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Tag Archives: lemon
Starting The Year With The California Lemon Law
Are you starting the new year with a vehicle that you think is a lemon? According to the consumer advocate group, Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety (CARS), automobile manufacturers repurchase approximately 50,000 vehicles a year under the lemon law. Continue reading
Lemon Alert! Land Rover Brake Problems
Jaguar has announced that they will be recalling certain 2012 Land Rover LR2 and 2012 Land Rover Evoque compact sport utility vehicles (SUV) because the rear brake caliper retaining bolts may have not been sufficiently torqued during manufacturing. Continue reading
California Lemon Law For The Military
If you live in California, are in the military serving our country and think that you may have a lemon vehicle, there is a California lemon law bill which took effect January 1, 2008 that you should know about. California has been a leader in protecting consumers who bought lemon vehicles, but before 2008 the law stated that if you were to pursue a lemon law case, one of the stipulations was that the vehicle must have been bought in California. The new bill (SB234), sponsored by state Senator Ellen Corbett, extends the protection to all active duty military personnel stationed in California as long as the vehicle was purchased in the United States.
The law was inspired by the lemon problems of Lt. Nathan Kindig, serving in the United States Navy as a physician assistant. He was looking for a safe and reliable vehicle for his family to drive while he was stationed overseas in Iraq. Shortly after buying a 2004 Dodge Dakota, the vehicle started having problems with the engine overheating. After many repair attempts, the dealership labeled the vehicle as unrepairable, clearly making it a lemon. Because the vehicle was not purchased in California, Kindig could not pursue a buyback under the California lemon law. After hiring a lawyer and continuing to pay for a vehicle that could not be driven, the dealership agreed to repurchase the lemon on terms that would cost Kindig thousands of dollars, as Chrysler refused to use the traditional lemon law offset formula and demanded a specific offset amount.
California was the first state in the nation to specifically protect active duty military troops whose vehicles are “lemons”, regardless where their vehicles are purchased or registered. The bill attracted widespread bi-partisan support, and was passed unanimously in both houses of the California Assembly before the Governor signed it into law. Today, many states have adapted their lemon law statutes to include protection to help military members who have purchased defective vehicles which turn out to be lemons.
California Lemon Law Mercedes-Benz GL550 Buyback
We were recently contacted by a consumer from Glendale, California after he saw a video on our website, www.calemonlaw.com, which featured a woman having the same problem as his, pertaining to a 2009 Mercedes-Benz GL550. While driving on the 405 freeway his vehicle shut off and lose all power. He also had repeated problems with coolant leaks which resulted in the coolant warning light coming on every 3-4 weeks. This problem began just 3 days after he had leased the car. He had taken the car in for repairs on seven (7) separate occasions, but each time was told by the dealer mechanics that they could not find the problems he complained of.
Within a few weeks after retaining our lemon law firm, Mercedes-Benz agreed to repurchase his vehicle under the California Lemon Law. Mercedes-Benz reimbursed our client for all his lease payments, down payment, and registration, less only the legal use fee deduction, and paid our attorney’s fees.
If your vehicle is 2007 or newer and has been having repeated problems that the dealership is unable to fix, please call the Law Offices of Delsack and Associates at our toll-free number 888-Ex-Lemon (888-395-3666) for a free analysis and to learn whether your vehicle qualifies for repurchase under the California Lemon Law.
California Lemon Law Hyundai Sonata Buyback
Just recently we were able to negotiate to have a 2012 Hyundai Sonata repurchased for a client who lived in Orange County. The vehicle only had 6,000 miles on the odometer but had to be repaired several times for a defective suspension and steering system which caused it to sway while driving under normal operating conditions. While the vehicle was almost new and our client had only given the dealer three opportunities to repair the defects, we were able to persuade the manufacturer that this was a safety problem which warranted a full buyback.
The case was concluded within three months, from the time our client first contacted our firm to determine whether he had a viable lemon law case, to the date when it was ultimately repurchased and transferred back to the manufacturer and a client-trust check was rewarded to our client’s for his down payment and monthly payments. This was concurrent with the manufacture’s payoff to our client’s lender of the balance of his loan. Our client was, of course, ecstatic with the results of his lemon law case.
If you own or lease a vehicle which continues to have problems that started during the manufacturer’s original new car warranty, you may be driving a lemon. Please call the Law Offices of Delsack & Assoc., P.C. at 888-EX-LEMON (888-395-3666) for a free consultation with an experienced California lemon law attorney to find out whether we can help you get rid of your lemon.
Suzuki Headlight Wiring Problem
Suzuki is asking the owners of certain 2004-2006 Forenza and 2005-2006 Reno cars to bring in their vehicles to get a problem with the headlight wiring repaired. According to Suzuki certain vehicles may have poor contact between the terminals wires in the low/high beam headlamp system. The poor contact may generate heat that can melt the splice, resulting in total loss of headlamps. Suzuki will correct the problem by replacing the splice with two heat shrink crimps. Owners wanting more information on the problem can contact Suzuki at 1-714-996-7040.
Lincoln MKT Potential Wheel Separation
Ford has announced that they will be recalling certain 2013 Lincoln MKT cars used as hearse or limousine vehicles. These vehicles may have been manufactured with rear brake rotor bolts that are not fully seated allowing the head to protrude above the wheel mounting surface. The raised bolt could lead to torque loss in the wheel joint which could lead to wheel separation. Most vehicles have been quarantined at the coach builder’s facility and will be repaired before delivery and notices were sent out on May 24, 2012 to owners already receiving delivery of their vehicles. Owners wanting more information about the problem can contact Ford Motor company customer relationship center at 1-866-436-7332.
