DEAR SUZANNE
By Suzanne Henderson
LETTER 173 – From General Jeep
Dear Suzanne,
They say it’s wrong to generalize when referring to specific problems for your vehicle. But when it happens again and again, it starts to turn from a fluke to a trend. This is where I’m at with my 2021 Jeep Wrangler with only 22,000 miles on it.
So where do I start? Should we start with the signaling sensor that almost caused a couple of accidents? Or the coolant that basically set my house on fire? We could begin with the tow costs that I had to cover out of pocket. In summary, it’s been one drama-fueled ordeal after another with this jeep.
Cackling Transmission
The first problem I encountered had to do with the transmission. It cackles. That’s right, I said cackles. This noise usually starts up after taking the car for a relatively long drive. Sometimes, as I’m turning the car into the driveway, it begins making the sound.
Added to this strange noise was the signaling sensor issue. Several times, for no reason and without any prompting, the right signal turns on. Even when I want to turn to the left, the right signal may come on, making vehicles behind me think I’m going to the right. It makes merging into new lanes very difficult and sometimes extremely dangerous.
Like I said earlier, a couple of times cars have come close to brushing my vehicle’s side. I can’t imagine what they’re thinking. From their point of view, the signal is misleading. Why turn on the right signal if you’re going left?
Taking it to the Jeep dealership for these two issues didn’t bring a stop to them. It more or less just tempered things down to a semi reasonable level. Even then, other problems soon came up that made these two pale in comparison.
Coolant Leak Problem Resulting In Car Overheating
These next two problems had to do with a temperature detection sensor and coolant fluid leaking. We were on a leisure drive one Sunday evening when the sensor notified us that the temperature was too high and the Jeep was overheating. We pulled over and stepped out and that was when the smell of coolant fluid hit us. We checked around and discovered that the compartment containing the coolant fluid had cracked, leaking all over and causing the car to overheat.
Considering how hot the car had gotten, we couldn’t drive it to the dealership, so we had to have it towed there. I paid for the towing but I did get a $50 refund for this. On getting to the dealership, they replaced the cracked container and we left with the car soon after.
Other minor issues that I’ve been having with my Jeep have to do with the car’s subtle jerks. Also, there are times when I charge my phone using the USB port, and it displays something like “dashboard too hot, remove your phone”. I always wonder what this meant, but when I asked the dealership, they couldn’t figure it out.
By now you can see that it’s one issue after another with my Jeep. If it’s not the coolant, it’s the transmission, and if it’s not that, something else. At this point, it’s just too tiring. I just want a little break from all of these issues, but I don’t know how I’ll get there.
General Jeep
You’re Indecisive 2021 Jeep Wrangler Needs to Go!
Dear General Jeep,
Your Jeep is showing you all of the signs that say you own a lemon. When a car begins to do this as early as yours, you should do what you can to get rid of the vehicle ASAP. If not, this is where the lemon law comes to your rescue.
First of all, let’s look at what a lemon is. A lemon is defined as a vehicle sold by the manufacturer that either has issues that cannot be fixed, the dealership does not know how to fix it, or they’re neglecting to fix the vehicle. All of these qualify your vehicle as a lemon. As a result, you would be eligible for the lemon law since you’ve given the dealership ample time to fix your car.
To further build your case, you should keep taking your car for repairs when needed. It could be about new issues or even previous ones that are still giving you problems. So long as you suspect something is off, feel free to take your vehicle to the dealership. You can do this without having to worry about the costs of repair seeing as you’re still within the warranty period.
Warranty On Jeep Vehicles
For Jeep vehicles and yours in particular, the warranty is split into two. The first is the basic and it expires after three years or 36,000 miles. It covers everything bumper-to-bumper ranging from electrical system, brakes, power steering, etc. As for the second, called the powertrain warranty, it covers anything related to the engine or transmission. It expires after five years or 60,000 miles.
Jeep Issues And Lawsuits
There’s something going on with your car’s electrical system as can be seen from the blinker and the infotainment system malfunctions. With the infotainment system though, this complaint is quite common among owners of this same Jeep model. Whether it’s the screen, the backup camera, or the USB failing out, there’s often some kind of fault with this system.
The thing about Jeeps is you won’t be the first to file a lemon lawsuit, and you definitely won’t be the last. In fact, recently there’s been an increase in the amount of law cases that Jeep has settled. Usually, these lawsuits have to do with models like Wrangler and the Gladiator.
Moreover, the most common defect has been termed “the death wobble”. This is a situation where the vehicle shakes vigorously which impacts the drivability of the car.
These defects affect the lifespan of the vehicles. A vehicle that should normally last about 10 to 15 years only lasts about 5, if you’re lucky.
Lemon Law Alleviations
Now, with everything that you’ve said so far, your attorney can help you find relief. Usually, what lemon lawyers do is help their customers get out of their defective vehicles by getting them one of the following forms of compensation:
- The Buyback/Repurchase
- The Cash and Keep
The buyback offer is straightforward in that the manufacturer buys the car back from you. When you sell the car back to them, you get back everything you have ever spent on the vehicle. This includes your down payment, monthly payments, taxes, and interest. In addition, if you, for some reason, took out a loan on your vehicle, the manufacturer has to pay off the finance company on your behalf. By doing so, your credit isn’t affected one bit.
However, with this offer, there is something called the mileage offset. In simple terms, the mileage offset means that the manufacturer has the right to charge you for the period you drove the car without any issues. They usually base this on the mileage you were at when you first took the car for repairs. The good thing is that in your case, there isn’t much they can deduct. Even if they could, your lawyer can request that the carmakers waive this offset either in half or in full.
Now, the second offer is the cash and keep. This option has to do with the automakers choosing to give you some cash compensation for the issues you’ve endured with your vehicle. With this, you are able to keep the car as well as the warranty on it. In addition, if you wish to sell the car, you can do so without having to deem it a lemon to the next owner.
Also, the money you will get in this offer depends on certain factors. These include the number of issues the car had, how long it spent at the dealership, and how severe the issues are.
Lastly, with lemon law in California, you enjoy one major benefit. This is the fact that your attorneys can take your case on full contingency. This means that you don’t have to worry about paying any attorney fees, as the manufacturers are responsible for that. That means you get a hundred percent of the original settlement. If you have any other questions, your attorney is going to be the ultimate lemon law resource. I hope you’re able to get into a reliable ride soon. Best of luck!
Suzanne
Featured Image: 2021 Jeep Wrangler ©Damian B Oh (CC Attribution Share-Alike 4.0 license)
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Free Legal Advice About Your 2021 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 CA Lemon Law Attorney to get proper legal advice about your lemon law claim.
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