Lemon Automobiles Caught on Tape

There are few things more frustrating for consumers than spending good money on a vehicle only to find that the car has repeated problems or is not safe to drive.  Unfortunately for many consumers, getting car dealers and manufacturers to do the right thing in these situations is not always easy.

Some consumers have taken novel approaches, such as making videos and publishing them on the Internet, in an effort to convince the car dealer or automaker to do the right thing and take responsibility for the problem car.

Creating a viral video may get you lots of attention, but it is not always easy and it may not be the best or most reliable approach to resolving problems with a vehicle that frequently malfunctions.

An attorney who knows California motor vehicle lemon law can provide you with assistance in understanding the protections available to you and help you ensure you take full advantage of the laws designed to protect car buyers.

Car Owners Make Viral Videos of Lemon Vehicles

Yahoo News reported on consumers who had problems with their cars and decided to try to publicize the issues they were having.  For example, one man who made a video purchased a vehicle for $60,000 in 2013. 

He had ongoing problems with the car, which reportedly emitted burning smells and went into “limp home mode three times.”  The vehicle was repeatedly repaired, but the car owner no longer felt that the car was safe for him to drive in with his family. 

The man with the problems tried to get the car dealer and manufacturer to take action, but was told there would be no replacement nor would they reimburse him for the vehicle. 

The man lives in Australia, which does not have lemon laws, so he had little recourse. His solution was to make a rap video with the hope he could bring attention to his plight. To make the video, he spent more than $5,000 to hire dancers, actors and a man wearing a lemon suit.  The video can be found on YouTube.

He is not the first to try to make a statement in order to publicly shame a company into taking appropriate action. Another owner of a vehicle publicly destroyed his car in protest as a result of a lack of response to his problems. 

It is unfortunate that car dealers and manufacturers fail to treat consumers appropriately when they have issues with vehicles. A car is a significant investment and consumers don't deserve to face losses because the vehicle turns out to be a lemon.

At least in the United States, there are lemon laws that give vehicle owners leverage.  If you have problems with your car, you should know how the lemon law works so you can explore all possible options. An attorney can help you understand how the law applies in your situation and can assist in dealing with the car dealer or manufacturer.