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Vehicle Issues Make the Top of the Consumer Complaints List

» Posted October 3, 2016Resources | Share This Post

Scams and schemes can cost consumers big money. Unfortunately, as Consumer Watchdog points out, there are endless ways in which scammers can target people to try to unlawfully separate victims from their hard-earned cash. One of the most common ways is through dishonesty in the car sales or car repair market.

Consumers victimized when buying a new car may have legal options. Understanding the lemon law is important for those in Sacramento or elsewhere in California who are dealing with defects and worried about financial loss. An attorney can provide assistance in exploring whether a case is an appropriate one to pursue a legal remedy under California's lemon law.

Car Issues are a Top Consumer Complaint

Recently, Consumer Watchdog published details on some of the top ways in which consumers are being taken advantage of, scammed and separated from their hard-earned money. The data comes from the report of an annual survey conducted jointly by the North American Consumer Protection Investigators (NACPI) and the Consumer Federation of America.

The survey involved interviewing various consumer protection agencies about the types of situations which were giving consumers the most trouble.  In total, 33 different consumer agencies located in 21 different states answered the survey questions. These questions asked about things like most common source of complaints the agency received over 2015, the types of problems about which consumers were complaining and the areas with the fastest growth in complaint rates.

The research revealed that issues with consumer vehicles were the number one source of complaints to the state agencies that provide consumer protection.  The complaints addressed a wide variety of possible issues which were making consumers unhappy with their vehicle investments. 

For example, some of the complaints centered around whether repairs had been performed to the vehicles in an appropriate manner or whether the vehicle was not repaired adequately or appropriately. This was an especially significant concern if the vehicle had recalls or other safety issues necessitating prompt repair. 

Other complaints included disputes related to towing and leasing.  Consumers also alleged problems with marketing and advertising within new and used vehicle marketing, and they also complained that they had been sold lemon vehicles.

Complaints about cars were more common and more of an issue in 2015 than any of the other issues consumers sought protection with, including complaints over shoddy construction; service problems and billing issues with utility providers; and problems with credit card companies or debt collectors.

The fact that cars are such a common source of complaints to consumer protection agencies underscores the fact that consumers are often unprepared for the car buying process. Knowing everything about a vehicle is difficult or impossible, especially when buying a used car that could be subject to older recall alerts. While consumers need to do their due diligence, dealerships and manufacturers also have some obligations as well, including not releasing defective products. 

If a consumer does have issues with a new car, learning more about the lemon law becomes essential.  An experienced Sacramento lemon law attorney can provide assistance in determining if a lemon law claim is the right approach to car problems and can provide help to consumers interested in exploring all their options for resolving problems during the vehicle buying process.


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BICKEL SANNIPOLI APC