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2022 Silverado High Country Engine Problems Has Owner Feeling Low

Chevrolet, Mechanical Issues, Transmission Issues
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DEAR SUZANNE

By Suzanne Henderson
LETTER 26 – June 2022 | Feeling Low in Fairfax

 

Bought My 2022 Chevrolet Silverado High Country With Inheritance Money

Dear Suzanne,

I inherited a substantial amount of money after my grandmother passed away last year. Seven months ago, I received the payment and it was much more than I expected. This went a long way towards helping me and my family out; my wife and I were able to pay off our house and take the kids on a fantastic vacation. I also bought myself a brand new truck for the first time in my life. It was an absolutely beautiful 2022 Chevrolet Silverado High Country that cost nearly $75,000. Never in my life have I ever paid that amount of money for anything except for our house. I fell in love with it the second I saw it, until things started going downhill.

I’ve owned the truck for seven months, put 10,000 miles on it, and it’s been to the Chevrolet dealership twice so far for mechanical issues. The first time was for the transmission. It was challenging to put into park, reverse, or drive. When it did go into gear, it would slip between gears.

I had heard about issues with Chevrolet’s transmissions, but I thought I could avoid those problems with a High Country model. The technician told me it was nothing to worry about, that the truck was just breaking itself in, and the problem should resolve itself as I drive it more.

Not long after, the engine began acting up. It was hard to start, and when I turned it off, the truck would shudder and shake before the engine would shut down. It also began shaking as I was driving, especially when shifting gears. I wasn’t sure if it was the engine or the transmission causing the shaking, but again, the technician told me it was nothing to be concerned about.

So far, despite what the technician said, neither of these issues have resolved themselves. My Silverado only has 10,000 miles and if it’s having trouble like this already, I have zero faith it’ll be operational by the time it hits 25,000. I spoke with the dealership about potentially trading it in and getting a different truck, but they want to charge me somewhere between $12,000 to $17,000 to do that.

I have a friend who had to have her car declared a lemon a little while back, so I reached out to her to see what the process was like. She said it was really easy, didn’t cost anything, and she was able to get a full refund on what she had paid for her car. She wasn’t sure whether my truck would qualify though where it’s only had two repairs so far, but I wanted to find out more about the process and see what the experts had to say. So, what do you think? Could you help me?

 

Feeling Low in Fairfax

 

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2022 Chevrolet Silverado High Country Lemon Law info

 

Still Within The Lemon Law Presumption Period

Dear Feeling Low,

Unfortunately, the Chevrolet 10-speed transmissions are well known for running into issues within the first 20,000 miles. Between that and common problems with their engines, you’re not the first (or the last) person to experience buyer’s remorse when it comes to a new Silverado. Luckily, California’s lemon laws are in place to protect consumers like you in these situations.

I won’t lie to you and say you have a super strong case. In fact, if you had waited much longer to begin the claims process, you could have missed the qualification period altogether. Under normal circumstances, a vehicle needs to have two (or more) repairs attempted for a singular issue or three (or more) for multiple issues before it can be considered a defective lemon.

Luckily, you’re still within the Lemon Law Presumption period. When you first purchase a new vehicle, the onus is on the manufacturer to prove that the vehicle is not a lemon, rather than on you to prove that it is. This time frame runs from when you purchased the truck until you hit 18,000 miles or 18 months, whichever comes first.

During the Lemon Law Presumption period, rather than needing multiple repair attempts to qualify the vehicle as a lemon, you, instead, just need to meet one of the following three criteria:

  • The dealership attempted to repair the vehicle at least twice due to a serious safety problem that can cause death or serious injury;
  • The dealership has tried to repair it at least four times for the same safety problem; or
  • The vehicle has been out of service at the dealership for more than 30 days for all defects under warranty.

Your Silverado High Country just fits that first criteria. However, you can make your case stronger by continuing to take the truck into the dealership for repairs throughout the claims process.

To get started, you will need to speak with a skilled lemon law attorney who will be able to assess the strengths and weaknesses of your case and determine which outcome is most likely to be obtained during negotiations with the manufacturer.

Generally speaking, there are three potential outcomes that a lemon law claim can be settled for. The first is called a buyback, and is the one your friend mentioned. This is where the manufacturer repurchases the vehicle from you, essentially reimbursing you for your down payment, monthly payments, and other costs. The second is cash and keep. This is where you will receive cash compensation for the issues you’ve been having and retain ownership of the truck. Depending on how much you still love your truck, and the advice of your attorney, it’s likely you will make a choice between these two. The third option is one I generally do not recommend: the vehicle replacement. With this one, you would receive a replacement vehicle that is as similar to yours in terms of make, model, year, and mileage, as possible. I tend not to recommend this option since it’s still possible to end up with another defective lemon vehicle.

To determine the strength of your case, your lemon law attorney will need a copy of your purchase agreement and each repair order. Once those are submitted, they will begin negotiations with the manufacturer. Generally, lemon law cases take between three and seven months to resolve. This allows you plenty of time to continue taking the vehicle in throughout the lemon law process. So long as future repairs are covered under the manufacturer’s warranty and are performed by an authorized dealership, they will count towards the evidence of your case. It’s best to get your claim started as quickly as possible, so reach out to a skilled lemon law attorney today, and you’ll soon have that feeling of joy back.

 

Suzanne

 

Free Legal Advice About Your 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 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 Law or how to file a claim in California, please write to dearsuzanne@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 lawyer to get proper legal advice about your lemon law claim.

 

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