Class Action Alleges General Motors Overstated 2020 Sierra, Silverado Towing Capacities by 1,800 Pounds

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General Motors faces a proposed class action after allegedly overstating the towing capacities of the 2020 GMC Sierra 1500 and 2020 Chevy Silverado 1500. 

The 13-page complaint says that the plaintiff, a Palmetto Bay, Florida resident, bought a 2020 Sierra 1500 specifically to tow a recreational vehicle. Per the suit, the plaintiff, in purchasing the truck, relied upon the vehicle’s advertised gross combined weight rating (GCWR), i.e. the total allowable weight of the completely loaded vehicle and trailer, including fuel, passengers, cargo and accessories, of 16,800 pounds. 

In April 2021, however, the plaintiff and similarly situated drivers received a letter from GM in which the automaker relayed that the advertised GCWR on the 2020 Sierra 1500’s trailering information label was inaccurate, the lawsuit says. According to the case, GM disclosed that the 2020 Sierra 1500 in fact had a GCWR of 15,000 pounds, or 1,800 less than the weight rating advertised by the company. The 2020 Chevy Silverado 1500 was likewise affected by the incorrect trailering information labels, the suit says. 

According to the filing, a vehicle’s trailering and towing capabilities are key components of an automaker’s marketing. The suit says GM touted the 2020 Sierra 1500 and 2020 Silverado 1500 as “work horses” with which drivers could “tow like a pro.” 

A critical aspect of a vehicle’s towing capacity is its GCWR, the suit explains. For the vehicles at issue in the lawsuit, GM expressly advises consumers to consult the trucks’ trailering information label, a sticker that can be found inside of the driver-side doorjamb, the case relays. According to the complaint, GM warns drivers that exceeding a vehicle’s GCWR while towing can cause severe damage to the truck and also put passengers and others in danger. 

The lawsuit contends that neither the plaintiff nor other Sierra 1500 or Silverado 1500 drivers, in light of the safety hazard posed by towing loads in excess of a vehicle’s capacity, would have bought the trucks, or paid as much for them, had they known their actual GCWR was less than advertised. Despite the apparent overstatement of the vehicles’ towing capacities, GM did not issue a recall, and instead simply mailed a letter and “left it up to Plaintiff and Class Members to open the letter, review its contents, and place the label in their vehicle.” 

The lawsuit looks to represent all persons who bought or leased a 2020 model year GMC Sierra 1500 Series and/or a 2020 model year Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Series pickup truck in the United States. 

Noted in the complaint is that GM has faced class action litigation over similar allegations in the past, as a 2015 case alleged the automaker sold the 2014 Sierra 1500 and 2014 Silverado 1500 with towing capacities overstated by nearly 2,000 pounds. Then, in November 2020, GM notified consumers and dealerships that the 2021 Chevy Tahoe and GMC Yukon were also labeled with incorrect towing information, the suit says. 

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