It is reported that General Motors sold over 800,000 vehicles with defective 8-speed automatic transmissions without disclosing to the customers before the purchase.
According to the class action, General Motors deliberately withheld critical information about the vehicle’s subpar performance, violating consumer protection laws.
The lawsuit intends to refund vehicle owners for the repair expenses related to the poor-quality automatic transmission and hold GM accountable for failing to inform consumers about the vehicle defect.
Do not wait to speak to a trusted lemon law attorney in California to learn more about the class action and how to protect your rights.
The vehicles affected by the transmission defect include:
Vehicle owners of the affected GM models have experienced a few negative symptoms, including lurching, hesitation, and lunging while accelerating and deceleration. Some consumers endured shaking or a “shudder” when driving at high speeds, which exposed them to a risk of accidents.
In other instances, the transmission fails altogether, making the vehicle inoperable and increasing the crash risk. Some cars have transmission fluid leaks, which can ignite after contact with a hot object.
If you’re considering joining the GM transmission class action lawsuit, a lemon law attorney can provide legal advice to help you make the right decision. A lemon law attorney will offer a comprehensive review to determine if the GM transmission class action is based on a lemon law violation.
First, an attorney will determine whether your vehicle is a lemon by evaluating whether the transmission defect impacts its value, use, and safety. In California, a vehicle is considered a lemon if it develops a substantial warranty defect within 18,000 miles or 18 months, whichever comes first.
California lemon laws cover the following new and used vehicles with the manufacturer’s new vehicle warranty:
If your vehicle meets the criteria for lemon, an attorney will do several things to protect your interest, including:
GM recently settled the lawsuit for selling vehicles with defective 8-speed transmissions. Even so, it is not all lost for vehicle owners who did not receive a share of the settlement award.
Instead, they can protect their rights using California lemon laws or file a lawsuit against the manufacturer for breach of warranty.
Instead of joining a class action, which could take years, you can protect your rights by filing a lemon law claim.
According to California lemon laws, if a manufacturer or dealer can’t repair a serious warranty defect after a ‘reasonable number’ of repair attempts, the manufacturer must either:
Although there is no set number of a ‘reasonable number’ of repair attempts, California lemon law presumption offers the following guidelines to allow a lemon law claim:
Here are the benefits of filing a lemon law claim instead of joining the GM transmission class action:
Many lemon law attorneys offer an initial free consultation and charge a contingency-based fee. As a result, they only get paid after winning your case, which allows them to obtain a commission from the settlement amount.
Further, under lemon laws, if your claim is successful, the court issues an order compelling the automaker to cover the attorney’s fee.
In a class action, a vehicle owner has little to no control over the final settlement amount awarded by the court. Further, the settlement award is less likely to meet the cost incurred by an aggrieved vehicle owner.
On the contrary, a lemon law demands the full attention of a manufacturer. Through a lemon law attorney, a vehicle owner can customize the claim to recover all losses, including car rental, accommodation charges, finance costs, tax, and towing charges.
If the automaker refuses to settle, an attorney can litigate the matter in court for a favorable ruling.
Depending on the nature of the case, you can obtain a lemon law settlement within a month or up to 6 months. On the contrary, the resolution of a class action lawsuit often takes 2-3 years or several years if the defendant decides to contest the court’s award by initiating an appeal.
If your GM vehicle or any other type of car has transmission issues that prevent you from using your vehicle, you might have rights under California lemon laws.
You need representation from an experienced lemon law attorney who’ll aggressively fight to protect your consumer rights. LemonLaw123 lead attorney Valerie G. Campbell has represented many vehicle owners and helped them move beyond the frustrations and expenses of their lemons.
Contact us online or at 657-529-5239 for a free case review.
Valerie G. Fernandez Campbell, known as The Lemon Law Lady, has dedicated her entire legal career to the specialized field of Lemon Law, a journey that began immediately after her
graduation from UCLA School of Law.
With a 99% success rate and a policy of no fees unless you win, her practice stands as a testament to her expertise in California’s Lemon Law, her commitment to her clients, and her unwavering dedication to justice and consumer rights.
This page has been written, edited, and reviewed by a team of legal writers following our comprehensive editorial guidelines. This page was approved by attorney Valerie G. Fernandez Campbell, personally handled over 500 lemon law cases and settlements.
