Job Interview No Show Because Of My 2019 Jeep Wrangler

DEAR SUZANNE

By Suzanne Henderson
LETTER 82 – December 2022 | Sad And Pissed

Dear Suzanne, 

In your opinion, what’s worse than being jobless? For me, the answer is missing a job interview because your car decided to misbehave on the day of your interview. I’m talking from a place of pain because this is my situation presently. 

Before I talk about how my car messed up a job I was best suited for, let me first speak about the Jeep dealership’s customer service. The follow-up after I purchased my 2019 Jeep Wrangler was basically nonexistent and it was simply a matter of “purchase your car and be on your way”. They never called back to see if the car was driving smoothly or if I was even having any problems with it and that is so bad. 

I purchased this used and certified pre-owned car with 46,000 miles on it. I thought buying it was a good decision at that time but I’m beginning to rethink my decision, especially after the hardships I’ve gone through. 

It all began with a routine oil change that I did at the dealership on a Friday but on my way home from there, the check engine light came on. When this happened, I headed back to the dealership to complain. They examined it and told me it was due to a misfire in the motor’s cylinder number 4. 

They then told me to leave my car at the shop so they could fix it which I did. When I returned to pick up my car, they told me the actual problem was with the fuel injector and that they fixed it already. I was told my car was running fine now and I could take it home; this happened on Saturday. 

Fast forward to Monday, the day of my interview, I set out with my car only for it to break down after driving a couple of miles. It first began with a gradual shaking that graduated to violent jolts and then the check engine light came on also. 

Several thoughts were going through my head at this point, foremost of which was the fact that I had an interview for which I was running late. I tried to call them at the dealership but no one responded to my calls and I couldn’t leave my car there with nobody attending to it. This is because I was fearful of it being towed to the impound lot seeing as I had no money to pay the potential fine to release my car. 

Moreover, driving a functional car was one of the conditions for applying for the job. What then would I tell them if I arrived there with no car? 

When the dealer finally came to pick up the car, they carried out several tests and diagnosed the issue. In the process of running the tests, two weeks and some days passed by. So they said, they had to tear down the car completely before they fixed the problem.

To cut the story short, I missed the interview and now, I’m back to applying for jobs. This was my one chance of working at a place I was best suited for but oh well, my lemon vehicle robbed me of this opportunity. I’m so upset and sad that I’m willing to get rid of the car as soon as possible. 

 
Sad And Pissed

Missing A Life Changing Opportunity Can Be Very Annoying

Dear Sad And Pissed,

I’m so sorry that you had to go through that but the thing is that your vehicle does qualify for a Jeep lemon law claim. Usually, a vehicle is considered a lemon once it has been to the dealership at least twice for the same issue, three times for different issues, or if it has spent over a month at the dealership, all within the warranty period. 

So basically, submitting a lemon law case is submitting a lawsuit against the manufacturer for selling you a defective vehicle. To get started, you would need to submit the necessary documents such as your car purchase order and every repair order for each of the visits you had. When you do this, your attorney helps you to get one of three options and they are discussed below. 

The first option is the buyback where the automakers buy back the car from you and they pay you what you already paid for the vehicle. This includes your monthly payments, your down payment, and even your taxes and interest are included as well. Moreover, if you’re owing any loan on the car, the automakers pay that off for you and on the plus side, your credit goes up. 

Now, where the manufacturers would want to push back is with the mileage offset. This is simply the right of the automakers to charge you for the period you drove the car in which you had no issues. It is usually based on the mileage you were at when you took the car for its first visit to the dealer. 

However, your attorney can help you fight to waive this fee either in full or half. Also, the attorney can as well get you extra compensation so this means you get back not only what you paid for the vehicle but hopefully, more. 

The second option is called cash and keep and it is best if you do not want to get rid of the vehicle. Here, the manufacturing company is trying to tell you not to go ahead with the lawsuit but rather, they would pay you some compensation cash for the issues you had with your car. 

With this, your warranty remains valid and won’t be canceled, and if you later decide to sell the car, you can do so without deeming it a lemon to the next owner. 

The amount of cash compensation you’re liable to get is dependent on the number of times you’ve taken the car in, how long it spent at the dealership and the severity of the issues you had. 

The third option is a replacement offer where they give you another car that has the same value and mileage that yours has. However, it is the least recommended option because you run the risk of getting yourself another lemon vehicle or even worse. 

Now, since you purchased your car in California, you get legal services that are solely offered on contingency. This means that you are not going to be charged any lawyer fees because that will be handled by the automakers in question, which is FCA in your case. Lastly, 100% of the settlement won will be going into your pocket. 

Suzanne

Free Legal Advice About Your 2019 Jeep Wrangler 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 California Lemon Lawyer to get proper legal advice about your lemon law claim.

Related Articles:

• Non-Stop Transmission Issues For New 2019 Jeep Wrangler
• My 2021 Jeep Wrangler is Problematic
• Only Adventures 2022 Jeep Wrangler Owner Goes On Are Constant Trips To The Shop

Featured Image:

• 2019 Jeep Wrangler ©CZmarlin (CC BY-SA 4.0 License)