Lawsuits against auto manufacturers had been on a downward trend the last few years, owing in part to the bankruptcies of GM and Chrysler. However, the industry’s economic recovery in recent months has spurred a renewed wave of defect-related lawsuits. The last major wave of these types of suits coincided with the Ford and Firestone tire recall in 1998.

Government agency sanctioned recalls lend further strength to defect-related lawsuits, as plaintiffs are able to use manufacturer response time to consumer complaints during litigation. The increase in consumer lawsuits will almost certainly encourage car companies to tighten safety monitoring in the hopes of avoiding further financial losses in the future.

If you believe your car suffers from a manufacturing-related defect, you may be entitled to compensation from the manufacturer. The knowledgeable California lemon law attorneys at the Law Offices of Howard D. Silver have the experience and skill to defend your rights and ensure that you are adequately compensated. Call our offices today for a free consultation about your case at (866) 46-LEMON.

In the state of California, consumers are protected from automotive fraud. It is against the law for used car dealers to deceive consumers by advertising a vehicle to be in better condition than it actually is. Automotive fraud not only costs consumers at the initial purchase, but in the long run, as repair issues for “hidden” vehicle defects become more complicated and expensive to deal with.

At the Law Offices of Howard D. Silver, skilled California used car fraud attorney Howard D. Silver will help protect your rights if you believe that you have been cheated by a used car dealer. Please call 866-49-LEMON for a free consultation about your situation. Howard D. Silver will fight to recover money paid to dishonest auto dealers or repair shops, and will hold the dishonest party accountable for any other related damages you may have incurred along the way.

The NHTSA often waits until receiving multiple complaints about similar defects before launching a preliminary investigation. However, the agency determined that this particular case warranted pre-emptive action because the vehicle was so new and had so little use, and the problem was unlikely to have been caused by excessive wear to the part.

Kia, which is an affiliate of the Korea-based Hyundai Motor Company, has indicated that it is fully cooperating with the NHTSA investigation and is committed to ensuring the safety of all Kia vehicles. If a recall were issued, it would cover more than 51,000 vehicles.

California residents are protected by some of the most comprehensive and strongest consumer protection laws in the United States. Under these laws, a new car owner who has been sold a defective product may be entitled to free repairs, a refund or, in some cases, a replacement vehicle. If your new car has required repeated repairs and the problem has not been able to be fixed, contact the Southern California auto lemon law attorneys at the Law Offices of Howard D. Silver for a free consultation about your case by calling (866) 46-LEMON.

Although the stipulated defects have not been linked to any crashes or injuries, they still pose a safety risk and may increase the possibility of serious accidents. The estimated number of cars potentially affected by the investigation is 93,487. However, no recalls have been announced. 2005 Volvo XC90s were already in 2007 due to a problem with the vehicle’s battery that posed a risk of short circuiting and causing fires.

If you have recently purchased a vehicle that seems to require an uncharacteristically high number of repairs, you may have been sold a lemon vehicle. Under the Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act, you may be entitled to a refund or a replacement car after a reasonable number of repair attempts. To learn more about your rights, call skilled California lemon law attorney Howard D. Silver at 866-49-LEMON or refer to Mr. Silver’s California lemon law reference guide.

Regardless of the severity of a vehicle defect that occurs during the warranty period, manufacturers have an obligation to repair the defect in a timely manner and at no cost to the consumer. According to the California lemon law, a vehicle may be a lemon if a safety defect cannot be repaired after two attempts.

For more information on how to protect your rights as a consumer, please contact skilled Inland Empire lemon law attorney Howard D. Silver at the Law Offices of Howard D. Silver. Call 866-49-LEMON today for a free consultation.

Japanese and Korean cars dominate in reliability, with 36 of the top 48 highest reliability scores. All Hondas and Acuras scored above average reliability, while larger companies like Toyota and Nissan produced very few vehicles scoring below average. American brands Dodge, Cadillac and Chrysler rounded out the bottom of the pack.

Perhaps the most unexpected finding from the study was that many luxury brands proved less reliable than more affordable models. Inexpensive small cars and mid-sized family sedans proved to be the most reliable vehicles by category. Luxury brands BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz fell within the bottom third.

