2024 GMC Hummer EV Lemon Law Case Study — Florida
A Brand-New 2024 GMC Hummer EV Plagued by a Rear Hatch That Could Not Be Fixed
Our client purchased a new 2024 GMC Hummer EV from an authorized GMC dealership in Tampa, Florida on November 18, 2024 — one of the most anticipated and expensive electric trucks GM has ever produced, sold at a flagship price point. By early January 2025 the vehicle was already back at the dealership, beginning a marathon of twelve documented repair visits across just nine months for the same handful of recurring defects, with the rear hatch leading the list.
Across those twelve visits, technicians adjusted the rear hatch latch and wedge multiple times, replaced the rear hatch actuator, programmed and updated the rear gate module, sent the vehicle out to a body shop for door alignment work, replaced the steering wheel for a missing Super Cruise button, swapped a faulty roof antenna, updated the OnStar telematics module, traced and adjusted roof panels for cabin water leaks, and chased rattles through the rear wheel wells. Despite all of that work, the rear hatch kept failing to open and latch, the rattles kept returning, and water continued to find its way into the cabin — ending with the vehicle back at the dealership again with the issue still unresolved.
What Went Wrong
- Recurring rear hatch / power liftgate failure: Repeatedly failed to open fully and to latch when closing — latch adjusted, wedge adjusted, actuator replaced, gate module reprogrammed, body shop alignment performed — and the issue still returned visit after visit
- Roof panel water leaks: Water found leaking into the cabin from the driver and passenger front roof areas — technicians traced the leak to roof panels and adjusted them, but water intrusion remained a documented concern
- Super Cruise / steering wheel control defect: The Super Cruise button was missing from the steering wheel; the part was on backorder and the entire steering wheel was eventually replaced
- Electrical / telematics faults: Roof antenna replaced, OnStar telematics module updated, dash emergency warning displayed with stored fault code B178C, dome light hanging and reinstalled, rear antenna re-secured
- Recurring rattles, alignment pull, and HVAC concern: Rear wheel well rattles at highway speed (cause never documented), alignment performed for a 30+ mph pull, A/C reportedly blowing warmer than normal — multiple symptoms layered on top of the body integrity defects
- Quality control issues from delivery: Loose jack rattling at 70 mph, cosmetic seat cover defect requiring replacement, drivers seat cover described as looser than the passenger side
Twelve Visits Could Not Resolve the Defects
Visit 1 — January 6 – 8, 2025 (3 Days)
- Vehicle pulling to the right at 30+ mph — four-wheel alignment performed and front/rear toe adjusted
- Front trunk button failing intermittently — switch found sticking, replaced and confirmed
- Loud humming noise at 15+ mph — tires rotated
- Recall insert placed in the owner’s manual
Visit 2 — March 18 – 25, 2025 (8 Days)
- Super Cruise button missing from the steering wheel — part on backorder, replacement scheduled
- Rear hatch not opening or closing automatically — latch and wedge adjusted
- Driver’s front seat cover discolored — new seat cover bottom installed
Visit 3 — March 27 – 28, 2025 (2 Days)
- Continuation of the Super Cruise repair — steering wheel replaced with the ordered part
Visit 4 — May 19 – 23, 2025 (5 Days)
- Rear door open notification appearing under acceleration — rear door sticker and wedge adjusted
- Emergency warning on the dash with stored code B178C — faulty roof antenna replaced
- OnStar button light illuminated red — telematics module updated
- A/C reportedly blowing warmer than normal — no problem found
- Driver’s seat cover reported looser than passenger side — no defect found
Visit 5 — June 7 – 9, 2025 (3 Days)
- Rear door would not open fully and would not latch when closing — rear door sitting too low, adjustments performed
Visit 6 — June 16 – 24, 2025 (9 Days)
- Rear door still failing to open fully and not latching when closing
- Rear hatch actuator found sticking — actuator replaced
- Rear gate module flagged for software update — module reprogrammed and setup completed
Visit 7 — June 28, 2025 (1 Day)
- Rattling noises from the rear at 70 mph — jack found loose and tightened
- Dome light hanging — clips secured and dome light reinstalled
- Rear antenna loose at the base — bolt tightened, thread locker applied
Visit 8 — July 5 – 16, 2025 (12 Days)
- Rattling noises from both rear wheel wells at 65+ mph
- No cause or correction documented on the repair order
Visit 9 — July 25 – August 1, 2025 (8 Days)
- Water leaking into the cabin from the driver and passenger front roof areas — leak traced to roof panels, panels adjusted
- Rear door still not opening fully and not latching — latch sticking, latch replaced
Visit 10 — August 2 – 5, 2025 (4 Days)
- Rear door still failing to open fully and not latching — vehicle sent to a body shop for additional adjustments
Visit 11 — August 9 – 18, 2025 (10 Days)
- Rear door still failing to open and latch properly — rear door alignment performed
Visit 12 — August 19, 2025 (Ongoing)
- Client reported that after picking up the vehicle, the rear hatch issue remained unresolved
- Vehicle returned to the dealership with no firm completion date
- At this point — twelve documented repair visits, more than 66 cumulative days out of service, and the same recurring rear hatch defect — a Florida lemon law claim was the only path to a permanent remedy
Why This GMC Hummer EV Qualified for a Full Buyback Under Florida Law
The 2024 GMC Hummer EV is one of the most expensive electric trucks GM has ever sold — a flagship vehicle marketed on engineering and build quality. When a brand-new Hummer EV cannot keep its rear hatch latched after eight separate visits for the same defect, leaks water through its roof, and racks up more than 66 days at the dealership in less than a year, the nonconformity substantially impairs the use, value, and integrity of the vehicle — the exact statutory standard under Florida law.
