2025 Chevrolet Suburban Lemon Law Case Study
Brand-New 2025 Chevrolet Suburban With a Seized Engine — Months After Purchase
Our clients purchased a new 2025 Chevrolet Suburban in Florida — an $81,274 full-size SUV built for family reliability and long-haul comfort. In less than three months after driving it off the lot, the engine seized. What began as vibration and rough running escalated quickly to one of the most catastrophic mechanical failures a vehicle can experience: a completely seized engine with scored connecting rod bearings, scored main bearings, a damaged crankshaft, and oil contaminated with metal debris.
The Suburban spent 72 consecutive days at the dealership while the entire engine was replaced — more than double Florida's 30-day lemon law threshold. Our clients were left without the vehicle they were financing, forced to arrange alternative transportation for over two months.
Easy Lemon evaluated the case, confirmed eligibility under Florida's Lemon Law based on the extraordinary days-out-of-service threshold, and secured a $15,000 cash settlement. Our clients paid nothing — GM covered all legal fees as part of the resolution.
Defects Documented in This Case
- Engine vibration and rough running — the Suburban exhibited persistent roughness under driving conditions and shook badly when stopping, signaling internal mechanical distress
- Engine seizure — technicians found the engine locked and unable to start; the oil was contaminated with metal particulate and engine coolant levels were critically low
- Scored connecting rod bearings — internal bearing surfaces had been damaged by metal-contaminated oil, a catastrophic failure mode that destroys the engine's structural integrity
- Scored main bearings — the main crankshaft bearings, which support the entire rotating assembly, were similarly destroyed
- Damaged crankshaft — the crankshaft itself — the backbone of the engine — suffered damage requiring full engine replacement, not merely a component repair
- Full engine replacement required — the repair required replacing the entire engine assembly, leaving the vehicle out of service for 72 consecutive days
A New $81,000 SUV. Engine Seized Within Three Months.
The 2025 Chevrolet Suburban was purchased new on May 20, 2025 at Grieco Chevrolet of Delray Beach. Three months later, the engine had catastrophically failed. The timeline below documents the progression from initial symptoms to a complete engine replacement spanning 72 days.
Initial Symptoms — August 2025
Our clients noticed the Suburban developing a persistent vibration and rough engine behavior while driving. The vehicle shook noticeably when coming to a stop — unusual behavior for a brand-new, 2.5-month-old SUV. They brought the vehicle to the dealership as soon as the issue became apparent.
Engine Found Seized — August 18, 2025
Technicians attempted to start the engine and found it completely seized — locked and unable to turn over. Oil was inspected and found contaminated with metal debris, indicating catastrophic internal wear. The engine coolant level was also critically low. This was not a software glitch or minor component issue — this was a total engine failure on a vehicle fewer than 90 days old.
Diagnosis: Scored Bearings & Damaged Crankshaft
Further teardown confirmed the full extent of the damage: scored connecting rod bearings, scored main bearings, and a damaged crankshaft. These are the critical load-bearing components at the heart of the engine's rotating assembly. The severity of the damage left no option other than complete engine replacement — a repair that would take weeks.
Full Engine Replacement — 72 Days in Service
The Suburban remained at the dealership from August 18 through October 28, 2025 — 72 consecutive days — while the entire engine assembly was sourced and replaced. Throughout this period, our clients were without their primary vehicle, left to arrange their own transportation at their own expense. Florida law requires 30 days out of service to trigger lemon law protections; this case exceeded that threshold by more than 140%.
Why a Single Repair Attempt Was Enough to Win This Case
Many consumers assume lemon law requires multiple failed repair attempts. That's only half the story. Florida's Lemon Law (§681.10 et seq.) provides two independent qualifying paths, and this case qualified emphatically under the second:
- Path 1 — Repair attempts: 3 or more attempts to repair the same defect within 24 months or 24,000 miles (or 2 attempts for defects likely to cause death or serious injury)
- Path 2 — Days out of service: 30 or more cumulative days out of service within the first 24 months or 24,000 miles — regardless of the number of repair attempts
With 72 days out of service on a vehicle that was only 3 months old, this Suburban cleared the days-out-of-service threshold by more than 140%. The defect — a catastrophic engine failure requiring full engine replacement — also clearly constituted a "substantial impairment" of the vehicle's use, value, and safety under Florida statute.
