DEAR SUZANNE
By Suzanne Henderson
LETTER 94 – February 2023 | Tired
Recurring Power Loss in 2020 Chevrolet Trax
Dear Suzanne,
Owning a vehicle has never been as difficult as with my 2020 Chevrolet Trax. Right from the onset, I have always had issues with this vehicle and even now that it has 75,621 miles on it, these problems are still very much existent.
To the Chevrolet dealership that I purchased it from, I have taken it for repairs up to 3 to 4 times. However, other times, I have had to call other car services to urgently attend to the car issues. For the ones reported to my regular dealer, let me describe the issues I had.
POWER LOSS
The very first problem I had occurred the same week I purchased the car. The issue was that I could be driving the car and it would suddenly lose power for no reason. Other times, it could be that the drive would feel very weak, same as the acceleration. I reported this to the dealership but nothing specific was done to resolve the issue.
OVERHEATING
After this issue, the next problem came up about six months later when the car engine would be incessantly overheating. Other than this, it was a whole cascade of issues like the car not driving smoothly and the drive being bumpy even on a smooth road. There were also a couple of times when I experienced delays in accelerating coupled with severe jerking.
All of these, I complained about on this first visit. However, they were unable to duplicate the issues and as a result, nothing was fixed.
UPHILL DRIVE LOW POWER
The next reason for a visit was that the car kept breaking down whenever I drove uphill. Whenever this happened, the dashboard would give a notification saying “low power” and then the car wouldn’t go any further. This has put me in several tight spots but the worst came about when I needed to attend a friend’s wedding for which my son was the ring bearer.
On this particular day, my car initially did not start up but after several attempts, it came on and we set out for the wedding. We were already cutting it close but we still had some time. Upon getting to the hill leading to the venue, my car began acting up and once again, the dashboard notification came up.
“Once again, they were unable to find anything wrong with the car. This car hasn’t really gotten any major repairs done on it aside from simple maintenance like oiling.”
Thus, my car refused to go on uphill and then I had to park my car by the roadside. At this point, we were already running late and I knew they would be waiting for us already. I had to call another friend to come pick up my son and transport him to the venue along with my profuse apologies. Fortunately, they got to the wedding in time albeit we kept them waiting for a little while.
As for me, I stayed behind so I could sort out the car issue. I eventually had to call a tow company to help get my car to the dealership. When I took the car in for this third visit, I told them about the car being unable to go uphill as well as the initial issues at first that were still recurring.
REPAIR SHOP CAN’T IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM
Once again, they were unable to find anything wrong with the car. This car hasn’t really gotten any major repairs done on it aside from simple maintenance like oiling. The only thing they did was to reset the computer software on this third visit.
As for the fourth visit, the car had been overheating a couple of weeks on and off for no obvious reasons but it finally broke completely and so I had to take it in for repairs. Alongside this, the same issue I experienced on the third visit reoccurred and this was what led to me towing my car once again to the dealership.
And just like before, the dealership was unable to do any repairs this time around. For this last visit, they charged me about $200 just to get my car diagnosed. Now, my car is still at the dealership and they are requesting I pay $17,000 if I want it fixed. Too many problems yet no standard repair has been done for over two years and counting, I’m just tired.
Tired
Watch: Know Your Rights: Chevrolet Lemon Law Buyback Information You Need to Be Aware Of
Get Compensated Via California Lemon Law
Dear Tired,
It is quite saddening to hear that you’ve been experiencing all of these with no clear cut repairs made. This is why lemon law is made available so car owners like you can get the compensation they deserve. Here’s how to file a claim for Lemon Law compensation in California.
The way lemon law works in California is that if you have been to the dealership twice for the same issues or three times for different problems, all within the warranty period , then your car unfortunately is considered a lemon. However, this then means it makes you qualified for lemon law.
OUT OF WARRANTY?
Typically, there are a couple of different options when it comes to lemon law which covers only the warranty period and nothing extended. But as you well know, the vehicle is no longer under the manufacturer warranty period.
The warranty gave out after 36,000 miles or 3 years for the basic warranty which covered anything electrical, steering, or brake. Also, the 60,000 miles or 5 years for the powertrain warranty is no longer valid and it covered anything engine and transmission. And this is probably why the dealership is trying to charge you for the last visit since you’re no longer under the manufacturer warranty.
Now, unfortunately, as a result of this, your attorney cannot necessarily guarantee you the buyback option but he/she can still try since you had so many visits before the warranty gave out. However, it is best to get things started as soon as possible to avoid any form of push backs from the manufacturers.
“Now, since you purchased your car in California which is a very consumer-friendly state and so your attorney can take this case fully on contingency. This means that you will not be charged for anything nor will you be billed for anything…”
VEHICLE BUYBACK OPTION
There are two options available to you and the first is called the buyback while the second is the cash and keep. For the buyback, it simply means that the manufacturers will be buying back the vehicle from you and they will be paying you out everything you paid towards the vehicle.
This settlement will include your down payment, monthly payments, taxes and interest. Moreover, if you took out a loan on the vehicle, the manufacturer will have to pay that off for you and on the plus side, your credit goes up.
However, the only deduction they can take from the buyback is something called the mileage offset. This just means that the manufacturers have the right to charge you for the time you drove the car without any issues. And this will be calculated based on the mileage you were at during your first visit.
Now, with you taking your car in the first week after purchasing it, it really isn’t anything to worry about. But then, regardless of if it is a huge or small amount, your attorney can get them to waive it in full or half. Find out more the Chevrolet Lemon Law Buyback settlement option here.
CASH AND KEEP COMPENSATION
The second option is the cash and keep and it is basically cash compensation for the issues you’ve been experiencing with the car while you still keep it. So with this option, you get to keep the vehicle and your warranty will not be voided or canceled. Also, if you later down the line decide to sell the vehicle, you can do so without having to deem it a lemon to the next owner.
This is one the most sought after option simply because the market rate for this vehicle is quite high. So you get the cash compensation while you sell the vehicle after and that way, you could get a pretty good amount irrespective of the mileage on the car.
YOUR LEGAL OPTIONS
To win a claim for compensation, you can choose to go through Lemon Law arbitration, which, in our opinion, is not the best path to take. The best option is to retain competent legal counsel and file a case in court. If you can present sufficient documentary evidence, your lawyer can either win your case through litigation or obtain a favorable settlement for you by way of an out-of-court agreement.
CONSULT A LEMON LAW ATTORNEY
Now, since you purchased your car in California which is a very consumer-friendly state and so your attorney can take this case fully on contingency. This means that you will not be charged for anything nor will you be billed for anything and this is implemented irrespective of whether it’s a win or a loss. All legal attorney fees are settled by the automakers and as such, the total settlement received will be going over to you.
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 2020 Chevrolet Trax 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 [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 California Lemon Lawyer to get proper legal advice about your lemon law claim.
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Featured Image:
- 2020 Chevrolet Trax ©Alexander Migl (CC BY-SA 4.0 License)
