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Will Ford End The Mercury Brand?

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In the last few years, the Ford brands have been shrinking. They have gotten rid of Jaguar, Land Rover, Aston Martin, and most recently the Volvo brand, and now it seems that the Mercury brand may be the next on the “chopping block”.

Ford officials would not confirm reports that the company was thinking of shutting down Mercury, but they have admitted to plans to shrink the lineup in an effort to make Lincoln the featured brand for the company. The Mercury brand has just four vehicles, the mid-size Milan sedan, the Mariner and Mountaineer SUVs and the giant Grand Marquis sedan. Production of the Grand Marquis will end when Ford closes their Canadian factory next year.

In a previous interviews, Ford Chief Executive Alan Mulally said he was looking at ways to reorganize the company to be more global. That included cutting brands and slicing the number of vehicles Ford produces, and then using those platforms to build cars that can be sold around the world. The new Ford Fiesta that is going on sale in the U.S. this summer is nearly identical to the one already sold in Europe. The same will hold true for the new-generation Ford Focus slated to roll out early next year.

Getting Rid Of Your Lemon In California

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For many, a car purchase is one of the biggest purchases people make. When you buy or lease a new car and even when you purchase a used car from a dealership, you expect the vehicle to be in working order and problem free. Unfortunately this is not always true. Sometimes vehicles, even new ones, can experience repeated problems. Sometimes the vehicle is just a “lemon”.

In 1975 the federal government passed the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act to govern consumer product warranties. The Act requires manufacturers and sellers of consumer products to provide consumers with detailed information about warranty coverage. It helps determine both the rights of consumers and the obligations of warrantor’s underwritten warranties.

The Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act (also known as the “California Lemon Law” or “Tanner Consumer Protection Act”) makes California consumers the most protected from “automobile lemons” in the nation. It requires that, if a manufacturer or its representative is unable to repair a purchased or leased motor vehicle to conform to its written warranty after a reasonable number of attempts, the manufacturer must replace or repurchase it. The Law also applies to the sale or lease of used vehicles still covered by the manufacturer’s original warranty.

As soon as consumers hear the word “law” they automatically assume they need a lawyer, and will end up having to go to court which ends up being time consuming and expensive. California has what is known as an “attorney’s fees and costs provision”. This means that the time that the attorney spends with the automobile manufacturer is paid by the manufacturer to the attorney. Often, the negotiations are done through your lemon law professional and the automobile manufacturer so you don’t need to deal with the legalities. It’s just that easy!

The California Lemon Law Offices of Delsack & Associates is recognized as one of California’s best and oldest lemon law firms. We have a nearly 100% success rate of the California Lemon Law cases we accept, and offer statewide services so that wherever you live in California you can put our 22 years of experience to work for you. If you think you have a “lemon,” stop throwing your money away on costly repeat auto repairs. Contact The California Lemon Law Specialists, get A Free consultation and get rid of your CA lemon today!

Anywhere in California (free call): 1.888.ExLemon (395.3666)

  • California Lemon Law in Los Angeles: 310-475-1700
  • California Lemon Law in San Francisco: 415-285-5366
  • California Lemon Law in San Diego: 619-229-6900
  • California Lemon Law in Orange County: 949-856-4333
  • California Lemon Law in Palm Springs: 760-395-1000
  • California Lemon Law in San Fernando Valley: 818-837-0500

Automobile Recalls For May 2010

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Below are some of the automobile recalls for May 2010

  • Ford is recalling certain 2010 Fusion, Milan, and Escape vehicles manufactured between February 27, 2010 to March 26, 2010 for a park rod guide retention pin that may have not been properly installed. A vehicle parked without an engaged park pawl and without an applied parking break may roll causing an accident. Ford will notify owners and dealers will repair the vehicles free of charge. Owners may contact Ford at 1-866-436-7332.
  • General Motors is recalling some 2010 Chevrolet Express and GMC 2500, 3500, and 4500 Savana vans for a defective generator that may develop a short in the voltage regulator. This short could eventually lead to enough heat generated to cause an engine fire. Dealers will inspect and replace generators if necessary free of charge. The safety recall began on April 12, 2010. Owners can contact Chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438 and GMC at 1-866-996-9463 or at the owner center at www.gmownercenter.com.
  • General Motors is recalling certain 2010 Cadillac SRX, equipped with 2.8L V6 engines, for pre-ignition problems. This problem may occur due to the use of low octane (regular fuel) as opposed to the high octane (premium fuel) recommended in the owners manual and on the fuel filler door. If pre-ignition occurs, you may hear a pinging or knocking sound from the engine. This may result in a connecting rod or piston breaking. The problem will be corrected by dealers reprogramming the engine control module. The recall is expected to begin before June 11. Owners can contact Cadillac customer assistance at 1-866-982-2339 or at the owner center at www.gmownercenter.com
  • Honda is recalling some 2010 Acura ZDX vehicles manufactured between November 12, 2009 to March 22, 2010 for dashboard covering material that has no been properly laser scored. During a crash, the airbag will not deploy properly leaving passengers vulnerable to injury. Acura dealers will inspect and replace the part free of charge. The safety recall began on April 21, 2010. Owners may contact Acura Client Services at 1-800-382-2238. Honda’s recall campaign number is R34.
  • Porsche is recalling some 2010 Panamera S, 4S, and turbo 4 door sedans for a possible malfunction of the seat belt mount. If the front seats are adjusted towards an extreme position, the belt mount could detach form the anchoring system. Dealers will install additional locking elements free of charge. The manufacturer has not yet provided an owner notification schedule, but owners may contact Porsche at 1-800-545-8039.

