Lemon Law Blog

We frequently get calls from used car buyers who think they may have purchased a flood car. While it is true that cars submersed by waters from Hurricane Katrina and other storms could end up on an auction block and sold to your local dealership, The National Auto Dealers’ Association has come up with a few ways to spot flood damage

· Examine the interior and the engine compartment for evidence of water and grit from suspected submersion.

· Check for a recently shampooed carpet.

· Look under the floorboard carpet for water residue or stain marksfrom evaporated water not related to air-conditioning pan leaks. WOULD A DEALER ALLOW YOU TO INSPECT THIS PRIOR TO SALE?

· Inspect for rusting on the inside of the car and under interiorcarpeting and visually inspect all interior upholstery and door panels for any evidence of fading. IF THE CAR IS RUSTING, HAS IT DEFINITELY BEEN IN A FLOOD?

· Check under the dashboard for dried mud and residue, and note any evidence of mold or musty odor in the upholstery, carpet or trunk.

· Check for rust on screws in the console or other areas where the water would normally not reach unless submerged.

· Look for mud or grit in alternator crevices, behind wiringharnesses and around the small recesses of starter motors, power steering pumps and relays.

· Complete a detailed inspection of the electrical wiring systemlooking for rusted components, water residue or suspicious corrosion.

· Inspect the undercarriage of other components for evidence of rust and flaking metal that would not normally be associated with late model cars and trucks.

If you have additional questions, drop us an e-mail.

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Some promising news for the auto manufacturers- With gas prices continuing to rise, it is not surprising to see fuel efficinecy on the top of every driver’s priority list. As a result some of the big boys, namely Ford trucks, are taking a bit of a beating.

Remember, now is a great time to take a look at a new car. There are plenty of incentives, and dealers are clamoring to get their 2007 models off the lot to make room for 2008 vehicles.

May Sales Mostly Up
Ford a notable counter to upward trend.
by Joseph Szczesny (2007-06-02)
From Car Connection. Com

Toyota continued to tighten its grip on the U.S. market as its sales jumped 14 percent in May. The Japanese automaker continued to push ahead of both American and Asian rivals as rising gasoline prices continued to influence new car buyers across the U.S.
Even regional sales slumps in California and Florida, traditionally two of Toyota’s strongest markets, didn’t slow the Japanese auto giant’s continuing onslaught.
General Motors Corp. posted a healthy 9.6-percent increase in sales as well, while Chrysler reported a 4.3-percent sales increase. Both companies credited their gains to new, more fuel-efficient vehicles.

“We had a good month,” said Paul Ballew, GM’s general director of market analysis.
Darryl Jackson, Chrysler vice president of U.S. sales, said the company’s passenger car sales improved last month and Jeep had another strong month as the Wrangler and Patriot brought customers into the show room. Michael Keegan, Chrysler vice president of volume planning operations, disputed the assertions the Chrysler was using big incentives to prop up sales. Both Ford and GM have cut prices on several models, which has reduced the amount they spend on incentives, he noted.

Honda and Nissan, two other charter members of the new “Big Six,” also reported sales increases during May. Overall, Asian automakers lifted their share of the market by 1.2 points, to 41.4 percent as Subaru, Mitsubishi, and Suzuki reported sales rising.Audi, BMW, and Mercedes Benz also reported sales increases.”Small is big right now,” Dick Colliver, executive vice president of American Honda, said in a statement. “Smaller vehicles have become more attractive … and we expect this trend to continue for the time being.” Overall Honda sales were up more than two percent.Nissan North America also got a lift from strong sales of the Sentra and Altima as its overall sales climbed 3.2 percent. However, Nissan’s trucks sales sank nearly 19 percent.Meanwhile, Ford sales declined as it continued to trim sales to rental fleet sales and as once-powerful nameplates such as Explorer continued to fade. Explorer sales dropped more than 17 percent and F-Series pickup truck sales dropped 12 percent.George Pipas, Ford’s sales analyst, said the drop was relatively small and Ford officials said the company’s numbers showed signs of improvement. Sales of new products such as the Ford’s new crossovers, the Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX, were particularly strong, climbing 39 percent.”These new crossovers are the right products at the right time,” said Mark Fields, Ford’s President of the Americas. “Consumer demand for the Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX has exceeded our original expectations, so we’re raising the bar. We now expect Ford Edge sales to reach 120,000 this year – 20 percent higher than our original forecast.”

