Spent Our Honeymoon At The Dealership Because of My 2022 Jeep Wrangler

DEAR SUZANNE

By Suzanne Henderson
LETTER 145 – November 2023 | Exhausted

Dear Suzanne, 

 I drive a 2022 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, which recently developed an  issue. This problem surfaced just as my honeymoon was winding down. We chose a road trip adventure for our honeymoon, including a memorable stop at Disneyland. Unfortunately, it was during this leg of our journey that our Jeep’s defect emerged, leaving us stranded. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Let me start at the beginning.

I purchased it brand new at Chrysler Jeep after researching different dealerships. It’s sitting at just over 6,000 miles, which is why my wife and I are so skeptical about driving the car around after having so many issues so early. 

The problem began on the penultimate day of our honeymoon. We had the Disneyland stop scheduled for the last couple of days and we were very excited. While heading there, the car was making some strange noises, but I figured it was just in my head. After I realized it wasn’t going away, I was hoping it was something that could wait for us to get home. 

SLOW DOWN IN THE FAST LANE

On the morning of our Disneyland adventure we were driving on the freeway when the car suddenly shut off and lost power. Imagine driving 70 mph in the fast lane and your car shuts off for no reason. How would you react?

Luckily I had enough speed to switch out of the fast lane to the emergency lane. As soon as we pulled over, I realized we were stuck on the shoulder of a busy freeway. I called the tow truck company to come take my car to the nearest Jeep dealership. 

When they arrived, they first tried to turn it on but nothing seemed to work. After trying a couple more times, the car finally responded and turned on. They said it was probably a fluke and everything seemed fine, so we drove it home. 

I should probably note that my wife already has PTSD from a previous car accident. From the moment the car lost power on the freeway, she decided she didn’t feel comfortable riding in the car again until she was sure the problem was fixed.

So the following day, I took the Jeep to the dealership and discovered that the car had two recalls on it. The first was for loss of engine power while the second one was for electrical issues. I never received a notification for these recalls and I told this to the dealership. They inspected the car, did a couple of repairs, and said I was good to go. 

I WASN’T GOOD TO GO

The Jeep seemed ok for a while, but about two weeks ago we had an issue when I took the vehicle to work. On my way back the car lost power, and I was like “Oh here we go again”. After about ten seconds, it started responding again and I could get back up to speed. But during the period when it lost power, the dashboard lights flickered. 

Since whatever problem it had wasn’t fixed, I took it back to the dealership. They checked through the car and did a couple of software updates, but they ended up telling me they couldn’t duplicate the issue. So I took my car home a little more concerned than last time. 

Only a couple of days ago I took the car to work and the same issue came up again. I’m worried now that the car may shut off on the freeway again and might end up with more serious consequences. I’m not even surprised that my wife is no longer interested in driving the car. Left to me, I would also abandon the car, but I don’t see how that’s an option. 

Furthermore, I work as a deputy sheriff and I work crazy hours. I don’t have the time to keep going back and forth to the dealership, it’s too time consuming. Even now, I have not driven the Jeep for a while. Instead, I’ve been using my truck to get around.

At this point, I’m just exhausted and would like some kind of solution to this mess. Any advice you can give is much appreciated.

Exhausted

You Don’t Have To Stick With Your 2022 Jeep Wrangler

Dear Exhausted, 

It can be exhausting when you have to endure the problems that come with a defective vehicle. It’s even worse when it seems like there’s no end to the problems. Your concern is valid considering these issues relate to the safety of the occupants. Being stranded on the freeway isn’t something you expect from a car with 6,000 miles on it. It sounds like you may qualify for lemon law, so lets take a closer look into your situation.

In order to qualify for lemon law you must meet a few requirements. The first hurdle is you need at least two visits to the dealership for the same issue while under the warranty. If you have had three or more visits to repair different problems at the dealer, you may also qualify. Even a single visit can count if your vehicle has been at the dealership for over a month while under the manufacturer’s warranty. 

SETTLEMENT OPTIONS

Seeing as your car meets one of these requirements, it is likely to be deemed a lemon and allows you to move to the next step. As far as compensation for these issues goes, there are two common options to choose from. They are: 

• The Buyback 
• The Cash And Keep 

The buyback option involves the manufacturer buying back the car from you and paying back all the money that you spent on the car. This would include your monthly payments, down payment, taxes and interest. If you took out a loan on this car, the automakers would have to pay that loan off for you. This will not negatively affect your credit.

It’s important to note that the manufacturers have a right to deduct a percentage from the settlement. This right is called the mileage offset and involves the manufacturers’ right to charge you for the miles you drove the car where it had no issues. This is usually based on the number of miles you were at when you first took the car in for repairs. 

Depending on the mileage you were at, the automakers can deduct a certain amount. This shouldn’t be a problem for you seeing as you have very low miles on the car. There won’t be much for them to deduct from the buyback amount, however your attorney can request it to be waived in full, aiming for the maximum settlement available. 

The second option is called the cash and keep. This offer allows you to keep your car if that’s what you desire. When you go for this option, you receive cash as compensation for all the issues you’ve had to endure with your vehicle. With this option you do lose the right to file another lemon law case on this same vehicle. 

This option does come with certain benefits, such as the chance to retain the vehicle’s original manufacturer’s warranty. You also have the choice to sell the vehicle without having to deem it a lemon to the next buyer. 

The amount you stand to gain as cash compensation depends on certain factors. These include the number of issues the car has, how severe the issues are, and how long the car has spent at the repair shop. If the defect is severe enough, your compensation will be larger. 

LEMON LAW TIPS

One good thing about your case is that you purchased your vehicle in California. In this state, all lemon law cases get taken on full contingency. This means you don’t have to worry about paying for your attorney’s services. Instead, all the money won in the original settlement goes to you while the manufacturers pay the legal fees accrued. 

If you have any more issues, be sure to continue taking it to the dealership. Every repair order strengthens your case and increases your potential settlement. Be sure they write down the actual problems you went in for, sometimes they can list a different issue each time which doesn’t benefit your case as much.

I hope I’ve provided enough information to help you take the next step. In any case, if you need clarification or answers, feel free to reach out to your attorney. Best of luck!

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 2022 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 CA 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 Law Attorney to get proper legal advice about your lemon law claim.

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Featured Image:

• 2022 Jeep Wrangler ©Tokumeigakarinoaoshima (CC BY-SA 4.0 License)