2024 GMC Acadia Lemon Law Case Study — New York
A Brand-New 2024 GMC Acadia That Spent 163+ Cumulative Days Out Of Service Across Five Warranty Visits — Including a Single 105-Day Lift Gate / Radio Repair, an Internally Shorted Left-Side Object Detection Module (DTC U3000:49), and Recurring Radio Defects Diagnosed Under GM Bulletin 24-NA-193
Our client purchased a brand-new 2024 GMC Acadia from S and H Associates LLC in New York on September 23, 2024 with approximately 190 miles on the odometer at delivery. Over the next year, the current-generation Acadia — GMC’s redesigned mid-size three-row SUV — would spend a cumulative 163+ days out of service for warranty repair across five separate dealer visits, including a single repair event from April 2 to July 15, 2025 that kept the vehicle off the road for 105 consecutive days, followed by a fifth visit beginning August 18, 2025 where the vehicle remained at the dealer for an additional 34+ days with the radio screen and instrument cluster blacking out while driving and the lift gate opening by itself intermittently.
The defects spanned every major safety, electrical, and convenience system on the truck: a confirmed internal malfunction in the left-side object detection module with stored DTC U3000:49 (a federally relevant driver-assistance system), an internally shorted lift gate exterior release switch requiring full replacement, recurring radio defects diagnosed under GM bulletin 24-NA-193 with stored code U223B-00, an internally shorted key fob transmitter requiring reprogramming of a new transmitter, an inoperative passenger-side rear marker light, an inoperative wireless charger, hot air emerging from the climate vents even when heat is turned off, instrument cluster blackouts while driving, and ultimately a multi-month dealer hold with no documented corrective action. With 163+ cumulative days out of service alone exceeding more than 5x New York’s 30-day statutory threshold under General Business Law § 198-a, and with GMC’s authorized service network unable to permanently resolve the underlying breach-of-warranty pattern within the protected first-year window, a New York Lemon Law and federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act claim was the cleanest path to compensation.
What Went Wrong
- Left-side object detection module internal malfunction (DTC U3000:49): Service side detection system warning illuminated on the dash at Visit 2; technicians traced the fault to an internal malfunction inside the left-side object detection module. Replacement module was placed on backorder, leaving the vehicle out of service for 20 days at Visit 2, then required a follow-up Visit 3 to physically install the ordered replacement. Object detection is a federally relevant driver-assistance system on the current-generation Acadia — an internal short on this module is a substantial impairment of safety
- Internally shorted lift gate exterior release switch: Lift gate became completely inoperative; technicians verified the issue and found the lift gate exterior release switch shorted out internally, requiring complete replacement of the switch. Unrelated electrical short on a separate convenience system
- Recurring radio defects — GM bulletin 24-NA-193 (DTC U223B-00): Radio reported intermittently inoperative at Visit 4; technicians verified the issue, retrieved DTC U223B-00, and located GM bulletin 24-NA-193 directly addressing the issue, performing a radio software update per the bulletin. Radio screen continued to black out at Visit 5 with no documented correction
- Instrument cluster blackouts while driving: At Visit 5 the instrument cluster — which displays speed, warning lights, and other federally-required driver information — was reported to black out while driving. No corrective action was documented
- Lift gate opens by itself intermittently: Reported at Visit 5 in conjunction with the instrument cluster blackouts; no corrective action documented as of last visit
- Internally shorted key fob transmitter: Visit 3 — one key fob reported inoperative. Technicians verified the issue and found the transmitter internally shorted; one new transmitter was programmed
- HVAC defect — hot air comes out vents with heat off: Visit 4 — hot air continued to emerge through the vents even when the heat function was turned off. Reported alongside the radio bulletin update; multiple climate concerns also reported at Visits 1 and 2 (heat coming on by itself, lukewarm heat) but technicians were unable to duplicate at those earlier visits
- Inoperative passenger-side rear marker light: Visit 2 — rear marker light verified inoperative, replacement part placed on backorder; physical replacement performed at Visit 3 once the part arrived
- Inoperative wireless charger: Reported at multiple visits (Visits 3 and 4); technicians repeatedly unable to duplicate, no corrective action ever documented
- Cumulative 163+ days out of service — 5 documented warranty visits: 2 + 20 + 2 + 105 + 34+ = 163+ days — New York’s 30-day cumulative-out-of-service presumption under GBL § 198-a was met more than five times over, all inside the protected 2-year / 18,000-mile statutory window (vehicle was at 17,856 miles at the time of demand)
Five Warranty Visits, 163+ Cumulative Days Out of Service, One First-Model-Year GMC Acadia
Visit 1 — September 26 to 27, 2024 (2 days)
- Customer reported the radio volume controls were inoperative
- Technicians verified the issue and located an available radio software update, which was performed
- Customer also reported a “key fob not detected” message, heat coming on by itself, and a delayed shift from 1st to 2nd gear — technicians were unable to duplicate any of these issues at this visit
- Three days from delivery to first warranty event — on a vehicle with under 200 miles at purchase
Visit 2 — December 4 to 23, 2024 (20 days)
- Customer reported the “Service side detection system” message on the dash
- Diagnosis: internal malfunction in the left-side object detection module — stored DTC U3000:49
- Replacement module placed on backorder, leaving vehicle out of service for 20 consecutive days at this visit alone
