California Lemon Law Blog

Every year thousands of people head to the Los Angeles Convention Center for the LA Auto Show for a first glimpse of new cars and futuristic concept vehicles. It’s fun to sit in and possibly test drive your dream vehicle and check out the many after-market products that are available.

The LA Auto Show, the first exhibition of new cars to take place on the West Coast, originally began in 1907 with a total of 99 vehicles on display at Morley’s Skating Rink on Grand Avenue. The show grew with the auto industry. It changed venues throughout the 1920’s and in 1926, settled into the corner of Washington and Hill for four years. The Show survived an electrical fire in 1929 and the Great Depression of the 1930s. After a 12-year hiatus, the Greater Los Angeles Auto Show returned in 1952 and continued to grow into the show it is today.

This year, the 2011 LA Auto Show is being held from November 18 through 27, including Thanksgiving day. It will feature world and North American debut cars such as the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Convertible, Ford 2013 Shelby GT500, Honda Fit EV, Audi R8 GT Spyder, and Lotus Exige R-GT as well as new concept cars, like the BMW i8 and Cadillac Ciel. There will also be a wide variety of “green” cars. With celebrity appearances, a kids’ fun zone and a fully stocked after-market section, the LA Auto Show is a true car-lover’s destination.

The glitz and glamour of the cars at the LA Auto Show does have an after-effect, however, so be careful: the desire for a new car whether you need one or not. The desire for a new automobile, or new to you, can easily lead to used car dealerships and online car listings, especially in this economy. As we’ve written about in the past, because some used car dealers try to take advantage of consumers, do your homework. Research the vehicle you’re interested in and take it to an independent mechanic or body shop before buying. And remember, if you bought a lemon, call Los Angeles lemon law attorney, Howard D. Silver, today for a consultation at (866) 495-3666.

In a brazen case of theft and fraud in Colorado, two men allegedly stole used vehicles from unassuming sellers who had posted ads online and then resold the stolen vehicles to unknowing consumers.

According to All Headline News, the two men (ages 33 and 22) stole the cars one of two ways. The first was to meet the seller to inspect the car, take it out for a test drive alone and never return. The second way was by writing fraudulent checks. A seller, interviewed by KWGN, said he was thrilled when one of the defendants offered the asking price for the car he was trying to sell online for his wife. However, later, when he went to cash the check and the funds were not there, he realized he’d been duped for more than $12,000. The second string of victims who unknowingly purchased the stolen vehicles realized the fraud when they could not obtain proper titles for the cars.

According to the court indictment, the men conned 17 different parties. They now face as much as 24 years behind bars and up to $1 million in penalties if convicted in violation of the Colorado Organized Crime Control Act. Police say there may be additional victims associated with the case that have not yet surfaced.

This once again reminds consumers to never allow a seller to rush a purchase, always require reports and titles, and quickly abort suspicious situations or ones that seem too good to be true. If you think you’ve been the victim of used car fraud in California, contact Los Angeles used car fraud attorney Howard D. Silver at (866) 49-LEMON for a free case review.

While foreign automakers have been active in recall news recently, this week saw two domestic car giants recall cars. The larger recall was by General Motors for Pontiac G8 model cars. The second recall was by Chrysler for a flaw in their popular Jeep line. Both models were recalled for problems with air bag function, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

For General Motors, approximately 38,444 of the Pontiac G8 models were recalled due to a potential air bag deployment malfunction that could raise the chance of head trauma in the event of a crash. Cars involved were manufactured between November 2007 and January 2009. During the peak of the 2009 financial meltdown, General Motors notified consumers that it was shutting down the Pontiac line. The last models were made in 2009 and were phased out completely from GM franchises by the end of 2010.

For Chrysler, the company recalled approximately 5,334 vehicles from its Jeep Wrangler line. The cars were made from February 2007 to October 2011 and have problems driver’s side air bag deployment, posing an increased risk of injury to the consumer in the case of an accident.

If you think your car is a lemon, or has manufacturing flaws that the carmaker can’t fix, contact California lemon law lawyer Howard D. Silver at (866) 49-LEMON for a complimentary consultation.

In a European edition of recall roundup this week, we spotlight recalls from Volvo, Lotus, and Rolls Royce for problems ranging from tire labeling to potential fires.

Swedish auto maker Volvo recalled the most vehicles, with just under 20,000, ranging from 2005 to 2012, for a labeling mistake relating to tire pressure levels. The company claimed spare tires and kits on the recalled vehicles were installed without the proper inflation and pressure information on the tires, which could lead to owner misinformation, improper care, and potential tire breakdowns. Federal law mandates that up to date tire pressure instructions be provided by manufacturers on tire labels. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) listed the 19,600 recalled models as C70 convertibles (2005-2011) and S60 sedans (2011-2012).

