My Chevy Impala Almost Got Me Impaled

DEAR SUZANNE

By Suzanne Henderson
LETTER 77 – November 2022 | Aggrieved Car Owner

Dear Suzanne, 

Have you ever been in a situation where you felt threatened by an inanimate object like your car? Well, this is how I feel every time I drive my 2019 Chevy Impala. Moreover, it has come close to being the end of me and this, not even once. Note that I purchased my car used and certified pre-owned with 42,000 miles on it but it now has 82,000 miles. 

I have had three visits to the Chevrolet dealership now for different reasons but the first two were due to the malfunctioning auto start/stop system. This system is so faulty that I once had a near death experience while driving on a freeway. Weirdly enough, I was on my way to a relative’s funeral when it happened and it almost became mine also.

What happened was that I was driving on the freeway and the car power suddenly cut off and everything went dead. Unfortunately for me, this happened while a semi-truck was oncoming and it almost slammed into my car. 

Thankfully, the driver was able to swerve and maneuver his vehicle away from me in time to avoid hitting me. If he hadn’t been able to do that, I wonder what the story would be now. This happened just before my last visit to the dealership. 

Before this incident, I already complained to the dealership on my first visit about this same problem alongside the fact the car doesn’t accelerate quickly from a stop. Another problem was also the fact that when switching gears, the back of the car always shook violently and this always caused the car to slow down. 

When I reported this to the dealership, they claimed nothing was wrong with it and that it was simply a figment of my imagination. I told them that’s a lie because the shaking is so bad that it’s very difficult to miss. At this point, I was probably at around 46,000 miles or so. 

In addition to these issues, the second visit was also due to the infotainment system’s backup camera that shut off at irregular intervals for no reason. Sometimes, this happens and it comes back on by itself while at other times, I have had to take my car in to get this issue fixed. 

However, the dealer told me that to get this issue fixed, I would have to drop $700 so they can replace the wiring. That much just to change a couple of wires? Hell no! 

All I want right now is not having to drive and wondering what woes await me every time I get into my car. I went online to search for my vehicle model and it was then I realized that the car is very defective. Apparently, I am not the only one that complains about my 2019 Chevy Impala. 

Aggrieved Car Owner

Get Rid Of Your Car With Lemon Law

Dear Aggrieved Owner,

I’m really sorry to hear that you always have to fear whenever you drive your car but it means you have a very good case seeing as you are the owner of a lemon vehicle. The best way to bring the automakers to book is through lemon law. 

Lemon law is the one that allows you to file a lawsuit against the manufacturers for all the troubles you’ve experienced while driving your car under the warranty period. To qualify for this, you must first have 2 visits done at the dealership for the same issues or three visits for different problems, all within the warranty period. 

When filing this lawsuit, you go through a lemon lawyer and what he does is that he helps you to get one of two compensation offers. The first is called the buyback. Here, all the money that you have spent on the car would be returned to you by the manufacturers. They would pay you back the down payment, monthly payments, and even taxes and interest are included. Also, any loan taken out on the vehicle would be repaid by the automakers. 

They, however, have a right to a particular deduction from this offer. This is known as the mileage offset and it involves you getting charged for the period you drove the car during which it had no issues. It is usually based on the first visit and the car’s mileage at that time. However, your attorney can help you with getting them to waive it in full or half. Find out more about the Chevrolet Lemon Law Buyback settlement option here.

The second offer is cash and keep. Here, if you wish to keep the car, you can do that but you also get some money as compensation for the problems you faced with the car. This implies that you get to keep the car alongside its warranty. Also, you get to sell the car if you wish without labeling it a lemon to the next owner. 

However, you would be required to sign an undertaking that you will not press any further charges against the manufacturers for that same vehicle. This is quite risky as it means you may get stuck with a lemon and you would be spending more on repairs once the warranty expires. 

In addition to the abovementioned offers, you also get full entitlement to the settlement won at the end of the lawsuit. This is as a result of the California lemon law which ensures that all lemon law cases are taken on contingency and the fees are settled by the automakers.

Suzanne

Free Legal Advice About Your 2019 Chevrolet Impala 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 CA Lemon Law 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 CA Lemon Law Attorney to get proper legal advice about your lemon law claim.

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Featured Image:

• 2019 Chevrolet Impala ©Kevauto (CC BY-SA 4.0 License)