Why GM Still Required Professional Representation
Despite the overwhelming evidence, General Motors did not voluntarily offer a fair resolution. Several manufacturer defense tactics made professional representation critical:
- "One-time event" defense: GM commonly argues that a catastrophic failure — even one requiring a complete engine replacement — was an isolated incident that has now been "fixed," and that the repaired vehicle is no longer a lemon. Our team countered this by demonstrating that the defect occurred within 90 days of purchase on a brand-new vehicle, and the 72-day out-of-service period independently satisfied Florida's statutory threshold
- Rental reimbursement dispute: Our clients had paid for a rental vehicle during part of the 72-day period. We incorporated this into the damages calculation and settlement demand
- Settlement valuation: Without experienced lemon law counsel, consumers frequently accept first offers that significantly undervalue their claim. Our knowledge of Florida's fee-shifting statute — which forces GM to pay attorney fees if the consumer prevails — gave us negotiating leverage to secure $15,000 rather than a nominal goodwill payment
How Easy Lemon Recovered $15,000 for This Case
Free Case Evaluation
We reviewed the repair order documenting the engine seizure, confirming the repair start and end dates, the 72-day out-of-service period, and the documented defects — scored bearings, damaged crankshaft, and metal-contaminated oil. The case immediately qualified under Florida's days-out-of-service threshold. We also confirmed the vehicle was still within the first 24 months and 24,000 miles.
Documentation & Case Assembly
Our team compiled the complete case file: the purchase contract (new vehicle, $81,274, May 2025), the full repair order documenting the engine seizure and replacement, records of the 72-day service period, and the clients' documentation of rental expenses incurred during the repair. We also obtained the Florida vehicle registration to confirm statutory timeline eligibility.
Formal Demand to General Motors
We filed a formal lemon law demand under Florida Statute §681.10 et seq., citing the 72-day out-of-service period (2.4× the 30-day threshold), the catastrophic engine failure on a 3-month-old vehicle, and the substantial impairment of the vehicle's use, value, and safety. The demand also incorporated rental costs and made clear that attorney fees would be assessed against GM under §681.112 if the matter proceeded.
Settlement Negotiation — $15,000
Armed with clear statutory eligibility and the economic exposure of attorney fee shifting, we negotiated a $15,000 cash settlement — Cash and Keep, allowing our clients to retain the Suburban with a full engine replacement already completed, while receiving substantial cash compensation. No litigation. Zero cost to our clients. GM paid all legal fees.
Why This Qualified as a Lemon
Florida's Lemon Law (Florida Lemon Law) sets specific thresholds that entitle a consumer to a buyback or replacement. This case satisfied multiple criteria:
- Engine seizure: Required multiple repair attempts without permanent resolution.
- Scored connecting rod bearings: Required multiple repair attempts without permanent resolution.
- Scored main bearings: Required multiple repair attempts without permanent resolution.
- Damaged crankshaft: Required multiple repair attempts without permanent resolution.
- Oil contamination with metal debris: Required multiple repair attempts without permanent resolution.
- Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act eligible: Federal warranty protection provided additional remedies.
$15,000 Recovered for Our Clients
Case Summary
- Vehicle: 2025 Chevrolet Suburban — purchased new in Florida
- Purchase price: $81,274
- Purchase date: May 20, 2025
- Dealership: Grieco Chevrolet of Delray Beach LLC
- Primary defect: Engine seizure — scored connecting rod & main bearings, damaged crankshaft, oil contaminated with metal
- Repair duration: August 18 – October 28, 2025 (72 consecutive days)
- Florida lemon law threshold: 30 days required — 72 days documented (2.4×)
- Settlement type: Cash and Keep — $15,000 cash recovery, clients retain the Suburban
- Cost to clients: $0 — GM paid all attorney fees
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 settlements against major manufacturers including Chevrolet, Ford, Toyota, BMW, Tesla, and more.
Having Problems With Your Chevrolet Suburban?
If your Suburban or any Chevrolet has spent 30 or more days in the shop — or keeps coming back for the same problem — you may have a lemon. Get a free case evaluation in 30 seconds.
Qualify in 30 Seconds →Frequently Asked Questions
Your Chevrolet May Have a Lemon Law Claim Too
If your Chevrolet 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 Chevrolet cases like this one regularly.
See Our Chevrolet Lemon Law Page →