– Problems with GM’s brake booster have led to a class action lawsuit claiming vacuum pump defects lead to hard brake pedals, longer braking distances and complete brake failure.
The plaintiffs who filed the brake booster vacuum pump lawsuit complain about brake pedals that cannot be depressed, in some cases requiring so much force that drivers must turn off the ignition to stop the vehicles.
General Motors’ class action lawsuit includes these vehicles.
2016-2020 Buick Envision
2018-2022 Chevrolet Equinox
GMC Terrain 2018-2022
General Motors recalled approximately 3.4 million vehicles in 2019 due to brake booster problems that caused a loss of brake power, but that recall did not include the above-mentioned vehicles.
The brake booster lawsuit was filed by three vehicle owners.
Michigan plaintiff Kaylee Thieme owns a 2020 Chevrolet Equinox she was driving in January when the brake pedal became hard and malfunctioned.
It was determined that the vacuum pump drive gear housing was shattered, and the dealer discovered metal fragments from the exploded pump in the engine. (See photo above)
The plaintiff complains that GM refused to cover the costs of removing the defective parts from the cylinder head and performing an oil change to flush out the contaminated oil.
Arkansas plaintiff Rebecca Gill owns a 2020 Chevrolet Equinox that “experienced a sudden and complete braking failure” on a highway. She says the brake pedal was hard and a warning on the instrument panel indicated the vehicle was at half speed.
A repair shop discovered that the vacuum pump had failed and damaged the camshaft and valve cover gasket.
New Jersey prosecutor Meghan Morley owns a 2020 GMC Terrain equipped with a vacuum pump that exploded in the engine in January.
According to the class action, GM knowingly sold and rented the above-mentioned models equipped with defective brake booster vacuum pumps, thereby prioritizing business profit over safety.
The lawsuit explains the alleged defects in the brake booster vacuum pump system:
“The brake booster pump mounting system installed in the class vehicles, including its components (the mechanical vacuum pump, vacuum lines, brake booster, brake booster vacuum line, vacuum sensors and associated seals, gaskets and connectors), suffers from one or more fundamental design flaws that prevent the system from generating and maintaining sufficient and consistent vacuum pressure during normal vehicle operation, ultimately leading to catastrophic failure of the brake vacuum pump and loss of power brakes.”
According to the plaintiffs, brake booster failure can cause a hissing noise, a GM brake pedal that feels spongy, or the brake pedal may remain on the floorboard. When owners then try to convince General Motors to cover the repair costs, the class action says the typical response is a refusal by GM to pay for anything.
The lawsuit also argues that the automaker is clearly aware of problems with the brake booster vacuum pump because “GM quietly redesigned the braking system for the 2023 model year Equinox and Terrain, moving to an electrohydraulic ‘e-Boost’ system that completely eliminates the defective vacuum pump.”
The GM brake booster vacuum pump lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern Division of Michigan: Thieme, et al., v. General Motors, LLC.
The plaintiffs are represented by Miller Law Firm, PC, and Clarkson Law Firm, PC
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