VW Says, We Got Sludge, by Donald P. Ladew
What had been the other guy’s problem came home to roost in the author’s driveway the other day. I read this headline at Autoweek.com. “VW to cover maintenance costs for sludge damaged engines.” As you may have guessed, I am the owner of a VW Passat Wagon, and yes, it has the 1.8T Turbo engine. Unfortunately I......
Read MoreStop Being so Darn Nice
Patience it is said is a virtue. However, there are limits. Exceeding these limits can definitely prevent the consumer from exercising their right under the California lemon law. Recently I analyzed a vehicle to see if it qualified for the Lemon Law and was astonished by the consumer’s patience. The following is a generic summary......
Read MoreToyota Settles One Unintended Acceleration Lawsuit
So, Toyota settles what is considered by some to be the strongest “Sudden Acceleration” lawsuit amongst hundreds of individual and class actions law suits. Toyota asserts that this terrifying incident was caused by a problem with the floor mat. You heard correctly, the floor mat. This was not a California Lemon Law case; it was......
Read MoreRead the Manual, Please!
A recent study by Schrader, a company that creates tire pressure monitoring systems, showed that one in three people did not recognize the tire pressure warning light. Owning a vehicle also requires that consumers make themselves aware of how to operate the vehicle and recognize these warning indicators; information that is included in the Owner’s......
Read MoreAir Suspension Problems
When the air suspension fails the effects can be startling beyond what happens with an ordinary coil spring suspension system. Because these systems can adjust the suspension to three different ride heights another computer control system is required. This complex suspension control system is added to vehicles that are already over-burdened with software and computer......
Read MoreThe Shaken Faith Doctrine
Under the old Commercial Code, the seller is entitled to a reasonable opportunity to cure the defect before a buyer can revoke acceptance. However, when the buyer’s faith in the goods is so shaken that remedying the specific part or problem would not satisfy a reasonable buyer, the buyer may revoke acceptance, and get a......
Read MoreBMW – Defective High Pressure Fuel Pumps – Has it Happened to You Yet?
If you own a 2007 through 2009 BMW 135iS, 335i/xi or 535i, with the N54 engine, there’s a good chance you’ve had trouble with the high pressure fuel pump. If you haven’t, knock on wood, I am glad you haven’t, but I sure wouldn’t want to take odds that it will never happen in your......
Read MoreToyota Recall: Stop Apologizing and Do Something Real
Is it just me, or did the rest of the viewing public think the Toyota recall related scripted apologies a bit too humble, a bit too insincere and perhaps a tad too manufactured? (Pardon the play on words.) The true test of a sincere apology is not so much what the wrong doer says, it is......
Read MoreLemon Law and Customer Relations
Part of the lemon car experience is the number of people you get the chance to meet. If you are like most people, as your repair record gets longer and longer and you become increasingly frustrated with the inability of service technicians to fix your car you will want to talk to people higher up......
Read MoreCalifornia Lemon Law Co-Author Dies
We would like to take a moment to express our appreciation for the life and work of former California assemblyman and state senator Robert G. Beverly who recently died at the age of 84. Mr. Beverly is best-known as the co-author of California’s famous Song-Beverly Act, which since its passage in 1970 has formed the......
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