Auto manufacturers and retailers, including Dodge, are sued on a regular basis by consumers who’ve unwittingly purchased a defective vehicle, or a “lemon.” When you purchase a lemon, you might be entitled to compensation, depending on your state’s Lemon Laws.
Your Right to Reimbursement for Faulty Dodge Vehicles
State and federal governments have legislated Lemon Laws to protect consumers when they’ve been suckered into buying defective, unfixable products such as vehicles. Each state has its own specific Lemon Laws detailing the requirements and remedies available for consumers to recover after having purchased a vehicle under warranty that cannot be fixed after a certain number of repair attempts.
For example, the California Lemon Law, detailed in California Civil Code § 1793 – 1795, provides that in order to bring a formal complaint against dealer and/or manufacturer, the following stipulations must be met.
- The car was sold with the manufacturer’s new car warranty.
- It was purchased or leased at retail in California.
- The defect in question must be one the manufacturer’s warranty covers and that “substantially impairs the use, value or safety of the new motor vehicle.”
- The manufacturer failed to remedy the issue after a “reasonable number of attempts.” (The manner in which the state defines “reasonable number of attempts” is complex and multi-tiered. Your lawyer can review your case and determine if it meets the state’s specs.)
In addition to state laws, consumers are protected under the federal Lemon Law, the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act. This law essentially provides the same protections as states’ laws.
Examples of Problems Dodge Vehicles May Have
Our firm represents Dodge owners who’ve purchased defective cars. We have come across myriad consumer complaints about Dodge vehicles, including the following:
- Brake pads and rotors that need replacing far too frequently.
- Vehicles that surge during acceleration.
- Vehicle vibration, such as with the axles, steering column or when braking.
- Transmission issues, such as leaking.
- Engine leaks or malfunctions.
- Dashboard defects, such as defective warning lights.
- Steering misalignment that cannot be remedied.
- Doors, locks and windows that don’t operate correctly.
- Defective gauges or sensors.
- Cruise control defects.
These are not isolated events; lemon law complaints crop up regularly in the news. For example, in February 2105, Ohio resident Justin Lagowski sued the Chrysler Group and the dealership where he purchased his car, claiming that his new 2014 Dodge Ram 2500 pickup was a lemon. The vehicle had a malfunctioning indicator light that kept coming on, and he feared there was some undiagnosed problem with the engine. After the dealer was unable to repair the car after numerous attempts, Lagowski filed a lawsuit, valued at more than $43,000.
Think you have a lemon? Chances are you do. Contact us today for a free consultation.
Call our Lemon Law Experts Today for a Free Consultation
If you have troubles with your vehicle, it’s under warranty and the manufacturer cannot (or will not) remedy it, we encourage you to call our team for a free case evaluation. You might be entitled to damages that include the purchase price of your vehicle, other fees associated with your vehicle such as licensing fees, incidental damages such as repair work, and legal fees associated with your lawsuit. For eligible claims, the vehicle manufacturer must give the consumer his or her money back and completely fulfill the outstanding loan or replace the car with a similar model.
We can help you recover. Lemon Law cases are one of our firm’s key areas of focus, and we’re good at it. We have a 99 percent success rate; we’ve recovered millions of dollars for our lemon law clients. If you’re at your wit’s end with your defective (and possibly dangerous) vehicle, call The Lemon Law Experts of Consumer Law Experts at 877-885-5366 for help settling your dispute.