Although cars are never guaranteed to run flawlessly, many states have consumer protection laws to protect and help those who have been sold a sub-standard vehicle. Consumers should seek the guidance of an experienced California lemon law attorney to educate them about their rights. If you suspect you’ve been sold a lemon, call the Law Offices of Howard D. Silver for a free consultation about your case at 866-49-LEMON.

According to a bclocalnews.com article, an automobile service station was recently cited by police as providing inaccurate vehicle inspection results. Reportedly, the service station was passing vehicles, declaring them free of mechanical defects, when the vehicles were actually in states of disrepair. In some cases, the vehicles should not have been placed back on the road after inspection. Examples of mechanical defects disregarded during the police investigation included fluid leaks, malfunctioning headlights, defective seatbelts, failing tires, and other conditions that were considered detrimental towards protecting the well being of passengers and motorists.

As a consumer, it is important to know that auto repair shops are required to give you a detailed invoice for their work and be honest regarding the condition of your vehicle. Furthermore, mechanics and auto shops have an obligation to properly diagnose vehicle problems, and appropriately repair those problems when asked to do so. If this does not occur, consumers have the right to take legal action.

For more information on how to protect your rights as a consumer when it comes to auto repair fraud, please contact skilled Southern California car repair fraud attorney Howard D. Silver at the Law Offices of Howard D. Silver. Call 866-49-LEMON today for a free consultation.

Upon discovery of a problem that won’t go away, car companies have a few options for how to proceed. A recent Fraud-News.com story mentions that companies will most commonly issue a product recall or extend warranty coverage for the problems. However, defective vehicle recalls and extended warranties may not be well publicized, and consumers may be unaware that they are entitled to these benefits.

If you suspect that a recurrent problem with your vehicle is related to a product defect, contact the car manufacturer and request its Product Service Publication index. If your problem is listed on the index, request the related technical service bulletin to determine whether the company covers your vehicle’s repairs. You can also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration or the Center for Auto Safety, which also keep records of safety-related automobile recalls.

Manufacturers have a duty to ensure that all of their products meet a certain quality standard before being put on the consumer market. If you have recently purchased a vehicle with recurring issues, you may be entitled to compensation for repairs, a replacement vehicle, or your money back. Call lemon law California attorney Howard D. Silver for a free consultation about your case: 866-49-LEMON.

However, defects that affect only product quality, and don’t pose any significant safety risks, often fly under the radar. Car companies will typically issue a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) when a problem is recurrent for a particular model. These bulletins notify technicians to look out for these problems. A TSB-affected repair will often be free under warranty.

Although TSBs rarely escalate to full-blown safety recalls, consumers may question the quality of a vehicle with multiple reported TSBs.

NHTSA keeps records of all TSBs. So far this year, AutomoBlog.net reports that the Kia Forte has registered the most bulletins, with 15 as of June 11th. The GMC Terrain and the Mercedes S-Class followed with 14 and 13 registered TSB’s, respectively.

A high number of registered TSB’s does not necessarily indicate a poor-quality car. Often these models represent new territory for a manufacturer, and will improve as the company learns from its mistakes. For example, the Kia Forte was Kia’s first attempt to market directly to younger buyers with a more modern design aesthetic.

If your recently purchased car seems to require an abnormally high number of repairs, the issues may be caused by a defect registered with a TSB and should be covered by the manufacturer. If you think you are entitled to money for past repairs, call the California lemon law lawyers at Howard D. Silver for a free consultation about your case: (866)-49-LEMON.

In addition, customers have complained of paying for vehicle repairs that have not been completed as a result of the dealership unexpectedly closing. While these customers have been given their cars back, minus repair work, many of the dealership’s other customers learned of its closure by visiting the premises and seeing vehicles being towed away from the lot.

A new bill was introduced by Senator Bob Duff, vice chair of the General Assembly’s Transportation Committee, regarding existing lemon laws in Connecticut. Senate Bill 1081, An Act Concerning the Functions of the Department of Motor Vehicles, went into effect in 2009, adding an extra disclosure provision for the sale of all used vehicles. The new law allows consumers to buy warranty protection for a used vehicle purchased on an “as is” foundation.

While some states provide equal consumer protection for new and used vehicles, used car fraud still takes place. After purchasing a used car, whether a consumer suspects that the dealer charged them for features that he or she was told were free, rolled back the odometer, or failed to reveal that the vehicle was a “lemon buyback” or a rental car, consumers may be entitled to their money back, damages and attorney’s fees for this type of violation.