Detroit, MI: A defective automobile class action lawsuit has been filed against General Motors (GM) alleging that the car manufacturer failed to fix a problem with 2007-2008 model year Impalas that resulted in early tire wear. The suit further alleges that GM did fix the problem on the same model/year police vehicles.
The lawsuit, filed by Donna Trusky of Blakey, PA, alleges that "Despite having knowledge of this premature wear problem, (GM) has not recalled the subject cars, which has required class members to pay the cost of fixing the defective spindle rods as well as for replacement tires and realignment." The problem, the lawsuit claims, results in high wear of rear tires. The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Detroit, and is seeking, on behalf of the class, replacement of the potentially faulty rear suspension rods on the affected models for all class members. If the lawsuit is successful, it could cost GM millions of dollars. Reports indicate that some 423,000 Impalas were sold during 2007/2008.
Trusky claims that she bought her new Chevrolet Impala in February 2008, but the tires had worn through after just 6,000 miles of driving. Her GM dealer replaced the tires and provided an alignment, but didn't disclose the spindle rod issue, she alleges. The suit further claims that GM did issue a service bulletin about the problem, but only for police versions of the Impala, and not until 2008. In November 2010, Trusky's Impala failed an annual inspection because it needed a new set of tires, but her car had done less than 25,000 miles.
Lawyers for Trusky cite numerous complaints to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and message boards. However, the NHTSA has not yet opened a formal investigation into the issue.
