Lemon Law for California

Build Dates : September 01, 2005 - September 07, 2005

NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number : 05V552000

Date Owner’s Notified: 20060331
Date Received by ODI: 20051207
Date Added to Databse: 20051207

Manufacturer’s Involved: GENERAL MOTORS CORP.
Manufacturer’s Responsible for the Recall: GENERAL MOTORS CORP.
Manufacturer Campaign Number: 05109

Component: EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS
Potential Number Of Units Affected : 32068

Summary: 

Certain trucks and sport utility vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 110, “tire selection and rims.¿ these vehicles were shipped with tire and loading information labels listing an inacccurate vehicle capacity weight.

Consequence: 

A misprinted label could lead to improper vehicle loading specifications or tire inflation which could result in a tire failure, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: 

Owners will be provided with corrected labels and installation instructions. At the customer¿s option, a dealer can install the label for them. The recall began on March 31, 2006.   

When a vehicle falls apart during a side impact, occupants are at extreme risk of serious injury or death.

A safe vehicle design should minimize passenger compartment intrusion.

In order to meet fuel efficiency regulations, car manufacturers are under intense pressure to keep down vehicle weight. Too often, this has led to shaving weight and cutting corners at the expense of safety. For example, manufacturers frequently use lower gauges of steel for structural members like the body pillars, windshield header and roof components. The problems created by weight cutting measures, such as down-gauging of steel, are compounded by other practices designed to reduce costs. Some manufacturers have cut down on the use of welds, relying instead on an industrial form of glue called “structural adhesive.” Needless to say, even strong glue cannot match the strength of a traditional weld. Manufacturers could save weight without sacrificing structural integrity by substituting high strength steel in place of the low carbon steel used by U.S. manufacturers for structural members. While slightly more expensive, high strength steel is lighter and stronger and can be used to meet fuel efficiency requirements without creating safety risks.

A computer program called LS-Dyna allows manufacturers to create visual aides emphasizing the benefits of proper welds and steel grades.

Car manufacturers are under pressure to keep gas mileage high and prices low. As a result, they often cut corners, eliminating or reducing safety features that add weight to the car or expense to the price sticker. Such attention to the bottom line sometimes means that vehicles are released for sale with inherent defects that make cars and trucks less safe.

If you were hurt or a loved one has been killed because of the defective design of a motor vehicle, contact our law firm to learn how we can help you obtain compensation for your medical bills, lost income, rehabilitation and other expenses associated with your accident.

Examples of vehicle design defect cases

Defective brakes

Defective door latch

Fuel tank defects

Auto seat relining mechanism failure

Defective seat belt design

Defective air bag design

Rollovers

Defective tires

Transmission defects

All automakers have their share of badly designed vehicles

These and other factors result in vehicles being released for sale with insufficient crashworthiness. Even the threat of a recall doesn’t convince some car companies to improve their products.