Migliaccio & Rathod LLP is investigating whether General Motors improperly retained the financial benefits of tariff-related vehicle price increases after becoming eligible to recover tariff payments from the federal government.
The investigation concerns whether consumers paid higher prices for General Motors vehicles because of tariffs while GM later sought or received refunds of those same tariff costs without providing corresponding benefits to vehicle purchasers.
What Consumers Report
Consumers report:
- Paying higher prices for new General Motors vehicles during the tariff period.
- Being informed that tariffs increased manufacturing and supply-chain costs.
- Purchasing vehicles while tariff-related surcharges were allegedly incorporated into pricing.
- Never receiving any refund or rebate after tariff refunds became available.
- Continuing to see elevated vehicle pricing after import costs reportedly declined.
- Believing manufacturers retained both higher vehicle prices and government tariff refunds.
Why Consumers Should Be Concerned
General Motors imports numerous vehicle components and finished products that were potentially affected by tariffs imposed under the IEEPA. Company executives publicly discussed tariff-related financial impacts and adjustments to pricing, production, and earnings expectations during investor presentations and earnings calls.
After the Supreme Court ruled that many of those tariffs were unlawful, importers became eligible to recover billions of dollars through the federal tariff-refund process. If General Motors receives substantial tariff reimbursements while consumers continue paying prices that reflected those tariffs, the company may effectively recover the same costs twice—once through higher vehicle prices and again through government refunds.
Consumers may reasonably accept temporary price increases caused by government-imposed costs. However, if those costs are ultimately refunded, consumers may expect companies to adjust pricing, provide credits, or otherwise return those recovered expenses rather than retaining both sources of compensation.
This investigation seeks to determine whether General Motors adequately informed consumers about tariff-related pricing and whether purchasers paid more than they otherwise would have absent the allegedly unlawful tariffs.
Potential Claims May Include
- Consumer Protection
- Deceptive Trade Practices
- False Advertising
- Unjust Enrichment
- Breach of Express Warranty
- State Consumer Protection Statutes
- Unfair Competition
Signs You May Be Affected
You may be affected if:
- You purchased or leased a new General Motors vehicle during the tariff period.
- You purchased a Chevrolet, GMC, Cadillac, or Buick vehicle between February 2025 and February 2026.
- You believe tariff-related costs increased the purchase price of your vehicle.
- You never received any refund or price adjustment after tariff refunds became available.
- You believe General Motors retained tariff reimbursements while consumers continued paying inflated prices.
If you have encountered these issues, we would like to hear from you. Please complete the contact form on this page, send us an email at [email protected], or give us a call at (202) 470-3520.