GM 8-Speed Automatic Transmission Lawsuit Granted Class Action Status
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The lawsuit filed against GM for allegedly and knowingly selling vehicles with defective transmissions entered a new phase as Eastern District of Michigan judge David Lawson granted it class action certification.
The judge certified the Speerly vs. GM lawsuit on Monday, March 20th, the Detroit Free Press reports. The suit was originally filed over a year ago in January 2022 on behalf of 39 plaintiffs in 26 U.S. states.
The class action lawsuit claims the its 8L45E and 8L90 eight-speed automatic transmissions in thirteen different GM vehicle models produced between 2015 and March 1st, 2019 are defective. The models included in the suit are listed below.
- 2015-2019 Cadillac Escalade/Cadillac Escalade ESV
- 2016-2019 Cadillac ATS
- 2016-2019 Cadillac ATS-V
- 2016-2019 Cadillac CTS
- 2016-2019 Cadillac CTS-V
- 2016-2019 Cadillac CT6
- 2015-2019 Chevrolet Silverado
- 2017-2019 Chevrolet Colorado
- 2015-2019 Chevrolet Corvette
- 2016-2019 Chevrolet Camaro
- 2017-2019 GMC Canyon
- 2015-2019 GMC Sierra
- 2015-2019 GMC Yukon/Yukon XL
The lawsuit alleges that the affected transmissions are a safety hazard because they can “slip, buck, kick, jerk and harshly engage” from time to time. This, according to the plaintiffs, “causes the vehicle to perform erratically, such as with sudden or delayed acceleration” and sometimes makes it feel as if another car collided with the vehicle when the transmission shifts.
Attorney Ted Leupold of Cohen Milstein claims GM “knowingly sold over 800,000 eight-speed transmission vehicles, which they knew to be defective,” citing the subsequent issuance of more than 60 service bulletins related to the transmissions as proof.
Leupold also alleges “dealers were directed to tell the customers that harsh shifts were ‘normal’ or ‘characteristic'” and described The General’s actions as “highly irresponsible and emblematic of what GM believes it can get away with.”
No injuries or deaths have been connected to the “startling” transmission shifts. The sudden, violent shifts and other problems allegedly result from excess friction in the torque converter caused by internal transmission fluid starvation.
The lawsuit seeks compensation for allegedly excessive payment for defective vehicles or payment for the expenses of transmission replacement. Speerly vs. GM also demands that GM reform its warranties to address these transmission problems and also issue a recall for affected vehicles.
If the torque converter problems result from a design defect and not a manufacturing defect, they are not covered by GM warranties, which currently only provide coverage against manufacturing defects. GM sought to have a similar lawsuit dismissed in August 2021 based on the problem being a design defect.
Maria Raynal, a GM representative, said in response to Monday’s class action certification that “we respectfully decline comment, as is generally our practice with ongoing litigation.”
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Good.
I hope GM has to fix the issue this time instead of band aiding it. Knock on wood after a new TC and new fluid back in 2018/19 , my 17 Camaro has been fine.
Although, I always worry about the longevity. Even tho my car is low mileage.
How come my 2018 Suburban is not on the list when the others that are like it are on the list ? Mine has issues in the morning when it is cold and I’m driving slow.
Hey Allan
I have a 2016 suburban with the 6 speed transmission. It does all the things they describe in the article they even replaced the torque converter. When cold the transmission has a vibration. The mechanic blames the tires. It still misses a shift or shifts hard on occasion too. I think the class action suit should be expanded to include all chevy transmission.
The dealer will try to bring everything but a defective transmission
We have exactly the same issue in our 2016 Suburban. I just paid $7,500 for a new transmission at 85,000 miles.
Same here! I have a 2018 Suburban LT, it has the same issues!
The lawyers will get rich and the dear old consumer will get a $500 trade in voucher. That’s usually how it goes.
With Mazda we got a new transmission or 3000.
My 22 Colorado slips during the first few shifts from a cold start. They should have to warranty all the transmission’s past 100,000 miles and replace with new transmissions if they can’t repair. The entire generation of this transmission including 2020,21,22. This lesson of selling a crappie tranny should hit them financially.
Ken you knew GM had problems with this transmission and you still brought one anyway why ?? You should have brought a Tacoma or Nissan Frontier you wouldn’t have had these problems.
Thought the newer trannys were 10 speed
What about the rotten frames on the tacoma
I would not buy a tacoma with the engine having timing belts. I do not see why Toyota sticks with this design, especially with an interference engine.
I think Toyota will fix the frame, if they can’t fix it, they will replace it. GM would never do that.
because tacoma has engine issues and the valves are dropping out, and nissan dont get me started
I also have a 2022 Colorado and until the transmission heats up to at least 60 degrees it shifts hard from 2nd to 1st gear. Usually takes about 10 minutes to heat up then after that it shifts just fine.
I have a 2021 Canon Denali that has a hesitation or slip during a cold start also. After a few minutes warm up it seem to disappear during the transmission shift. The Service manager indicated it was an on going issue with the transmissions that has not been resolved at this time.
