General Motors vehicles — including Chevrolet, GMC, Buick, and Cadillac — have been subject to massive recalls. If your GM vehicle has unfixable defects, lemon law may entitle you to a refund.
If your Chevrolet, GMC, Buick, or Cadillac has been in the shop repeatedly for the same problem and the dealer can't fix it, you likely have lemon law rights. Most lemon law attorneys handle GM cases on contingency — you pay nothing unless you win.
GM has issued over 4,000 safety recalls since 2000. The most significant include the 2014 ignition switch recall (affecting 30 million vehicles and linked to 124 deaths), the complete Bolt EV battery recall (141,000+ vehicles), and numerous transmission and brake system recalls across the Silverado/Sierra truck platform.
GM paid $900 million in criminal penalties and $575 million in civil settlements related to the ignition switch defect. More recently, the company has faced class action litigation over the 8-speed transmission shudder issue and AFM lifter failures in its V8 engines.
View all Chevrolet vehicle recalls and NHTSA safety alerts
If your GM vehicle is outside your state's lemon law coverage period but still under the manufacturer's warranty, the federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act may provide relief. This is particularly relevant for GM owners who purchased certified pre-owned vehicles or whose issues developed after the state lemon law's mileage threshold.
The Magnuson-Moss Act requires that if GM warranted the vehicle and failed to repair it after reasonable attempts, you may sue for breach of warranty. This federal protection has no mileage cap and can apply to both new and used vehicles still covered by GM's original or extended warranty.
Learn about the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act
Yes. The Silverado's 8-speed transmission shudder is one of the most common lemon law claims against GM. If your dealer has attempted to fix the transmission 3+ times or your truck has been out of service for 30+ days, you likely qualify.
Potentially yes. While GM offered a battery replacement recall, if your Bolt had other recurring defects or the battery issue caused extended time out of service, you may still have a lemon law claim for a refund or replacement.
Yes. Lemon laws apply to the vehicle regardless of brand. Since GM manufactures all four brands, the same defect patterns (transmission, engine, electrical) often appear across Chevrolet, GMC, Buick, and Cadillac models.
Active Fuel Management (AFM) is GM's cylinder deactivation system in V8 engines. The lifters that enable this system frequently collapse, causing misfires, check engine lights, and catastrophic engine damage requiring $5,000-$10,000 in repairs.
Most GM lemon law cases resolve in 60-120 days. GM has a dedicated lemon law department and often settles cases before trial. Complex cases involving multiple defects or disputed repair history may take longer.