Volvo Optimistic About Sales, Despite Pandemic

The global auto industry has taken plenty of lumps in recent months as the coronavirus pandemic swept a health care and economic crisis around the world. Still, Swedish car manufacturer, Volvo is confident that the worst of a serious slowdown in car sales that came with the pandemic is in the rearview mirror.

Volvo expects a full sales recovery in the second half of this year, chief executive officer Hakan Samuelsson reportedly told Financial Times. The company has already seen sales bounce back in China and is seeing numbers rise in other parts of the world, he said.

“We do not need a miraculous recovery, just that the trends we have seen will continue,” Samuelsson said. “We don’t see a second wave coming.”

Samuelsson sure sounds optimistic for an executive whose company’s sales slid by about 20 percent in the first half of the year. But, as Jalopnik points out, Volvo already sells a lot less cars than some of its closest competitors, like Mercedes-Benz and BMW. That means it has less catching up to do.

Meanwhile, Volvo is not the only carmaker whose sales took a nosedive earlier this year. Ford says its global car sales drop by one-third in the second quarter alone, including a 23 percent decline for its popular F-Series trucks.

Legal Rights for Car Owners in California

Although car manufacturers are understandably focused on their bottom lines right now, they may want to use the slowdown to consider how they make their vehicles.

All too often, car manufacturers are forced to issue sweeping recalls because of serious defects that pose significant safety threats. Last year, for example, Volvo recalled some 500,000 vehicles because of an engine issue the company said could cause some cars to catch fire. 

The good news for car owners in California is that you have some significant rights under the state’s lemon law. 

The Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act requires car manufacturers to perform a variety of repairs on cars while they are under warranty and to buy back covered vehicles that the company is unable or unwilling to fix. That includes compensating the owner for the purchase price and other related expenses.

There is not a set number of repair requests or attempts that must be made before the buyback requirement kicks in. A manufacturer can instead offer to replace the car, but it is up to the owner to decide whether to accept that option.

Talk With a California Lemon Law Attorney

If you have been stuck with a malfunctioning vehicle or are in a dispute with a car manufacturer over repairs, it is important to have a seasoned attorney in your corner.

At the Bickel Law Firm, California lemon law attorney Brian Bickel and his team have represented hundreds of clients in defective vehicle cases in Southern California and across the state. We work tirelessly to get the people we represent the compensation they deserve.

Our offices are conveniently located in Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco.  Call us at (888) 800-1983 or contact us online to speak with a California lemon law attorney today.