Toyota Stops Sales Of Lexus Luxury Sedans

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Last Wednesday Toyota announced it would be recalling some 2009-2010 Lexus LS 460 and LS 600h luxury sedans in the United States and Japan because of the steering wheels ability to fall out of alignment. On Monday, Toyota announced a stop sales on these vehicles. The sales stoppage and recall cover cars equipped with the company’s variable gear ratio steering system that’s an option on the LS 460 and standard on the LS 600h.

The Lexus sales stoppage is expected to last a while since Toyota does not have a solution to the problem yet but will send out official notice of the recall in the mail next month. Toyota expects it will have a remedy for the problem before the end of June. In the meantime, Toyota is not advising LS owners to park their cars. Lexus believes that the involved vehicles are safe to drive. “In some cases the steering wheel can be 90 degrees out of alignment with the wheels of the car,” Lyons said. “But the problem has only been reported in instances of a very tight and very quick turns.” In all reported cases, he said, the steering wheel realigned itself after about 5 seconds of driving straight.

Ford Investing $135 Million In Michigan Plants

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Ford Motor Co. will be investing $135 million at two Michigan plants that will help introduce five new models by 2012. Ford said it will begin selling two electric vehicles and three new hybrids to meet the new U.S. fuel economy standards. Ford plans to introduce a gasoline-electric version of its Lincoln MKZ sedan and an electric versions of the Transit Connect van this year, and the Focus electric car in 2011.

The investment will result in 220 new jobs by 2012, Ford said, including 130 hourly jobs at a trans-axle plant in Sterling Heights, Mich., and 40 hourly jobs at a Ypsilanti plant that will build battery packs. Fifty engineering jobs will be added as well.

Ford has eliminated 47 percent of its North American workforce since 2006, and had 70,000 workers in the region at the end of the first quarter. The company has cut costs and overhauled its model lineup to become less dependent on sport- utility vehicles and pickup trucks. The automaker ended three years of losses with a $2.7 billion profit last year as the U.S. auto market fell to the lowest level in 27 years.

Good News For The Auto Industry In California

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An automobile plant recently close by Toyota in California will be opening up their doors again for Tesla Motors Corp. Backed by a $50 million investment by Toyota, Tesla will start making electric cars within the year, at the same plant that was shared by a Toyota/GM venture. “By working together with a venture business such as Tesla, Toyota would like to learn from the challenging spirit, quick decision-making and flexibility that Tesla has. Decades ago, Toyota was also born as a venture business,” Toyoda said in a statement.

Restarting the factory is a major achievement for California’s economic development and a rare victory for a state that many business leaders say has become uncompetitive because of more regulations and higher labor costs than other states.

But not everyone is happy. The move is a disappointment for Downey officials who had been in talks with the automaker, hoping the company would set up shop in a closed facility that had once been used to manufacture the space shuttle.

Toyota’s investment in Tesla is particularly important because the electric vehicle company will be competing against better capitalized and larger traditional manufacturers. When an established manufacturer decides to partner with newcomers it will considerably increase the probability of success by giving them manufacturing know-how and access to a distribution network

Toyota Recalls Lexus LS Vehicles

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Toyota announced Wednesday that it will be recalling almost 4,500 Lexus LS luxury sedans in the United States and 7,000 in Japan. The complaint comes from consumers who say that the steering wheel came out of alignment with the direction of the car’s wheels during certain driving maneuvers.

The problem involves the computerized system that oversees how the steering wheel controls the tires. The steering system comes standard in Japanese models, but is optional in other countries. It varies the amount that the steering wheel turns the tires, allowing drivers to turn the wheel less at low speeds when attempting to navigate or park in tight spots and providing finer control at high speeds. The system can take “a few seconds” to return the steering to normal after it has been adjusted, which led to complaints from drivers, said Toyota spokesman Paul Nolasco.

There have been 12 complaints out of Japan but no accidents reported because of the problem.

Auto Sales Up – Motorcycle Sales Down

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After massive restructurings in the auto industry, things seem to be looking up. After ten consecutive money losing quarters, GM said that they have made an unexpected profit of $865 million in the first quarter. Even Toyota, still recovering from their biggest recall ever for unintended acceleration, said Tuesday that the January-March profit totaled $1.2 billion compared to a loss the year before. But when it comes to motorcycles and scooters, things are still looking grim.

Even though motorcycles and scooters are more economical to operate, their sales are down 4.6% in the first quarter compared to last year. Hard hit by a down economy that has tightened credit and by stable gasoline prices, motorcycle dealers are scrambling to find customers any way they can. With so few buyers in the market for new bikes dealers are focusing on parts, accessories and pre-owned motorcycles to survive. Many dealerships have also cut hours and staff.