General Motors May Face Class-Action Lawsuit Over Defective 8-Speed Transmissions

Models affected include the Chevrolet Silverado and Colorado, as well as the GMC Sierra and Canyon

The filed class-action lawsuit affects the Chevrolet Silverado as well as the GMC Sierra.

Plaintiffs in the lawsuit allege General Motors’ 8-speed transmissions are defective.

Certain Chevrolet, Cadillac and GMC models built between 2015 and 2019 may have a defect in their 8-speed transmissions, according to a class-action lawsuit posted to ClassAction.org. GM Authority spotted the lawsuit, which says there are serious problems with GM’s Hydra-Matic 8L90 and 8L45 transmissions.

More specifically, the transmissions have a defect that cause vehicles to hesitate and jerk when accelerating or coming to a stop. The lawsuit reads, “These transmissions have a common defect…Drivers have reported that the shift is sometimes so violent, they feel as though they have been hit by another vehicle.” It also mentions the case of an owner whose vehicle shifted from reverse to drive harshly enough that it nearly lurched through his garage door. The defect centers around the transmission itself or the torque converter. Over time, any shuddering, jerking or hestitation may cause internal issues, including metal shavings being circulated throughout the transmission.

The class-action lawsuit further alleges the metal shavings end up causing costly damage over time, and can make GM cars and trucks with the transmission dangerous to drive. Since 2015, the filing states GM has issued thirteen Technical Service Bulletins (TSBs) on the issue. To date, none of GM’s solutions have remedied the problem.

2017 gmc canyon denali la
The class-action lawsuit also affects the GMC Canyon and Chevrolet Colorado.

The lawsuit affects Chevy, Cadillac, and GMC vehicles

The lawsuit includes all vehicles equipped with the Hydra-Matic 8L90 or 8L45 transmissions, including.

General Motors May Face Class-Action Lawsuit Over Malfunctioning 8-Speed Transmissions
GM’s Hydra-Matic 8-speed automatic transmission.

The plaintiffs are seeking six statewide classes on behalf of GM owners with these transmissions. Those states include California, Florida, Illinois, Oklahoma, New York and Texas.

At this point in time, General Motors has not made an official comment or released a statement regarding the lawsuit. We will provide more updates if and when we hear anything.

Have you had any issues with your 8-speed transmission? Let us know in the comments below.