California Lemon Law Lawyer Blog

Honda is recalling its 2008-2009 Odyssey models due to a faulty lift gate. Chris Jensen, who follows such developments in the New York Times, reports that 46,000 Odyssey minivans may have struts supporting the power liftgates may fail.

In a document posted Wednesday on the federal safety agency’s site, Honda said a manufacturing flaw on the Odyssey EX-L and Touring models equipped with power liftgates allowed pressurized gas to escape from the struts. The condition could result “in the liftgate closing under its own power, possibly unexpectedly,” according to Honda. The recall followed an investigation initiated by the safety agency.

In 2009, the safety agency told Honda to recall recall 22,000 model year 2005 Odysseys, but Honda refused claiming ”the failure of the struts was an inconvenience, but not a safety defect."

Car buyers stuck with high interest rate car loans should consider refinancing their loans with a credit union. Many buyers do not realize that credit unions may offer lower interest rates. Refinancing options are discussed in a Detroit Free Press story.

Consumers should not assume they cannot join a credit union as it is now usually pretty easy to find one to join. To find a credit union to join go to the credit union associations' website.

Ms Jendry Ramos bought a used 2003 PT Cruiser from a Jim Auto Sales, San Pablo, CA, car dealer. The dealer sold the car with bald tires, which is a violation of California law. A tire store that replaced the tires found more problems--the wheels were bent and had to be replaced.

The history of the car indicated it had been in five (5) previous collisions and was in terrible mechanical condition.

The dealer ignored our letter demanding a repurchase. After a lawsuit was filed and served, the dealer promptly agreed to a repurchase with Ms Ramos getting all her money back and the loan cancelled.

Ms Ramos' experience was the subject of a consumer report by Channel 5 in San Francisco.

Most lemon cases involve defective cars and trucks, but the lemon laws also cover other products. I represent an owner of a wind turbine that was supposed to provide power for his residence Oak Run, Ca. The wind turbine was defective from “day one” and never produced any significant amount of electricity in spite of various repair attempts. The owner paid about $65,000 for the turbine.

The turbine was manufactured in Shanghai, China and distributed by Re-Driven Power, Inc., Ontario, Canada. A lawsuit is pending in the Shasta County Superior court alleging that Re-Driven breached the a five-year warranty on the turbine.

A crusading Civic hybrid owner in LA won almost $10,000 in her small claims case giving Honda a black eye in the process. The LA Times article recounts the story of Heather Peters taking on Honda in small claims court arguing that her hybrid never got the mileage Honda advertised it would get.

Heather Peters, a former attorney, has received massive publicity on her case (go to www.dontsettlewithHonda.com). The results in the small claims court demonstrate the unfairness of a class action settlement pending before a San Diego County Superior Court judge in which owners who do not opt out will get only $200 in damages.

Ms Peters surely has invested a great deal of time in her case. There is an easier way for 2006 to 2008 Civic hybrid owners to achieve justice! Just hire me or some other knowledgeable lemon law attorney. The IMA battery warranties have not expired on these cars.

I have obtained buybacks from Honda in two cases and have five other cases pending. The law is definitely on the owners' side; owners just need a lemon law attorney to make it work.

Owners must opt out of the settlement by February 11, 2012, or their claims will be barred (assuming the judge approves the settlement).