- Passenger-side rear marker light also reported inoperative — replacement part also placed on backorder
- Lukewarm heat at high temperature settings reported but technicians unable to duplicate
Visit 3 — February 25 to 26, 2025 (2 days)
- Continued repairs from Visit 2: replacement of the left-side object detection module with the previously ordered part, completing the U3000:49 repair started in December
- Continued repairs for the right rear marker light — replacement with the previously ordered part
- One of the key fobs reported inoperative; technicians verified the issue and found the transmitter internally shorted — one new transmitter was programmed
- Wireless charger reported inoperative again — technicians unable to duplicate
Visit 4 — April 2 to July 15, 2025 (105 days)
- Lift gate reported completely inoperative
- Diagnosis: lift gate exterior release switch shorted out internally — switch replaced
- Radio reported intermittently inoperative; hot air continued to emerge from the vents even when heat was turned off
- Diagnosis: stored code U223B-00; located GM bulletin 24-NA-193 directly addressing the issue — radio software update performed per the bulletin
- Loaner / rental vehicle provided for the duration of this 105-day repair event
- Overlapping repair order dated June 19, 2025 documented additional concerns (rear lift gate inoperative, radio screen intermittently blacking out, “AWD recommended — change driver mode” message coming on multiple times while driving, wireless charger inoperative) — no causes or corrections were documented for any of those issues in the overlapping order
- The single longest individual out-of-service event on the case — 105 consecutive calendar days — on a current-generation Acadia inside its first model year of ownership
Visit 5 — August 18, 2025 onward (~34+ days, ongoing at time of demand)
- Radio screen reported blacking out while driving
- Instrument cluster reported blacking out while driving — the dashboard display that shows speed, warning lights, and other federally-required driver information
- Lift gate now reported to open by itself intermittently — on the same component that received a switch replacement at Visit 4
- No causes or corrections documented in the repair order for any of the issues
- Multiple rentals provided at this visit (August 25 - 28, 2025; September 17 - 20, 2025) — vehicle remained at the dealer with the same chronic issues unresolved
Why This 2024 GMC Acadia Qualified for Compensation Under New York Law
New York’s New Car Lemon Law — codified at General Business Law § 198-a — protects new-vehicle buyers and lessees in New York. Under GBL § 198-a(d), a presumption arises that a reasonable number of repair attempts have been made if either: (a) the same nonconformity has been subject to repair four or more times by the manufacturer or its agents and the nonconformity continues to exist; or (b) the vehicle has been out of service by reason of repair for a cumulative total of 30 or more calendar days. Both prongs apply within the protected statutory window of the first two years from the date of delivery or 18,000 miles, whichever comes first. Either prong creates the statutory presumption.
This case presented several compelling legal factors:
- New York GBL § 198-a cumulative-days presumption met more than 5x over: 163+ cumulative days out of service across five warranty visits is more than 5x New York’s 30-day statutory threshold — with a single 105-day repair event at Visit 4 alone exceeding the 30-day prong by more than 3x
- Inside the protected statutory window: The vehicle was delivered with approximately 190 miles on September 23, 2024, and the demand was filed at 17,856 miles — well inside both the 2-year and 18,000-mile prongs of the statutory window. Every repair event occurred during the protected period
- Same-nonconformity prong on the lift gate: The lift gate defect was repaired once (Visit 4 — exterior release switch shorted internally, switch replaced) and continued to manifest at Visit 5 (lift gate opens by itself intermittently) — a recurring same-defect pattern, with the underlying defect surviving the manufacturer’s prior repair attempt
- Same-nonconformity prong on the radio: The radio defect was reported and addressed at Visit 1 (volume controls inoperative, software update), again at Visit 4 (intermittently inoperative, code U223B-00, software update per GM bulletin 24-NA-193), and again at Visit 5 (radio screen blacking out while driving, no documented correction) — three repair events on the same defect category, all of which have continued to manifest
- Substantial impairment of safety — instrument cluster + object detection: An instrument cluster that blacks out while driving disables the federally-required speedometer, warning lights, and driver information display. An internal short in the left-side object detection module (DTC U3000:49) disables a federally-relevant driver-assistance safety system. Either defect alone is a per se substantial impairment of safety; both occurring on the same vehicle is the kind of pattern New York courts have repeatedly found supports the statutory presumption
- Federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act — fee-shifting against General Motors LLC: Repeated unsuccessful warranty repairs on a written-warranty nonconformity also triggered a federal claim against General Motors LLC under 15 U.S.C. § 2310, which independently provides a remedy for breach of express warranty regardless of the state-law presumption period and shifts attorney fees to the manufacturer — allowing our client to keep the entire Cash and Keep settlement separate from legal fees
How Easy Lemon Secured the Cash and Keep Settlement
Free Case Evaluation
We reviewed the complete repair history across all five GMC dealer visits and confirmed 163+ cumulative days out of service — immediately exceeding New York’s 30-day statutory threshold under GBL § 198-a by more than 5x — plus same-defect repair patterns on both the lift gate (Visits 4 and 5) and the radio (Visits 1, 4, and 5) that satisfied the alternate four-or-more-attempts prong on continuing nonconformities.
