My 2019 Ford F150 Issues Keep Disrupting My Plans

DEAR SUZANNE

By Suzanne Henderson
LETTER 172 – From Distracted Father

Dear Suzanne, 

Maybe you can understand how disheartening it is when you have everything planned for a fun day and a single thing pops up to disrupt your plans. This has played out more times than I can count, all because of my Ford F150. I feel like at any moment something can go wrong with this truck and ruin my whole week! My 2019 Ford F150 has about 39,000 miles on it and I’ve already had multiple repair attempts performed because of two main issues. 

Slipping Transmission Issue 

For the transmission issue, it took them three visits before they were finally able to figure it out. The problem was that the transmission kept slipping each time I changed gears. Every time this happened, it would let out a loud whirring sound. 

Before they were able to fix it, each time I took it in, the service guy would say that they couldn’t find the problem. It wasn’t until the third visit when I offered to take them for a test drive that they noticed what I was complaining about. 

I started the engine and switched gears, and the sound started right up. I was ecstatic when they finally acknowledged the problem even though they had not said anything about fixing it yet. Everyone knows that the first step to fixing any problem is identifying it first. 

This ecstasy lasted only a moment as not long after they began working on the truck I received a call from my toddler’s school. They were asking where I was, and I soon realized I was very late for pick up. The whole vehicle shenanigans took longer than I expected and time must have gotten away from me. Since they were still working on my truck, I had to ask them – practically begged them – to give me a loaner car so I could quickly go pick him up. I strapped the carseat in and took off. By the time I got back, they had finished fixing up the truck so we thanked them, took our truck and left. 

Lost Engine Power 

A short while after the transmission issue was fixed, my truck developed another issue where the engine was losing power. The first time this happened, I was driving on the freeway and my F150 suddenly reduced speed from almost 80 mph to about 30 mph for no reason. Right after this happened, I drove the truck to the Ford dealership so they could inspect it. They gave it a once over, but claimed they didn’t find anything wrong. Where have I heard that before? 

Now, I’m left with the worry that the engine may lose power at any time and put me at risk of an accident. There’s other issues I haven’t even mentioned, like the delay when I try starting the truck, but it’s becoming too much to keep track of and ends up being a giant distraction in life. What are my options?

Distracted Father

Your 2019 Ford F150 Shouldn’t Feel Like A Third Wheel 

Dear Distracted Father, 

It’s crazy how a simple noise from the transmission can turn into several visits to the dealership and eventually cause you to be late picking up your son. Sometimes circumstances work out so that something simple may lead to a more complicated outcome. This is why we encourage people with seemingly little car defects to speak up and take advantage of the lemon law. This way, you don’t have to remain stuck with it once the rest of the problems pop up. 

From what you’ve said about your truck, it sounds like you have a good case. To qualify for a lemon law case, you would need at least two visits to the dealership for the same issues. For multiple issues you would need three or more repairs. All this must occur while the truck is still under the manufacturer’s warranty.

Lemon Law Contingency Plan

Since you purchased your vehicle in California, the lemon law works in your favor. This is because the law states that the manufacturers will pay the lemon law attorney’s fees. As a result, your attorney will take your case on full contingency, meaning you don’t have to pay a dime. This means that the entire original settlement received is yours to keep. 

Any further compensation after your original settlement is split. This gets shared in equal amounts between you and your attorney. For instance, if your attorney wins you an additional compensation of $1000, you both get $500 each. 

Documents Required 

After confirming that you meet the lemon law criteria, the next step is to gather the necessary documents. These will include the repair orders, the repair invoices, the original purchase agreement, and any other relevant documents. If your case is in progress and you experience certain issues with your truck, you should still take it in for repairs. Make sure you collect accurate repair orders for each visit. This is because the more repair orders you have, the stronger your case, and the more profitable it is for you in the end. 

Compensation Plans 

Now, there are a few of options available to you since you are still at very low miles. The options include:

• Buyback
• Cash and keep 
• Trade-in

The buyback option, which is what you are most likely interested in, is where the automakers buy back the vehicle from you. They’ll pay you back for everything you have paid towards the vehicle which includes your monthly payments, down payment, as well as taxes and interest. Also, if you took out a loan on the vehicle, the automakers will pay back the remaining balance to the finance company.

The only thing the manufacturing company can deduct from the settlement is the mileage offset. This mileage offset is the right of the automakers to charge you for the period you drove the truck without any issues. It is usually based on your mileage during your first visit. However, your lawyer should be able to get them to waive this fee in full or half.

As for the cash and keep offer, this is a cash compensation plan offered to you by the manufacturers as an apology for the issues you faced with your car. With this option, your warranty won’t be voided or canceled and the car remains yours. Another benefit is you do not have to deem the car a lemon to the next owner if you decide to sell it later on down the line.

The trade-in option means that the manufacturers will replace your vehicle with another one. This replacement would have similar mileage and market value as your truck right now. To be honest, this is not the most popular option. This is because certain GMC vehicles are quite defective and there’s a chance your replacement vehicle could also be faulty. It also limits the amount of compensation you stand to receive.

You don’t have to make a choice now, but you should talk it out with your attorney and reach a conclusion before proceeding. It’s best to not let the dealership know you’re filing a lawsuit against the manufacturers. This is because they might be reluctant to give you the necessary documents and repair history if they know you’re going after one of their partners. It’s best to be discreet until it’s official.

If any of this seems confusing or you have any other questions, reach out to your attorney. I hope you’re able to get into a reliable ride soon. Best of luck!

Suzanne

Featured Image: 2019 Ford F-150 ©SsmIntrigue (CC Attribution Share-Alike 4.0 license)

Free Legal Advice About Your 2019 Ford F150 Lemon Law Claim

Dear reader, are your vehicle problems ruining your life? Confused about what legal route to take? We’re here to help! Find information about California’s lemon law protections here, fill out the form on this page, or give us a call at (323) 553-7525 to discuss your situation with someone who understands how frustrating it can be to have a lemon car, and what to do about it.

DEAR SUZANNE is a weekly column written by Suzanne Henderson and published in LemonLawyers.ORG. If you have a defective lemon vehicle and have questions about California Lemon Lawyer or how to file a claim in California, please write to help@lemonlawyers.org. While not guaranteed, we will try to feature your letter in this column to provide you the answers you need, as well as enlighten other consumers who may have lemon problems similar to yours.

Disclaimer: Suzanne Henderson is not a lawyer and the points discussed here are intended for general information and reference purposes only and not to be construed as legal advice. Please consult a CA Lemon Law Attorney to get proper legal advice about your lemon law claim.

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