Ford will be asking 56,479 Fusion owners to return to their nearest Ford or Lincoln dealer because their vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 114, “Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention.” According to reports filed with the NHTSA, these vehicles are equipped with a mechanical key and dual screen cluster that may allow drivers to remove the key even if the transmission is not in park. The vehicles could unexpectedly roll away possibly striking and/or injuring the driver, other vehicle occupants, or other bystanders. Continue reading

Infiniti is alerting owners of certain 2013-2015 hybrid sedans of a safety defect with their vehicles transmission software. In the affected vehicles, the Engine Control Module (ECM) is designed to go into fail safe mode and partially close the electronic throttle chamber if it detects a signal interruption from either one of the two Throttle Position Sensors (TPS). A programming error could lead to the electronic throttle chamber gradually opening regardless of the throttle position, resulting in the acceleration of the vehicle. Although the acceleration can be overcome by normal application of the brakes, the issue could increase the risk of an accident. Continue reading

Under the California Lemon Law, if you are experiencing repeated problems with your car, truck, or SUV, you may qualify to have your automobile bought back by the manufacturer. You must, however, allow an approved repair facility a reasonable number of repair attempts before you qualify. This includes four repair attempts for the same or similar problems, or two attempts if the defect is safety related and likely to cause serious injury.

When the Law Offices of Delsack & Associates, P.C. were approached by a 2010 Audi A4 owner who had allowed the dealer ten (10) opportunities to repair problems, it was evident the vehicle was a good candidate for lemon law protection. Continue reading

Aston Martin has determined a defect relating to vehicle safety exists on certain 2014 DB9 and 2014 Rapide S sports cars manufactured from June 2013 until July 2014. According to reports filed with the NHTSA, the transmission control switches could contain a circuit board with a defect that can cause it to short out. The problem could result in the transmission to unexpectedly shift into neutral and loss of motive power. While the driver will be unable to maintain speed, the steering and brakes will remain fully functional and in most cases will be drivable again after the engine is shut off and restarted. Continue reading

Owners of certain 2013 Nissan Pathfinder SUV’s, equipped with continuously variable transmissions (CVT), will be receiving notices from the automobile manufacturer regarding a problem that could result in the transmission to function improperly. Nissan began their investigation into the issue in September 2012 after a cooler hose separated from the radiator during a routine quality test drive. Continue reading

In October 2013, Chrysler opened an investigation into reports of shifting delays in certain 2014 Fiat 500L vehicles manufactured between April 2013 to January 2014. Chrysler has determined that a safety defect exists in certain models and will be notifying owners to take their vehicle to a manufacturer approved repair facility to have the Gear Shift Module (GSM) replaced or re-flashed as necessary. Continue reading

(Note: Names have been omitted and some information may have been changed to protect client privacy.)

In August 2008 a client of ours purchased a new Chevrolet Silverado. The vehicle ran relatively well except for a few minor problems with the doors and drive-shaft. In April 2010 he started hearing a clunking noise which he described to be coming from the transmission. Over the next few years and after several repair attempts, our client decided to contact the Law Offices of Delsack & Assoc., P.C.. Continue reading