Plaintiffs are still struggling with a lawsuit against General Motors. It’s related to alleged engine lifter problems, but things seem to have stalled. SUV and Truck owners have been trying to get the case class action certified for years. 

The General Motors engine lifter lawsuit isn’t a class action 

Plaintiffs keep hitting brick walls with a lawsuit against General Motors related to faulty lifters. It was filed over four years ago, and some of the original lawyers have jumped ship. 

According to CarComplaints, the lawsuit claims that multiple components are defective, including the dynamic fuel management lifters, active fuel management lifters, and valve trains. 

Plaintiffs suggest that General Motors should have issued a recall for the problems, but forced owners to pay for repairs instead. 

Allegedly, the lifters fail to meet the correct design specifications and consist of lightweight materials. Also, they were reportedly installed in the incorrect positions. 

These mistakes were made by GM engineers as they failed to account for the amount of increased pressure AFM lifters are exposed to due to pressurized oil used for operation, causing premature failure. 

The problems led to increased oil changes and engine cleanings. Plus, the valve lifter oil manifold often needs replacement to prevent the engine from shuddering, hesitating, stalling, and surging. 

The lawsuit includes the following vehicles with the 5.3-liter, 6.0-liter, or 6.2-liter engines: 

• 2014-present Cadillac Escalade 
• 2016-2019 Cadillac CTS-V
• 2014-present Chevrolet Silverado/1500
• 2014-2019 Chevy Corvette 
• 2014-2016 Chevy Avalanche 
• 2014-present Chevy Suburban 
• 2014-present Chevy Tahoe
• 2014-present Chevy Camaro/SS 
• 2014-present GMC Sierra/1500
• 2014-present GMC Yukon/XL

Some plaintiffs were sent to arbitration, and the claims paused in court. Some dismissed their claims but later returned. The motion for class action certification was set for December 1, 2025. However, the motion has been extended into 2026.