GM, Fiat Chrysler Fend Off Nationwide Classes

Consumers in two cases in California are having trouble getting traction for nationwide classes over alleged defects in General Motors LLC and Fiat Chrysler vehicles.

Whether named plaintiffs in California have standing to pursue claims on behalf of a nationwide class is an unsettled question within the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California wrote June 1.

Ryan Hindsman and other California consumers alleged that certain 2010-17 Chevrolet Equinox vehicles made by GM consumed oil too quickly, leading to fires and other engine damage, the district court said. It ...