Ford Motor Company has a major problem with its Ford Explorer line. Specifically, exhaust fumes enter the cab in some of these Ford Explorer vehicles. This condition is very dangerous as it exposes occupants of affected Ford Explorers to poisonous fumes and gasses. Ford has issued technical service bulletins to address the exhaust leak issue… Read more »
Jury Awards Orange County Resident $104,916 for Defective RV Roof
On August 23, 2016, an Orange County California Superior Court jury returned a verdict in favor of an Orange County resident who owns a 2014 Keystone Carbon RV. At issue was whether the owner of the RV was entitled to damages pursuant to the California Lemon Law due to a defective roof on the RV…. Read more »
The Volkswagen/Audi Laughable TDI Clean Diesel Emissions Scandal Mea Culpa
By now, most all of us have heard of the Volkswagen TDI Clean Diesel emissions scandal. To recap, Volkswagen has admitted it intentionally rigged the emissions systems in its Volkswagen and Audi 2.0 liter TDI diesel engines so the emissions controls would only be activated if the emissions systems were being tested. At all other times,… Read more »
Volkswagen TDI Clean Diesel Is Not So Clean
I have been a practicing California Lemon Law attorney for over 25 years and have seen a lot of automobile manufacturer scandals over the years. The latest scandal involves Volkswagen. Volkswagen is alleged to have programmed the emissions control systems in its TDI “clean” diesel engines so that the emissions controls would only work when the… Read more »
Jeep Grand Cherokee Recalls
It has come to my attention that several safety recalls related to the Jeep Grand Cherokee are unable to be performed by FCA US LLC (formerly Chrysler LLC) due to a lack of replacement parts. These recalls include, but are not limited to – air bag/safety restraint system components; brake/brake booster components. One of these… Read more »
When Courts Step Out of Bounds
As most of us remember from civics class (I really don’t remember anything from civics class or most other high school classes), the US Constitution divides our government into three branches – legislative, executive, judicial. In theory, the legislative branch makes laws. The executive branch approves laws and executes the laws. While the judicial branch… Read more »
Court Rules the California Lemon Law Does Not Apply to Private Party Auto Sales
A California Court of Appeal has ruled the California Lemon Law (Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act) does not apply to private party auto sales. In Dagher v. Ford Motor Company (2015) 238 Cal.App.4th 905, the court held a California consumer who purchased a used Ford truck, still covered by the Ford warranty at the time of… Read more »
GM Substantially Reduces Towing Capacity in 2014 Chevrolet and GMC Pickup Trucks
Recently, General Motors began notifying owners of certain Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickup trucks that the represented trailer weight towing capacity was substantially less than represented when the vehicles were purchased new. Specifically, GM reduced the trailer weight towing capacity in these pickup trucks from 8,800 pounds to 6,800 pounds. So what did GM do for customers that owned these… Read more »
The Way Customer Service Should Work
For businesses that provide products and/or services to consumers, customer service is absolutely the most important aspect of developing and maintaining business success. Many of the cases I have dealt with over the years as a California Lemon Law attorney got to my office because of very poor customer service by either the manufacturers… Read more »
Interesting Lemon Law Appellate Opinions (At Least to a Lemon Law Attorney)
The California Lemon Law is a very poorly drafted statute. Over the years, it has been amended several times which has lead to inconsistencies and contradictions within the text of the law. When a trial court rules on an unclear area of the law, the loser of the decision may file an appeal. The appellate court then rules… Read more »