DEAR SUZANNE
By Suzanne Henderson
LETTER 14 – May 2022 | Unimaginative in Upland
My 2021 Jeep Wrangler Has Acceleration Issues The Mechanics Can’t Duplicate
Dear Suzanne,
I bought a used 2021 Jeep Wrangler with 18,000 miles on it. I’ve put 10,000 miles on it since I purchased it. In that time, I’ve had to take it to the dealership four times for acceleration issues. When I step on the gas, I have no idea how the vehicle will respond. Sometimes it goes forward, sometimes it hesitates, other times it just stalls out completely.
When I took it into the dealership, the service supervisor assured me that there were no problems with it, that because they cannot duplicate the issue, it’s just my imagination. I offered to take him on a ride through the mountains with me so he could see how very real the issue is. I cannot drive uphill because the Jeep won’t go any faster than 10 miles per hour in first gear. He, of course, said that they didn’t have insurance to cover that sort of thing, though if there’s no problem, there shouldn’t be any concern, right?
On top of that, I’ve had to have the steering wheel realigned twice as half the time it overcompensates, sending me across multiple lanes of traffic, or the other half of the time, it just doesn’t do anything and I need to use all my strength to make the vehicle turn. Again, the dealership says it was unable to duplicate the issue and suggested I try taking a driving course. The only time a problem hasn’t been my fault or imagination according to them is once when the check engine light came on and they determined the sensor was faulty and replaced it.
Since I’ve gotten the Jeep, I’ve needed to bring it into the dealership seven times for repairs, all for problems I’m supposedly imagining. This is ridiculous, not to mention a little offensive. I can’t keep dealing with this. Is there anything I can do if they say there’s nothing wrong with the vehicle?
Unimaginative in Upland
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Three Attempts To Repair The Vehicle
Dear Unimaginative,
I can totally see why you’d be frustrated with the dealership. It’s bad enough to deal with issues like this, let alone the extra commentary on your abilities. Firstly, I’d recommend finding a different dealership to handle any future repairs if you can; it’ll hopefully save you the extra headache.
Luckily, in order to qualify for California’s lemon law, the dealership does not need to be able to replicate the issue. So long as you’ve expressed your concern and they’ve documented that, it can be used to build your case.
California’s lemon law requires that the dealer be given at least two to three attempts to fix any problems you encounter while still covered under the manufacturer’s warranty period. Since they are unable to fix these issues and you’re still within the warranty period, your Jeep would qualify for lemon law compensation pure and simple.
The first thing you’ll want to do is contact a skilled lemon law attorney to help guide you through this process. They will assist with filing the claim and advise you on your options. For lemon law cases, there are three typical settlement outcomes: a vehicle buyback, a cash and keep, and a vehicle replacement.
Based on what you’ve told me, I’d recommend asking your attorney to aim for a buyback. A replacement is just as likely to be defective and you don’t want to be stuck with another lemon. In a cash and keep, the manufacturer will give you a cash amount to compensate for the issues you’ve had and let you keep the vehicle, but based on the number of problems you’ve had in such a short period of time, it’s highly likely that the issues will just get worse over time.
A vehicle buyback is where the manufacturer repurchases the vehicle from you. In these cases, they essentially refund you everything you put into the vehicle, including your down payment, monthly payments, and any loans you may have taken out for the purchase of the vehicle. The only thing they can deduct from the settlement is something called a Mileage Offset, which accounts for the miles you were able to drive the vehicle with no issues, which, in your case, seem relatively low.
The longer you wait to file your claim, the harder it is to prove that your Jeep is defective, so I would recommend you call a lemon law attorney today to get the process started and get you back on the road.
Suzanne
Free Legal Advice About Your 2021 Jeep Wrangler 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 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 California lemon lawyer to get proper legal advice about your lemon law claim.
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- The California Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act
Featured Image: 2021 Jeep Wrangler © Christopher Ziemnowicz (CC BY 4.0)