I bought a new 22 Colorado last summer had no problem till the weather got colder.i have the same 8 speed transmission. It is junk and dealer does nothing to resolve the problem.
Gm should have to replace all the defective transmissions, but with What another defective transmissions, that’s what gm would do, they are unscrupulous, they only care about short term profit, I will never buy anything from gm again, they say my GMC is professional grade, professional junk
I bought a new 22 Colorado 4×4 last summer had no problem till the weather got colder.i have the same 8 speed transmission. It is junk and dealer does nothing to resolve the problem. Has all the problems stated in this article. Why hasn’t the Colorado been added to this class action lawsuit???
The dealer will try to bring everything but a defective transmission
Chrysler finally gave up on their in house engineered automatics and went with a ZF design a few years ago. Haven’t heard about issues with their 8speeds. Maybe GM should do the same.
Your right because gm can’t make a good transmission, it seems like they can’t do anything right,
I have a 2018 sierra 5.3l with a 6 speed and it does basically all of the above described in the lawsuit. Dealer has told me twice, “that’s normal, it just has to get used to your driving habit”. Well it’s 5 years old now and still doing it, especially when cold.
GM is offering a “free” TCM reflash for the 6 speed if you take it to the dealer. It seems to have fixed mine.
Also, side note, that Sierra HD pictured at the top of the article does not have the 8 speed transmission.
Our 2016 Sierra (5.3 L:, 6-speed) with 80000 miles had its transmission completely die on a road trip 1000 miles from home. Had to have new torque converter and trans rebuild at a local shop (Arkansas), $3300. Guys told me it was a widespread problem and I should look into history of recalls, lawsuits etc.
Exact same thing happened to my 2015 Sierra. Luckily I was at home. I think its was $3600 all in with a tow.
Mark W.,
The dealership (and you) need to read the online GM Technical Service Bulletins (TSB) on these vehicles. I posted them earlier. The link is in the old comments section of GM A. Mine, a 17 2SS Camaro, had trans vibrations felt throughout the body, in the seats and steering wheel in most gears under normal accelerations and would lung out of first gear. They flushed it twice with the correct Mobil 1 synthetic trans oil (25 quarts). That took care of the vibration. The harsh shift continued thus, they changed the trans valve body unit in the transmission to alleviate the thrust. So far that worked. Time will tell. When a car is new or has had a major trans repair the onboard computer is reset by the mechanic, and it learns your driving habits and shift patterns. I’m not an engineer and thus can not go into it any more than that, but the GM trans mechanics I’ve talked with validated that for me.
If the dealership you’re going to continues to ignore your complaint, go to other dealerships until you find one that understands the issue and fixes it. Sadly, not all dealerships are the same. I hope that helps…
So the transmission have not met the expectations of some owners. No failures to do the job, no accidents, no injuries, a little harsh shifting, a little shuttering, a little hesitate, but still do the job of what the truck was built to do. So the trans not meeting the expectations of some owners. This is what I am hearing. So if you buy an auto that do not meet your expectations, you can sue. I have not heard anyone say the transmission do not work, all I hear is it do not meet my expectations.
In a premium car such as a Cadillac or a Corvette, one should not expect to experience a transmission that feels like it is going over highway rub strip surfaces when it harshly changes gears. I’ve had 4 of these 8 speeds, thinking that the newer ones would have gotten better, but they did not. The irony of this is that GM in the past has produced world-class automatic transmissions that, at one time many years ago, were used in very high-line European cars.
This is about many these owners had to replace the transmission and pay for it. Even with a full coverage warranty. It was GM bad selling tactics. They knew of the problem and are not taking responsibility for it.
The 8L90 transmission is junk. I have a 2015 GMC 1500 4×4 6.2 sitting at the transmission shop right now. It shuddered, shook, and had an issue with hard shifting soon after buying it until finally breaking down with what shop calls catastrophic transmission failure. Now it’s going to cost $8500 to replace the transmission because they’re discontinued and hard to find.
I’ve owned GM products for 30yrs but don’t plan on buying another one because this is a joke and a slap in the face of their customers
I have a 2017 GMC Sierra, Just got it back from the shop 3 weeks ago. I left my transmission on the 405 freeway 2nd lane in. Yeah just left LAX at 5:15 p.m. Great fun trying to get to the exit, didn’t make it CHP had to push up the ramp! So Dwight ( who works for GM and drives an F 150 ) Perhaps people didn’t want to rehash the unpleasant experience again.
My transmission just went on me with 86,000 miles on it. I have a 2019 Trail Boss. I complained about this to my dealer and took it in back in 2020-2021 and they stated they checked the transmission an there was no problem. So i am supposed to pay the $7,000 for a new transmission because I didn’t go to mechanic school?
I don’t know about you, but I paid a lot of money for my truck and I don’t wanna get aggravated every time I drive it you have the same attitude GM has, a transmission should not slip jerk or a bang if I want that I’ll get on the roller coaster.
