GM Sued Because Some Of Its SUVs Have Defective Paint And Require $10,000 Repairs

A class action lawsuit has been filed against General Motors in the U.S., which claims certain vehicles have defective paint that is prone to peeling, cracking, and delaminating.

The lawsuit alleges that GM knowingly sold 2015-2020 Chevrolet Tahoe, 2015-2020 Chevrolet Suburbans, 2015-2020 GMC Yukons, 2015-2020 GMC Yukon XLs, and 2015-2020 Cadillac Escalades, with known paint issues. The class action is being led by four owners: Byron Lyman, Kelly McAteer, Jason Merkel, and Mark Volk.

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The plaintiffs say they expected their high-end vehicles to have good-quality paint, and had they known about the issues, they may not have bought them or paid less. Many owners have complained that the paint of their vehicles can peel, crack, flake, bubble, erode, and microblistering can occur on the clear coat.

Byron Lyman says he purchased a used 2017 Tahoe LT in California in 2019 and by early 2022, it started to develop paint problems. A detailer told Lyman the vehicle had a clearcoat issue, and he could only provide a “bandaid” fix. To repair the vehicle fully, Lyman would have needed to spend over $10,000 and have the car completely repainted.

The plaintiffs involved in the case are seeking to represent anyone in the U.S. who purchased or leased an impacted GM vehicle in California. They have sued the carmaker for breach of warranty, unjust enrichment, fraud, and violations of state consumer laws. They are seeking a jury trial alongside damages, fees, and costs.

“Although the defect manifested over time, [General Motors] knew or should have known of those issues prior to sale of the [vehicles]; yet GM continued to put the latently defective class vehicles on the market,” the lawsuit claims.