Tag Archives: repeated automobile problems

Chevrolet Silverado And GMC Sierra 2500/3500 – Potential Engine Fire

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General Motors have identified a problem affecting certain 2017-2019 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra 2500/3500 trucks manufactured with the Duramax diesel 6.6 litre engine and the optional block-heater power cable.

Contamination of the sealing surface of the block-heater heater element can allow a coolant leak to develop. If leaking coolant contacts the block heater cable terminals while the cable is plugged into an energy source a short could occur.

In February 2021, a GM quality manager submitted a report to GM’s Speak Up For Safety program after inspecting an engine-block heater recovered from a 2019 model year Chevrolet Silverado 3500. The owner reported sparking from under the hood after the engine block heater was plugged in. The block heater was leaking coolant, and the engineer observed thermal damage at the connection between the heater and the block heater power cable. This vehicle had previously been fixed for this condition under NHTSA recall 19V-328.

Further investigation identified nineteen potential fires involving engine-block heaters in vehicles remedied under 19V-328. Based on this data, GM opened a formal product investigation and found 122 complaints and 24 reports of potential fires between December 3, 2019 and May 28, 2021 involving vehicles that received the recall remedy under 19V-328. Based on this data GM decided to conduct a safety recall on these vehicles.

Vehicles Affected Include
2017-2019 Chevrolet Silverado 2500
2017-2019 Chevrolet Silverado 3500
2017-2019 GMC Sierra 2500
2017-2019 GMC Sierra 3500

Dealers will disable the block heater. GM will provide free replacement block heaters and cords under a separate customer satisfaction campaign. For vehicles previously included in recall 19V-328, the heater cord will be replaced and rerouted. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed August 16, 2021. GM’s number for this recall is 212329840 and the NHTSA campaign number is 21V-496.

GM Lemon Law Buyback – 2017 Cadillac Escalade

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Our client was very excited when they purchased their new 2017 Cadillac Escalade.

His first visit to the Cadillac dealership was on January 22, 2018 because the passenger running boards were sticking at times.

He was back at the dealership on June 20th to have the running boards looked at again.

The next visit was on November 20th for numerous items which included the passenger side step not always operating, the driver’s side step not working at times, at idle gear there was a roughness to the vehicle like the engine was stumbling and there was a pinging coming from the engine. Other problems were when at a stop the transmission would suddenly lunge forward, when accelerating at lower gears the transmission would lunge into gear, the front brakes were making noise and the USB was not working.

The last visit to the dealership was on January 22, 2019. The complaints were that the brakes were making noise, driver’s side running board would not always work, the passenger side door panel was not secured at the top, the vehicle exhibited a rough idle in gear and you could feel the Escalade shake and the transmission, on acceleration, was jerking and jolting at low gears.

At this point our client called our office to find out if his vehicle might be a lemon. He spoke with California Lemon Law Attorney, Barry L. Edzant. Barry requested he send some documents for review. Soon there after our office was retained and a demand letter was sent to General Motors Corporation to buy back our client’s 2017 Cadillac Escalade under the California Lemon Law.

GMC agreed to repurchase the vehicle which included reimbursing our client for his down payment, all payments made, his registration, pay off the balance minus a mileage fee allowed under the California Lemon Law. They also paid attorney fees.

Our client was very happy with the buyback of his vehicle. If you think your vehicle might be a lemon because of repeat problems that the dealership is unable to fix or the vehicle has been out of service in the hands of an authorized dealership for 30 days or more (the 30 days do not have to be consecutive or for the same problem) please call our office at 888-395-3666 for a free consultation.

2016 Cadillac Escalade Lemon Law Buyback For Repeated Problems

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Our client bought a 2016 Cadillac Escalade and was excited to have their dream vehicle.

The first repair, November 21, 2016, was for a recall on the front airbag.

The next visit was on February 28, 2017. The reason for the visit was because the driver assist message kept coming on.

The Escalade was back at the Cadillac dealership a week later as the driver assist message was still coming on.

It was back the following week on March 16th for the same problem.

On October 2nd at 19,410 miles it was back at the dealership because of poor braking.

On February 9, 2018 our client brought the Escalade in due to the fact that the brakes were making noise.

About 6 months later on August 6th they had to bring the vehicle in because the A/C was not cooling.

The vehicle was towed to the dealer on September 20th because it would not start.

The next day it was back at the dealer because the vehicle was pulling to the right. Also the right side of the Escalade seemed to be sagging.

The vehicle was back at the Cadillac dealership on February 21, 2019 as the brakes were making noise, the cruise control was not working and the Park assist was showing on the DIC.

It was brought back in a few days later because the brakes were making noise.

On April 11th the vehicle was back because the Cruise control was not working again and the Service driver’s system was displaying on the DIC. There was also a problem with the brakes slamming when they would back up the vehicle. The Driver assist was coming up on the DIC. The rear A/C was not blowing cold air. The transmission was jerking when the client would slow down. The TPM light kept coming on and the brakes were making noise again .

