transmission Defect Amid Pending Lawsuit
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This past April, a class-action lawsuit surfaced as consumers bound together to voice their displeasure over General Motors vehicles. Specifically, models equipped with the eight-speed automatic transmission. Now, more owners are speaking out.
Local North Carolina news station Action 9 WSOCTV reported on one local owner who showed the problem off for the camera. While the lawsuit alleges shakes, jerks, or a “hard shift” when selecting a gear with the automatic transmission, this owner highlighted the “Chevy shudder,” as he called it. At speed, he showed the steering wheel shuddering and shaking. He claims the problem is nearly constant in his $52,000 Chevrolet Silverado 1500.
GM told the news station that owners should visit a dealership to walk through the protocols with a technician to solve the problem. Numerous technical service bulletins (13 as of this past April) exist for issues like so many owners describe in their vehicles.
The transmission is the 8L90 or 8L45 automatic transmission, which is found in numerous GM vehicles. The transmission pairs to cars on a rear-wheel-drive architecture, meaning owners of GM’s sports cars, luxury sedans, trucks, and SUVs have the 8-speed automatic transmission in question. A full list of vehicles that house the transmission is below:
- 2015-2019 Chevrolet Silverado
- 2017-2019 Chevrolet Colorado
- 2015-2019 Chevrolet Corvette
- 2016-2019 Chevrolet Camaro
- 2015-2017 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV
- 2016-2019 Cadillac ATS and ATS-V
- 2016-2019 Cadillac CTS and CTS-V
- 2016-2019 Cadillac CT6
- 2015-2019 GMC Sierra
- 2015-2019 GMC Yukon and Yukon XL
- 2017-2019 GMC Canyon.
Supposedly, the problem is most common when accelerating or decelerating as the transmission moves to select another gear, though, it’s not specific to a gear in particular.
In the lawsuit filed earlier this year, owners said the issue may be the torque converter, which could be exposed to undue friction. In this case, gears may not function properly as metal shavings move throughout the transmission. We need to note this is not a definite cause and only an alleged problem stated in the lawsuit.
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Source: Action 9 WSOCTV
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Everybody would be satisfied but they have no interest in fixing the problem. Why would they look how many trucks they keep selling with the same 8 speed tranny. There are people on here that have 2015’s all the way to 2019’s and they are having the same issues. Four plus years with the same problem tells me GM has no desire to fix it. I have owned enough cars to tell you every manufacturer has issues but it is how it’s handled is the difference. Was a diehard GM fan including my daily driver and my race cars but not so sure GM will ever be for me in the daily driver category again.
Sure wish I had done some research before leasing. My 2020 Z71 has almost 1500 miles now and from what I’ve read, the transmission problems are the same. It looks like my options are limited without going into bankruptcy. I talked to the service manager where we leased the truck and he had no solution to offer.
Found this article while investigating why my 2020 Suburban z71 with 2700 miles won’t shift. Owned it for 41 days. Sounds like I am in for a fun ride with dealing with dealerships.
Dave,
Not sure what state your in, But start researching the lemon law in your state. Keep very detailed records from the dealership and make sure they have it written on the documents that it states customer brought it in due to improper shifting, shudder etc. Make sure it includes they did not find a problem. That way you have proof of the amount of times you brought it in. This will also cover you if anything happens after the warranty if over.
My 2016 is back at the dealership as I write this. Been there since last Friday, no word on it but think it’s got them stumped. Looking at a possible trade, I’ve had it with this truck, and only had it one year to today.
They want you to trade it in so it’s you that’s upside down not them.
Here’s a good one! My truck has been at the dealer since last Friday, they drove it and said they felt the tranny shift hard, then popped the hood, called me and asked if I could bring in the OE air intake, so I did, the took my cold air intake out and reinstalled the OE intake and said that was the issue. Ok here is my comment, I JUST installed the cold air intake 3 days prior to taking it into the dealership, I have driven the truck for a year with the OE intake and the tranny issue was evident then!!!!!! Unbelievable!!!!!
Bought a 2017 Silverado LTZ With 54k miles a few days ago. Noticed on the first day the transmission shuddering badly between 1000-1750 rpms. Called the dealer and they got right on it. Power flushed transmission and refilled with the recommended atf from Mobil. Drive home was perfect. Let’s hope it stays that way. Copeland Chevrolet in Brockton MA has been second to none so far!!
Bought a 2019 chevy 1500 LT LD double cab standard cab. My dad was driving it and notice it clunks when slowing down. Noise happens at around 20 to 25 MPh. When to chevy they said there’s a Bulletin about it.