The other two brands, both luxury cars from Britain, involved fewer vehicles. Lotus, the sporty brand from Britain, recalled 5,037 of their Elise and Exige (2005-2006) vehicles in the United States due to potentially faulty oil cooler connections that may come loose and cause oil to spout or malfunction, increasing the chance of an accident or fire. Rolls Royce recalled 2010 model Ghost sedans for a potential problem with over-heating in their cooling apparatus. The recall included 589 vehicles built with turbocharged engines made from fall 2009 to fall 2010. According to the company and NHTSA, the problem was caused by a circuit board that can generate too much heat and potentially result in engine fires. 589 vehicles may not seem like a lot in comparison to other recalls, however, the Rolls Royce Ghost sells for around $250,000.

If you believe your vehicle may be a lemon, contact the California lemon law lawyer Howard D. Silver at (866) 49-LEMON for a free consultation.

In a fraud case of epic proportions, two former Florida-based telemarketing corporate executives have been convicted and sentenced to five years behind bars for attempting to deal $40 million in fake car service warranties via unsolicited phone calls.

The calls fell like a hail storm across the country, reaching people everywhere including a United States Senator in the middle of a government conference, the attorney general of Indiana, people who do not own cars, and citizens registered on the “Do Not Call” list. In addition, the two men (ages 50 and 46 from the cities of Fort Lauderdale and Bocan Raton in Florida) were fined $15,000 each and also placed on a five year post-prison parole supervision when released.

The men ran the fraud scam since 2007. As many as one billion fraudulent automated calls were sent out to consumers with a message stating their warranty was about to expire. If the consumer was lured in, they were then patched over to other fake salesmen claiming to be part of a warranty center. However, the bogus company did not have the ability to service or extend any warranties on behalf of the car makers as they led people to believe. Instead, they sold over 15,000 camouflaged and questionable third party car service agreements to unassuming and confused consumers.

If you have suffered from consumer car fraud, contact California car fraud attorney Howard D. Silver at (866) 49-LEMON for a complimentary case review today.

Two vehicle recalls were announced in the past week for Chevrolet and GMC vehicles in the U.S. and Jaguars in Great Britain.

General Motors recalled almost 34,000 of its GMC Terrain and Chevrolet Equinox models due to a tire system problem that violates federal safety regulations. The tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) on the vehicles is supposed to turn on a warning light in the console when tire pressure is 25 percent under the cold pressure standard. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the TPMS in these models fail to light up properly to alert the consumer about tire problems.

Tires that are not properly inflated are hazardous, as they are prone to overheating and potential blowouts. The NHTSA noted that tires that are under-inflated can also cause early or faulty wear, steering issues, and bad fuel mileage. The recalled cars are from the 2012 model year and were assembled between July 18th and September 6, 2011.

Across the pond in Britain, Jaguar recalled around 18,000 vehicles due to a cruise control problem. The recall involves diesel engine models in the X Type line made between 2006 and 2010. Jaguar received reports that in certain situations the cruise control function cannot be stopped in the proper way. India’s powerhouse carmaker Tata Motors bought Jaguar from Ford in 2008 for $2.3 billion.

Oftentimes, it’s reports from consumers which prompt car recalls and enhance safety for all drivers on the road. If you think your car has manufacturing problems or is a lemon, call lemon law attorney in CA, Howard D. Silver, at (866) 49-LEMON for a complimentary consultation today.

Anyone who regularly reads this blog is familiar with car recalls, as they are written about on a frequent basis. But, knowing that your car has a problem resulting in a recall can be easier to miss than you might think. Also, if you’re not the car’s original owner, how do you know if there’s ever been a recall in a vehicle’s past that predates your ownership or knowledge? The most recent issue of Westways, published by the AAA Automobile Club, has an article on how consumers can efficiently learn about recalls.

Since NHTSA started enforcing safety regulations, there have been over 390 million recalls. Approximately 600 different model cars are called back annually (averaging out to well over one per day). Recalls can involve a wide variety of problems, from major safety issues that can result in fires or accidents to cosmetic defects.

Although for vehicles over 10 years old, carmakers and dealers are not required to perform free recall repairs, they are obligated to make this information available to the public. Regardless of whether your vehicle is used or new, a dealer can search for recalls in an official database by using the car’s vehicle identification number (VIN).

Many automakers will mail recall notices to owners via current registration records. However, it’s not advisable to wait for action from their end. You can call the car company’s customer service number and ask for information on the particular model car. Or, you can search the NHSTSA website yourself, which has extensive information available to the public.

If you think your car is a lemon, or has manufacturing problems the carmaker is not addressing, contact Palmdale lemon law lawyer Howard D. Silver at (866) 49-LEMON for a complimentary consultation.