This case presented several compelling legal factors:
- Florida Lemon Law eligibility (Fla. Stat. §§ 681.10 to 681.118): Florida’s Motor Vehicle Warranty Enforcement Act protects new-vehicle buyers and lessees. A vehicle is presumptively a “lemon” when the manufacturer cannot conform the vehicle to warranty after a reasonable number of repair attempts, or when the vehicle is out of service for a cumulative 30 or more calendar days during the Lemon Law Rights Period. This Hummer EV blew past both thresholds — twelve repair attempts and 66+ cumulative days out of service in the first year of ownership.
- Same-defect repair pattern on the rear hatch: The rear hatch alone accounted for at least seven separate repair visits — latch adjustments, wedge adjustments, actuator replacement, gate module reprogramming, latch replacement, and a body shop realignment — and still kept failing. That is a textbook same-nonconformity, multiple-repair-attempt pattern under Florida’s statute.
- Body integrity / water intrusion defect: Cabin water leaks traced to the roof panels are a classic “substantial impairment” in Florida case law. Water intrusion goes directly to the warranty of merchantability, can damage interior electronics over time, and is rarely cured by a single visit.
- Cumulative days out of service: Florida’s 30-day cumulative threshold was independently satisfied on this case before the rear-hatch repair-attempt count even came into play — the days-out-of-service tally alone gave us a presumptive lemon claim.
- Federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act: Repeated unsuccessful warranty repairs on a written-warranty nonconformity also triggered a federal breach-of-warranty claim, adding attorney-fee shifting pressure against General Motors LLC on top of the state remedy.
How Easy Lemon Secured a Full Vehicle Buyback
Free Case Evaluation
We reviewed the complete repair history and confirmed twelve separate service events, with the rear hatch defect alone accounting for at least seven of them — all within the first year of Florida ownership.
Documentation & Case Building
Our team compiled every repair order, stored DTC, module update, body shop record, roof leak documentation, and the cumulative days-out-of-service tally into an airtight timeline showing GM’s inability to permanently repair the vehicle.
Demand to General Motors
We filed a formal demand against General Motors LLC citing Florida’s Lemon Law (Fla. Stat. §§ 681.10 to 681.118) and the federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act — documenting twelve failed repair attempts, more than 66 days out of service, and a recurring same-nonconformity rear hatch defect.
Full Vehicle Buyback
Easy Lemon successfully secured a full Vehicle Buyback from General Motors — the strongest possible outcome under Florida’s Lemon Law. The manufacturer repurchased the defective Hummer EV, refunded our client’s money, and our client paid nothing out of pocket for legal representation.
Full Vehicle Buyback Secured
Key Case Facts
- Vehicle: 2024 GMC Hummer EV
- Purchased in: Florida (authorized GMC dealership in Tampa, November 18, 2024)
- Status at purchase: Brand new (2,575 miles at delivery)
- Primary defects: Recurring rear hatch / power liftgate failure (latch, actuator, gate module, body alignment), roof panel water leaks into the cabin, Super Cruise steering wheel button defect, OnStar telematics module fault, roof antenna fault with stored code B178C, recurring rear wheel well rattles at highway speed, alignment pull, and assorted body and trim defects
- Repair attempts: 12 visits to an authorized GMC dealership and a body shop
- Days out of service: 66+ cumulative days (well beyond Florida’s statutory 30-day threshold)
- Manufacturer: General Motors LLC
- Settlement type: Vehicle Buyback — full manufacturer repurchase
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.
What Our Clients Are Saying
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 GMC, Chevrolet, Cadillac, Ford, Tesla, and more.
Having Problems With Your GMC Hummer EV?
Recurring rear hatch failures, water leaks, Super Cruise software faults, or weeks at a time at the dealership on a brand-new electric truck are unacceptable — and in Florida, you may already qualify for a full buyback. Free case evaluation — 30 seconds.
Qualify in 30 Seconds →Frequently Asked Questions
Your GMC May Have a Lemon Law Claim Too
If your GMC keeps going back to the shop for the same problem, you may qualify under your state's lemon law — the manufacturer pays our fees, not you. We handle GMC cases like this one regularly.
See Our GMC Lemon Law Page →