Update noise is getting more noticeable and other issues are popping up from a whinning noise of a pump.
Had my check engine light come on shortly after the grade braking feature kicked in on my 2015 Silverado. Pulled the code and found a P0741 which is a torque converter problem. Luckily, 2015 was the last year with a 5yr/100k drivetrain warranty. I brought it to the dealership well under mileage (52,000) with 3 months to spare.
Paid $40,000 for a 2019 Chevy Silverado. It’s junk!!! Transmission jumps, head lights are dim, electrical makes crazy noises even after the truck is turned off, AC isn’t cold, vehicle grinds, has recall after recall and even when they fix it they end up messing something else up. And the list goes in and on!!! The dealership Walker Chevrolet basically dumped it on me. Brakes heated up when I took kids to Bluestone, called dealership and he said do you feel safe driving it? I said not really. Floor board gets really hot on drivers side. Gas millage is terrible. Why would they put a 6 cylinder in a 5000 lb truck? Dealership said to save gas it costs more to pull it. I had a 2006 Chevy Silverado and you could take it anywhere nothing could hurt that truck. Worked at Toyota for 15 yrs building transmissions and they stood behind their vehicles. And going by what I’ve read Chevy isn’t.
Have a 2015 GMC Sierra with 6.2 with the 8 spd
Great truck awesome power it does have the HD towing package with the extra transmission cooler. But we did not start having a issue till we got 100,000 plus miles on it. And we have towed a lot of boats as we own a boat dealership. Every once in a while it would clunck mainly going in reverse. Now have 160,000 miles
And is starting to get the shutter and a code for trans problem.
The transmission was taking on when ever they had a recall.
Die hard GM fan and will stay that way. 2021 Sierra will be bought as soon as they come out
Just recently picked mine up from dealer for the 5th time for same issue(tranny hard shifts), they felt it this time and only thing they done was returned computer to factory specs? And said it’ll have to relearn my driving habits. Only had this truck since August of last year and that is their remedy? Thanks for nothing GM!
Just bought a 2019 silverado rst, had it maybe three months and have takin it to the dealer three times, total of about five weeks they ha e had it and they didn’t fix anything the tranny shifts to early in goes I to neutral at stop lights and feels like the brakes are stuck, floor board gets hot, no power, gets 15 mph if I’m lucky and no service lights at all ha e come on and the dealership says drive it tell something brakes and wont take it in because they say they don’t know what’s wrong so I’m stuck driving a ticking time bomb and I’m supposed to feel safe and drive it until something breaks so they won’t fix it cayse it’s under warranty, as they say. It’s a joke and I dont know what to do.
I had the same issues for 9 months and finally traded up to a 2500. So far no issues. The dealer gave me the runaround. Never fixed it.
Hi I am seeing everybody’s posts on here with the GM Transmissions. I just purchased a 2014 GMC Sierra 4.3 L with 80000 miles and am having issues with the transmission as well hard shift during acceleration and deceleration high temperatures and a vibration. I am completely at a loss as of what to do paying over $30,000 for a vehicle that could have a transmission that fails. Very frustrating.
Try and completely flush the transmission fluid put in mobile one Synthetic should help quite a bit. As far as your vibration goes are you sure it’s not because it’s going into 4-cylinder mode set your transmission to manual put it in 5th speed or 6th it shouldn’t go into 4 cylinder mode see if that stops the vibrating if it does that’s where your issue is. Also have read that after people have had their transmission flushed the vibration went away.
My GMC Yukon XL 2018 transmission fluid keeps over heating … any advice…..
We owned a Suburban in the 90’s. Its transmission was trash. Just saying. Whoever is doing the transmissions at GMC is not doing much.
I was in the market for a new pickup, learned of these GM tranny issues and bought a RAM 1500 that shifts beautifully
2015 Sierra Denali – Had the flush a year ago after LIMP mode due to shudder so bad the tech thought it had a flat – was mostly OK after, unless it was cold/wet – then it would still slam shift from P to 1, 3 – 2, 2-1, a slow rolling 1 with a brake tap, then BAM – hit from behind (well no, actuallly but hit that hard)
Last night, drove into garage, stopped – placed into P – got out and went inside house truck still running. Heard a BANG and came back out – wife WIDE EYED and gasping!!! WTF?? Truck slam shifted while sitting in P and hit the front of the garage!!!
GMC commercial junksh!t grade