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.

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.

Important Safety Recall Notice

Triumph Motorcycles has issued an important safety recall notice (N.H.T.S.A No. 07V-455) to all owners of the Rocket III Classic and Rocket III Classic Tourer models. Triumph has found a defect within the Engine Management Software that may result in the engine stalling when coming to a stop or when idle. It is possible to lose control of the motorcycle while coming to a stop, which is a serious safety concern.

Triumph has issued recall notices to all registered owners of the motorcycles urging consumers to contact their local dealership to receive an upgrade to the engine management software at no cost to them. The repair takes only 30 minutes.

Consumers are urged to first contact their dealer to discuss the recall and to contact Triumph customer service if they have additional questions or concerns. The National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration is monitoring the situation and complaints concerning any Triumph dealership’s handling of the situation can be made by calling the NHTSA or by going to http://www.safercar.gov.

For more information on Motorcycle Problems, Complaints and Safety Issues, please see our Motorcycle Lemon Law site.

Each year, prospective car buyers call us with one constant inquiry: “Which cars receive the most complaints?” Thank goodness for Consumer Advocate Jack Gillis, author of the Ultimate Car Book. Each year, Mr. Gillis puts together a projected car complaint index, comparing the number of complaints submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to the number of cars sold. This year’s index is a little surprising….

Tops on the list this year is the Volkswagen Passat, followed by
Pontiac Solstice
Volkswagen Jetta
Mercedes Benz M Class
Nissan Quest
Dodge Charger
Mazda 5
Hyundai Tiburon
Mazda MX5 Miata
and the Subaru B9 Tribeca

You can view the complete list by clicking here .

And if you are looking for a great read on auto-related issues, you can purchase Jack’s book by clicking here.

Now, just because your car may be on this list does NOT mean it is a lemon. These are the cars that are receiving the highest number of complaints per sales, however it is important to note that these complaints are subjective and may not always hold merit. Case in point: a constant on the list is the Toyota Prius, the granddaddy of all hybrids. Why is the Prius always on the list? Because consumers are uncomfortable with the sudden surge once the car comes out of a stop. What they fail to realize however is that this is a characteristic of a hybrid vehicle, and not a defect. The bottom line is this list should serve as one research tool when buying a car, and not the end-all, be-all.

That being said, there are still many legitimate complaints we are seeing among these cars (visit the NHTSA consumer complaint database by clicking here.) Consumers are complaining the most about airbag lights coming on (and in the case of the VW Jetta, airbags unintentionally deploying), check engine lights coming on for no reason, and engine hesitation and stalling. These are also among the top automobile defects we see coming through our office every day. it is amazing that with such amazing, innovative technology coming out of the automotive industry, we are still seeing the same defects again and again.

If you are experiencing these problems, it is important that you visit your service manager, and keep all repair invoices. Make sure the invoices outline the problems you complain about and what the service manager has done to fix the problem. Also, if the problem recoccurs, you should keep a log, and if necessary contact a lemon law firm, be it us or someone else. Make sure you are not being charged any cost, retainer or contingency. And, as we have said before–DO NOT DO THIS ON YOUR OWN! You have access to legal help. If you need it, take advantage of it.

Do manufacturers pay attention to this list? You bet your axle they do. The first year we issued this list in 2001, the Mazda MPV was tops on the index. Immediately after we publishied the index, we received a letter from Mazda outlining the ways they had addressed the problems consumers complained about. As a result, Mr. Gillis took them off the list. Furthermore, while Ford was a constant presence for years on the list, this year’s index does not contain one Ford vehicle. We are happy to see they are listening to their consumers.

Thanks again to Mr. Gillis, Ms. Curran, and their staff for allowing us to share this information with consumers.