DEAR SUZANNE
By Suzanne Henderson
LETTER 88 – January 2023 | Disappointed
Dear Suzanne,
As a busy neurosurgeon working in a major California hospital, I hardly have time to spare. My schedule is unpredictable, and I often have to be on the ground at a moment’s notice to perform or supervise surgeries. It’s tough to balance my work with my personal life, and I can only freshen up at home on Wednesdays and Fridays. But even then, I always have to be on guard for urgent cases that require my immediate attention.
That’s why I was furious with my 2020 Chevy Traverse and its manufacturers. The car had been giving me problems with its transmission and electrical system, which I reported to the Chevrolet dealership twice. The issues started with a malfunction that caused the car to fail to start, and later escalated to incessant noise and a jerky transmission.
When I took the car to the dealership, they couldn’t replicate the issue and told me to pick up my car. But I refused to take it until I was sure the problems had been fixed. I knew how dangerous these issues could be on the road, and I couldn’t take any chances. It wasn’t until a week later that I picked up the car, thinking that the issues had been resolved.
Unfortunately, the issues resurfaced while I was driving back from out of town, and I received an urgent message to go to the hospital. I pressed down on the gas to get there quickly, but the car started to jerk violently and pulled to the side. It finally stopped, and I was left with no choice but to call a colleague to perform the surgery while I followed along online. It was a tough situation that could have been avoided if my car hadn’t broken down at that exact moment.
These incidents are just some of the problems I’ve faced with my car. It seems like modern-day manufacturers prioritize building cars with flashy features rather than ones that stand the test of time. My car has been at the dealership for eight days now, and I still haven’t heard any specific updates on its status. I was given an extended warranty, but that doesn’t reverse the damage that has been done.
As someone who values reliability and safety, I’m disappointed with my experience with the Chevy Traverse. It’s a stark reminder that even with all the technological advancements in the automotive industry, there’s still a lot of room for improvement. At this point, I’m through with with this vehicle, is there anything I can do to handle this?
Disappointed.
Watch: Know Your Rights: Chevrolet Lemon Law Buyback Information You Need to Be Aware Of
Chevrolet Cars Are Quite Known For Transmission Issues.
Dear Disappointed,
Firstly, you’re still within the warranty period so I don’t understand why you were given extended warranty. In fact, for your engine and transmission issues, you are still a far ways from exceeding that and you’re fully covered. Also, even with the extended warranty, lemon law does not cover that.
This is how lemon law works; you must have a minimum of two repairs for the same issues or three visits for different problems to the dealership while under the manufacturer warranty period. This is only what qualifies your car as a lemon and in turn, makes it a worthy lemon law case. However, if you have had your car at the dealership for over a month, it also makes you qualified.
With that said, lemon law attorneys can argue your case in court or in Lemon Law arbitration proceedings and get you one of three options. These options are as follows:
- Buyback
- Cash And Keep
- Replacement
The first option, which is the buyback involves the manufacturers offering to buy back the vehicle from you while paying you back everything you’ve paid towards the vehicle. This includes your down payment, monthly payments, taxes, and interest. Also, if you took out a loan, they will pay that off and your credit will not be affected adversely.
Now, with this option, there is something called the mileage offset. And this is simply a deduction that the automakers have the right to and it is done for the period you drove the car in which you experienced no issues. It is usually based on the mileage you were at during your first visit to the dealer.
So they have the right to charge you for the miles driven that you reported no issues. It is measured by the mileage on the first repair order. However, although it is their right, your attorney can still argue for them to waive it either in full or half since they sold you a defective vehicle and the main goal is to get you as many pennies as possible. Find out more the Chevrolet Lemon Law Buyback settlement option here.
The second option is the cash and keep where you are more than welcome to keep the car but you will be offered some money as compensation for the issues you experienced with the car. This way, your warranty will not be voided or canceled, and even if you wish to sell the vehicle, you can do so without labeling it a lemon to the next owner.
The third option is the replacement option in which they give you another vehicle of the same mileage, same value, same color, and same model as yours. However, this is not so recommendable seeing as you could get stuck with another defective vehicle as replacement.
In addition to all of that, the good thing about purchasing your vehicle in California is that you will not be charged any attorney fees. This is due to the fact that all lemon law cases are taken on contingency and so you are not required to pay any legal fees and this is so whether it’s a win or a loss. Rather, all legal bills will be sorted out by the automakers in question and as a result, the total settlement received will be going over to you.
All that is required of you is simply to provide the necessary paperwork given to you during the times that you took the car in for repairs and this is irrespective of if they could duplicate the issue or not. This is needed as proof of the issues you’ve experienced with your car.
Also, if you have issues even after your attorney gets started with your case, you can take your car in for repairs. However, make sure you always collect the repair order for each visit.
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 Traverse 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.
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- My 2021 Chevy Traverse Is A Big Burden
Featured Image:
- 2020 Chevrolet Traverse ©Bull-Doser (Public Domain)
