After trying unsuccessfully four (4) times to have his defective 2014 GMC Sierra 2500 HD repaired, the owner called our offices for advice and to retain our firm. He had a long list of problems affecting the fuel system of his vehicle. These included a defective high-pressure fuel pump, defective fuel temperature sensor, defective fuel rail assembly, fuel leaks corroding protective undercoating and a check engine light that remained on. Continue reading
The Law Offices of Delsack & Associates P.C. were contacted by the owner of a 2013 Chevrolet Camaro, who was looking for advice with his vehicle. The car was purchased in December 2014 and returned to a GMC dealership in March 2015 for its first repair attempt. The owner subsequently provided GMC five (5) more repair opportunities for problems that included replaced lifters and piston slap, ticking noises from the engine, stalls, illuminating check engine light, Stabiltrac warnings, and difficulty starting. The vehicle had been out of service, in the hands of a GM approved repair facility, for over 49 days. Continue reading
After leasing a 2013 Fiat 500 Electric vehicle in February 2014, the owner found herself returning to an FCA dealership in September 2014 for repairs. She subsequently provided FCA four (4) more opportunities to fix problems, which kept her vehicle out of service for more than 67 days. When she contacted the Law Offices of Delsack & Associates P.C. she told us she was having problems with the:
New data affecting defective Takata air bag inflators in certain 2001-2003 Honda and Acura vehicles, has found a high risk of ruptures during air bag deployment. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration are asking the media and public to ensure that vehicles in this population are found and fixed before they cause injuries or fatalities. According to U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, there is a 50% higher chance that these air bag inflators could rupture in a crash. Owners should stop driving their vehicles and have the airbags replace immediately. Continue reading
The owner of a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze contacted our law offices, looking for advice about his vehicle. He complained to his GMC dealership many times about the problems and had four (4) unsuccessful repair attempts which kept his car out of service for over 42 days. In addition to recalls affecting airbags, brakes, the fuel system, and engine cooling, he experienced water pump failures, loss of engine power with high rpm’s, a defective turbo assembly, a check engine light that remains on, a defective camshaft actuator, and an oil pan gasket that leaks. Continue reading
Volkswagen and the Federal Government have come to an agreement of compensation regarding certain diesel cars that were programmed to pass government emissions test despite emitting over 40 times the legal limit of pollutants. Volkswagen will pay up to $15 billion in consumer compensation with approximately $10 billion going to owners who can have their vehicles repaired or bought back. The models included are the 2009-2015 Jetta and Audi A3, the 2010-2015 Golf, and the 2012-2015 Beetle and Passat, equipped with two-liter engines.
Watch the video below for everything you need to know about the VW Settlement.
On December 4, 2015 President Obama signed the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act (Pub. L. No. 114-94) into law. Although the federal act focuses primarily on maintaining infrastructure, a major provision within the regulations includes rules affecting automobile rental companies. The legislation was championed by the family of Raechel and Jacqueline Houck, sisters who died in a rental vehicle that was under a safety recall that had not been repaired.
Beginning June 1, 2016, any company or dealer with fleets greater than 35 will be prohibited from renting vehicles with recalls until the problem has been fixed. Although the bill passed with the support of the rental car industry and the input of the American Car Rental Association, smaller independent companies question how the bill will affect their business. Often, automakers will announce a recall without a timeline for repairs or parts, leaving some fleets with cars parked for a potentially long time. Continue reading
As a leader in consumer protection, California was one of the firsts states to enforce lemon laws. The California Lemon Law requires that a manufacturer who is unable to repair a vehicle to conform to the express warranty after a reasonable number of repair attempts, must replace or repurchase the vehicle. In many cases, the manufacturer will try to show that the criteria has not been met, and therefore, the buyer or lessee is not entitled to a replacement vehicle or refund. Continue reading