I don’t know about you, but I paid a lot of money for my truck and I don’t wanna get aggravated every time I drive it you have the same attitude GM has, a transmission should not slip jerk or a bang if I want that I’ll get on the roller coaster
You must be the service manager
I TOO HAVE A 2017 CHEVY SILVERADO LTZ WITH 8 SPEED 6.2 ENGINE.I’VE BEEN COMPLAINING TO THE VARIOUS DEALERS ABOUT THIS TRANNY SINCE THE FIRST WEEK I OWNED IT.GREAT TRUCK IN EVERY OTHER WAY 19.8 MPG AROUND TOWN,28.4 ON LONG TRIP ANND 420 HP.BUT THIS TRANNY IS HORRIBLE AND THE EXCUSES THAT I WAS GIVEN ON HOW THIS ISSUE WAS “NORMAL”IS A SLAP IN THE FACE .I’VE OWNED A BODY SHOP FOR 52 YEARS AND AM NOT STUPID.HOPEFULLY GM WILL DO THE RIGHT THING AND MAKE GOOD ON A WARRANTY FOR PUTTING OUT A BAD TRANNY
GM never does the right thing they have to be forced with a class action suit
My 2017 50th Anniversary 2SS Camaro convertible, eight-speed transmission, with 6K miles had this condition. I noticed a shake or vibration during light throttle acceleration, which occurred between 25 and 75 mph at a steady state. Not during acceleration. You could actually see the tach needle move up and down in a given gear. One could also feel a constant vibration in the body, seat and steering wheel. When I noticed the condition I stopped driving the vehicle until I could get it into GM service at Randy Wise.
I was told they flushed the transmission with 25 quarts of Mobil 1 special transmission fluid (blue label not black) to remove moisture in the trans fluid and metal shavings caught in the transmission and torque converter. After the flush they filled the transmission with 10 quarts of the same transmission fluid. They went on to say If the shudder does not stop entirely after the flush or the Trans starts to jump, it is flushed up to 2 more times. Then, if not fixed, the torque converter is replaced under GM warranty. It is unclear how long GM will honor the warranty.
In 10K miles no issues are evident. I still worry this fix will not be permanent. GM should provide an extended transmission warranty to the vehicles listed in the article. Thank you for reporting on this. Had you not written the article consumers would not have known. Good job!
I have a 20-9 or st
I have a 2019 Corvette ZR1 automatic and would like regular update on this issue…
Thank You
This is scary because GM is now building knock-off Allison transmissions for their HD pickups.
I have a 2018 ATS with the 3.6 V6. I had problems with the transmission from the start. Dealer changed the fluid and put Mobil 1 in it. So far so good but should I take back to dealer over this new stuff
First time hearing about this. I had to have a new transmission installed in my 2017 GMC Yukon. Will GM refund me?
If u find out about a refund , let us know. I spent $8,000 on a new transmission in my 2019 GMC sierra
What if I already replaced my transmission in my 2017 GMC YUKON?
I have a 2016 Suburban that had this problem costing $3,000 to fix yet it’s not mentioned as one that qualifies. Why?
Oliver 65, people on this site said the issues were fixed with the new trans fluid which I believe happened in 2019. I’ve had Nissan junk before along with rotted frames on yodas. I have 3 chevys in my garage. Iam still a fan. But if a manufacturer makes a defective part for years they should be extending the warranty on the part that seems to be failing at above average rates. Troll. Mr purple I agree with you, mine is doing the same but with slipping, but after a few minutes the transmission shifts fine. But I am concerned about this transmissions longevity and I think gm should back it with a longer warranty.
I have a 2018 Colorado WT. Had the shuttering transmission problem last year in July 2022. Cost me $780 to have the transmission fluid flushed at my local Chevy dealer even though I paid for an extended warranty. I tried getting in touch with the warranty expert at the dealer. He would not call me back. I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop. What’s next with my transmission? Is that really the fix? Am I headed for a bigger problems?
I just have to laugh at these gullible fools who bought these poorly made GM vehicles.
Consumer stupidity has consequences.
My 17 camaro got that fluid flush now it’s starting to shudder again and now it also shifts slow hope to get mine fixed or changed
My 19 Colorado has all the above problems and has been worked on 5 times. Fluid change, TC, and computer reset twice it still has the same problems.
Yes they finally said this is normal for that transmission BS. I’m currently working an lemon law attorney to try and get a resolution. I didn’t know there was a problem when I bought the vehicle. I brought back the very next day complaining.
My 2016 GMC sierra is one of theses truck that had the transmission blow out at 80,000km. GM replaced the transmission. Now the truck is starting to do the same thing again and shifts at high rpm’s. not happy with truck and will never buy another GM truck again.
I have a 2016 Cadillac ATS with transmission shudder and slippage. I contacted Earnhardt Cadillac Gilbert Arizona for this problem and asked if it would be repaired under the lawsuit, they told me NO, luckily I have extended warranty. Since they know this problem exists and it is there fault why are they refusing to take care of their customers and fixing the problem? DON’t buy GM is the answer I am getting!!
I have a 2016 Sierra and the Trans was replaced at 99,200 miles. The problems listed have never stopped. I was told that these things occur and nothing is wrong. Weird, i didn’t think it was normal when you’re driving in bumper to bumper traffic and you think somebody hit you from behind. Now at 205,000 miles it is about done with once again.