General Motors Lawsuit Alleges Certain Chevy, GMC Models Plagued by Defective Transmission Components

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A proposed class action lawsuit against General Motors (GM) alleges that certain model year GMC Terrain and Chevy Malibu, Trailblazer and Equinox vehicles are equipped with continuously variable transmissions (CVTs) and related components that are defective, posing the risk of sudden power loss, collision and injury. 

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The 51-page lawsuit states that, more specifically, a defective clutch regulator in 2019-2025 Chevrolet Malibu, 2021-2025 Chevrolet Trailblazer, 2024-present Chevrolet Equinox and 2024-present GMC Terrain vehicles can cause sudden slipping, shuddering, juddering, hesitation, delayed acceleration, loss of forward gear, and partial or complete loss of power during normal operation, including at highway speeds. 

The complaint states that at the onset of the CVT problems, drivers have reported receiving a reduced engine power warning, followed by hesitation, slipping and a total loss of forward gear that leaves a vehicle unable to move. Often, the malfunction indicator light in an affected vehicle will not illuminate before the CVT failures manifest, the case mentions. 

Per the lawsuit, the above-described symptoms stem from an “improperly designed and/or manufactured” internal transmission architecture, which includes the clutch regulator valve, valve body, drive chain, pulleys and bearings. 

The end result of the apparent CVT component defects can be total transmission failure, the case relays, stressing that an abrupt loss of vehicle power places drivers, passengers and other motorists at imminent risk of collision and serious injury. 

“These events occur without warning and leave drivers stranded in active traffic lanes or on highway shoulders, creating an acute and unreasonable safety hazard,” the filing reads. 

Unlike a conventional transmission that uses fixed gears, a CVT relies on a belt or chain running between variable-diameter pulleys to vary a vehicle’s drive ratio, the suit explains. Per the case, the design of a CVT “depends on precise fluid pressure and valve-body operation” to transmit power to a vehicle. 

According to the lawsuit, GM has been aware that the affected vehicle models’ transmissions were prone to premature failure since 2021, if not earlier, yet “undertook affirmative measures to conceal transmission failures and other malfunctions.” Cited in the complaint are several technical service bulletins and preliminary information bulletins issued by GM concerning CVT slipping, shuddering and loss of forward gear, which the suit claims demonstrate GM’s awareness of the issue. 

Per the filing, GM does not have an effective repair that addresses the root cause of the CVT defect and has gone so far as to instruct dealers to characterize the problem as “normal” or not reproducible. Other times, GM has ordered diagnostic and repair procedures that fail to fix the underlying CVT problems, leaving drivers with unsafe, unreliable vehicles, the case says. 

The class action lawsuit also alleges that although GM is obligated to cover the repair or replacement of certain powertrain components under warranty, the automaker has wrongfully denied warranty coverage for CVT problems, with the defendant attributing the defects to “normal operation.” 

“As a result, consumers are left with vehicles that suffer recurring failures, diminished safety, and substantial out-of-pocket expenses for transmission replacement and related damage,” the suit summarizes. 

The lawsuit against General Motors looks to cover all individuals and entities in the United States who bought or leased a 2019-2025 Chevy Malibu, 2021-2025 Chevy Trailblazer, 2024-present Chevy Equinox or 2024-present GMC Terrain. 

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