Although the California lemon law was designed to protect consumers who discover unfixable defects with the new vehicle they have purchased or leased, many states have included provisions to protect used car consumers as well.

The defect still must impair the safety, value, or use of the vehicle, and a manufacturer approved repair facility must be given a reasonable number of repair attempts to qualify. This includes four (4) repair attempts for the same or similar problem or two (2) repair attempts for a defect likely to cause serious bodily harm. Continue reading

The Law Offices of Delsack & Associates, P.C. recently helped the owner of a 2011 Kia Sorento obtain a vehicle buyback under the California Lemon Law. Prior to contacting us, he had given his dealership eight (8) opportunities to repair the defects and had complained to the service manager many times, but the vehicle was still not repaired. The defects included engine and other manufacturing non-conformities which caused the vehicle to stall under normal operating conditions and repeated problems with the ignition system and electrical system which would result in a no start condition and the check engine light to remain on. Continue reading

In August 2014, Toyota received customer complaints of fuel odor after turning off the engine on certain Toyota and Lexus vehicles. An inspection of the fuel system found fuel dripping from the end cap of the delivery pipe on the engine due to insufficient welding of the cap. An on site investigation of the supplier found that the cooling air hose for the manufacturing jig used during the welding process was disconnected because of routine maintenance, resulting in an insufficient weld. In this condition, fuel could leak from the fuel delivery pipe and in the presence of an ignition source could increase the risk of a vehicle fire. Continue reading

Approximately eight months after purchasing a 2011 Dodge Durango, a California resident found himself returning his vehicle to a Chrysler dealership for problems that would result in the check engine light remaining on. By January 2014, he had provided Chrysler seven (7) more opportunities to repair various problems which included a defective wiring harness, Power-Train Control Module (PCM), and O2 sensor. Continue reading

Chrysler has announced two safety defects affecting certain 2014 Dodge Durango and 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles. According to reports filed on the NHTSA website, the two problems will have approximately 260,000 owners returning their vehicles for repairs. The automobile manufacturer is expected to begin sending out notices in December. Continue reading

If you are the owner of a 2013 Dodge Dart and you think it could be a lemon, you are not alone. According to information on the NHTSA website, there are over 150 complaints against this vehicle. The top problems include the power train, engines, brakes, and an assortment of electrical issues. Owners say they have returned to their dealership several times for repairs, but the defects are still not fixed. Continue reading