LOS ANGELES (Legal Newsline) — A California woman is suing an automobile manufacturer over claims of a steering system defect.
Briana Mendoza, individually and for all others similarly situated, filed a class-action lawsuit Jan. 19 in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California against General Motors (GM) and Does 1-10, alleging breach of implied and express warranties, and violations of California's Consumer Legal Remedies Act and its Unfair Competition Law.
The suit alleges GM's 2011-2014 Chevy Cruze, Buick Verano and Chevy Malibu vehicles are defective because of a steering system that may intermittently malfunction while the car is in motion. The defect in the steering system allegedly causes the steering wheel to lock up, bind or stick at highway speeds.
The suit claims the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is aware of the defect but only issued a "service bulletin" instead of recalling the defective vehicles. Furthermore, GM allegedly downplays the severity of the defect and only makes repairs when the defect becomes known in any given vehicle.
Mendoza and others in the class seek injunctive relief, restitution and disgorgement, statutory and general damages, special and exemplary damages, attorney fees, and costs of the suit, together to exceed $5 million. They are represented by attorneys Michael Louis Kelly, Behram V. Parekh and Heather Baker Dobbs of Kirtland & Packard in El Segundo, California.
U.S. District Court for the Central District of California Case number 2:16-CV-00404-ODW-MRW