Lemon Law Blog

This Pennsylvania Lemon Law Ford recall alert comes courtesy of our good friend Jim Donovan, consumer crusader at Philadelphia’s CBS-3.

Ford is recalling almost 500,000 SUVs and minivans due to mechanic defects. First up on the list is more than 205,000 Ford Freestar and Mercury Monterey minivans, model years 2004 and 2005, due to faulty torque converters. The converters’ output shaft may fail, resulting in loss of power.

Next up is more than 244,000 Ford Escapes, model years 2001 and 2002, due to a possible brake fluid leak problem. The vehicles’ brake master cylinder reservoir cap could leak fluid, causing corrosion of the brakes’ electrical components. This corrosion could lead to a fire in the braking system.

Ford will begin contacting customers the week of January 23rd. Being that the cars are being recalled, the parts and labor will be free even though these cars are no longer under manufacturers warranty.

And of course, if you have a newer Ford vehicle that has been in three times under Ford warranty for a brake fluid leak or loss of power, you may want to look into your rights under Pennsylvania Lemon Law and federal warranty laws.

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We have received quite a few calls on the 1 800 LEMON LAW hotline from folks complaining of an intermittent shifting problem with their 2009-2010 Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles.  This is an intermittent problem involving difficulties getting out of park and drivers may also find that their interior/exterior lighting, power windows and door locks could be affected as well.  According to the information we have received, this problem affects 2009-2010 models produced prior to May 28,2010.  The following models may be affected:  Ford Edge, Ford Flex, Ford Taurus, Ford Focus, Ford Escape, Ford Expedition, Ford Mustang, Ford F-Super Duty Truck, Ford F-150, and Ford E-series. Lincoln MKX, Lincoln MKT, Lincoln MKS, Lincoln MKZ, and Lincoln Navigator. Mercury Sable, Mercury Milan,and Mercury Mariner.

If you are experiencing the shifting problem, it is very important that you set up a warranty repair with your authorized Ford Lincoln mercury dealership as soon as possible.  The service department does have several potential fixes, but they are not sure they have an end-all, be-all solution.  If you have this problem after continuous trips to the dealer, please call us at 1 800 LEMON LAW (1800-536-6652) or e-mail us and we will be glad to review your situation to see how we can help.

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Following in the footsteps of Pontiac, Saturn, and Hummer, Ford is cutting ties with the 72-year old Mercury brand. According to an Associated Press article, the move is designed to keep Ford running lean and mean, while beefing up the Lincoln luxury brand.

Mercury vehicles will be available throughout the Summer at discounted prices at over 1,700 dealerships.  In the meantime, if you do own a Mercury vehicle, it is important that you contact the dealer you purchased from to make sure your warranty will still be honored at that location.  Chances are Mercury drivers will also be able to obtain extended warranties through Ford Motors as well if they desire.

Another important thing for Mercury drivers to remember is that even though the brand is fading, their rights under Federal and State Laws are not.  if you do find that your Mercury vehicle is back in the shop for repeated repairs, drop us a line or call us at 1-800 LEMON LAW and we can still help you file a claim and seek recourse.  Ford Motor Company is still taking responsibility for the quality of the vehicles.

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At 1-800 LEMON LAW, we have heard of folks suffering with headaches after driving around in their new vehicle, and we never understood what they were talking about….until now.  It appears that the new car smell we are all so fond of could actually make us sick.

CNN.com is reporting that this scent could be made up of a variety of poisons, including arsenic and formaldehyde.  With American automakers suffering in an economic slump, this pollution is not getting much play.  On the other side of the world however, European and Japanese automakers are well aware of this problem and are working hard to combat it.

So, which cars tend to be most problematic?  According to the Ecology Center’s HealthyCar.Org study which they put out each year, the most toxic avengers are:

• Suzuki Forenza
• Suzuki Reno
• Lincoln Mark LT
• Mitsubishi Eclipse
• BMW 128i

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Throughout the year, we receive countless calls from folks looking for car buying advice.  Many figure that by calling 1-800 LEMON LAW prior to buying a car, they may be able to prevent problems “down the road” so to speak. For that reason, since 2001, we have teamed up consumer advocate Jack Gillis and the wonderful team at the Center for Auto Safety to provide the Car Complaint Index to consumers.  We feel that an educated consumer is an effective consumer. 

Yesterday, JD Power & Associates came out with their dependability rankings and it appears that Land Rover is lowest on the Power totem pole.  While the Car Complaint Index looks at specific models, JD Power looks at brand quality.  They rank their cars based on an average of car problems; how many problems are reported per 100 cars, as experienced by original owners of these cars after three years.  The industry average is 206 problems per 100 cars, roughly averaging 2 problems per car.

Here are the brands that fall below the industry average:  Audi 207, Mercedes Benz 215, Nissan 224, Pontiac 225, GMC 226, Mazda 228, Subaru 228, Chrysler 229, Dodge 230, Mini 233, Chevrolet 239, Hummer 241, Scion 243, Volvo 244, Saturn 250, Jeep 253, Volkswagen 253, Saab 254, Isuzu 274, Kia 278, Suzuki 302, and lastly Land Rover with 344 problems reported per 100 cars.  This is not good news for the SUV manufacturer, which was recently sold by Ford to an Indian company.

So, who’s on top?  Number one with a bullet for the 14th consecutive year is Lexus, followed by Mercury and Cadillac.

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