My 2023 Ford F-150 Almost Cost Me My Job

DEAR SUZANNE

By Suzanne Henderson
LETTER 90 – February 2023 | Panicked

Dear Suzanne, 

As a contractor and real estate agent, I rely heavily on my vehicle to transport building equipment and materials. That’s why I purchased a 2023 Ford F150, thinking it would be reliable and get the job done. Unfortunately, my experience has been far from ideal.

NUMEROUS ISSUES ON 2023 FORD F-150

I’ve had numerous issues with my truck, ranging from electrical problems to engine and transmission issues. It’s been in and out of the Ford dealership multiple times, and I’ve spent countless hours on the phone with customer service. Despite only having 27,000 miles on it, my truck looks and sounds like it’s been through a war.

One of the most frustrating issues was with the cam phasers, which caused rattling and shaking while driving. The mirrors also had a mind of their own, constantly going in and out. When I brought the truck to the dealership, they did a computer system reset, which improved the sounds and mirror functioning, but only temporarily.

Then, there was the time when I was transporting expensive building materials, and a fuel-related sensor light came on. The truck began to shake, and the tailgate suddenly came loose, nearly causing a catastrophic accident. I had to pull over, call a tow truck, and wait for a colleague to help me transport the materials to their destination.

ONGOING REPAIRS

Currently, my truck is at the dealership, and they’re working on fixing the electrical system, the side mirrors, the moonroof, and the transmission. It’s frustrating to have so many issues with a truck that’s not even three years old and to continue making monthly payments of $900.

It’s situations like these that make me hesitant to buy from the same manufacturer again. While having a second car has prevented me from being stranded, it’s still frustrating and inconvenient to deal with these ongoing issues. Is there anything I can do about this?

 
Panicked 

A 2023 Ford F-150 Should Not Even Have Any Problems

Dear Panicked, 

It is important that you feel safe anytime you drive your car and it is obvious that this feeling is missing in your experience. Thus, it is best for you to dispose of this lemon and get a car that would make you feel safer. As such, you can make use of lemon law to accomplish this. 

The way lemon law works in the state of California is that if your vehicle has been to the dealership twice for the same issues or three times for different issues, the vehicle is unfortunately deemed a lemon. However, the good thing is that it qualifies for a lemon law case. 

YOUR LEMON LAW OPTIONS

As an alternative to filing a case, you can choose to go through Lemon Law arbitration but in our experience, this process is disadvantageous to the consumer and is certainly not the best option to take.

The good thing with your case is that you’re still on very low miles and so it provides a little wiggle room as to what your attorney can do for you. However, it is best to begin things as soon as possible to avoid pushbacks from the manufacturers. 

This doesn’t mean that you can’t keep taking the vehicle for repairs since you’re still well within the warranty period and lemon law only covers manufacturer warranty and nothing extended. So the more visits you have, the stronger the case, the higher the value, and the more money in your pocket. 

FORD LEMON LAW BUYBACK

Now, for your options, there’s going to be the Lemon Law buyback and the cash and keep. The buyback is where the manufacturers repurchase the vehicle from you and they pay you back all that you’ve spent towards the vehicle. It is going to include your down payment, monthly payments, and even taxes and interest are included as well. Additionally, if you took out a loan on the vehicle, the manufacturer would have to pay that off for you and on the plus side, your credit goes up. 

The only deduction that the automakers have access to is called the mileage offset. And this just means the right of the automakers to charge you for the miles you drove the vehicle with no issues. This would be based on the mileage you were at during your first visit. 

Now, since you said this was around 3000 miles, it means there isn’t much that can be deducted. However, regardless of if it’s a small amount or huge amount, your attorney can get them to waive this fee either in full or half. This is possible considering they sold you a defective vehicle and the main goal is to get you as many pennies as possible. Find out more about the Ford Lemon Law buyback settlement option here.

CASH AND KEEP

The second option is the cash and keep, which you may not be interested in but it is still an option, nevertheless. Here, the manufacturing company would be giving you cash compensation while you’re more than welcome to keep the vehicle. Also, your warranty will not be voided or canceled, nor would you have to deem the vehicle a lemon to the next owner if you ever decide to sell the car. 

Furthermore, seeing as you purchased your car in California, you get the luxury of not paying the attached legal fees. This is because lemon law cases are taken on a no win-no fee basis by the lawyer, no matter the outcome. All legal attorney fees are settled by the automakers in question. As for the settlement amount won, the total of it is going into your pocket.

 
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 2023 Ford F-150 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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• When Buying New Goes Wrong – My Troubles with a Ford F150
• My 2019 Ford F-150 Is A Burden
• My Custom 2020 Ford F-150 is a Big Mess

Featured Image:

• 2023 Ford F150 ©WMrapids (CC0 1.0 License)