Weakening demand

The automakers, however, continue to face a market starting to show signs of weakening.
Overall, the U.S. industry posted a five-percent sales increase to a 2007 high of 1.56 million cars and light trucks in May, according to estimates. But the seasonally adjusted running rate is now under the initial forecasts automakers set out last January.Ballew, in fact, said GM had reduced its forecast for the balance of the year to between 16.7 million or 16.8 million units. Like other carmakers, GM had predicted sales would reach 17 million units this year. “It looks like we’ll track below 17 million units,” he said.George Pipas also said Ford would build only 640,000 cars in the third quarter, which was down slightly from the 642,000 units the company built in the third quarter of 2006 when it slashed production dramatically in the face of falling market share.The small cut comes despite shortages of some F-150 models and a huge drop in inventories of unsold vehicles, Pipas said.Buyers did respond to higher gas prices. The overall car-truck split in retail sales was close to 50/50, noted Ballew. Also, for the first time in years, Ford’s cars and car-based crossovers during May outsold the company’s trucks and sport-utility vehicles, Pipas said. The split in May was 52-48 in favor of cars and crossovers, he said.Ballew also said there are some signs across the industry of weakness in luxury sales and there also seems to be some downshifting in vehicle content and in powertrains, particularly in the mid-size car segment.

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For the fourth year in a row, Robert M. Silverman and Craig Thor Kimmel, founding partners of the Ambler and Pittsburgh-based lemon law and consumer advocacy firm of Kimmel & Silverman, have been named Pennsylvania Super Lawyers in a survey conducted by Law & Politics Magazine. In addition, Jacqueline Herritt, Managing Attorney for the Firm and a 9-year lemon law veteran, has also been named to the 2007 list.

The findings are published in the June 2007 edition of Philadelphia Magazine. More than 34,000 attorneys were asked to vote for the most effective counsel they have personally observed in action. Kimmel and Silverman were recognized among the top 5% of all attorneys statewide for building Pennsylvania’s oldest and largest full-service lemon law firm, and assisting more than 45,000 distressed drivers across the Northeast with cost-free legal representation.

Kimmel & Silverman is the only lemon law firm in the nation to be honored by the American Bar Association. Their efforts have been featured on Good Morning America, Extra, The CBS Early Show, and hundreds of newspapers and magazines including Kiplingers Personal Finance Magazine, Consumer Reports, Automotive News, Black Enterprise, and USA Today. The Firm, which started out of a small office in Blue Bell, PA in 1991, has grown to include six full-service offices across Eastern and Western Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Massachusetts and Delaware with a team of 19 attorneys, three certified automotive experts and a support staff of over 40 employees. The firm’s attorneys have also successfully represented consumers against several automotive manufacturers in national class action suits, and expanded their practice to include automotive dealer fraud claims and unfair trade practice litigation.

In addition, Kimmel & Silverman is the only lemon law firm in the state to work with the House of Representatives in expanding the Pennsylvania Lemon Law to include leased cars and tighter title provisions for used cars. The firm has also worked with the Consumer Affairs Committee on House Bill 2284, which they hope will become the nation’s first Computer Lemon Law, and testified on bills to include additional protection for Pennsylvania consumers with motorcycles and recreational vehicles. Currently, they are working with the Committee on a bill which would provide increased consumer protection to used cars buyers throughout the State.

This is the most recent honor for Kimmel & Silverman. Earlier this year, Robert Silverman was also named a New Jersey Super Lawyer for a third year running, becoming the first lemon law attorney in the nation to be honored as a Super Lawyer in two states simultaneously, representing the top 5% of all attorneys in both states. Lemon Law attorneys Lous M. Dobi and Amy D. Cox have also been recognized by the magazine. In addition, Micah Buchdahl, nationally known as “The Internet Marketing Attorney,” has named the Firm’s website, www.lemonlaw.com as one of the best legal websites nationwide.

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No not Jimmy Kimmel….we are talking about K&S Founding Partner/Lemon Law Attorney Craig Thor Kimmel. Craig made several appearances last week on the Philadelphia ariwaves to discuss the 2007 Car Complaint Index. In case you missed them, check out Craig’s Eyewitness News story by clicking here and view his recent appearance on Good Day Philadelphia by clicking here. And keep an eye out for Craig’s vist to CN8’s Art Fennell Reports and a return to Good Day later this month.

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