Our California lemon law attorneys were recently able to obtain a full buyback of a 2011 Dodge Ram 2500 for a client living in the Inland Empire. Although he had only purchased the vehicle in May, 2011 he had 9 repair orders and the vehicle was out of service in the hands of an authorized Dodge dealer for more than 80 days since that time.

The truck was almost brand new with less than 8,000 miles when it was re purchased. Most of the problems pertained to the engine and transmission. The Diagnostic Trouble Codes showed problems with the exhaust pressure sensor, and the transmission fluid sensor, which resulted in transmission hesitation and hard shift, among other problems.

Within just a few weeks we were able to negotiate with Chrysler to repurchase this vehicle under the California lemon law statute which protects California consumers who have purchased or leased vehicles in California which had manufacturing defects. Chrysler paid off the balance of the loan and reimbursed our client for his down payment and all of his monthly payments. Needless to say our client was very pleased with the swift results.

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.

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.

Chrysler will be contacting approximately 1,500 owners of certain 2013 Dodge Durango sport utility vehicles (SUV) about a possible problem with their vehicles supplemental side curtain air bags. According to the report filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), certain vehicles may have been manufactured with the incorrect airbag occupant restraint control (ORC) module. The incorrect module could result in the vehicles supplemental side curtain airbags not deploying properly if the vehicle is hit from the side or to the rear of the second row seat. Chrysler will be contacting owners, starting next month, and will correct the problem by replacing the the ORC module free of charge. Owners wanting more information on the problem can contact Chrysler at 1-800-853-1403.

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.

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:

For more information about the problem:

  • Buick owners may contact the Buick owner center at 1-800-521-7300
  • Chevrolet owners may contact the Chevrolet owner center at 1-866-694-6546
  • GMC owners may contact the GMC owner center at 1-866-996-9463
  • Isuzu cowners may contact the Isuzu owner center at 1-800-255-6727
  • SAAB owners may contact the SAAB owner center at 1-855-880-0808

One of our clients had recently purchased a 2010 Chevrolet Traverse which developed several issues related to the rack and pinion steering, headlamps, and climate control system. The vehicle also started leaking oil. The dealer tried unsuccessfully to repair these concerns on at least nine (9) separate occasions totaling 56 days out of service. After many weeks of frustration and inconvenience, paying for insurance, and being without his car the client researched the California lemon law on the internet, and contacted us to ask us to help him get rid of the vehicle and have it repurchased by the manufacturer.

We sent a demand to the manufacturer based on the vehicle qualifying as a lemon under the California lemon law statute and within several weeks were able to negotiate a full repurchase of the vehicle. Our client was able to recover his down payment and almost two years of monthly payments, plus get the manufacturer to pay off the balance of his loan.

If you think you’re driving a new or used car which started having substantial problems while still under the manufacturer’s new car warranty, you should contact the Law Offices of Delsack & Assoc., P.C. at 888-395-3666 or go to calemonlaw.com to determine whether we can help you get rid of your car and get your money back.

Ford is working hard to become the leader in hybrid and electric vehicles (EV) as they invest over $130 million to build an advanced electrification center in Dearborn, Michigan. The facility will employ approximately 1,000 engineers and will accelerate the companies EV development capabilities. The company hopes to top the market by launching five new electric or hybrid vehicles this year alone. Ford has just recently started developing their own transmission technology which will be built on the same platform as their mainstream gasoline engines. This has allowed them to cut the costs by 30% and will also allow the company to build vehicles according to consumer demand. Amy Machesney, the C-Max marketing manager said Ford feels it now has a product capable of competing with Toyota, and we are confident our EV and hybrid vehicles are comparable to the Prius.

Mercedes Benz are asking customers driving certain ML-Class vehicles, to remove their accessory floor mats and to bring them in to their nearest dealership to have them replaced. According to Mercedes, certain vehicles are equipped with all season floor mats that may not conform to the contour of the vehicle’s floor. The fit could reduce the clearance between the mat and the gas pedal, possibly allowing the pedal to become trapped. Mercedes will be notifying owners starting in September and will replace the floor mats free of charge. The vehicles included in the recall include:

Owners wanting more information about the problem can contact Mercedes-Benz at 1-800-367-6372.