General Motors sued over faulty shifters in popular Chevrolets, GMCs and GMCs

Original class action lawsuit accuses GM of breaching new car warranty by failing to fix problems

Multiple Chevrolet, GMC and Buick models are now the focus of two U.S. class-action lawsuits alleging serious problems with shifter components that prevent owners from turning off their engines. The problem, which affects several GM models, could put drivers in a dangerous situation if their vehicle fails to properly enter park and refuses to stop, the lawsuit says.

The first lawsuit, filed in Memphis, Tenn., alleges that some GM vehicles have a “Shift to Park” message that continues to flash on the dashboard even after the shift lever has been placed in Park. Some owners report that they engage in the time-honored tradition of cranking the shifter (often multiple times) just to get the car to recognize that, yes, it is indeed in Park.

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On the surface, this doesn’t seem like a serious mistake. However, if the vehicle stubbornly refuses to acknowledge that it is in a parking spot, the owner may be in trouble with the engine unable to shut off. This inability to turn off can cause a host of problems, such as a drained battery if the vehicle is idling for too long, possibly leaving the owner stranded or forced to call for roadside assistance.

GM reportedly knew about the glitch for a long time. In fact, it sent a technical service bulletin to GMC dealers in June 2018 stating that the vehicle might not turn off when parked. More than six years later, no solution seems to have been developed to correct the problem. GM must now go to trial, which is scheduled for January 13, 2025.

The original lawsuit was filed by plaintiff Rilla Jefferson, who claimed she began experiencing these shifter headaches in her 2017 GMC Acadia. The owner claimed that GM violated the vehicle’s warranty and that her dealer never attempted to repair the fault. The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee granted class certification to the lawsuit last year for buyers and lessees of eligible Acadia models.

While the lawsuit only involves GMC Acadia models, a separate class action lawsuit filed by Mark Riley alleges the same issues and has been certified to include buyers and lessees of the 2017-2019 GMC Acadia, 2019 Chevrolet Blazer, 2016-2019 Chevrolet class action lawsuit against the Malibu, 2018-2019 Chevrolet Traverse and 2016-2019 Chevrolet Volt. In addition, Buick Encore models produced from 2020 to 2023 are also included in this expanded package.