GM radiator hose coolant leak lawsuit (Dixon v. General Motors)

A Georgia owner of a 2024 Chevrolet Colorado has sued General Motors LLC. He claims a radiator hose connection in several newer GM turbocharged four-cylinder vehicles leaks coolant early and can lead to overheating and engine damage. The case is Dixon v. General Motors LLC, No. 2:26-cv-00217, filed June 26, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia.

The proposed class covers people who bought or leased one of five models in Georgia: the 2023 to 2026 Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon with the 2.7-liter turbo engine, the 2024 to 2026 Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Acadia, and the 2025 to 2026 Buick Enclave with the 2.5-liter turbo engine. No court has ruled, no class has been certified and there is no settlement.

Separately, GM runs a special coverage program for radiator inlet hose leaks on the same five models. It works through dealers and is not limited to Georgia.

General Motors LLC makes, sells and warrants Chevrolet, GMC and Buick vehicles.

The plaintiff, Jonathan Dixon, lives in Cumming, Georgia. According to the complaint, he bought a new 2024 Chevrolet Colorado from John Megel Chevrolet in Dawsonville, Georgia, on March 16, 2024.

He is represented by Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C., with H. Clay Barnett III in Atlanta. The case was first assigned to Judge Richard W. Story and was reassigned to Judge Steve C. Jones on June 29, 2026.

The complaint says that in February 2026, at about 44,398 miles, Dixon's check engine light came on and the truck made a metal-on-metal grinding noise at low speed. On or about February 18, 2026, a dealer found trouble code P3075 and low coolant, and a pressure test found a leak at the quick-connect end of the upper radiator hose. Dixon says GM gave him $100 in goodwill and he paid $489.36 himself because the truck was past GM's 3-year or 36,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty.

Before the suit, GM had issued two service documents that are posted in NHTSA's public database. Preliminary Information bulletin PIT6494A, dated March 2026, covers 2023 to 2026 Colorado and Canyon trucks. It says the condition "may be caused by coolant leakage at the upper radiator hose quick-connect fitting due to a degraded inlet hose seal." Special Coverage N262546590, released April 1, 2026, covered radiator inlet hose leaks on the 2024 to 2026 Traverse and Acadia and the 2025 to 2026 Enclave.

On July 14, 2026, about three weeks after the suit was filed, GM updated that special coverage to add 2023 to 2026 Colorado and Canyon trucks.

The complaint claims the quick-connect seals wear out early and let coolant escape from a closed, pressurized system, which can cause overheating, loss of power and engine damage. It says GM knew of the problem from pre-production testing, warranty data, dealer reports and complaints to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). It says the NHTSA record shows "dozens" of complaints starting in late 2024, and it calls the bulletin's cause statement "a direct admission by GM" of the defect.

It also says the April coverage left out the Colorado and Canyon and reused the same seal design. It brings six claims: the federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, Georgia's Uniform Deceptive Trade Practices Act, Georgia's Fair Business Practices Act, breach of express warranty, breach of implied warranty and fraudulent concealment.

GM has not stated a position in any filing we could see, and Class Action Pulse found no public GM statement about the lawsuit as of October 21, 2026. GM's bulletins describe a repair procedure. They do not concede legal liability.

According to the public docket index, GM was served on July 6, 2026, with an answer due July 27, 2026. The index showed no later filings as of October 21, 2026, so any answer, deadline extension or motion to dismiss was not visible to us.

The court has not decided whether the vehicles are defective, whether GM knew of a defect or whether any class should be certified. We found no coolant or radiator hose recall in NHTSA's recall data for the sample models we checked: the 2024 Colorado, 2025 Traverse and 2025 Acadia.

The proposed class is "all persons who purchased or leased a Class Vehicle in the State of Georgia." The class vehicles are:

• 2023 to 2026 Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon with the 2.7-liter turbo (L3B)
• 2024 to 2026 Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Acadia with the 2.5-liter turbo (LK0)
• 2025 to 2026 Buick Enclave with the 2.5-liter turbo (LK0)

GM and its affiliates, officers, directors and employees, the judges and their immediate families, and court staff are excluded. The plaintiff can ask to change the definition. Owners outside Georgia are not in the proposed class, but GM's special coverage is not limited by state.

• If you see low coolant, a coolant leak or a check engine light with code P3075, have a GM dealer inspect the vehicle. Driving with low coolant can damage an engine.
• Ask the dealer whether your VIN is listed under Special Coverage N262546590. GM tells dealers to confirm eligibility in its warranty system before repairs.
• If you already paid for this repair, keep the repair order showing where the leak was and what you paid.

No money is available from the lawsuit. The complaint asks the court to order repairs and owner notice, award damages for overpayment and lost value, award punitive damages, create a GM-funded program to pay out-of-pocket costs, and award restitution, fees and interest. These are requests, not awards.

GM's special coverage is a separate benefit that exists now. According to the July 14 update, it covers a coolant leak "from the radiator hose quick connect at the radiator inlet" for 5 years or 60,000 miles from the original in-service date, regardless of ownership. If a dealer confirms the leak, it replaces the seals at no charge. Owners or lessees who already paid for the repair can request reimbursement of reasonable and customary costs.

• March 16, 2024: Dixon buys his Colorado.
• February 18, 2026: A dealer finds the upper hose leak.
• March 2026: GM issues bulletin PIT6494A.
• June 26, 2026: The complaint is filed.
• July 6, 2026: GM is served.
• July 14, 2026: GM adds the Colorado and Canyon to the coverage.

The original April coverage said reimbursement requests were due by April 30, 2027. The July update replaced all earlier versions and says requests go to a dealer within one year of the date on GM's customer letter. The lawsuit has no opt-out, objection or claim deadlines.

• Quick-connect fitting: A push-on hose connector with an internal seal, used in place of a hose clamp.
• Special coverage: A voluntary warranty extension a carmaker offers for one condition. It is not a safety recall.
• P3075: A GM trouble code that the bulletin describes as "Engine Coolant Flow Too Low."
• Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act: A federal law that lets consumers sue over broken product warranties.
• Fraudulent concealment: A claim that a seller hid an important fact it had a duty to disclose.

GM is expected to answer or move to dismiss. A central question is whether the July coverage expansion changes the case. The updated bulletin describes leaks "at the radiator inlet," while its parts list names "Radiator Lower Hose Seal" parts, and Dixon's leak was at the upper hose. A dealer decides whether a specific repair qualifies.

For our earlier report on the filing and the coverage update, see GM radiator hose coolant leak class action.

This article relies on the complaint, GM's July 14, 2026 coverage update, the original April 2026 coverage, bulletin PIT6494A and the court docket.

The defect, GM's knowledge and the marketing claims are allegations. The complaint lists Dixon's out-of-pocket cost as $489.36 in its account of his repair and as $586.11 in a later damages paragraph. This article uses the first figure. The docket view comes from a public archive and may not show every filing. GM's position, the number of affected vehicles and whether similar suits exist elsewhere are unknown.

Class Action Pulse is not a law firm or settlement administrator and does not guarantee eligibility or payment. This article is general information, not legal advice.