A U.S. judge has granted class certification to consumers who filed a class action lawsuit against General Motors (GM), allowing them to proceed collectively in their case against the automaker.
The class action lawsuit alleges that GM knowingly sold vehicles with defective eight-speed automatic transmissions, resulting in costly repairs and diminished vehicle value for affected consumers.
The class action, which a group of consumers initially filed, accuses General Motors of selling vehicles with defective transmissions that caused problems such as rough shifting, abrupt vehicle deceleration, and sudden acceleration. These issues resulted in expensive repair bills for the owners and posed serious safety risks on the road.
According to Autoblog, the lawsuit covers over one million GM vehicles, including popular models such as the Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra, Chevrolet Corvette, and Cadillac CT6. These vehicles were manufactured and sold between 2015 and 2019 and equipped with the automaker’s eight-speed automatic transmission.
The judge’s decision to grant class certification enables affected consumers to band together in their legal fight against GM, increasing their bargaining power and potentially leading to a larger settlement or verdict.
The judge found that there were sufficient commonalities among the plaintiffs’ claims, which justified the class certification.
The ruling marks a significant step forward in the legal battle against GM, as it now forces the automaker to face the collective allegations of consumers who have suffered due to the alleged defects in their vehicles’ transmissions.
General Motors has faced criticism and scrutiny over its handling of the defective transmission issue, with some consumers accusing the company of being aware of the problem but failing to take appropriate action to rectify it.
The class action lawsuit is now set to proceed in court, where GM will need to defend itself against the mounting allegations.
While the case outcome remains uncertain, the decision to grant class certification represents a significant victory for the affected consumers, as they seek to hold the automaker accountable for the alleged defects in their vehicles.
As the case progresses, we will closely monitor this legal battle between GM and this class of consumers.