Holden Commodore and Colorado class-action lawsuit launched over alleged transmission fault

A class-action suit has been launched against General Motors Australia and New Zealand for an alleged faulty transmission found in Commodore and Colorado models.

Maurice Blackburn, the law firm behind the suit, claims “hundreds of thousands” of Holdens are affected, and owners “could be eligible for compensation”.

It is alleged that three automatic transmissions are faulty – the GM 6L45, 6L50 and 6L80 units – found across the Commodore VE, Commodore VF and Colorado ute, as well derivatives sharing major components such as the Calais, Ute, Caprice, Colorado 7 and Trailblazer.

All affected models were sold from January 1, 2011, but anyone who has acquired an aforementioned vehicle up to December 24, 2024 can register for the class action.

According to Maurice Blackburn, consumers are eligible to take action “if they have sold the vehicle, the vehicle has been written off, or they acquired an affected vehicle but have not experienced any problems with it” if ownership falls within the aforementioned timeframe.

Supposedly, the transmissions “are defective due to a design fault in the Torque Converter and Torque Converter Clutch,” said Maurice Blackburn principal lawyer, Kimi Nishimura.

“Because of the alleged defect, car owners have experienced problems with their vehicles including intermittent transmission shudders, excessive vibrations and harsh gear shifts,” Nishimura said.

“Owners of the affected vehicles have also reported leakage of automatic transmission fluid, accelerated degradation of transmission system components and greater servicing requirements.

“The class action alleges that General Motors failed to comply with the guarantee of acceptable quality under the Australian Consumer Law and engaged in misleading and deceptive conduct.”

A General Motors Australia and New Zealand spokesperson told Drive: “GM does not comment on ongoing litigation. GM stands by its commitment to achieving the best outcomes for Holden customers.”

The Federal Court found Ford’s transmission to be “not of acceptable quality” and ordered the brand to pay $17,248 in compensation to the lead applicant.

Affected Toyota owners are entitled to a payout that reflects 17.5 per cent of the vehicle’s average retail value.

Tung Nguyen has been in the automotive journalism industry for over a decade, cutting his teeth at various publications before finding himself at Drive in 2024. With experience in news, feature, review, and advice writing, as well as video presentation skills, Tung is a do-it-all content creator. Tung’s love of cars first started as a child watching Transformers on Saturday mornings, as well as countless hours on PlayStation’s Gran Turismo, meaning his dream car is a Nissan GT-R, with a Liberty Walk widebody kit, of course.

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