A new class-action lawsuit filed against General Motors claims certain crossover models manufactured by the automaker have a fuse box issue that can lead to powertrain and electrical malfunctions.
The suit, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California, was brought forth by California plaintiff Rebecca Casey, who purchased a used 2014 Buick Enclave in December of 2016 with just over 70,000 miles on the odometer. Casey started experiencing problems with the vehicle in April of 2018 and brought it back to the dealership for repairs with a little over 89,000 miles on the clock.
Casey’s vehicle had the stability and traction warning lights illuminated, while the trip computer showed a warning for reduced power. Technicians discovered an error code and also noticed the fuse block ignition bus had come loose. They reinstalled the bus and charged Casey for the repairs, but she returned a few months later due to the engine light going on and off and warning messages over the traction control and reduced power. The technicians then replaced the ignition bus completely, having deemed it defective, and charged Casey for the repairs again.
The class-action lawsuit claims the fuse blocks in the 2013-2017 Buick Enclave and other related GM crossovers are defective and can disrupt the distribution of electricity throughout the vehicle, preventing the vehicle from starting or cause it to stall while in motion. This is caused by one of the relay terminals coming loose, a problem that can then be exacerbated by engine vibrations. As the terminal moves around, it can cause intermittent or unpredictable electrical failures. The suit also says that certain metal prongs used in the terminals must be sufficiently tightened in order to prevent the problem.
In addition to the Enclave, the 2013-2017 Chevrolet Traverse, 2013-2016 GMC Acadia and 2017 GMC Acadia Limited are also affected by this problem, the suit claims.
According to Car Complaints, GM has posted a number of technical service bulletins that appear to relate to this issue. One bulletin published in November of last year (PIT5074M), which was for all GM vehicles built from 2005-2020, notified dealers that when diagnosing an intermittent electrical concern, “terminal tension is one of the main culprits, especially when working with very small terminals.” A month later, it issued a separate bulletin (19-NA-276) that warned of a potentially reduced engine power message in certain GM vehicles and said the “cause of the condition may be poor terminal tension on terminal 51 in X50A fuse block Underhood X3.” Dealers were instructed to replace the fuse block, but the class action suit says owners must pay out of pocket unless their vehicle is still under warranty.
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Source: Car Complaints
Comments
I know iam going to get a lot of thumbs down but can Gm build good high quality vehicles any more I mean wtf I wonder do they even care about all the lawsuits an recall I see why people call them Garbage motors
pinching pennies usually comes back to bite you.piss-off a customer you may lose them for life until they run out of automakers that disappointed them then they might give them another shot example neighbor had 2 common problems on a 14 1500 a/c condenser and leaking onstar/xm antenna told him I know a guy who can fix it reasonably after gm told him to pound sand after asking for a goodwill warranty he said forget about gm I am going to buy tundra
I have a 2007 Pontiac Torrent with the exact same problem mentioned. I’ve spent thousands of dollars trying to rectify the problem ( starter and throttle body replaced. Wiring checked and rechecked. Fuses replaced. Also computer reprogrammed trying to eliminate problems. No such luck. Problems still prevail). Can you inform me how I can become of this law suit.
Not that there aren’t actual electrical issues at play here, but to cite the existence of a bulletin as a) legitimizing a class action lawsuit, and b) further evidence that GM’s quality doesn’t match Toyota’s is pretty shallow. Having worked with both GM dealers as well as Toyota dealers, I can attest that the actual service bulletin counts between the two aren’t that different, and the difference in frequency and types of service issues between the two is indiscernible…
Today’s vehicles across the board are so far superior for all OEM’s than those built just 20 years ago.
I own a 2013 Traverse. I bought it used with 37k miles on it. I now have about 91k on it. It’s been a great vehicle. The only problem I’ve had is that I had to put some freon in the AC 2 summers ago. Other than that, no problems. Hopefully I do not have this problem with it.
The final sentence in this article saya ” but the class action suit says owners must pay out of pocket unless their vehicle is still under warranty.” This is confusing. you make it sound like the class action suit supports that. I think that the class action suit is trying to make GM fix the problem cars even after they are out of warranty. Can you follow up with with some clarification on what the lawsuit seeks as a remedy.
I have a 2009 Chevy Impala SS I have been having this exact problem on my vehicle I have changed the fuse box three times is there a different version of the old fuse box out so I can fix this problem?
I am having the same problems with my 2014 GMC Acadia. Traction Control light has been coming on allot lately causing my car to cut off and jumping. Not satisfied..It’s embarrassing when you have to call somebody to come and get you because you’re broke down. I purchased this car with only 26,000 miles on it at the time!
These cars cost allot of money; the reason I buy newer cars is to have something reliable and dependable..Not to break down as when I was 16 years old and owned a Pinto!! But Although I have to admit the Pinto was a good car!!
Frustrated in Virginia!
I bought a new 2020 Chevrolet Traverse in August. I’m March with 7200 mikes on it the transmission blew. It was replaced then the air wasn’t cooling good. They replaced a valve and recharged the Freon. Then two months later we were driving on a trip about 140 miles from home when my air quit working completely. They couldn’t figure out what was wrong because it was working at the time it made it to the shop. Now 3 weeks later the air quit working again. This time I drove it over 100 miles took 1 1/2 hours to get to the dealership so they could diagnose it. They “think” they have it fixed this time but I can’t trust it anymore. I will never buy Chevrolet again!!
Bought a used 2014 Acadia and started experiencing this within a week. Took it in and, yep, fuse box issue. On back order and will be $500 to replace/labor.
I have a 2013 GMC Acadia and in traffic today with my kids in reduced engine speed and we almost got into a bad wreck. Brung it to the dealership and it through code P1682. They have to replace fuse box ordered today 382 plus tax and another 250 for labor once it comes in. It could have caused my kids their lives, horrible.
Dont we wish GM stood behind their products. Our Buick Enclave (2011) has a corroded fuse box. It seems the windshield leaks when it rains. Heaven forbid I go to carwash, and water seeps behind it. We have added additional sealant…still water gets into the fuse box. Today, it is in the shop again…………..corroded fuse box. We have always thought a GM product was the way to go……………………now what?
They need to man up and take care of us