(Note: Names have been omitted and some information may have been changed to protect client privacy.)
Since 1987 the Law Offices of Delsack & Associates have used the California Lemon Law consumer protection statutes to help thousands of clients get rid of their defective lemon vehicles. (more…)
General Motors (GM) has asked dealerships to stop selling approximately sixty thousand 2012 and 2013 vehicles because of a software problem with the OnStar communication system. According to GM spokesman, Alan Adler, the problem was discovered during rear end crash testing where the airbags are not suppose to deploy. The “sensing diagnostic module,” still senses when to inflate airbags, but when the airbags are not suppose to inflate, certain models may not always receive a call from an OnStar operator to check to see if the occupants are injured. The problem does not require a recall and GM has already repaired many vehicles through a remote upgrade. Owners with vehicles that cannot be repaired remotely will be notified through a GM customer service campaign and will be asked to bring their vehicles to the nearest dealership to have the problem fixed. The vehicles involved in the service campaign include:
General Motors Company (GMC) luxury vehicle subsidiary Cadillac, has always been known for their brash designs and big engines. But, as consumers turn to smaller more fuel efficient vehicles, they have been forced to rethink their automobile lineup in order to become competitive in the world market. According to GMC executives, the release of the Cadillac ATS will be the first of its compact luxury models that will launch it as a global contender. GMC hopes that their subtler design, loaded with the latest technology and touch screen controls will lure the younger luxury car buyer away from BMW’s 3-Series or the Mercedes-Benz C-Class. The ATS comes with three engine options, ranging from a fuel efficient four cylinder to a more powerful V-6 that can reach up to130 miles per hour. G.M. Has been advertising the ATS heavily over the summer, but the first shipments are not expected on lots until the beginning of September.
General Motors (GM) and Isuzu will be alerting drivers of certain 2006-2007 sport utility vehicles (SUV) of a problem that could result in a fire starting inside the driver’s side door. The problem is being blamed on contaminants getting into the door and causing corrosion and a short circuit in the power door lock and power window switches. Drivers noticing a burning odor or the power door locks and power windows functioning intermittently or stop working completely, are asked to take their vehicles to the nearest dealership immediately. The problem affects certain GM and Isuzu vehicles originally sold or currently registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia. The vehicles included in the recall are:
Last week GM announced that they will no longer be paying to advertise on Facebook, except for the pages that cost nothing to create. GM said that with the continuing rise of advertising costs, they question the effectiveness of certain media and are restructuring where the money is spent in order be more effective. Price concerns are not only confined to GM, with many large companies saying it is hard to know where is the best place to put their advertising money. The announcement came days before the highly anticipated Facebook stocks were to be publicly offered. The uncertainty in Facebook advertising has dampened enthusiasm for the stock as the shares for the social networking company tumble.
This week GM continues to cut its spending as they announce that they will not advertise in the next Super Bowl. According to GM’s global marketing chief, the Super Bowl advertising is effective but has become too expensive to justify the cost. Part of the GM advertising overhaul will include an emphasis on markets outside of the U.S., where GM hopes to expand into up-and-coming markets. Last year, GM spent almost $5 billion on ads.
General Motors is recalling certain GMC and Chevrolet trucks because the steering gear pitman shaft may not have been manufactured properly. According to the recall report filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) the shaft may have not been allowed to harden properly and could fracture while driving. If this happens, the driver could experience complete loss of steering. GM will be notifying customers starting in April, and will inspect and replace the steering gear pitman shaft as necessary. Owners wanting more information on the recall can contact Chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, GMC at 1-866-996-9463, or go to the owner center at www.gmownercenter.com. The vehicles involved in the recall include:
Complaints from Chevrolet Volt owners about charging cords overheating and melting have been met with a GM customer satisfaction initiative that will have the 120V charging chords replaced. The initiative will cover all 2011 and certain 2012 version of the hybrid electric car. According to GM spokesman Randal Fox, the new cord will be a larger wire gauge making it more durable and able to withstand higher temperatures. The initiative is not a safety recall, but an effort by GM to offer a more consistent charging experience. GM will contact owners about the new cord in a few weeks.
This Chevrolet Volt cord replacement follows an announcement in January, that had owners bringing in their vehicles to have steel plates added around the Volt Battery. These plates are installed to spread the force of an impact over a larger surface area preventing the battery from being damaged. This battery upgrade came after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) experienced a battery fire three weeks after crash tests were done on a Volt.
General Motors Co. has announced that they will stop production of the Chevrolet Volt hybrid vehicle for five weeks to allow their surplus of inventory to be depleted. This will be the third time that production of the Volt has been stopped for at least a month since the car first went on sale in December 2010. The lack of interest in the Chevy volt is being blamed on several factors:
Electric car technology is still relatively new and problems need to be solved before it can be attractive to the mass market, the biggest complaints being lack of range and performance.
The production of electric vehicles by other automobile manufacturers.
GM hoped to sell 10,000 Volts last year, but ended up selling just over 7,600. Some feel the promotion of the electric vehicle by the Obama administration has failed. Even as gas prices continue to climb and government incentives are used, it is still not enough to get consumers to buy electric cars. The plant shutdown is expected to lay off almost 1,300 workers, and slow down companies that supply parts and batteries for the Volt.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is investigating certain GM vehicles after receiving twelve complaints of smoke and fire from the inside of doors of some Trail Blazer mid-size sport utility vehicles. The complaints are similar to consumer reports that lead the NHTSA to open an investigation into some 2007 Camry, Camry Solara and Rav4 vehicles, earlier this month. The NHTSA will be focusing on whether window switches on the GM and Toyota vehicles were manufactured by the same supplier. The investigation could affect up to 310,000, 2006-2007 Chevrolet Trailblazers. According to the safety administration, the Buick Rainer, Saab 9-7x, and the GMC Envoy share the same parts at the Trail Blazer, but these vehicle are not part of the investigation yet
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