Every year Consumer Reports rate consumer automobiles according to their reliability. Japanese-made cars continue to dominate the ratings (8 of the top 10). The top-rated American-made car might surprise you—Buick. Your best chance at avoiding buying a lemon and later needing a lemon law attorney is to buy a highly-rated vehicle. Research and then go shop as an informed buyer so you can avoid the troubles and stress that come with a lemon.
Consumer Reports, a non-profit agency, provides a reliability score for each manufacturer they test. Here are the most recent results for overall trustworthiness of car companies:
Interestingly enough, Consumer Reports does not test the newest models released by each manufacturer themselves. Instead, these ratings are compiled based on surveys sent in by people who have paid for Consumer Reports memberships. The survey asks about problems they have had with any new cars they may have purchased.
This creates some skewed data. How many Consumer Reports members bought brand new Mitsubishis, Lamborghinis, Cadillacs, Saabs, Rolls Royces, Alfa Romeos, Pontiacs, Bentleys, Fiats, Jaguars, Polestars, Land Rovers, Lotuses, Smarts, Maseratis, and Mercuries last year? You’ll notice none of these auto manufacturers are listed in the report. Certainly, American consumers would like to know how the #11 most popular car brand, Cadillac, is rated.
Furthermore, it seems likely that Consumer Reports subscribers are going to be picky shoppers who do their research (meaning fewer purchases of non-top-rated cars). It also follows that buyers who’ve done careful research before purchasing a new car may want to defend their purchases as a matter of pride by reporting fewer problems with their Consumer-Reports-backed purchases. Consumer Reports states, “For a brand to be ranked, we must have sufficient survey data for two or more models.” The end result is that only about half of the manufacturers represented by American consumers are actually reviewed and rated.
There are a few findings of interest in this year’s results:
Are you stuck with a new car that continues to experience the same defect over and over after multiple repairs? Contact “the Lemon Law lady” today for a free case review!
GMC is a division of General Motors that manufactures and sells a variety of pickup trucks, vans, and SUVs. Some of the popular GMC vehicles on the road include the Sierra pickup line, Hummers, Yukon and Acadia SUVs, and the Savana line, which is generally used for commercial purposes.
While GMC markets its vehicles as being tough, durable, and reliable, these vehicles can have serious problems that require costly and inconvenient repairs. If your GMC vehicle is under warranty and you are experiencing a defect that cannot be repaired, reach out to a California lemon law attorney as soon as possible to learn about your rights.
Not every GMC vehicle defect results in a widespread recall, but recalls often indicate that a particular vehicle might have inherent problems for new owners. The following are the most commonly recalled GMC vehicles:
Recent recalls have been for defective seat belts, intermittent power steering loss, battery drainage and fire risks, and other issues. If your vehicle is subject to a recall, you should never ignore the matter and get the problem repaired right away, which should be at no cost to you.
Some GMC vehicles have problems outside of recalls, and owners might spend a lot of time and energy trying to repair the issue. If this happens and you cannot get your vehicle fixed, you might have a lemon law claim.
Some of the common complaints about GMC vehicles that lead to lemon law claims include:
All of these can put your vehicle in the shop, and if the shop cannot fix the problem, you might need to seek legal relief by filing a lemon law claim.
Through a lemon law claim, you can seek the replacement of your GMC lemon or a refund for the vehicle, as well as compensation for any losses you experienced due to the vehicle’s problems. Even though California’s lemon law protects consumers with lemons, proving your claim can be a complex and technical matter.
GMC has legal teams ready to fight against liability for lemons, so you want your own attorney protecting your rights and evening the playing field.
At LemonLaw123, our legal team handles lemon law cases involving many types of vehicles, including GMC trucks, vans, and SUVs. If you would like to know whether or not you have a lemon law case, please don’t hesitate to contact us today for more information.
Sometimes, under certain conditions, a used California vehicle can be covered by the lemon law. Specifically, California Civil Code 1793.33 says that most vehicles in California that are still under the manufacturer’s original warranty, new or used, are covered by the lemon law.
To discuss your specific situation and vehicle, consult with a Lemon Law attorney right away.
If the used vehicle you purchased is no longer covered by the original manufacturer’s warranty, your car may still qualify as a lemon if the dealer you purchased it from included their own warranty (usually a 30, 60, or 90-day warranty, if anything). The warranty must be in writing.
In California, a used car that was purchased in a private party sale is not covered by the lemon law – even if the car only has 100 miles on it. California’s lemon law states that qualifying vehicles must be purchased retail. Sometimes a manufacturer’s original warranty won’t even apply in these cases. For instance, Kia’s warranty states that subsequent owners do not receive extended powertrain coverage, but any and all owners are protected by the original factory warranty.
Just because there was a sign in the car window saying “Sold As-Is” does not necessarily mean that it is not still covered by or eligible for the manufacturer’s original warranty. In that case, “as is” simply means the dealer is not going to modify the vehicle for you during the sale process (i.e., repaint it, add a spoiler, change the radio). Modifications to the vehicle of this nature might be negotiable, but the dealer is not saying a buyer should expect a purchased vehicle to be delivered in any sort of “upgraded” way.
