Chevy and GM lemon law in California: recalls, reported cases and your rights

If your Silverado, Tahoe, Equinox, Bolt or other General Motors vehicle has been back to the dealer for the same problem again and again, the Chevy lemon law California drivers use is the Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act. It applies to every GM brand: Chevrolet, GMC, Buick and Cadillac. When GM and its dealers cannot fix a warranty defect after a reasonable number of attempts, GM must repurchase or replace the vehicle. You should not have to keep paying for a vehicle that keeps failing.

This guide lists documented GM safety recalls with NHTSA campaign numbers, summarizes reported cases involving GM, and explains how to build your repair record and which deadlines apply under the 2025 rules. It is general information about California law as of October 2026, not legal advice, and it does not suggest that GM vehicles in general are defective.

How the GM lemon law works in California

Civil Code § 1793.2(d) requires a manufacturer that cannot conform a new vehicle to its warranty after a reasonable number of attempts to offer a refund or a replacement, and the buyer chooses which. In the first 18 months or 18,000 miles, the law presumes a lemon after two repair attempts for a defect likely to cause death or serious injury, four attempts for the same problem, or more than 30 days out of service (Civil Code § 1793.22). Vehicles outside the presumption qualify regularly when the repair history shows the defect was never fixed.

A refund generally includes the price paid, taxes, registration, finance charges and incidental costs, minus a mileage offset for miles driven before the first repair visit for the defect. Our lemon law buyback calculator shows the math. If GM willfully failed to comply, a court can add a civil penalty of up to twice actual damages, and a successful buyer recovers attorney's fees and costs (Civil Code § 1794).

GM vehicles are a large share of California lemon law cases. A CalMatters analysis of 2018–2021 data found about one lemon law lawsuit for every 78 GM vehicles sold in California, the highest rate among the automakers it compared, according to CalMatters. Lawsuit counts depend on many factors, including sales volume and claims practices, and do not show that any particular vehicle is defective.

Recalls you should know

A recall does not make a vehicle a lemon by itself, and a recall repair is not automatically a failed attempt. But a recall that matches the symptom you keep reporting helps explain your repair history, and a recall problem that comes back after the fix belongs in your claim. The table lists a selection of GM recalls, not a complete list. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

The 6.2L V8 recall drew more scrutiny in 2026: NHTSA opened an engineering analysis after reports that engines failed even after the recall remedy. That investigation is ongoing, and its findings may matter for owners whose engines failed after the recall. Silverado and other GM truck owners also report transmission shudder and harsh shifting with eight-speed automatics; that issue has been the subject of class litigation (below) rather than a safety recall.

Reported cases involving GM

Individual lemon law settlements are almost always private. These are reported verdicts, settlements and rulings in cases handled by other lawyers. They are not LaCour results.

Class cases and individual lemon law claims are separate. A class ruling against owners does not prevent an individual buyer from bringing a lemon law claim based on their own repair history. Every case is different. Past results, including those listed here, do not predict the outcome of any other case.

Building your Chevrolet or GM repair record

• Get a repair order for every visit. It should state your complaint, what the technician found and what was done. If the dealer could not reproduce the problem, ask that the repair order say so.
• Describe the problem the same way each time. For example, "truck shudders between 25 and 45 mph" or "engine knocking, check engine light, loss of power." Consistent words make repeat visits easy to connect.
• Collect records from every dealer. If you have used more than one Chevrolet, GMC, Buick or Cadillac dealer, ask each for printouts. All of them count.
• Keep oil change and maintenance receipts. Engine claims, including 6.2L V8 failures, often turn on maintenance history.
• Save app alerts and video. If you use the myChevrolet, myGMC, myBuick or myCadillac app, screenshot diagnostic alerts. Record a short video of shudder, noises or warning lights when it is safe to do so.
• Keep GM customer assistance case numbers, with dates and names, and every letter or email from GM.
• Log days out of service, loaner and rental records, and parts back-order notices.

What to do if your Chevy keeps going back to the dealer

1. Keep taking it in and keep the paper, even when the dealer says the problem is "normal" or "could not duplicate."
2. Check for open recalls and ask whether any recall remedy has been performed on your vehicle.
3. Do not sign a trade-in deal, goodwill agreement or release of your claims without having it reviewed.
4. Do not send GM a written lemon law demand on your own. GM backed AB 1755 and has been reported among the manufacturers that opted in to the 2025 procedures, which tie civil penalties to a specific pre-suit notice.
5. Gather your purchase or lease contract, every repair order and maintenance receipts, and get a free review.

If you bought your GM vehicle used, coverage depends on how and from whom you bought it; see our guide to the used car lemon law in California.

Deadlines and the 2025 rules

For many vehicles, a Song-Beverly claim must generally be filed within four years of when you knew or should have known about the problem. GM was the strongest supporter of AB 1755, according to CalMatters, and was reported on the 2025 list of manufacturers that opted in to the new procedures. For opted-in manufacturers, a lawsuit generally must be filed within one year after the warranty expires and no later than six years after delivery, with some time added for days in the shop (Code of Civil Procedure § 871.21). To seek civil penalties, a buyer must send written notice at least 30 days before suing, and the manufacturer can avoid penalties by offering a buyback or replacement within 30 days and completing it within 60 days (§ 871.24).

Confirm the current status on the Department of Consumer Affairs list. Our guide to the 2025 lemon law changes under AB 1755 explains the rules and what they mean for you.

How LaCour handles Chevrolet and GM claims

LaCour Trial Lawyers handles California lemon law claims statewide, in English and Spanish, with trial counsel leading each case. When a claim succeeds, the law requires the manufacturer to pay the buyer's attorney's fees and costs. Send your repair orders for a free, confidential review.

Frequently asked questions

This guide is general information about California and federal law and about public records as of its date. It is not legal advice, and reading it or contacting us does not create an attorney–client relationship. Allegations in lawsuits are claims, not findings. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Attorney advertising.