by New lawsuit against GM over 10-speed automatic transmission
General Motors has again found itself at the center of a scandal — this time due to a class-action lawsuit related to the 10-speed automatic transmission used in many popular pickup trucks, SUVs, and Cadillac sedans. The plaintiffs allege that these transmissions can operate intermittently and sometimes suddenly lose power, creating a serious safety hazard.
Three plaintiffs filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. They insist that the problems are not isolated incidents but constitute a systemic defect that the company concealed from buyers. The sudden loss of power is particularly dangerous, as it can leave the driver without control in traffic.
Which models are affected?
The 10-speed transmission is installed in a wide range of GM vehicles, including:
The lawsuit notes that GM issued numerous technical bulletins and even conducted recalls related to this transmission, but never fixed the root cause of the problem. One previous recall involved the risk of wheel lockup on Cadillac CT4, CT5, CT6 and Chevrolet Camaro models.
What are the plaintiffs demanding?
The plaintiffs do not specify the exact cause of the malfunction but suggest it may be related to wear of the valve body, internal contamination, and unstable hydraulic pressure. These issues cannot be fixed with a simple software update, yet GM, according to the plaintiffs, downplayed the extent of the defect.
They seek to represent all California residents who purchased or leased the affected models. The lawsuit seeks reimbursement for repair costs as well as an injunction that would stop the sale of vehicles with this transmission until the problem is resolved.
Other legal troubles for GM
This is not the only legal challenge for GM in the U.S. Over the past year, the company has faced several lawsuits over allegedly defective L87 V8 engines. Separately, last year GM agreed to pay $150 million to settle a lawsuit related to the 5.3-liter LC9 V8 engine.
The lawsuit over the 10-speed transmission is another blow to GM’s reputation, which is already trying to cope with the consequences of previous court cases. Given that this transmission is used in many mass-market models, potential payouts could be significant, and the court’s decision could affect the future of this unit in the company’s lineup.
The situation echoes previous scandals with V8 engines, where GM had to pay millions in compensation. Now the company is facing similar allegations regarding its transmission, which could indicate systemic quality control issues. If the court finds the lawsuit justified, it could lead to a large-scale vehicle recall and additional financial losses for the automaker. At the same time, for owners of affected models, this could be an opportunity to receive compensation for poor repairs or hidden defects.
