Certain 2015 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV SUVs could fail to conform to the Federal Motor Vehicle Standard (FMVSS) for occupant crash protection. According to reports filed on the NHTSA website, the passenger side instrument panel top cover may have been manufactured with inadequate adhesion between the spacer fabric and the vinyl show surface. The problem could result in the airbag not deploying consistently, increasing the chance of injury to the front passenger. Continue reading
Category Archives: California Lemon Law
Volkswagen Beetle & Jetta Loss Of Vehicle Control
Volkswagen Group of America will be notifying owners of certain 2011-2013 Jetta and 2012-2013 Beetle vehicles of a safety defect that could result in loss of vehicle control. According to reports filed with the NHTSA, the durability of the trailing arm on one or both rear axles could be reduced during a rear or side rear impact crash. If this problem is not correctly diagnosed and repaired it could lead to a sudden complete fracture of the trailing arm and an increased chance of an accident. Continue reading
Takata Airbag Defects Expanding
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) are demanding that airbag manufacturer, Takata Industries along with automobile manufacturer’s BMW, Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru, and Toyota, expand their airbag recall to include vehicles beyond the initial geographical areas. This decision comes after a recent driver’s side air bag failure in a vehicle outside the current regional recall area, previous fatalities, and many injuries that have been linked to the problem. Continue reading
2013 Chrysler Town & Country Buyback For Electrical Defects
After trying to have her 2013 Chrysler Town & Country defects repaired, a California resident decided to call the Law Offices of Delsack & Associates, P.C. for advice. She told us she had given her dealership six (6) opportunities to fix electrical problems that would cause the malfunction indicator light to constantly remain on. The dealership was already aware of the problem, as two technical service bulletins (TSB) had been issued by Chrysler informing technicians that software reprogramming and selective erasing could be a fix. (NHTSA ID: 10054201, Service Bulletin No.: SB-18-048-13 and NHTSA ID 10054169, Service Bulletin No.: SB-18-029-13.) Unfortunately, they still could not fix her minivan. Continue reading
Audi A4, S4, and AllRoad Airbag Defect
Volkswagen will be asking approximately one hundred thousand owners of certain 2013-2015 Audi A4 and S4 sedans and 2013-2015 Audi AllRoad crossovers, to return their vehicles to the manufacturer to have the airbag control software updated. During routine testing, the manufacturer identified a potential issue with the frontal airbag system deployment parameters which could result in the front airbags not deploying during a second impact, after the side airbags have been deployed. This problem could result in increased risk of injury to the vehicle occupants. Continue reading
Does the California Lemon Law Apply To Used Vehicles?
Although the California lemon law was designed to protect consumers who discover unfixable defects with the new vehicle they have purchased or leased, many states have included provisions to protect used car consumers as well.
The defect still must impair the safety, value, or use of the vehicle, and a manufacturer approved repair facility must be given a reasonable number of repair attempts to qualify. This includes four (4) repair attempts for the same or similar problem or two (2) repair attempts for a defect likely to cause serious bodily harm. Continue reading
2011 Kia Sorrento CA Lemon Law Buyback
The Law Offices of Delsack & Associates, P.C. recently helped the owner of a 2011 Kia Sorento obtain a vehicle buyback under the California Lemon Law. Prior to contacting us, he had given his dealership eight (8) opportunities to repair the defects and had complained to the service manager many times, but the vehicle was still not repaired. The defects included engine and other manufacturing non-conformities which caused the vehicle to stall under normal operating conditions and repeated problems with the ignition system and electrical system which would result in a no start condition and the check engine light to remain on. Continue reading
Toyota And Lexus Fuel Smell After Engine Shutoff
In August 2014, Toyota received customer complaints of fuel odor after turning off the engine on certain Toyota and Lexus vehicles. An inspection of the fuel system found fuel dripping from the end cap of the delivery pipe on the engine due to insufficient welding of the cap. An on site investigation of the supplier found that the cooling air hose for the manufacturing jig used during the welding process was disconnected because of routine maintenance, resulting in an insufficient weld. In this condition, fuel could leak from the fuel delivery pipe and in the presence of an ignition source could increase the risk of a vehicle fire. Continue reading
