Lemon Law Blog

As previously reported in the Lemon Law Blog on June 4th, General Motors intends to accept responsibility for all lemon law and breach of warranty claims of past, present and future leases and sales.  A Reuters report confirmed General Motor’s responsibility, as the manufacturer moves forward with a bid to win court approval to reorganize the company.

The new GM would be 60 percent owned by the US government, 17.5 percent by the United Auto Workers union and 11.7 percent by the governments of Canada and the province of Ontario.   Under the reorganization plan, the new company would be created by late August.

In the meantime, we are moving forward with all General Motors lemon law and breach of warranty claims, including Pontiac, Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Hummer, Saturn, and Cadillac. We currently have a system in place where we can advocate quickly for our clients’ rights, with cases being expedited efficiently.  We have been assured that GM is committed to making sure this continues and we applaud the company for continuing to make consumers’ rights a priority. Remedies include full repurchase, or full or partial refunds and as always the legal help is completely cost-free. 

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As soon as the weather takes a turn for the better, and motorcyclists “get their motors running,” calls come in to 1-800-LEMON-LAW about defective Harley Davidson, Honda, BMW, Yamaha, and Kawasaki motorcycles…with all the callers asking the same question:  ”Are motorcycles covered under the Lemon Law?”

The answer depends on the state.  Among the states we practice, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Connecticut all include motorcycles in their Lemon Law. In all of these states, we can file a Lemon Law claim completely free to the consumer, with the possible outcome being a new bike or refund. In Pennsylvania, we spoke in front of the House of Representatives Consumer Affairs Committee, urging the inclusion of motorcycles, however it has yet to happen.

All is not lost however, in the states we practice that do not offer Lemon Law protection for motorcycles, namely Pennsylvania and Delaware, we use the grandfather of the Lemon Law, the Magnuson Moss Warranty Act to go after the manufacturer for the diminished value of the bike as a result of the defect.  And like the Lemon Law, legal representation is completely cost-free. In the past eighteen years, our firm has successfully handled thousands of motorcycle claims. 

To check if your state offers a Motorcycle Lemon law, click here. For more information regarding lemon law and breach of warranty rights for motorcycle owners, feel free to e-mail us or call us at 1-800 LEMON LAW (1-800-536-6652).

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Many distressed drivers throughout New Jersey are not aware they are entitled to free legal representation if their car is defective. Consumer rights under the New Jersey Lemon Law and Federal Magnuson Moss Warranty Act will be discussed on “Eye On Ocean County.”  The program will air on Comcast throughout Ocean County, New Jersey Wednesday, July 8 at 9pm on Channel 19.

Guests will include NJ Lemon Law Attorney Amy Bennecoff and Automotive Consumer Advocate Michael Sacks from the law firm of Kimmel and Silverman.  Topics discussed include rights and remedies under the New Jersey Lemon Law; car-buying tips to ensure that your dream car does not turn into a nightmare; and an update on how lemon law and breach of warranty claims for Jeep, Dodge and Chrysler drivers will be handled once Fiat takes over ownership of Chrysler.

The New Jersey Lemon Law is the second most effective lemon law in the Nation, according to the Center for Auto Safety.  The Law covers vehicles with a significant defect within the first 24 months or 18,000 miles that can’t be repaired despite a reasonable number of repair attempts, normally three.  The Law also covers vehicles that are in the shop for repair 20 days in the first years and those days do not have to be consecutive. Remedies under the NJ Lemon Law could include a new car or full or partial refund. In addition, there are other remedies available for vehicles that may not fall under the Lemon Law mileage provisions but are still under manufacturers warranty.

We hope Ocean County viewers will join us July 8 at 9pm on Channel 19.

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Dodge Ram diesel drivers have called 1-800 LEMON LAW by the truck-ful complaining of problems with engine hesitation, check engine lights, and exhaust lights. Many of these consumers have been back to the Dodge dealer repeatedly as the service department replaced computers, cleaned turbos and installed new exhaust filters.  We have successfully handled hundreds of these cases so far, and new claims come in every week. 

Thus, it comes as no surprise to us that Chrysler is cancelling its contract with Cummins to create a light-duty diesel engine for its Dodge Ram 1500 model.  The contract was originally signed in 2006.

According to an article in Autoweek, the engine was slated for delivery in the 2010 model year. The manufacturer has said it is now delaying the roll out of the light-duty Dodge until at least 2011, citing stricter federal emission standards and the high cost of diesel fuel as reasons for the change.

Cummins said they are not surprised with the change in light of Chrysler’s recent financial ups and downs and the company recently emerging from Chapter 11.  They said that while the contract was dead, the program itself is not.

Of course, we remind all Dodge Ram drivers, diesel and not, that your lemon law and breach of warranty protection is alive and well, regardless of whether you purchased before or after Chrysler’s sale to Fiat.  If your Ram is causing you constant problems under warranty, do not hesitate to contact us to discuss your rights.

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A number of General Motors drivers are calling into the 1-800 LEMON LAW hotline seeking assistance with hesitation on acceleration.  There has been a Technical Service Bulletin issued by GM for all 2007-2009 Cadillac Escalades (including the EXT and ESV models), 2006-2009 Cadillac XLR and XLR-V models , 2007-2009 Chevrolet Silverados, Suburbans, and Tahoes, 2006-2009 Corvettes, 2007-2009 GMC Sierra, Yukon and Yukon XL models, and 2008-2009 Pontiac G8 models equipped with a gasoline engine and automatic transmission.

In these situations, the driver may experience a sag or hesitation when accelerating during a lane change, or when a lunge when trying to make a complete hard stop.

If you are suffering with this problem, you must bring your vehicle to an authorized GM dealership so they can address the matter.  Please reference TSB PIP4112H.  Do not allow the dealer to tell you this is a normal characteristic of the vehicle; it is not. Also, make sure that you receive a warranty repair invoice which clearly outlines the problem when you pick up the vehicle.

If you find that the problem can’t be fixed efficiently and effectively after several attempts, please get in touch with us either by phone at 1 800 LEMON LAW (1-800-536-6652) or via e-mail. We will discuss your situation with you and see how we can help.

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Fiat is putting the pedal to metal when it comes to changing the way Chrysler operates.  Several production plants will reopen next week and an interesting Financial Times article outlines Fiat’s strategy moving forward.  You can read it by clicking here.

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