Purchasing a truck can cause a certain level of frustration. It’s not the kind of annoyance brought on by luxury expectations, but rather one that develops gradually, such as when you discover the floor mat is wet in the morning, something fuzzy appears along the interior panel in the afternoon light, or a mechanic informs you that the electrical system is exhibiting moisture damage. Owners of some 2019 and 2020 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups have taken their frustration to court.
According to a proposed class action lawsuit, General Motors sold trucks with a rear sliding window defect that lets water seep into the cab, potentially leading to electrical failure, mold growth, and interior damage. The 2019–2020 GMC Sierra 1500, the 2020 Sierra 2500 HD and 3500 HD, and their Silverado equivalents are among the impacted automobiles. The window’s plastic upper rail glass guide is cracked, and the urethane sealing system—which keeps weather outside where it belongs—is failing, according to the complaint.
The paper trail is what elevates this lawsuit above the usual consumer complaint. Before many of these trucks had even pulled into driveways, on January 3, 2019, General Motors released Technical Service Bulletin 18-NA-383, titled “Water Found in Rear Interior of Cab, Water Leak at Rear Sliding Window.” That bulletin didn’t just show up and then silently vanish. Twelve revisions and expansions were made to it; the most recent update was made in March 2023. According to the lawsuit, a bulletin that has been revised numerous times, covering only those car models, is not a minor internal note. It’s more akin to an admission.
A 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 is owned by the plaintiff in this case. When he noticed water seeping in through the back window, he took the truck to a dealership. The dealer carried out the repairs outlined in the bulletin and verified the leak. GM reportedly refused to pay the over $1,000 bill. It’s a detail that sticks because it depicts something blatantly unfair rather than because it’s dramatic. Although the automaker acknowledged the issue in a service bulletin, it appears that owners were left to pay for repairs out of pocket if their warranty window had expired.
This is part of a larger pattern of concealment, according to the GMC Sierra water intrusion lawsuit. The complaint claims that GM had access to warranty claims, dealer reports, consumer complaints, and pre-release testing data, all of which suggested a systemic problem with these rear sliding windows. The business persisted in promoting its trucks as dependable and of superior quality in spite of this. The lawsuit alleges that GM neglected to notify purchasers of the flaw and did not take any significant steps to shield them from the potential health risks associated with mold exposure.
The class action, which presently aims to represent California owners and lessees of the impacted vehicles, is still awaiting the court’s decision. GM has not responded to the accusations in public. Liability has not been established, and the claims are still unsubstantiated. However, the lawsuit raises important issues, such as what a technical service bulletin actually indicates, the discrepancy between a manufacturer’s quality claims and a buyer’s actual experience, and who bears the financial burden when a seam fails in a truck that was meant to withstand any weather conditions. For the time being, those inquiries are going to court.
