Honda – Page 13 – California Lemon Law blog

After six reported fires under the dash board of the 2006-2007 Honda Ridgeline and an investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), it was determined that there was no defect with the H.V.A.C. fan motor connector.

Honda decided to investigate the problem by themselves, based on consumer complaints, and found that if the electrical harness was kicked by accident, it could short circuit and start a fire. Honda concluded that a short circuit would probably “self-extinguish,” but that a fire was possible, and it decided to recall.

The recall will affect 2006-2007 Ridgeline vehicles manufactured between January 17, 2005 and June 7, 2006. If you own one of these, your local Honda dealer will inspect the wiring, replace it if necessary, and fit a protective cover for the wiring, free of charge.

We have been hearing about electric cars lately and how auto companies are pushing to get them on the roads, but what ever happaned to the hydrogen car. Beyond the test market, hydrogen-powered cars seemed to be nothing more than research and development, but with new hydrogen technology it is no longer the dangerous fuel we were reluctant to put on the roads.

At last month’s Los Angeles auto show Honda introduced the Honda FCX Clarity, the world’s first production fuel-cell car. Befor this, BMW was leading the way in hydrogen development with their Hydrogen 7, a V12 internal combustion engine that can be powered by gasoline as well as liquid hydrogen. With a price tag of at least $250 000 only 100 celebrities and politicians have received a loaner car for evaluation and to provide feedback. The honda fuel cell car would also be quite expensive to buy, but once it goes into production for the public, the price would significantly go down.

Like the electic car, there is the problem of “fueling up”. According to H2stations.org, a website that tracks hydrogen refilling stations, there are only 10 certified filling stations in Canada (and those are used for industrial purposes), 38 in Europe and 49 in the U.S. (with more than half in California).

Honda tried to address the infrastructure problem with its experimental Home Energy Station, a self-contained unit that converts natural gas into hydrogen, but burning natural gas to produce hydrogen seems to just defeat the purpose.

In March of 2007, John True of Ontario, California purchased a Honda Civic hybrid hoping that he could save a bit on fuel and do his part for the environment. He chose Honda because they had advertised their hybrid mileage as 49 miles per gallon in the city and 51 miles per gallon on highways. After about 6 000 miles of driving he found that it was almost impossible to reach this. Many other Honda hybrid owners came to the same conclusion including one by Consumer Reports. John filed a lawsuit against Honda claiming Honda had inflated the mileage. The settlement covers almost 160 000 people who owned or leased a 2003 through 2008 model Honda Civic Hybrid.

The class action has been settled, but more than half the nation’s state attorneys are objecting to the settlement. In this class action, Honda will send DVD’s to current and former Civic owners with tips on improving the fuel economy. Owners who trade in their Honda Civic Hybrid for certain Honda or Acura vehicles could get up to $1,000 rebate on some vehicles or $100 in cash if they had made a complaint previously. Others who no longer owned their hybrid would get a $500 coupon. “The coupons offered to consumers are of limited value: They are worth only a fraction of the price of the original car,” the attorneys general said in a court filing Monday. ” “Cars like the Honda Fit, Insight, Civic Hybrid and CRZ are the class of vehicle these hybrid owners would most likely buy, yet they have been excluded from the list.”

In the beginning of 2007 new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) tests, were unveiled to better reflect real world driving. As a result, fuel economy for all vehicles fell an average of 12% in the city and 8% on highways.

With the “Cash for Clunkers” program, some automakers had their best month of the year. But the week after the program ended sales fell considerably.

Ford said its sales rose 17% last month from the previous year. July also showed increased sales by 2.3 %.

Hyundai said its sales increased by 47% last month compared to the previous year. Honda rose by 10% and Toyota rose by 6%.

The Clunkers program seemed to help the Asian automakers more than the Detroit companies. About one out of every five vehicles was a Toyota, making it the most popular followed by GM, Ford and Honda.

Concerned that the vehicle you are driving may be a lemon? Call the Law Firm of Delsack and Associates for a Free consultation. Delsack and Associates is on of the first California Lemon Law Attorney Firms and one of the first firms to represent clients throughout the entire state of California.

“Cash for Clunkers” is finally came to a close and the figures are in. Almost 700,000 auto sales and car dealerships have submitted documents requesting $2.877 billion in rebates by the deadline. It was originally scheduled to run through November 1, 2009.

The Transportation department announced that the Ford Explorer was the most traded clunker and the Toyota Corolla was the most purchased vehicle. The following are lists of the top 10 purchased and traded in vehicles.

The Top 10 New Vehicles Purchased

1. Toyota Corolla
2. Honda Civic
3. Toyota Camry
4. Ford Focus
5. Hyundai Elantra
6. Nissan Versa
7. Toyota Prius
8. Honda Accord
9. Honda Fit
10. Ford Escape FWD

Top 10 Traded Vehicles

1. Ford Explorer 4WD
2. Ford F150 Pickup 2WD
3. Jeep Grand Cherokee 4WD
4. Ford Explorer 2WD
5. Dodge Caravan/Grand Caravan 2WD
6. Jeep Cherokee
7. Chevrolet Blazer 4WD
8. Chevrolet C1500 Pickup 2WD
9. Ford F150 Pickup 4WD
10. Ford Windstar FWD Van

Think the vehicle you are driving may be a lemon? Call the California Lemon Law Attorneys at Delsack and Associates for a Free consultation. 888-Ex-Lemon (888-395-3666).

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has recently rated the Honda Insight, Toyota Prius, and Kia Soul the top rating of Good (on a scale of Good, Acceptable, Marginal, and Poor), in testing for side and rear crash testing. In order to achieve this rating a vehicle has to earn good ratings in three tests and must have electronic stability control.

Having problems with you vehicle and you think it may be a lemon? In California, call the Law Offices of Delsack and Associates and receive a Free Review regarding the California Lemon Law. 888-Ex-Lemon (888-395-3666). They are specialists in the field with over 21 years experience.

Regarding the $3 billion Cash for Clunkers Program. Lawmakers would like to allow consumers to get vouchers from the auto makers if a vehicle is not in stock. Toyota, Honda and 11 other foreign car manufacturers feel that changing the car rebate midstream could be confusing for all those involved.

Do you think the vehicle you are driving could be a lemon? Call the Law Offices of Delsack and Associates, one of the original California Lemon Law Firms for a Free review. Their toll free number is 888-Ex-Lemon (888-395-3666). You have nothing to lose but your lemon.

The ten most popular vehicles sold through the “Cash for Clunkers Program were: Ford Focus, Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, Toyota Prius, Ford Escape, Toyota Camry, Dodge Caliber, Hyundai Elantra, Honda Fit, and the Chevrolet Cobalt. This list was published by NHTSA Administration.

Category Archives: Honda

Honda Ridgeline Recalled For Electrical Fire Under Dash

What About The Hydrogen Car?

Honda Mileage Over Inflated

Ford Sales Up

“Cash for Clunkers” closed on Tuesday

Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Ratings

Opposition to Car Voucher Proposal

10 Most Popular Vehicles Sold Through Car Allowance Rebate System