The state of California does not extend lemon law coverage to:
There are other remedies available if you are looking at a breach of warranty issue, but your car is not necessarily going to be covered by the lemon law. If the extended warranty provider has repeatedly fixed the same issue on your used car, and it keeps being defective, the warranty should cover you. To be clear, though, only defects covered by a manufacturer’s original warranty (or a dealership warranty) qualify under the lemon law.
If you are not sure whether a used vehicle you purchased qualifies under the California lemon law, LemonLaw123 offers free case reviews. We are happy to look over your car’s documentation and let you know if you have a case or not. If you would like a free case review by a lemon law attorney, simply contact us today and provide the required information.
When dealing with purchasing a motorcycle, it is always good to know what brands deliver quality bikes that are well manufactured to be safe. Also, keep an eye out for motorcycle brands that have high incidents of defects and recalls to avoid this type of hassle.
Common motorcycle manufacturing defects include defects in the engine, brakes, fuel tank, and handlebars. Such defects can make riding your motorcycle dangerous and can require ongoing repairs, which might not be successful. If this happens, you might have a lemon motorcycle, and you should speak with a Lemon Law attorney who handles motorcycle claims right away.
The brands that commonly have defects are reviewed below. This does not mean you should always avoid these brands of motorcycles, as many models work as they should. Just beware that these might develop issues or be subject to recalls and repairs.
One brand to be wary of is Yamaha Motorcycles, as it has had the most motorcycle recalls of any brand over the past decade, with 49 different recalls. Next on the list is BMW, with 44 recalls over the past decade. Third on the list of brands most prone to producing defective motorcycles is Kawasaki motorcycles, which had 37 recalls in the last decade. Coming in fourth on the list is Honda, with 33 recalls last decade. The biggest recall of them involved 10,600 bikes.
This rounds out the top four most defect-prone motorcycle brands, and if you are looking to purchase from one of these brands, you should be wary that the potential for defects or recalls is higher from these brands than others.
Given these most defect-prone motorcycle brands also constitute a substantial part of the motorcycle market and produce more bikes than others, it is not surprising that the larger producers would have more recalls.
The top three companies for the least recalls in the past decade include:
These companies have a smaller share of the motorcycle market relative to total sales. The smaller number of recalls by these companies could be attributed to fewer chances for defects, given the lower production numbers. These brands can still have defects and can still be lemons.
At LemonLaw123, we work with motorcycle owners who spend most of their time with their bikes in the repair shop. You deserve to get the most out of your motorcycle purchase, and you should not have to deal with constant malfunctions while your motorcycle is under warranty. It might be time to consult with our legal team about a possible Lemon Law claim.
We can evaluate your motorcycle repair history and other circumstances and advise you of your rights under California consumer protection laws. Contact LemonLaw123 either online at lemonlaw123.com, or by phone at 657.529.5239 for a free consultation as soon as possible.
Are you curious as to whether the problem your car is experiencing is fairly common? This is a reasonable question, and in this article, we’ll discuss some common reasons any car could become a lemon (a car that has an unrepairable defect), the most common things car owners complain about in California lemon law cases, the Car Complaint Index, and the most difficult cars to repair.
In general, a car is most unlikely to develop a problem that can’t be fixed or won’t stay fixed due to a fundamental flaw in the way it was designed (such as the Ford Pinto’s gas tank being right behind the rear bumper and exploding when rear-ended). Bad parts from the manufacturer can also be to blame. Most American auto parts are manufactured in China, and sometimes there are unforeseen shipping problems or a bad batch. Maybe there was an “off day” at the plant that made the parts…maybe a fire, accident, or weather event interrupted the normal routine.
These are the most popular car complaints we see over and over in California lemon law cases.
If your car’s problem isn’t one of these, that doesn’t mean it isn’t or can’t be a lemon. Maybe your trunk won’t stay latched shut – it doesn’t matter, as long as the issue is ongoing after multiple trips to the repair shop.
Like the S&P 500 or Dow Jones Industrial measure stock performance, the Car Complaint Index shows the number of complaints a car receives versus the number of those cars on the road. Here are the highest ranking cars and manufacturers on the index:
18. Chevrolet Equinox
17. Cadillac XT5
16. Tesla Model X
15. Nissan Titan
14. Volvo XC90
13. Jeep Renegade
12. Chevrolet Bolt
11. Jeep Grand Cherokee
10. Dodge Durango
9. Mercedes-Benz CLA
8. Mercedes-Benz GLC
7. Dodge Journey
6. Jeep Cherokee
5. Ford Fusion Energi
4. Hyundai Tucson
3. Tesla Model S
2. Chrysler Pacifica
1. Hyundai Santa Fe
According to reports, these cars are the most challenging for mechanics to successfully repair:
These high-performance cars contain so many computerized and specialty components that repairing them is particularly tough (and costly).
Consult with a California Lemon Law Attorney. Would you like a lemon law professional to examine whether your car qualifies as a lemon under California law? We can help! If your car is a 2017 model or newer, has been repaired multiple times with no success, and has under 60,000 miles, get a free case evaluation today.