At this point the client was frustrated after having given the Cadillac 12 times to try and fix the vehicle. They contacted our office to find out about the California Lemon Law and if their vehicle qualified. They sent some documents for the attorney to review and soon after they signed up with the firm. A demand letter was sent to GMC on their behalf.

Our firm successfully won a full repurchase for our client for their defective vehicle. The manufacturer reimbursed our client for all payments made to date, the down payment, paid off the loan, paid for the registration, less a mileage deduction allowed under the California Lemon Law. GMC also paid all the attorney fees.

If you are having problems with your vehicle, please contact our office, the Law Office of Barry L. Edzant at 888-395-3666. We’ll be happy to answer your questions about your rights under the California Lemon Law.

Used 2015 Chevrolet Camaro Lemon Law Buyback

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Our client purchased a used 2015 Chevrolet Camaro.

Her first visit to the Chevrolet dealership was on May 30, 2017. She was having problems with the seat squeaking when she would go over bumps or was hitting the brakes.

The next visit was about 5 weeks later when they serviced the A/C.

On April 25, 2019 she brought the Camaro in due to the fact that the transmission fluid was leaking.

She was in again 2 weeks later because the A/C was not working again and there was a leak coming from underneath the vehicle. They serviced the A/C again.

She was back the next day because their was a leak between the transmission and engine area and the A/C was not working again.

Our client was frustrated with the Chevrolet dealership not being able to fix the problems. It is at this point that she called lemon law attorney, Barry L. Edzant to find our if her vehicle might be a lemon. She sent our office some documents for Barry to review and he felt her vehicle met the criteria of the California Lemon Law. She immediately signed up with our firm.

We successfully won a full repurchase for our client for her defective vehicle. The manufacturer reimbursed our client for her down payment, all payments made so far, her registration, paid off the loan less a mileage deduction allowed under the California Lemon Law. GMC also paid for the attorney fees. The client was very happy with the results.

If you think you may be driving a lemon, please contact the Law Office of Barry L. Edzant at 888-395-3666 for a free consultation and review.

2018 Chevrolet Tahoe Repeated Repair Attempts

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Our client purchased a 2018 Chevrolet Tahoe and was very happy.

Her first visit to the Chevrolet dealership was on April 9, 2019 because the heater was blowing out luke warm air when she had the temperature up to 83-85 degrees. It also was having a rough idle in the morning.

The next visit was on August 12 due to the fact that the Tahoe had a knocking engine noise upon start up.

She was back again on October 7th because the cold idle was idling intermittently, and after the vehicle had warmed up, there was a loud knock noise coming from the engine. Also when the HVAC control was set to any temperature above 75 degrees, the air was hot.

She brought the vehicle to the dealership again on November 18th. The check engine light was on, the engine was running rough when at a complete stop and while using the AC and setting it to a low temp, the AC was blowing out cold air and then would become warm air.

The last visit was on January 27, 2020 and the check engine light was on again.

This is when she called to talk to Barry at the Law Office of Barry L. Edzant as she was very frustrated and wanted to know what her rights were under the California Lemon Law. After speaking with him and his reviewing some paperwork, Barry felt that she met the criteria of the California Lemon Law and our law firm was retained. A demand letter was sent on her behalf to General Motors Corporation.

GMC decided to repurchase the 2018 Chevy Tahoe. The manufacturer reimbursed our client for the down payment, all payments made to date, paid off the loan, paid for the registration, less a mileage deduction allowed under the California Lemon Law. They also paid for all attorney fees. Our client was so excited about the outcome.

If you have having problems with your vehicle and think your vehicle may be a lemon, please contact California Lemon Law Attorney, Barry L. Edzant at 888-395-3666. He’ll be happy to answer your questions about the lemon law.

2017 GMC Acadia California Lemon Law Buyback

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After trying unsuccessfully 6 times to have her defective 2017 GMC Acadia repaired, our client called our office for advice and to retain our law firm.

She first brought the vehicle in on June 28, 2018 because she heard grinding noises at low speeds. She also was driving the Acadia out of the driveway one day when the vehicle lost all power and stalled out.

Her next visit was on July 7th and she brought it in due to the fact that when driving at low speeds (5-10 mph) the vehicle would come to a complete stop and then an alert message would come up telling her to release the parking brake button.

A couple of weeks later on the 23rd she was back at the GMC dealership because when driving at low speeds (10-15 mph) the vehicle would lose all power with the engine staying on but they vehicle could not accelerate. The service parking brake light would come on also.

On January 11, 2019 she brought the GMC Acadia back for repairs because the seatbelt would not extend or retract.

The vehicle was brought back to the dealership to install engine oil cleaner to clean and start breaking down the piston ring carbon build up.

He last visit was on May 2, 2019 because the steering wheel horn was very difficult to honk. She also mentioned to the service advisor that while driving at low speeds her Acadia would stop without her braking.

