Photo: GM
Tens of thousands of Chevrolet and GMC SUVs and trucks powered by the GM’s 5.3-liter Vortec LC9 engine might suffer from problems, including engine stalling and premature breakdowns. A class-action lawsuit was filed, and the jury verdict has come.
The auto industry knows plenty of examples of design or engineering mistakes that turned into costly affairs. These mistakes are often fixed with a recall, but sometimes the automaker might think ignoring the problem brings more benefits. That happens when fixing a problem for every affected vehicle is too costly for the carmaker. In this case, the companies bet that not everyone asks for compensation. Even if it turns into a nasty class-action lawsuit, the compensation might be worthy.
This appears to be the case with the lawsuit filed in 2016 by the owners of certain Chevrolet and GMC SUV and truck models. Their complaint was about the Generation IV Vortec engines that powered Chevrolet Avalanche, Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Chevrolet Suburban, GMC Sierra, and GMC Yukon XL. According to the lawsuit, the plaintiffs alleged that the engines had a defect that caused them to use too much oil and allowed oil to reach parts of the engine where it did not belong, causing damage.
General Motors have become aware of the problem by 2010 when it recommended its dealers clean the engine’s pistons to address the issue. This clearly didn’t work because the company made design changes to the engine in 2011. The problems, which caused the engines to stall or break down prematurely, continued despite the changes, so GM decided to discontinue the LS9 after the 2014 model year.
Now, a federal court jury in California has ordered GM to pay $102.6 to the plaintiffs in the class-action lawsuit. The winning class includes owners and lessees of SUVs and trucks sold from 2011 to 2014 in California, North Carolina, and Idaho. The verdict handed down on Tuesday means that each of the roughly 38,000 class members would get $2,700 if the verdict survives appeal. According to Automotive News, GM plans to appeal this verdict, saying that it did not believe the verdict was supported by the evidence.
This appears to be the case with the lawsuit filed in 2016 by the owners of certain Chevrolet and GMC SUV and truck models. Their complaint was about the Generation IV Vortec engines that powered Chevrolet Avalanche, Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Chevrolet Suburban, GMC Sierra, and GMC Yukon XL. According to the lawsuit, the plaintiffs alleged that the engines had a defect that caused them to use too much oil and allowed oil to reach parts of the engine where it did not belong, causing damage.
General Motors have become aware of the problem by 2010 when it recommended its dealers clean the engine’s pistons to address the issue. This clearly didn’t work because the company made design changes to the engine in 2011. The problems, which caused the engines to stall or break down prematurely, continued despite the changes, so GM decided to discontinue the LS9 after the 2014 model year.
Now, a federal court jury in California has ordered GM to pay $102.6 to the plaintiffs in the class-action lawsuit. The winning class includes owners and lessees of SUVs and trucks sold from 2011 to 2014 in California, North Carolina, and Idaho. The verdict handed down on Tuesday means that each of the roughly 38,000 class members would get $2,700 if the verdict survives appeal. According to Automotive News, GM plans to appeal this verdict, saying that it did not believe the verdict was supported by the evidence.
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