GM's Unresolved Shift to Park Defect Leaves Drivers Stranded
General Motors (GM) vehicles have been plagued with transmission issues that prevent drivers from shifting properly into park. This "Shift to Park" defect leaves drivers unable to shut off and exit their vehicles safely. Affected GM vehicles display "Shift to Park" messages even when already in park, fail to recognize that they have been placed in park, and can roll away if not fully shifted to park.
This issue has persisted for years across multiple GM makes and models, including GMC Acadia, Chevrolet Malibu, Chevrolet Volt, Chevrolet Traverse, and Chevrolet Blazer vehicles from model years 2016-2019. GM issued technical service bulletins about the defect as early as 2018, but still does not have an effective repair. Drivers are left paying out of pocket for repairs due to warranty denials, even though the defect presents serious safety concerns.
If you own an affected GM vehicle in California, you may have rights under lemon laws, which provide protections for owners of defective vehicles. The lemon law attorneys at Gayle Law Group PC have extensive experience holding automakers like GM accountable. This article will provide an overview of the ongoing GM Shift to Park recall, including top concerns, affected vehicles, manufacturer accountability, and lemon law options for owners seeking compensation.
Understanding the "Shift to Park" Defect
The "Shift to Park" defect affects the transmission shifter in various General Motors vehicles, preventing the vehicle from recognizing when it has been shifted into park. Drivers place the shifter into what should be parked, only for a message to display as if the vehicle is not fully in park.
This issue has persisted in GM vehicles since at least 2014 but became more prominent in 2016 models and beyond. It has continued across multiple model years up to 2019 vehicles, showing that GM still does not have an effective permanent repair even after years of complaints.
The consequences of the defect are serious. Drivers can become trapped inside their own vehicles, unable to shut them off to exit. The vehicles do not recognize they are in park, posing a dangerous roll away risk. Keyless ignition systems compound the safety issues, and batteries can also drain rapidly since the vehicle does not shut off appropriately.
GM has left drivers stranded by failing to adequately diagnose and resolve this prominent, widespread safety defect over the course of several model years. Their lack of sufficient action violates expectations for functional, safe vehicle performance and accessibility.
GM’s Insufficient Response
GM first acknowledged the Shift to Park defect in a June 2018 technical service bulletin (TSB) to dealerships. This TSB discussed Shift to Park messages appearing in various vehicles when already in park. It acknowledged vehicles may not shut off properly or start due to “unknown” causes. While providing some repair guidance, GM admitted its understanding of the root issue was incomplete.
Since 2018, GM has failed to issue an effective permanent repair for the defect. The previous Shift to Park solutions failed to fully resolve safety risks related to affected vehicles. New TSBs have continuously been issued over the years expanding the scope of impacted vehicles, from a 2019 TSB covering the Chevrolet Blazer to a 2021 TSB for Malibu, Traverse, and Volt models among others.
Repair expenses related to Shift to Park issues are often denied or not fully covered under factory warranties. GM claims warranty voidance when vehicles exceed mileage limits – unfairly placing repair costs onto consumers even within limited time periods. Drivers pay high repair bills out-of-pocket despite the automaker admitting an ongoing lack of understanding of the defect.
To date, GM has failed to issue recalls for the Shift to Park defect on vehicles like the GMC Acadia. No permanent fix exists after close to a decade of consumer complaints. GM continues brushing safety hazards under the rug, leaving drivers to deal with the consequences of operating defective vehicles. Their pattern of insufficiency violates good faith obligations toward consumers.
Your Legal Rights and Options
If you own a GM vehicle impacted by the Shift to Park defect, you have legal rights and options under California lemon laws. These laws protect consumers from vehicles that fail to meet expected standards of quality and performance.
Vehicles with defects that affect safety or substantially impair use, value, or operability may qualify as "lemons" under California's Song-Beverly Act. Consumers can file lemon law claims directly against automakers for replacement vehicles or cash compensation when manufacturer warranties fail to repair the defect after a reasonable number of attempts.
The GM Shift to Park transmission issues likely constitute a lemon law qualifying defect, given their safety implications and GM’s inability to permanently repair affected vehicles. Consumers may have stronger individual claims than waiting for class action lawsuits, which often take years to resolve and provide modest payouts after legal fees. Lemon laws empower consumers to take direct legal action now.
If your vehicle qualifies as a lemon, you may recover damages like your purchase costs, payments made, registration fees, incidental costs of rentals or towing, and more. California lemon laws also require automakers to pay your attorneys fees – meaning you will not pay anything out of pocket to have experienced lemon law professionals protecting your interests against large automakers.
Consulting with a lemon law attorney who specializes in these cases is key. An expert can analyze your repair records, determine if your vehicle meets lemon law criteria, and aggressively pursue maximum compensation for your losses as well as hold GM accountable on a broader scale. It costs nothing to get started today.
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In summary, General Motors has a longstanding "Shift to Park" defect affecting the transmission shifters and parking functions in many GM vehicles across multiple model years. This defect presents substantial safety hazards by preventing vehicles from recognizing when placed in park and resulting in electric system dysfunction, rapid battery drain, vehicle roll away risk, and entrapment dangers.
GM issued early technical guidance in 2018 but has failed to permanently repair the defect or offer adequate compensation under factory warranties to consumers dealing with the consequences. New service bulletins continue expanding the scope five years later. GM has not taken adequate accountability for the widespread, unresolved issue.
If you drive a GM vehicle and have experiences such as sudden “Shift to Park” warning messages, inability to shut off your vehicle properly, dead batteries, or transmission issues related to parking or shifting gears, you likely have a strong individual legal claim under California’s lemon law. Our expert lemon law attorneys at Gayle Law Group PC have abundant experience holding automakers responsible for safety defects. We can analyze your case for eligibility and work toward maximum compensation – all at no cost to you.
Statutes of limitations apply, so don’t wait. If GM has left you stranded with a transmission-related defect, the time to pursue your consumer rights through a lemon law claim is now. Contact the Gayle Law Group PC and schedule a free case review to discuss your legal options around the GM Shift to Park issue.