Our office sent General Motors Corporation a demand letter to repurchase her defective under the California Lemon Law. GMC agreed to repurchase her 2017 GMC Acadia, pay off the balance, reimburse our client for the down payment, monthly payments, less a mileage fee allowed under the California Lemon Law. They also paid all attorney fees. Our client couldn’t have been happier.

If you have questions about the California Lemon Law or think your vehicle may be a lemon, contact California Lemon Law Attorney, Barry L. Edzant at 888-395-3666 for a free consultation.

2018 Chevy Traverse CA Lemon Law Buyback

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Our lemon law client was so happy about purchasing his 2018 Chevy Traverse. After a few months he starting taking his vehicle to the authorized Chevrolet dealership to have them make repairs on his vehicle.

The first visit was on May 16, 2018.  His complaint was that the third row middle seat belt would keep getting stuck.

The next visit in November he requested an alignment check which they performed.

Our client’s third visit was because the defrost control was coming apart.

A couple of weeks later he was having problems with both the rear and middle seat belt buckles.

His next visit was to request another alignment which the dealership completed.

He was back in on July 23. 2019 because he was seeing a shift to park message when he was in park and could not turn off the vehicle.

The next visit was to perform a recall on the brake pedal.

His Chevrolet Traverse was back in the shop a month later because the check engine light was on.  While there they also found the code P0018 and fixed it.

The last visit to the Chevrolet dealership was on February 14, 2020.  Our client stated that while driving over 60 mph, the RPM’s were revving high and it felt like it was losing power.  This happened while accelerating.  The check engine light kept going on and off.  He also complained that the shift to park message appeared when in park and he could not turn off the vehicle.  At this point our client was frustrated and felt that he had given General Motors enough chances to fix his vehicle and so he called our law office.  His spoke with attorney Barry L. Edzant and then emailed our office some documents for the attorney to review.

We sent a demand letter to General Motors Corporation demanding that they buy back his defective vehicle under the California Lemon Law.  They agreed to repurchase his vehicle, pay off his loan, reimburse him for any monthly payments made and his down payment less a mileage fee allowed under the California Lemon Law.  They also paid for his registration and paid for his attorney fees.  Our client was thrilled with the results.

If your vehicle is giving you problems and you think you might be driving a lemon, please contact the Law Office of Barry L. Edzant at 888-395-3666 to get some answers.

Ford F150 Grinding Noise

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The Ford F-Series is a series of light, medium and super duty trucks manufactured by Ford Motor Company since 1948. One of he most popular versions of the series is the light duty F-150. Now in its thirteenth generation, the F-150 is one of the best selling trucks in America.

Throughout the years, every model year F-150 has experienced problems and defects. Below are some of the most common problems affecting 2015-2019 model year F-150 trucks.

“Transmission makes clunking and grinding noise.” Many F-150 owners report problems with their transmissions when starting, accelerating, or shifting. They experience clunking and jerking when shifting through gears on all types of roads. Although there are several transmission recalls affecting Ford F-150 trucks, none of them address the difficult shifting problems.

“Loud grinding when starting.” Grinding from the starter often starts with a faulty starter solenoid. The starter solenoid has internal electrical contacts that supply electricity to the starter. When it is not working properly, it may allow the starter drive gear to grind on the teeth of the flywheel after the engine has started. Over time the drive gear will wear down, the grinding will become more frequent and the starter will have to be replaced. In some cases a vehicle could go through two or three starters in its lifespan.

“Front end grinding in 2WD” In August 2019, Ford released a technical service bulletin for intermittent grinding noises coming from the Integrated Wheel Ends (IWE) in some 2013-2018 F-150, Expedition and Navigator vehicles. The problem was caused by a loss of vacuum to the Integrated Wheel End (IWE) actuators and/or wear of the IWE components. To correct the condition service centers were instructed to inspect and replace worn vacuum and IWE components.

“Engine rattle at startup.” The first symptom of problems with a timing chain is a rattle from the engine on start up. Because the timing chains are so long, they must be kept tight using hydraulic tensioners and are supported by plastic guides. With the proper lubrication and oil filter the timing chain should last the life of the vehicle, but with a substandard oil filter, the engine oil may drain back to the oil pan when the engine is turned off.  A lack of oil pressure means tensioners cannot immediately tighten the timing chains on startup.  When this occurs slack in the chain tends to jerk and the plastic timing chain guides can break.

“Grinding noise coming from the wheels.” Grinding that seems to be coming from your wheels is most likely bad wheel bearings. Wheel bearings allow for friction-free movement of the hub assembly so your wheels can rotate smoothly, but they are not immune to wear and tear and may need to be replaced over the length of a vehicle’s life. If the noise gets louder as you accelerate, then a bad wheel bearing is most likely the problem.

If you purchased or leased a defective Ford F-150 in California and it turned out to be a lemon, contact us now and we can help you get rid of it… just fill out the above form or call us now for a free case evaluation.