When Buying New Goes Wrong – My Troubles with a Ford F150

DEAR SUZANNE

By Suzanne Henderson
LETTER 89 – February 2023 | Bitter

Dear Suzanne, 

As a building contractor and agent, I rely heavily on my vehicle to transport equipment and materials to various job sites. That’s why I decided to invest in a 2019 Ford F150, thinking it would be up to the task. Unfortunately, I’ve experienced more than my fair share of issues with this truck.

The problems with my F150 seem to center around the electrical system, engine, and transmission. It’s been at the Ford dealership for a couple of weeks now and it’s only got 27,000 miles on it, so it’s frustrating to say the least. I’ve had to bring it in on several occasions, both in person and on the phone, to complain about the problems.

RATTLING & SHAKING

One of the most noticeable issues was with the cam phasers, which caused my truck to rattle, shake, and make chugging sounds even on smooth terrains. It was so loud at times that it sounded like a train. In addition to this, the mirrors also kept going in and out, which was a real annoyance.

The dealership assured me that they knew what was wrong and took the truck in to do a computer system reset. After the visit, the sounds reduced a little and the mirrors worked properly, but it didn’t last long. On the second visit, while transporting expensive building materials, a sensor light came on, and the truck started rattling aggressively. The tailgate also came loose, and the materials started falling out. I was lucky that I managed to signal the cars behind me to stop and save the materials from major damage. The incident was like a scene from a horror movie.

CAN’T TRUST THIS TRUCK

I no longer trust my truck, so I called a colleague to help me transport the materials and called a tow company to tow my truck to the dealership where it’s still undergoing repairs. The dealership informed me that they’re working on the electrical system, side mirrors, faulty stereo, moonroof, and ordered a new transmission part to fix the issue permanently.

With all these issues, it’s been a struggle for me to make monthly payments of $900 on this vehicle. What’s worse is that it’s not even close to reaching 30,000 miles yet. I wasn’t given a rental for the period my car is at the dealership, and this only added to my frustration. Luckily, I have a second car that has been a lifesaver.

All in all, the experience has been a tough lesson. It’s not easy to rely on a vehicle for work, only for it to become a source of stress and financial burden. I know now to do more research and choose my next vehicle more carefully. Unfortunately, that still leaves me stuck with this one, anything I can do about that?

 
Bitter 

I Get Your Frustration With This 2019 Ford F-150

Dear Suzanne, 

That is how you know you own a lemon when the car keeps developing faults at an early stage. It looks like you have a good case and it looks like you qualify for lemon law. Lemon law gives you three options with which you can get justice from the manufacturers. 

REQUIRED REPAIR VISITS

Now, lemon law works in a way that requires at least two visits to the dealership for the same issues or three visits for different problems, all within the manufacturer warranty period. When your vehicle has these qualifications, then it qualifies as a lemon and thus, qualifies for a lemon law case. Also, if it has stayed at the dealership for over a month, it also qualifies.

Now, lemon law only covers vehicles that are within the manufacturer warranty period. For your truck, there are two warranties namely the basic and the powertrain warranty. The basic is for the electrical system, brakes, and power steering and it expires after 3 years or 36,000 miles. As for the powertrain, it is for engine and transmission issues, and expires after 5 years or 60,000 miles. 

That said, your attorney will try to get you as much compensation as possible considering they sold you a defective vehicle. Also, for everything you paid for from your pocket, you will be repaid as well as compensation even for not receiving a rental car. 

FORD LEMON LAW BUYBACK

Now, the first option is called the repurchase or Lemon Law buyback. This means that you will be getting back your money from the manufacturers. It includes all your monthly payments, down payment, and even your taxes and interest are included as well. 

Also, since you haven’t finished making payment to the dealer, the automakers are law-bound to complete the payment to them. In addition, if you took out a loan on the vehicle, the manufacturer would have to pay that off for you and on the plus side, your credit goes up. Essentially, it means you’re getting your money back while getting rid of the car. 

However, there is something called the mileage offset that the manufacturers have a right to. This mileage offset has to do with the right of the automakers to charge you for the time you drove the truck with no issues. And it is usually based on the mileage you were at during your first visit. 

But then, because they can do this does not mean that your attorney would simply let it slide. Your lawyer can argue to waive this either in full or half considering they sold you a defective vehicle. Also, the goal is to get you as many pennies as possible. You can read more about the Ford Lemon Law buyback settlement option here.

CASH SETTLEMENT

The second option is the cash and keep settlement. Basically, with this, you get to keep the vehicle and the manufacturer will write out a check for you. So here, you are more than welcome to keep the car and your warranty will not be voided or canceled. Also, if you decide to later sell the car, you do not have to deem it a lemon to the next owner. However, with this option, you will be unable to file another lawsuit against the manufacturers for this same vehicle. 

REPLACEMENT VEHICLE

The third one is known as the replacement option. With this option, the manufacturer will give you a vehicle with the same year, make, model, and same mileage as replacement for the one you have. The problem with this option is that you stand the chance of getting a worse-off vehicle as replacement. 

Now, lemon law cases typically take between 3 to 9 months but it varies case by case. But in the meantime, you can keep on driving the truck and if you experience any more issues, you can take it to the dealership for repairs. However, ensure to always receive the proper documents because they are proof of your vehicle’s defects and the more proof you have, the more the potential settlement. 

As for the attorney fees you have nothing to worry about. This is because legally, in the state of California, lemon law cases are taken by most reputable attorneys strictly on a no win-no fee basis. This means that you will not be charged any legal fees, rather, that will be paid off by the automakers. Also, it implies that all the settlement amount won will be going over to you in full.
 
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 2019 Ford F-150 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 [email protected]. 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.

Related Articles:

• My 2019 Ford F-150 Is A Burden
• My Custom 2020 Ford F-150 is a Big Mess
• 2020 Ford F-150 Transmission Problems Has Owner Losing Their Cool

Featured Image:

• 2019 Ford F150 ©Bull-Doser (Public Domain)