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Case result · Engine / Powertrain

Engine Replaced at 22,000 Miles – GM Paid $89,608 on an Escalade ESV Lease

Civil penalties alone exceeded the statutory refund. Total recovery: more than double the formula.

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$89,608recovered for the client
2.11xthe statutory refund
47countable days out of service
6repair visits

The math

What this client actually received

Every figure below comes from the settlement documents in this case. Nothing is rounded up, and nothing is left out.

What the client received

Statutory refundThe formula written into the Song-Beverly Act $42,421.56
Civil penaltiesAwarded where the manufacturer's failure was willful plus$47,187.09
Paid to the client $89,608.66
Loan / lease balance cleared$83,204.27Paid directly to the lender by General Motors, LLC, on top of the figure above
Attorney fees$0Paid by the manufacturer, not the client
Vehicle
2023 Cadillac Escalade ESV
VIN
1GYS4RKL4PR••••••
Bought
New
Contract
Lease
Miles at delivery
6
Price
$125,610.00
Manufacturer
General Motors, LLC
Outcome
Buyback + civil penalties
  • $89,608.66 recovered
  • 2.1× the statutory refund
  • Engine replaced at 22,000 miles
  • $83,204 lease payoff covered

The case

Scored rod bearings – full engine replacement at 22,000 miles on a $125K Escalade

Our client leased a new 2023 Cadillac Escalade ESV, GM's $125,000 flagship, with 6 miles on the odometer. Over the next 18 months it went back to the dealer six times: phantom forward-collision warnings, a failed Super Cruise camera, noises the dealer could not (or would not) verify, and finally a sound no engine should make.

At 22,000 miles, technicians found scored rod bearings inside the 6.2L V8, the engine was destroying itself from the inside, and the entire engine assembly had to be replaced. GM later issued recall N252494000 for exactly this failure mode (L87 engine, loss of propulsion). When our client's engine was replaced, that recall had NO remedy available. The vehicle also had a verified windshield-camera failure that disabled Super Cruise and the forward-collision system, plus a replaced serpentine belt.

The repair record

47 countable days out of service

Six visits. 47 countable days in the shop. On one 16-day visit, the dealer logged five separate complaints, reprogrammed three recall modules, and told our client nothing was wrong with the vehicle.

  1. 017 days

    4,708 miles

    Kick in the transmission when accelerating

    What the dealer did

    Road-tested 18 miles; deemed normal operation per bulletin 23-NA-153

    • Transmission
    Counts toward days out of serviceNot verified
  2. 022 days

    8,127 miles

    Super Cruise not working; forward collision system warning on

    What the dealer did

    Windshield front-view camera found internally failed; camera replaced. Recall software update also performed (serial data gateway module)

    • Windshield (front view) camera
    Counts toward days out of serviceVerified
  3. 031 day

    15,286 miles

    Recall / OnStar diagnostics visit

    What the dealer did

    Enrolled in advanced diagnostics; recall work

    Counts toward days out of serviceN/A (recall/maintenance)
  4. 0416 days

    18,456 miles

    Forward collision message returns; thump in rear end; engine squeak at startup; rough ride; clunk when shifting from park

    What the dealer did

    No defects found on any complaint. Three GM recalls reprogrammed during visit: N242435630 (serial data gateway), N242447990 (brake fluid leak detection), N242441560 (automated driving mapping module)

    Counts toward days out of serviceNot verified
  5. 059 days

    19,841 miles

    Belt squeak from engine area; cruise control cannot be set; harsh ride; kick in rear end when stopping

    What the dealer did

    Serpentine belt replaced (noisy); cruise control and ride complaints deemed 'operating as designed' / could not duplicate

    • Serpentine belt
    • Cruise control system
    • Rear end components
    Counts toward days out of serviceVerified (belt); rest not verified
  6. 0613 days

    22,159 miles

    Tapping/banging noise from engine on startup and while driving

    What the dealer did

    Scored rod bearings found in engine assembly — full engine replacement at ~22,000 miles. Recall N232427510 (Super Cruise software) performed; recall N252494000 (L87 engine loss of propulsion) noted with NO REMEDY available

    • Engine assembly / rod bearings
    Counts toward days out of serviceVerified

The turning point

Why the manufacturer paid

An engine replacement on a near-new luxury flagship, matching an open no-remedy recall, is as serious as a powertrain defect gets. Under Song-Beverly, willful noncompliance exposes the manufacturer to civil penalties of up to twice the actual damages, and we pursued them.

The result

How it ended

GM repurchased the vehicle, covering the $83,204 lease payoff, and paid our client $89,608.66, $42,421.56 in statutory damages plus $47,187.09 in civil penalties. The penalties alone exceeded the statutory baseline. GM paid our fees on top.

  • 23-NA-153

What this case shows

Civil penalties are where lemon law cases are truly won. The statutory formula is the floor, not the ceiling, especially when a recall proves the manufacturer knew.

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  • Attorney fees paid by the manufacturer in every case shown
  • $0 out of pocket
  • No confidentiality clauses, these numbers are real

About these results

Every case is different. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome; results depend on the facts of each case. Results vary by case and are not guaranteed.

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