Documentation & Case Building
Our team compiled every GMC repair order, every diagnostic finding (including the U3000:49 left-side object detection module short, the U223B-00 radio code matched to GM bulletin 24-NA-193, the internally shorted lift gate exterior release switch, and the internally shorted key fob transmitter), every replaced part, and every dealership write-up — including the Visit 5 repair order that documented the instrument cluster blackouts and the lift gate self-opening with no corrective action — into an airtight timeline showing General Motors’ inability to permanently repair the same nonconformities.
Demand to General Motors LLC
We filed a formal demand against General Motors LLC (the corporate manufacturer of GMC vehicles in the United States) citing New York’s Lemon Law (GBL § 198-a) and the federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act (15 U.S.C. § 2310) — documenting five warranty repair events, 163+ cumulative days out of service, recurring same-defect failure patterns on the lift gate and the radio, and substantial-safety findings on both the instrument cluster blackouts and the U3000:49 object detection module short.
Cash and Keep Settlement
Easy Lemon successfully negotiated a Cash and Keep settlement — General Motors LLC paid our client a lump-sum settlement as compensation for the warranty defects, while our client retained ownership of the GMC Acadia. Our client paid nothing out of pocket for legal representation; General Motors paid all attorney fees separately under the federal Magnuson-Moss fee-shifting provision.
$7,000 Cash and Keep Settlement Recovered
Key Case Facts
- Vehicle: 2024 GMC Acadia (current-generation mid-size three-row SUV)
- Purchased in: New York (S and H Associates LLC, September 23, 2024)
- Status at purchase: Brand new (purchased new) — ~190 miles at delivery
- Current mileage: 17,856 (at time of demand — inside both the 2-year and 18,000-mile prongs of GBL § 198-a)
- Repair attempts: 5 documented warranty repair events at authorized GMC dealerships
- Cumulative days out of service: 163+ days — more than 5x New York’s 30-day statutory threshold
- Single longest visit: Visit 4 (April 2 - July 15, 2025) — 105 consecutive calendar days for a lift gate exterior release switch internal short, radio software bulletin 24-NA-193, and HVAC concerns
- Primary defects: Left-side object detection module internal short (DTC U3000:49); internally shorted lift gate exterior release switch; recurring radio software defects diagnosed under GM bulletin 24-NA-193 with stored code U223B-00; instrument cluster blackouts while driving; lift gate opening by itself intermittently; internally shorted key fob transmitter; inoperative passenger-side rear marker light; inoperative wireless charger; hot air emerging from vents with heat turned off
- Manufacturer: General Motors LLC
- Settlement type: Cash and Keep — client retains the vehicle, manufacturer pays compensation under GBL § 198-a and federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act (15 U.S.C. § 2310)
Results may vary. Prior outcomes do not guarantee a similar result. Each case is unique and depends on its specific facts and applicable law. Attorney advertising. Easy Lemon® by RockPoint Law P.C.
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Attorney on Record
Steven Nassi, Esq.
Managing Partner — Easy Lemon by RockPoint Law P.C.
Licensed attorney specializing exclusively in lemon law across all 50 states. Steven leads the Easy Lemon legal team and has overseen thousands of successful lemon law claims against major manufacturers including General Motors (Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Buick), Ford, Stellantis, Tesla, Audi, Volkswagen Group of America, Porsche, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Kia, and more.
Object Detection, Lift Gate, or Instrument Cluster Problems With Your GMC Acadia?
An object detection module short (DTC U3000:49), an internally shorted lift gate exterior release switch, recurring radio software defects under GM bulletin 24-NA-193, instrument cluster blackouts, or any chronic warranty defect on a 2024 or newer GMC Acadia in New York that has already been to the dealer multiple times is unacceptable — and you may already qualify for compensation under GBL § 198-a plus federal Magnuson-Moss. Free case evaluation — 30 seconds.
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