Do you have a Silverado or a Sierra with a Duramax engine? Then this concerns you (and they might owe you $6,700) Ok, let us explain better: you might not know this, but if you have a Chevrolet Silverado or GMC Sierra truck manufactured between 2011 and 2016 with a Duramax engine, you could receive up to $6,700. Ever heard of class action lawsuits? Well, this is one of those cases, and General Motors has agreed to a preliminary $50 million settlement to compensate all owners of vehicles affected by a defective fuel pump that ended up wrecking many engines.
And yes, GM knew it, that’s the worst part of this story.
What exactly happened?
After years of litigation, the judge in charge of the case concluded that General Motors was fully aware that it was selling vehicles with a component that wasn’t compatible with the type of diesel sold in several U.S. states. But still, they went ahead. The result? Thousands of drivers had to pay for extremely expensive repairs out of pocket for failures that should never have happened.
The fuel pump in question is the CP4, and it didn’t get along with the diesel sold in states like California, Texas, New York, Illinois, Iowa, or Pennsylvania. That combination caused metallic debris to form inside the engine, leading to serious internal damage and, in many cases, leaving the engine useless… Great news for those who fully trusted these vehicles for their daily lives.
Which vehicles are affected?
The issue affects Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra models with Duramax LML and LGH engines, manufactured between 2011 and 2016.
What does the lawsuit say exactly?
Basically, that GM knew what it was doing. The company had information that this type of pump could fail with diesel in certain regions, but they chose to sell the vehicles anyway… The judge has ruled that they must now pay $50 million as compensation to the affected owners. If you mess up, you pay up, General Motors!
How much can each person receive?
It will depend on the expenses you can prove (this is the most important thing here) but the average amount is around $6,300 per person. Besides the money, the settlement also includes a 12-month warranty extension to cover future issues related to the fuel pump.
What do I have to do to claim?
The first thing is to check if your vehicle meets the requirements to be included in this class action lawsuit. If you’re not sure, you can use your VIN number to verify it on the official website.
If you’re eligible, gather all the documents you have related to repairs caused by fuel pump failures. The more you can justify, the better for you.
What exactly is a class action lawsuit?
A class action lawsuit allows several people affected by the same legal issue to join forces. Because maybe you alone can’t do much against a giant company, but when thousands of people organize, it’s possible to apply more pressure. And yes, companies end up agreeing to pay (even if they don’t accept the charges, they usually agree to pay compensation so the issue stops being talked about).
In this case, drivers form the affected group that’s facing General Motors. As we said above, large companies end up signing million-dollar settlements without admitting legal guilt.
Why doesn’t GM admit the pump was defective?
Because they need to keep projecting an image of reliability. If they publicly admit they knew about the failure and still sold the cars, the brand’s reputation would take a hit. And in the auto industry, that’s a hard blow to take (especially now that GM isn’t in its best moment…) So they pay, but they don’t admit it. It’s not ideal, but at least it’s something for the drivers.
What now?
There’s no date yet for the final hearing, but if you have one of these models, it’s important to stay alert. Check your VIN, look for invoices and documents, and get ready to send everything when the claim period opens. You might get a free repair… and a few thousand dollars.