The Chevy Shake Explained: Affected Models, Ongoing Lawsuits, & Your Lemon Law Options

 
Watch VIDEO: The Chevy Shake Uncovered: Examining the Issue, Models at Risk, & How Lemon Law Can Help You

 
In early 2014, complaints from Chevrolet owners began to trickle in about their vehicle’s violent shaking. At first it seemed like these cars were outliers and unrelated to each other. But almost a decade later the issue has now spread to encompass other models with the violent vibrating now referred to as “The Chevy Shake.”

This Chevy shake now plagues thousands of vehicles and it is no wonder GM has battled and continues to battle several lawsuits. Keep reading to learn more about the Chevy shake and the string of lawsuits attached.

What Is The Dreaded Chevy Shake?

For nearly a decade owners of certain General Motors vehicles have experienced a violent shuddering of their cars. This vibrating affects the vehicle cabins of both new and used vehicles. Also, these shudders usually come up when traveling at speeds of 25 mph or greater. The issue becomes very significant when driving at highway speeds as the noise and shudders become extremely loud.

In addition to the cabin shudders, other parts of the vehicle would also experience persistent vibrations. Since these problems mostly affect Chevrolet vehicles, the issue became widely known as the “Chevy Shake”.

Vehicles with this issue have been known to hesitate and delay before accelerating. Other times, when shifting gears, there is a violent shaking that makes drivers feel like they have lost complete control of the vehicle. Other times it comes in the form of a grinding or clunking sound with several warning lights coming on for no reason.

Whatever the cause may be, the Chevy shake is not just a phrase that covers a little rattling. Rather, it now encompasses a host of problems encountered by drivers of different Chevrolet and GMC vehicles.

Models Affected By The Shake

According to previous Chevy shake class action lawsuits, the following vehicles may experience the issue:

• 2016-2019 Cadillac ATS, ATS-V, CTS, CT6 and CTS-V
• 2015–2017 Cadillac Escalade ESV
• 2015–2020 Cadillac Escalade
• 2014–2022 Chevrolet Silverado
• 2016–2022 Chevrolet Camaro
• 2015–2019 Chevrolet Corvette
• 2017–2022 Chevrolet Colorado
• 2015–2020 Chevrolet Suburban
• 2014–2022 GMC Sierra
• 2015–2022 GMC Yukon and Yukon XL
• 2017–2022 GMC Canyon
• 2015–2017 Yukon Denali and Denali XL
• 2015–2020 Chevrolet Tahoe

What Causes The Chevy Shake?

There is no definite answer as to what’s behind the Chevy shake. Several hypotheses have come up pointing to certain defective parts, the first of which is the gearbox. Many have blamed the eight-speed transmission for creating these disturbances for vehicle owners.

Others have suggested that the aluminum driveshaft is the culprit. As the prop shaft, it transfers power from the engine to the wheels. A faulty driveshaft can lead to intense jerking, potentially causing the driver to lose control. Unfortunately a driveshaft fix does not always solve the problem.

Still others feel the shake could be a result of low or defective automatic transmission fluid. The reasoning is that if there isn’t proper lubrication of the gears, switching gears could cause the car to jerk.

As you can see, with all these hypotheses there is no definitive reason for what causes the Chevy shake.

Have The Automakers Tried To Fix The Chevy Shake?

Unfortunately it seems the automakers haven’t been too concerned with this specific issue. Either that or they lack the know-how to get the Chevy Shake resolved. This isn’t much of a surprise considering the first step in resolving any problem is to determine the cause. Since they have been unable to place a finger on the cause, there is no solution yet.

So far all that’s been done about the numerous complaints the manufacturers have received is a few service bulletins. These give dealerships a well-versed description of potential issues and how to address them. But as for Chevy shake recalls and all that, there has been no such thing for the defective vehicles.

Chevy Shake Lawsuits

Between 2014 and 2019, when Chevy shake complaints first began to arise, GM recorded two federal lawsuits. These lawsuits developed into class-action lawsuits which involved thousands of consumers. Moreover, more than 800,000 owners of specific GM vehicles complained about the very same issues with their cars. Sadly, these reported issues are still yet to get resolved.

In addition to this, another class-action lawsuit was filed against the automakers in April 2022. This lawsuit was for vehicles assembled between the years 2019 and 2022. This includes GM vehicles like Chevrolet Corvette, Camaro, Colorado, and GMC Sierra, Canyon, etc.

Review the list of models above that fall under the class-action so you know if your vehicle is included. It’s very important to note that if you become a part of the class-action, it may cause you to forfeit the right to file a lemon law case as an individual.

How Do I Pursue Lemon Law Compensation For The Chevy Shake?

If you wish to exercise your legal right to file a lawsuit on your own, then you must first opt out of the class-action lawsuit. This is because remaining in a class-action implies that you willingly give up your right to pursue an individual lawsuit. A class-action lawsuit is typically not as profitable as a lemon law case since it involves many participants. As such, the settlement won will be split among the thousands of participants and you will receive a tiny fraction of the total payout.

Once you opt out you can then proceed to contact a lemon law attorney. Depending on the state you are in, you can get lemon law remedies for the Chevy shake or other issues you may be experiencing. All you have to do is to prove that the car defects affected the use of the vehicle while under warranty and you’re good to go. Read more about the Chevrolet Lemon Law Buyback settlement option here.

Don’t be bamboozled by the manufacturers or dealerships, the Chevy shake is not a ‘normal thing’ for a car. This is just a tactic to avoid answering for their incompetence. If your newer GM vehicle constantly experiences violent jerks, it may be a lemon and should be treated as such until proven otherwise.

Get Yourself A Competent Lemon Lawyer Today

Are you a resident in California who is seemingly stuck with a lemon? Do you have to put up with frequent problems from your vehicle? If yes, then what you need to do is to pursue an individual lemon law claim. And the first step to a successful lemon law claim is a consultation.

You can get a free consultation with us today by simply contacting us via (323) 553-7525 or by filling out the above form. The consultation doesn’t take long, and we can help you evaluate your case and determine the best way forward. We are the best at what we do, so contact us risk free today!