GM Iced with Class Action Over Allegedly Defective Air Conditioning Systems

“In the defective General Motors products, the physical components of the system are too weak to withstand the pressure that the coolant is under. The malfunction is caused by the weakness and poor design of two parts: the discharge line and the condenser. Either the discharge line or condenser breaks from this pressure and develops a leak, despite normal operation of the vehicle. This causes coolant to leak out and air to leak in, both of which impede the air conditioner from working. First, as air leaks into the system, water vapor in the air freezes into ice, blocking the circulation of coolant within the air conditioning system. As ice blocks the flow of coolant within the system, the fluid is forced out through the leak. Second, as coolant leaks out, the air conditioning system becomes less and less effective. When the evaporator no longer has enough coolant to absorb heat from the surrounding air, ice forms on and within the system, damaging it directly. Eventually, the system ceases to function at all.