The Motor Vehicle Owners’ Right to Repair Act, are several bills introduced to the United States Congress last February. If passed, the bill would require automobile manufacturers to give independent repair shops access to the same repair information their approved repair shops have. The legislation hopes to give consumers a choice to pick a repair facility best suited to their particular needs.

It is important to note, however, that under the California Lemon Law, a vehicle owners must give a manufacturer authorized dealer a reasonable number of repair attempts before their vehicle can be considered a lemon. While, the Right to Repair Act will give consumers more choice of where to take their vehicles, it may also negatively affect their lemon law rights. Continue reading

An investigation into overheating window vent switches on some 2010-2014 Chrysler Town and Country and 2010-2014 Dodge Grand Caravan minivans will have owners returning their vehicles to have repairs done. The investigation began in early October 2012, after the automobile manufacturer identified seven warranty claims in which the vent switches were replaced because they had melted. There have been no reports of accidents or injuries related to the issue, but as of April 2014, Chrysler has identified approximately 36 reports of the problem. Continue reading

General Motors has identified a defect relating to motor vehicle safety in certain 2009-2014 crossover SUV’s. In the affected vehicles, the flexible steel cable connecting the safety belt to the vehicle at the outside of the front outboard seating positions can fatigue and separate as a result of occupant movement in and out of the seat. A fatigued or separated cable will increase the risk of injury to occupants during an accident. Continue reading

A safety defect on certain 2014 Cadillac CTS sedans will have owners retuning their vehicles to a manufacturer approved repair facility to have them fixed. The problem was first noticed at the beginning of this year, after GM received warranty claims from customers who said they experienced reduced driver visibility due to an inoperative windshield wiper system. Continue reading

Certain 2015 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV automobile’s may not meet the requirements of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) for occupant crash protection. The vehicles involved were manufactured between April 06, 2014 to May 13, 2014. GM’s recall number is 14220 and the NHTSA campaign number is 14V-259. Continue reading

Santa Barbara Senator, Hannah-Beth Jackson is proposing a bill that will prohibit automobile dealers from selling, leasing, renting, or loaning used cars that are under recall until the problem can be repaired. Federal law already prohibits new cars from being sold when they have known recall defects, but Jackson’s bill would extend the ban to prevent unsafe automobiles from getting into the hands of unaware used car buyers. According to a poll carried out by Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety (CARS), a key supporter of the bill, almost 90% of Californian voters support the legislation. Continue reading

General Motors will be conducting a safety campaign for certain 2014 Buick Lacrosse and 2014 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles equipped with 17 inch front brake assemblies. According to reports, these vehicles may have been manufactured with front brake rotors that are too thin. Initial brake performance will will not be affected by the problem, however, higher heat generated in the rear pads will significantly shorten the brake pad life. Continue reading