Class Action Filed Over Alleged ‘Shift to Park’ Defect in 2017-2018 GMC Acadia Vehicles [UPDATE]
by Erin Shaak
Last Updated on February 25, 2022
Smith v. General Motors LLC
Filed: May 14, 2020 ◆§ 9:20-cv-00101
A lawsuit claims 2017-2018 GMC Acadia vehicles are stricken with a defect that intermittently prevents the cars from detecting when they’re placed in “park.”
Case Updates
February 25, 2022 – Cases Dismissed by Plaintiffs
The plaintiffs in both lawsuits detailed on this page have asked the court to dismiss their claims.
The Michigan case was dismissed only days after it was first filed, with the two plaintiffs filing a May 19, 2020 notice dismissing their claims without prejudice, meaning they could potentially be brought again.
The Texas lawsuit was dismissed in August 2020 after both parties agreed to drop the suit and bear their own costs and fees. The plaintiff’s claims were dismissed with prejudice, but the claims of proposed class members were dismissed without prejudice, leaving room for another lawsuit.
May 15, 2020 – Another Case Filed
Another proposed class action has been filed against GM over the alleged “shift to park” defect in certain GMC Acadia vehicles that prevents drivers from turning off their cars after parking.
Filed by two plaintiffs, the lawsuit out of Michigan looks to cover anyone in Ohio or Tennessee who bought or leased a 2017-2018 GMC Acadia.
Read the full complaint here.
A lawsuit filed against General Motors LLC claims 2017-2018 GMC Acadia vehicles are stricken with a defect that intermittently prevents the cars from detecting when they’re placed in “park.”
Instead, the vehicles display a “Shift to Park” message even when the gear shifter is already in the “park” position, forcing drivers to “resort to all kinds of gimmicks” in order to be able to turn off their cars, the suit says. The lawsuit claims that GM is “well aware” of the alleged defect yet has refused to warn consumers and repair the afflicted cars. According to the suit, the shifter issue “substantially impairs” the value, safety, and use of GMC Acadia vehicles.
The plaintiff claims she began experiencing the effects of the shifter defect roughly a month after purchasing a brand new 2017 GMC Acadia. Although the plaintiff has complained of the problem “at least half a dozen times” to her local authorized GM dealership, she was repeatedly told that the dealership would not attempt repairs because the defect failed to manifest itself when she brought the car in, the suit says. The case claims the car’s failure to recognize when it has been placed in “park” prevents the plaintiff from shutting off and locking the vehicle and can drain the car’s battery.
“Indeed, Plaintiff has repeatedly found herself stranded inside her vehicle at home, at work, at school, and at various other places away from home, unable to shut her vehicle off,” the complaint reads. “To get her vehicle to detect that the shifter is in fact in ‘Park,’ Plaintiff was forced to repeatedly wiggle the shifter, shift it through its gears, and start and shut off the engine.”
The lawsuit argues that the plaintiff’s experiences “are not unique,” claiming numerous online complaints and two technical service bulletins regarding the issue indicate that GM is “well aware” of the Acadia’s apparent shifting problem. Nevertheless, GM has failed to fix the plaintiff’s vehicle while it was under warranty, the suit says, meaning she will be forced to pay out-of-pocket should she choose to have the dealership attempt a repair.
The plaintiff claims that if she had known of the alleged defect, she would not have purchased her GMC Acadia, or would have paid substantially less for it.
The suit looks to represent anyone in Texas who bought or leased a 2017-2018 GMC Acadia.
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