DEAR SUZANNE
By Suzanne Henderson
LETTER 115 – May 2023 | Allegedly Paranoid
Dear Suzanne,
Last year, I purchased a 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer, which I paid quite a lot of money for. At the time of purchase, it had about 500 miles on it, but now it’s around 14,000 miles. I haven’t bought any aftermarket parts or had any accidents, just a few relatively minor incidents.
These incidents are due to the car’s defects, which have led me to take it in for repairs three times now. Despite multiple attempts to fix the car, issues keep reappearing one after another.
The first month after buying the Jeep went by smoothly, and I thought that’s how it would always be. But little did I know that was just the calm before the storm. The second month was when all the problems began.
My wife drives the Jeep more often than I do, so she’s the one who discovered most of the issues. For example, the first problem occurred when she started the car engine, and all the dashboard lights came on for no reason. Additionally, there was a misfiring with the engine and some grinding whenever she shifted gears.
We reported these issues to the Jeep dealership, and they asked us to bring the car in. They conducted some tests to find out what the problem was and managed to repair the car, but not completely. The engine still misfired, albeit less frequently than before.
Now, let’s talk about the second issue. My wife drives our daughter to daycare every day. One morning, she turned on the car and tried to turn on the screen, but it remained black. She also tried to turn on the heater, but nothing happened.
Since these systems weren’t working, she decided to ignore them and continue driving. She had to make a quick stop on the way to daycare, and when she got back in the car and started the engine, the screen and heater began working. However, the heater knob settings were unresponsive.
As my wife continued driving, the screen suddenly went blank again, and the car began slowing down. She tried restarting the car, but it wouldn’t start. She had to pull over and call for help.
While waiting for assistance, she discovered that the heater was stuck on high, and with the unresponsive knob, there was no way to turn down the temperature or turn it off completely. She rolled down the windows, but it didn’t help much. Both she and our baby girl began to sweat, with our little girl becoming cranky and uncomfortable.
This experience made my wife feel frustrated and helpless, realizing that her safety and our daughter’s safety were at risk. Eventually, help arrived, and they transported my wife, our baby girl, and the car to the repair shop. After some scans, they figured out the problem and fixed it.
After this incident, I realized how unsafe this car is for my baby, my wife, and myself – call me paranoid. I’ve tried selling the vehicle, but the dealers are offering to buy it back for a low price. Since they won’t give me back the full amount, I guess I’m stuck with it for now.
Currently, my car is at the repair shop due to tire issues. It’s becoming too much to deal with, so I’m looking for a change. I heard lemon law might be the way to go in this situation, so I’d appreciate it if you could explain more about it.
Allegedly Paranoid
Your Jeep Was Built Defective
Dear Allegedly Paranoid,
I’m really sorry to hear about the difficulties your wife and child have experienced with your car, and it’s completely understandable that you feel concerned for their safety. The lemon law is designed to help in situations like yours and provide some relief.
Based on what you’ve described, your car likely qualifies for a lemon law case. In California, a vehicle is considered a lemon if it has been taken to the dealership for the same issue at least two times under the manufacturer’s warranty. Alternatively, if it has been taken in three or more times for different problems, or if it has spent over a month at the repair shop, it can also be considered a lemon.
As long as these issues occurred within the warranty period, your car is eligible for lemon law protection. Since you’ve already had at least three visits to the dealership for repairs, you qualify for the lemon law.
Filing a lemon law claim in California can be advantageous, as the law tends to favor consumers. This means that your attorney may be able to take your case on contingency, meaning you won’t be charged any attorney fees, as they would be paid by the automakers. Additionally, the full settlement amount would go to you.
When submitting a lemon law lawsuit, your attorney will be filing against the manufacturers, not the dealership. The dealership is only responsible for trying to fix the issues caused by the manufacturer. Your attorney will present you with three options for resolution:
- Repurchase Offer
- Cash and Keep
- Replacement Option
You might be most interested in the repurchase offer, where the manufacturers would reimburse you for the full cost of your vehicle, including down payment, monthly payments, taxes, and interest. If you still owe money on the vehicle, they would pay back your financing company in full, which could improve your credit.
The manufacturers can argue for a mileage offset, which means they may try to charge you for the miles you drove the car without issues. This offset is usually based on the mileage at your first repair visit. However, given the number of miles on your car and the fact that it’s defective, your attorney may be able to negotiate a reduced offset or even eliminate it altogether. They may also help you obtain additional money as part of the settlement.
The cash and keep option allows you to retain the vehicle and receive some compensation without voiding your warranty or labeling the car as a lemon. The amount of money you receive depends on factors such as the number of repair visits, time spent at the dealership, and severity of the issues. With this option, you can continue making payments and taking the car for repairs under warranty. However, once the warranty expires, you’ll be responsible for any further repairs, and you won’t be able to file another lemon lawsuit for this car.
The replacement option is the least recommended, as it involves trading your car for another with the same value, potentially leaving you with another defective vehicle.
If you need further clarification or assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact an attorney who specializes in lemon law cases.
Suzanne
PS. If you think your vehicle sucks and want to actually do something about it, you definitely can! Find out quickly if you have a case by visiting www.yourvehiclesucks.com right now. This website is owned by our partner law firm Quill & Arrow LLP, California’s #1 “settled” Lemon Law attorneys.
Free Legal Advice About Your 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer 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 CA 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 Lawyer to get proper legal advice about your lemon law claim.
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Featured Image:
- 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer ©AJM STUDIOS (CC BY-SA 2.0 License)
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