My Defective 2022 Chevy Silverado Cost Me My Job

DEAR SUZANNE

By Suzanne Henderson
LETTER 69 – November 2022 | At A Loss

Dear Suzanne, 

Ever been in a situation where you purchased a new car and right after, it begins to show signs of its defects? Or have you ever owned a car that cost you your job simply because it is defective? Well, here’s my predicament and all I can say is I regret purchasing this 2022 Chevy Silverado. 

First of all, I purchased my truck brand new with the intention of using it for my job because I’m a construction worker. However, this plan was thwarted as the truck does not even function long enough for me to use it before finding its way back to the Chevrolet dealership for one repair or another. 

What makes this even more saddening is the fact that I purchased this vehicle with zero miles off the lot about 6 months ago and I have taken it to the dealership four times already and still counting. So because of that, I am in search of a lemon lawyer to help me get this trash can off my hands before it causes further damage. 

The main problem with the truck is that the engine leaks lots of fuel and the dealership has tried (unsuccessfully) to fix this issue. As I said, this is my work truck and as a construction engineer, I do not have the luxury of taking my vehicle for repairs every couple of minutes. 

For every workday that I miss due to this, I lose money, and sometimes, my truck stays with the dealer for days and even weeks. When this happens, on average, I lose up to $5,000 for every week my truck goes AWOL, and I’m not even exaggerating. 

I have explained this to the dealer several times, but it seems I’m just babbling and they do not care because they sometimes keep my car for weeks. There have been times when my truck stayed with them for up to three weeks, so you can imagine the kind of loss I suffered in that period. It’s more than just plain annoying at this point. 

I know at this point, you may wonder if I wasn’t given a loaner, but the answer is no, I wasn’t. It was not until the last visit that they gave me a rental truck that I could use. In fact, the main reason they gave me a rental this time is that they ordered a part and they said it would take a while before it got delivered. And so, I should make do with the loaner in the meanwhile. 

But even then, I still couldn’t use the rental the way I wished to because, in construction work, the truck is going to accrue scratches and such that I would have to fix when I return it. For this same reason, I also couldn’t load up materials onto it. As a result, I had to be parking the truck a far distance from the site to keep it from getting damaged. 

This is not the first vehicle I have used, in fact, I’ve used about 7 but this is the one that has given me the most problems in such a very short while. The worst I ever experienced with those vehicles were the regular checkups and servicing, that’s all. But this seems to be the price I’m paying for the previous vehicles I used that had no issues. 

Every time I call them at the dealership for this same issue, their reply is always the same: I should bring my truck in for a simple checkup. I then have to tell them that I don’t need a checkup on my vehicle, rather all I want is for them to permanently fix it so I don’t have to take it for repairs anymore. The truck currently has 16,477 miles on it but I think it is just so defective that there is no way to fix it. Now, I have another appointment for Monday to once again fix the engine leak. I’m tired! 

At A Loss

Get Rid Of Your Lemon With These Options

Dear At A Loss,

It’s really sad to hear that you have to miss weeks of work due to your faulty vehicle. However, it seems the fault lies with the manufacturers who built a defective vehicle in the first place. The dealers are simply trying their best at fixing what the automakers got wrong and as such, they cannot be really faulted. 

Now, lemon law works in a way that requires at least two repair attempts done or concerns listed on your vehicle for the same problem or three repairs done for different problems. 

This means that even if all you do is just tell them your concerns at the dealership and they were unable to replicate them, you still qualify. If your car was also kept at the dealership for over a month, you are eligible for a lemon law case. 

Also, these must all have occurred while under the warranty period as is in your case. Usually, your car warranty lasts for 3 years or 36,000 miles for the basic coverage and 5 years or 60,000 miles for the powertrain so you have nothing to worry about. 

Now, there are various options open to you and the first is the repurchase offer. With the repurchase offer, you can get rid of the vehicle by having the manufacturer buy back the vehicle from you. And with that, the automakers will be paying back all that you have paid so far on the vehicle including your down payment, monthly payments, taxes, and interests. Even if you took out a loan on the car, the manufacturing company will pay that back as well and your credit will go up. 

The only way the manufacturers can push back is through the mileage offset. This is the period during which you drove the car without any problems and the manufacturers will be charging you for that. It is generally based on the mileage on the first time you took your car in for repairs to the dealership. Learn more about the Chevrolet Buyback settlement option here.

You can also choose the cash-and-keep offer. Here, you are more than welcome to keep the vehicle but you will be getting cash as compensation for the issues you have endured with the car. The good thing about this offer is that your warranty will not be voided or canceled and you don’t have to label it a lemon to the next person who buys it. 

The other option is the replacement of your vehicle. With this, they give you another vehicle having the same features as yours: same car model, same mileage, and even the same color. However, it is a risk because you might get stuck with another lemon. 

Furthermore, since you purchased your truck in California, it means your attorney can take your case on contingency. This implies that no attorney fees will be charged to you but rather to the manufacturers since they are the ones responsible for selling you a defective vehicle. Thus, 100% of the settlement will be going over to you.

Suzanne

Free Legal Advice About Your 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 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 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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Featured Image:

• 2022 Chevrolet Silverado ©Bull-Doser  (Public Domain)