A new GM “Shift To Park” lawsuit alleges that certain Chevrolet and Buick vehicles cannot detect when a driver places the car in “Park” due to defective transmission control assemblies.
The GM “Shift to Park” lawsuit includes these vehicles:
- 2021-2023 Chevrolet Trailblazer
- 2020-2022 Chevrolet Traverse
- 2020-2023 Chevrolet Malibu
- 2020-2023 Buick Encore
The “Shift to Park” Defect Cause
The park switch inside the transmission control assemblies (“shifter” assemblies) fail to detect when the driver shifts the gear into “Park.” The lawsuit alleges that when the driver shifts the car into PARK, the vehicle goes into accessory mode and the driver cannot shut off or lock the vehicle. Instead, the instrument cluster displays a “Shift to Park” message and the battery continues to drain.
Drivers resort to gimmicks such as moving the shifter back and forth or driving forward and backward before putting the car in PARK again. Some Chevy and Buick owners allege that it can take them up to 20 minutes to get the vehicle to shut off.
The defect often does not appear in the vehicle until months after it was purchased.
GM’s Response To “Shift To Park” Defect
According to the lawsuit, General Motors failed to take these measures in response to the “Shift to Park” defect:
- Repair the “Shift to Park” defect during the warranty period.
- Issue a technical service bulletin to its dealerships until many of the vehicles’ warranties expired.
- Issue a recall to remedy the “Shift to Park” defect.
- Allow its dealerships to perform the repairs as a “goodwill gesture” outside the warranty period.
As a result, Chevy and Buick owners have to pay hundreds or thousands of dollars to get their transmission control assemblies repaired. One plaintiff, Michelle Crosier, had to pay over $700 for a replacement part. Another plaintiff, Karen Malmkar, was told she would have to pay approximately $2,000 for a repair. Another plaintiff, Maria Garza, was told she’d have to pay between $800 and $1,000 for a repair.
The lawsuit alleges that replacing the shifter control assembly does not actually repair the “Shift to Park” defect.
Update as of September 3, 2024: In a recent attempt to dismiss the GM Shift to Park lawsuit, General Motors alleged that all claims in this class action lawsuit should be dismissed. In particular, General Motors tried to claim that Maria Garza and Glenda Brown, owners of a 2022 Chevrolet Traverse and a 2022 Chevrolet Trailblazer respectively, should not be included in the class action lawsuit due to previously existing arbitration agreements.
Previous GM “Shift to Park” Lawsuits
This isn’t the first time General Motors has been sued for the alleged “Shift to Park” defect. An older GM “Shift to Park” lawsuit exclusively targeting Chevrolet vehicles alleges that Chevy owners pay for replacements of transmission drive units or park switches out of pocket, only to receive equally defective replacement parts. Another GM “Shift to Park” lawsuit adds the 2017-2018 GMC Acadia to the list of defective vehicles.
Previous GM “Shift to Park” lawsuits included these vehicles:
- 2016–2019 Chevrolet Malibu
- 2016–2019 Chevrolet Volt
- 2017–2018 GMC Acadia
- 2018–2019 Chevrolet Traverse
- 2019 Chevrolet Blazer
Contact A GM Lemon Law Attorney
Does your Chevy, Buick or GMC struggle to shut off after you put it in PARK? If your local GM dealership cannot fix your GM “Shift to Park” issue within a reasonable number of repair attempts, your GM vehicle may be a lemon. Our Chevy lemon law attorneys can help you obtain obtain a significant cash settlement for your vehicle. Learn more about your California lemon law rights, typical lemon law settlements and how lemon law buybacks are calculated. You can get a free consultation by filling out the form below this blog post or by calling 833-208-8181.
Lemon Law Help by Knight Law Group is an automotive lemon law firm that exclusively practices in California. If you are a California resident who purchased or leased a defective vehicle from a licensed dealership in California, we may be able to help you get rid of your potential lemon and recover significant cash compensation. Model year restrictions apply: 2020–Present vehicle models only.
However, we cannot help those who reside outside of California or purchased their vehicle outside of California unless they are active duty members of the Armed Forces, nor will we be able to refer those to a lemon law firm in their states.
To learn more about the California Lemon Law and your legal rights, visit our guide on the California Lemon Law for more information.
