An important statistic for people shopping for trucks may be the towing capability on the Trailering Information Label. This is expressed partly as a gross combined weight rating (GCWR). This class action brings suit against General Motors, LLC, alleging that it sold certain GMC Sierra 1500s and Chevrolet Silverado 1500s with trailering information that overstated the vehicles’ towing capability, then later, after people had purchased the vehicles, simply sent them a letter telling them of the reduced capability.
A class and a subclass have been defined for this action:
- The Nationwide Class is all persons who bought or leased a 2020 GMC Sierra 1500 or a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 pickup truck in the US.
- The Florida Subclass is all persons who bought or leased a 2020 GMC Sierra 1500 or a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 pickup truck in Florida.
The plaintiff in this case, Roger Snyder, bought a new 2020 GMC Sierra 1500 in Florida in September 2020. Because he intended to tow a recreational vehicle, he checked the Trailering Information Label. This showed a GCWR of 16,800 pounds, which met his needs.
Less than a year later, in April 2021, Snyder received a letter from GM telling him that the advertised GCWR was not correct. The true GCWR was only 15,000 pounds—1,800 less than the label showed when GM sold him the truck. The 2020 Silverado 1500 was also incorrectly labeled with an overstated GCWR.
Competition is fierce in the market for trucks, the complaint says, with trailering and towing capabilities as an important component. GM touts the trucks’ abilities in this area.
The complaint refers to the company’s website information: “Specifically, GM represents that ‘with the available 6.2L V8 and Max Trailering Package, Sierra can trailer up to 12,100 lbs.’ GM further markets the Sierra truck as having ‘serious pulling power in a premium pickup’ with ‘available technologies to make the towing experience effortless.’ According to GM, ‘[t]hese innovations reflect the thoughtful approach GMC brings to engineering first-class vehicles’ for ‘real professional-grade trailering.’”
The Trailering Information Label, which the complaint calls “an industry first implemented by GM in 2019,” and which it says takes the form of “a sticker inside of the driver’s doorjamb with VIN specific specifications for a vehicle’s towing and trailering capacity, including the GCWR[.]”
The complaint alleges that GM’s “Number 1 tip for safe trailering” is to “stay within your limits” by “review[ing] the towing capacity of your specific vehicle and ensure it’s capable of handling the weight of your trailer … [and to] ensure your loaded vehicle and loaded trailer do not exceed the gross combination weight rating (GCWR) set by the manufacturer.”
GM has not ordered a recall of the trucks. All it has done, the complaint alleges, is send owners and lessors the letter with the reduced trailering information and a new sticker they should install inside the truck’s doorjamb.
Article Type: LawsuitTopic: Automobile
Most Recent Case Event
GM Trucks Sold with Incorrect Trailering Capability Info Complaint
December 6, 2021
An important statistic for people shopping for trucks may be the towing capability on the Trailering Information Label. This is expressed partly as a gross combined weight rating (GCWR). This class action brings suit against General Motors, LLC, alleging that it sold certain GMC Sierra 1500s and Chevrolet Silverado 1500s with trailering information that overstated the vehicles’ towing capability, then later, after people had purchased the vehicles, simply sent them a letter telling them of the reduced capability.
GM Trucks Sold with Incorrect Trailering Capability Info ComplaintCase Event History
GM Trucks Sold with Incorrect Trailering Capability Info Complaint
December 6, 2021
An important statistic for people shopping for trucks may be the towing capability on the Trailering Information Label. This is expressed partly as a gross combined weight rating (GCWR). This class action brings suit against General Motors, LLC, alleging that it sold certain GMC Sierra 1500s and Chevrolet Silverado 1500s with trailering information that overstated the vehicles’ towing capability, then later, after people had purchased the vehicles, simply sent them a letter telling them of the reduced capability.
GM Trucks Sold with Incorrect Trailering Capability Info Complaint