Certain 2015-2020 Chevy, GMC, Cadillac Trucks Plagued by Defective Paint, GM Class Action Lawsuit Claims

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A proposed class action lawsuit alleges certain 2015-2020 model year Chevrolet, GMC and Cadillac vehicles are plagued by exterior paint prone to prematurely peel, crack, become cloudy, or delaminate.

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The 70-page General Motors lawsuit says the paint on the affected Chevy, GMC and Cadillac models suffers from a “serious latent defect” given that it can prematurely crack, peel, delaminate, or become cloudy with no external or environmental influence. The case accuses the automaker of breaching its express warranty by continuing to sell the vehicles at issue without disclosing the apparent paint defect and refusing to remedy the problem while “actively conceal[ing]” it from consumers.

The suit contests that GM knew or should have known that the paint or clear coating on the following vehicle models was defective or defectively applied:

• 2015-2020 Chevy Tahoe;
• 2015-2020 Chevy Suburban;
• 2015-2020 GMC Yukon;
• 2015-2020 GMC Yukon XL; and
• 2015-2020 Cadillac Escalade.

“Although the defect manifested over time, Defendant knew or should have known of those issues prior to sale of the Class Vehicles [listed above],” the case contends. “[Y]et Defendant continued to put the latently defective Class Vehicles on the market.”

The suit stresses that the condition of the exterior paint on a vehicle is an important aspect of its overall value and often determines whether a car will sell at fair market value. Thus, the GM defect has impacted the resale and intrinsic value of the Chevy, GMC and Cadillac models at issue, the complaint contends.

According to the case, the purported paint defect stems from either a defect in the paint itself, a defect in the clear coat, or a defect in the application of the paint and/or clear coat.

“Any or all of these defects will cause the paint and clear coat to microblister, crack, become cloudy, delaminate, peel, fade, and bubble,” the filing says, noting that the vehicle models at issue were all made at GM’s Arlington Assembly Plant in Texas.

As the suit tells it, there is no shortcut to remedy the alleged paint problems with the Chevy, GMC and Cadillac vehicles as they can only be fixed through total re-sanding and repainting.

The plaintiffs say their GM vehicles are among tens of thousands that have an “irreparable defect” in the exterior paint.

Pictures purporting to show the alleged GM paint defect can be found in the PDF complaint below.

The General Motors paint lawsuit looks to cover all consumers who bought or leased any of the Chevy, GMC or Cadillac models listed on this page in California.

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