Posted by GM gained control of the majority of the car industry through its acquisition of the auto maker Pontiac. At the time, Pontiac was known for building solid vehicles and selling affordable cars. Under these circumstances it was a natural growth that GM did not anticipate.
In less than two years GM had completely taken over the industry and became the largest automaker in the world. With its strong position and growing demand from customers, Pontiac was able to increase its production and introduce new vehicles with innovative safety features. As a result, more lawsuits were filed by GM vehicle’s owners who were victims of unsafe and defective operations.
Class Action Lawsuit Against GM
A class action suit is one of the most common complaints GM receives from their customers. Class action lawsuits occur when there is a collective class of plaintiffs who have been affected by some act or conduct of the defendants.
Class action lawsuits are usually filed in an effort to compensate and/or reinstate certain individuals who were injured or damaged by the conduct of certain companies. The most popular class action lawsuit against GM would be the ignition switch defect which has injured and/or killed thousands of GM vehicles worldwide.
Another common complaint is the use of inferior products by GM.
As a result, many plaintiffs are filing class action lawsuits against the company regarding the manufacture of ignition coils and faulty engine parts.
As noted, ignition coils are used to prevent spark plug fires in cases where the engine fails to ignite, such as when the engine fails to start at night or when the engine is cold. These defective products lead to dangerous and often lethal engine problems.
An example of a class action lawsuit against GM would be the case of the defective ignition switch.
Plaintiffs in this case argue that because GM informed consumers about the defect long before it was discovered, they have a duty to repair the vehicles that they sell. However, many vehicle manufacturers have been found guilty of misleading the public regarding the dangers of defective products, which leads to personal injury lawsuits. In the ignition switch case, the plaintiffs argue that they were exposed to a dangerous product and that because of this, they have suffered personal injury due to the manufacturer’s negligence.
Another example of a class action lawsuit against GM would be the recall of the gasoline pump batteries.
In September of 2021, GM conducted an internal review in which it determined that approximately one hundred and twenty-two million faulty pumps had been sold to customers. This was the largest recall in the history of GM. As a direct result, GM issued a recall to all vehicles that contain oil consumption systems, which potentially could cause oil leaks and cause severe safety concerns.
As with the ignition switch, the company has identified hundreds of vehicles that contain faulty valves and pistons.
However, in its defense, GM has claimed that these parts are safe for use under normal operating conditions. The plaintiffs, however, believe otherwise and have filed a class action lawsuit against GM for its failure to warn of the risk of excessive oil consumption.
The decision in this case is expected to be precedent setting, as there are currently thousands of GM vehicles that are still in operation. If GM is found to have violated consumer protection laws through the ignition switch or the design defects in the afm system, it may be liable for millions of dollars in damages.