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What is the Holden Transmission Class Action about?
The Holden Transmission Class Action has been brought on behalf of people who acquired certain models of Holden vehicles in Australia between 1 January 2011 and 24 December 2024, equipped with a:
- GM 6L 45 transmission;
- GM 6L 50 transmission; or
- GM 6L 80 transmission.
The action alleges that the transmission systems in the affected Holden vehicles are defective due to a design fault in the Torque Converter and Torque Converter Clutch. As a result of the alleged defect, the affected vehicles have a propensity to experience various problems including intermittent transmission shudders, excessive vibrations, harsh gear shifts, leakage of Automatic Transmission fluid, accelerated degradation of the components of the transmission system 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.
The class action seeks to recover compensation for loss and damage on behalf of consumers who acquired the affected vehicles. It does not seek to claim compensation for loss or damage which is not related to the transmission system.
Case Update
The first court hearing for this case will be held at 9:30am on 20 February 2025 before Justice Anderson in the Federal Court of Australia (Melbourne).
At this hearing, the Court will likely deal with procedural and timetabling matters. We expect that it will be some time before a trial date is listed.
If you are eligible to register and would like to receive updates about the class action as they are available, please register now.
Which vehicles does the class action relate to?
The Holden Transmission class action claims compensation on behalf of people who acquired (other than by way of auction or for the purpose of re-supply) an affected Holden vehicle between 1 January 2011 and 24 December 2024 in Australia.
Please note that the class action does not extend to vehicles that were acquired in New Zealand or otherwise outside of Australia.
The affected Holden vehicles are as follows:
Make/Model | Model Year | Transmission System |
Colorado 7 | MY12-MY16 | 6L50 MYB |
Colorado | MY12-MY20 | 6L50 MYB |
Trailblazer | MY17-MY20 | 6L50 MYB |
Commodore VE | MY11-MY12.5 | 6L45 MYA |
6L50 MYB | ||
6L80 MYC | ||
Commodore VF | MY13-MY17 | 6L45 MYA |
6L80 MYC | ||
Berlina VE | MY11-MY12.5 | 6L50 MYB |
Calais VE | MY11-MY12.5 | 6L45 MYA |
6L50 MYB | ||
Calais VF | MY13-MY17 | 6L45 MYA |
Holden Ute VE | MY11-MY13 | 6L45 MYA |
6L50 MYB | ||
6L80 MYC | ||
Holden Ute VF | MY13-MY17 | 6L45 MYA |
6L80 MYC | ||
Caprice WM Series II | MY11-MY12 | 6L45 MYA |
6L50 MYB | ||
6L80 MYC | ||
Caprice WN | MY13-MY15 | 6L45 MYA |
6L50 MYB | ||
6L80 MYC | ||
Caprice WN Series II | MY15-MY17 | 6L80 MYC |
Note: If you did not acquire one of these affected Holden vehicles, you are not covered by the class action at this time.
We may update the list of affected vehicles at a later stage once we have further information about the extent of the alleged defect. As such, we have now updated our registration portal to allow those who have acquired a different Holden vehicle to register their interest in bringing a claim for defects affecting those vehicles. If you acquired a different Holden vehicle that is suffering similar issues to the Affected Holden Vehicles and you would like to provide us with information about your vehicle, you can do so here. This will allow us to notify you if there is any update to the list of affected vehicles such that your claim becomes covered by the class action.
Please note that unless and until this occurs, any claim you may have in relation to your vehicle is not protected by the class action. If you wish to seek advice regarding these issues, you should seek independent legal advice without delay, as limitation periods will apply.
Contact the team
Email: HoldenTransmission@mauriceblackburn.com.au
Phone: 1800 298 587
Am I eligible to register for the Class Action?
You are eligible to register if you acquired, including by way of purchase, exchange, lease or hire-purchase, one or more of the affected vehicles shown above in Australia between 1 January 2011 and 24 December 2024.
You can still register for the class action if:
- you have sold the vehicle;
- you bought the car second-hand other than by way of sale by auction;
- the vehicle has been written off; or
- you acquired an affected vehicle but have not experienced any problems with it.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Holden Transmission Class Action
A class action is a legal proceeding where seven or more people have claims against the same individual or corporation in respect of, or arising out of similar circumstances, such that their claims give rise to a substantial common issue of law or fact. Where these criteria are met, class action proceedings can be commenced by one or more of those people on behalf of some or all of them.
The class action process is intended to save time and expense and avoids the need for the court to determine common issues of fact or law more than once. It enables disputes and claims involving large numbers of people to be resolved through a single case.
Signing up to this class action will not expose you to any upfront costs.
All costs in the proceeding will be borne by Maurice Blackburn and the litigation funder, unless and until there is a successful outcome in the class action. If there is a successful outcome, any costs payable by or to Maurice Blackburn or to the litigation funder will be deducted from, and will not exceed, any compensation you are entitled to receive.
All such costs are required to be considered and approved by the Court.
Nothing.
As a member of the class (and not the Representative Plaintiff, in whose name the case has been brought), an adverse costs order cannot be made directly against you in respect of the determination of the common issues in the class action.
The litigation funder has agreed to be responsible for paying any adverse costs ordered in the class action.
It is difficult at such an early stage to predict how much you can ultimately recover as a result of losses related to the transmission system defect. However, we will be seeking the maximum recovery available under the law.
It is too early to predict how long this legal action will take, so we are unable to provide any guidance on likely timeframes at this stage. However, we are continuing to work hard to obtain the best possible outcome for group members as soon as possible.
No. This class action is on behalf of people who acquired a Holden affected vehicle in Australia only.
The class action does not cover issues which are unrelated to the alleged defect in the transmission system. For example, if your air-conditioner or stereo system is faulty, this will not be covered by this class action, and we will not be claiming compensation for these kinds of mechanical faults.
You should continue to have your car serviced/repaired as normal. Getting your car serviced will not affect your eligibility as a group member. Class actions can take years to resolve and so it is important that you ensure your car is maintained and serviced as you normally would.
No. At a later stage, you will be asked to provide further information about your vehicle, but at this stage, we will only require information requested via completing a registration on the portal.
Maurice Blackburn is Australia’s leading class actions law firm with an unparalleled record of helping our clients secure the nations’ largest class actions recoveries, totalling over $4.3 billion since 1998.
Client confidentiality and privacy are very important to us. You can access our Privacy Policy here.
News
- Car giant GM to face class action over defective transmissions in Holdens - Maurice Blackburn media statement
- ‘Faulty’: Thousands of Aussies to sue Holden - News.com.au
- Holden cars hit with class action over allegedly faulty transmissions - Nine News
- ‘Misleading’: Holden being sued over popular cars - Herald Sun
- Holden owners in line for big payday as car giant faces major class action lawsuit: 'Shudders' - Yahoo
Australian leaders in class actions.
Our reputation for excellence in class actions is unparalleled, having recovered more than $4.3 billion for clients.
We are the only Australian class actions firm to deliver $100m+ settlements to clients in shareholder and listed securities actions, which we have done on ten occasions.
Lower cost to clients
Biggest recoveries
Most experienced
Australian leaders in class actions.
Our reputation for excellence in class actions is unparalleled, having recovered more than $4.3 billion for clients.
We are the only Australian class actions firm to deliver $100m+ settlements to clients in shareholder and listed securities actions, which we have done on ten occasions.
Lower cost to clients
Biggest recoveries
Most experienced
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