General Motors Air-Conditioning Problems

General Motors vehicles have had significant air-conditioning concerns.  A class action has been filed.

1.  Defect in General Motors Vehicles  

The defect in Class Vehicles is that components of the air conditioning system fail during normal, everyday use, allowing refrigerant to leak out. The absence of refrigerant prevents the evaporator from becoming cold, causing the system to blow hot air into the car’s passenger compartment and, in some cases, causing other parts of the system to fail. Based on information and belief, there are at least two defective components, and there may be more.

The first defective component is the line leading from the compressor to the condenser. This line consists primarily of an aluminum tube connected to a rubber hose. On information and belief, this line can fail in two ways. First, the aluminum tube can become disconnected from the rubber hose, creating an opening in the line that can allow refrigerant to escape. Second, the aluminum tube itself has a material defect that can allow the tube to rupture, also allowing refrigerant to escape.

GM has recognized this defect. It no longer manufactures the compressor to condenser line that was original equipment in the Class Vehicles. Instead, in Technical
Service Bulletin number PIT5331, dated October 6, 2014, General Motors instructed mechanics that if they find a failure in this line, they are to replace it with a newly designed line and install a bracket in the system to minimize flexion and movement of the compressor to condenser line. (Exhibit A). Unfortunately, customers who suffer this failure after the vehicle is out of warranty are required to purchase and pay for the installation of these new parts, thus having to pay twice to obtain a functioning air conditioning system.

Further, Bulletin #PIT5331 did nothing to protect owners and lessees who had not yet suffered catastrophic failure of their system. They were not even advised of the existence of this latent defect. Finally, subsequent potential purchasers or lessees of the Class Vehicles were not warned of the Class Defect.
45. The second defective component in the air conditioning system of the Class Vehicles is the condenser itself. On information and belief, the original condenser has a material defect that renders it unable to withstand the day-to-day normal operation of Class Vehicles. On information and belief this defect is most likely due to: (i) the use of an inadequate material to build the condenser, (ii) the use of an insufficient amount of material in the manufacture of the condenser and/or (iii) inadequate welds.
46. It appears General Motors recognizes the condenser installed as original equipment in the Class Vehicles is defective. In “November 2017” General Motors mailed a notice to some, but not all, owners of certain Class Vehicles advising their particular model “may have a condition where thermal cycling on the combination transmission fluid/oil and AC condenser cooler creates a crack that may allow refrigerant to escape. This condition consequently may deactivate the AC system….”

Here are some typical problems,  failed compressor, non-functioning air conditioning system,  leaking fluid.  line cracked and leaked refrigerant onto the compressor.

2. Vehicle Covered

The vehicles with the air-conditioning  Defect include the 2015 to 2017 model Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV; the 2015 to 2017 model Chevrolet Suburban; the 2015-2017 model Chevrolet Tahoe; the 2014 to 2017 model GMC Sierra 1500; the 2015/2016 model GMC Sierra Heavy Duty; the 2014 to 2017 model Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and the 2015/2016 model Chevrolet Silverado Heavy Duty

Call for a Free Consultation on your General Motors Air-Conditioning Problem