Electric Vehicles Keep Getting Recalled

Electric vehicles may be the future of driving, but carmakers cannot seem to be able to ensure that they are actually safe to hit the road. 

EVs are more likely to have defects than gas-powered cars, according to two new reports.

Plug-in cars accounted for 0.9% of automotive recall incidents and 1% of total vehicles recalled from 2017 through the first half of 2022, recalls manager Sedgwick and news outlet Axios found. The vehicles represented an average of no more than about 0.4% of cars on the road during that time, however.

Separately, J.D. Power found that electric vehicle and hybrid owners reported more problems with their cars than did drivers of internal combustion engine vehicles. 

“Anytime you have that new technology you’re going to have new issues that pop up — issues that they’re not able to foresee — and that’s where you’re going to see that increase in recalls,” Sedgwick’s Wayne Mitchell told Axios.

Car defects come in all shapes and sizes, but plug-in vehicles have proven particularly susceptible to fires. 

Last year, General Motors recalled some 140,000 Chevy Bolt vehicles over a pair of battery pack defects that the company said could result in fires. The move came after several reports of car fires, most or all of which happened while the vehicles were turned off, and sparked a federal investigation.

Meanwhile, the price of going electric continues to rise. The average price tag on a new electric vehicle recently hit $54,000, according to the Wall Street Journal. That is a 22% jump from just a year earlier and $10,000 more than the average gas-powered car.

How California's Lemon Law Protects EV Owners

The good news for electric vehicles and other car owners in California is that you do not need to wait around for a recall in order to get a defective vehicle fixed. It is important to understand your rights and protections under the state’s lemon law.

The lemon law, formally known as the Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act, requires car manufacturers to perform a wide range of repairs on vehicles while they are under warranty. 

The law also forces the companies to buy back (or replace, in some cases) vehicles that they are unable or unwilling to fix. That means compensating the owner for the purchase price of the vehicle, as well as for financing fees, rental car costs and other related expenses.

There is no specific number of repair requests or attempts that must happen before the buyback requirement kicks in. An experienced California lemon law lawyer can help you take action. The law requires carmakers to pick up the tab for certain legal fees that you incur while enforcing your rights.

Talk with a Knowledgeable California Lemon Law Attorney

If you are a car owner or lessor stuck with a lemon or locked in a dispute with a manufacturer over repairs, the lemon law attorneys at Bickel Sannipoli APC can help. 

Call us at (888) 800-1983 or contact us online to speak with a lawyer today.