Class-action lawsuit claims some GM models can’t shift into park

The auto giant is doing its best to get the class action lawsuit thrown out of court.

General Motors is facing off against eight plaintiffs in a class-action lawsuit in Michigan who claim transmission control components in certain Buick and Chevrolet vehicles are defective.

The lawsuit states that when certain vehicles are shifted into park, the vehicle goes into accessory mode and a “Shift into Park” message appears on the screen, even if the vehicle is already in park. While this may not sound like a big deal, the plaintiffs claim that once this message appears, the vehicle cannot be shut down or locked, and the battery eventually drains.

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To fix the glitch, owners claim they have to move the shifter back and forth and then shift it into park again. The lawsuit involves everyone who bought or leased a 2021-2023 Chevrolet Trailblazer, 2020-2022 Chevrolet Traverse, 2020-2023 Chevrolet Malibu, and 2020-2023 Buick Encore in the United States.

GM allegedly knew about the fault before selling the vehicles involved, and the problem persisted even after dealers replaced the shifter control assembly.

GM wants the lawsuit dismissed. The lawsuit says two plaintiffs, Glenda Brown and Maria Garza, purchased 2022 Chevrolet Traverse and Trailblazer models under arbitration agreements and therefore should not be plaintiffs. The automaker also said the two agreed to arbitrate their Shift to Park claims and that the Federal Arbitration Act requires these owners to abide by arbitration agreements.

Car Complaints added that GM also wants claims against certain vehicles in the lawsuit to be dismissed, noting that the plaintiffs only own 2022 Chevrolet Traverse, 2022 Trailblazer, and 2021 Malibu models, meaning that 2020-2021 Traverse, 2021 and 2023 Trailblazer, 2020-2023 Buick Encore, and 2020, 2022, and 2023 Malibus should not be involved. It added that certain other claims should also be dismissed because the owners did not allege that GM refused to repair the vehicles, and wants warranty claims for at least four customers to be dismissed as well.