Attorney Dani K. Liblang Goes Beyond Lemon Law with the Institute of Continuing Legal Education

There are a lot of lawyers out there, but not all of them can help you when your car doesn’t live up to the hype. When a persistent problem sends you back to the dealership for a 4^th time, you need a lemon law expert. Attorney Dani K. Liblang of The Liblang Law Firm, P.C., was recently asked to speak on the issue by the Institute of Continuing Legal Education.

Takata Airbag Defects Explained

The Japanese airbag manufacturer, Takata, has been covering up defects in its airbags since 2004. Now the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has identified the cause of the defect. The investigation has sparked another recall of 30-40 million vehicles that could close the company.

What to Do if You Got a Lemon Car for Christmas

Getting a new car for Christmas should be about a big bow and a sleek new ride. But for some new car owners, the new year brings new problems. Find out what you should do if you got a lemon car for Christmas.

What is a Lemon Car?

Just because you don't like your new car doesn't mean it counts as a lemon. Instead, a lemon is a passenger car or truck that continues to have the same defect that negatively impacts the value of the vehicle. It's not enough for your car to need repairs after you buy it. But if repeated efforts to fix the automobile keep falling short, you may be driving a lemon.

Repairing a Lemon

Before your troubled vehicle becomes a lemon you have to give the manufacturer or dealership a “reasonable number of repair attempts.” Under Michigan law, this means:

• You've brought the car in for the same repair 4 or more times in 2 years; or
  
• Your car is out of commission for at least 30 days of your first year for one or more problems.
  

Notifying the Manufacturer

If your vehicle is headed toward being categorized as a lemon, you need to notify the manufacturer about the need for repair by certified mail, return receipt requested either after the third repair or after the vehicle has been in the shop for 25 days. Talk to a Michigan Lemon Law Lawyer, like Dani K. Liblang before you send it in, to make sure your notice satisfies Michigan law.

Opportunity to Repair or Replace

The manufacturer gets one last chance to fix your car after you send in the notice. If it can't do so within 5 days, your car is a lemon and you are entitled to a replacement or a refund.

Returning Your Christmas Lemon

If the manufacturer can't fix your car it must give you two options:

1. Replace the vehicle. You have the authority to accept or reject the replacement.
   
2. Refund the cost of the vehicle. You are entitled to the full purchase price of the vehicle, minus an amount representing your use of the vehicle.
   

Heading to Court

Manufacturers will often fight the process of returning a lemon car. If your manufacturer or dealership won't work with you, you may need to attend arbitration or even file a lawsuit to get the relief you deserve according to Michigan law.

Don't let your biggest Christmas gift leave a sour taste in your mouth. If repeated repairs are getting in the way of enjoying your new car, contact Lemon Law Lawyer Dani K. Liblang. She will walk you through the process and make sure you get what you deserve under the law.

FTC Says Michigan Dealership Laws Hurt Consumers

Even though the Big 3 were born in Detroit, Michigan residents can't buy cars directly from car companies. Instead they have to go through dealerships. But the FTC says that Michigan's dealership protection laws are anti-competitive and could hurt consumers.

Senators Propose New Consumer Privacy Protection Act

Did you get a new debit card or credit card recently? Maybe you got a notice that your online account had been compromised. A newly proposed Consumer Privacy Protection Act could make those kinds of protections universal.

GM To Pay For 100 Deaths From Faulty Ignition Switch

Imagine driving down the freeway, bumping your steering column, and having your car shut down. That's what GM drivers have been facing for years. But now, GM is going to have to pay for it.

Chrysler Forced to Pay for Jeep Fire That Killed 4-Year-Old

What happens when a child dies in a Jeep fire as the result of a defective fuel tank? For one family in Georgia, a jury forced Chrysler to pay $150 million. But the company has yet to admit it did anything wrong.

Sub-Prime Auto Loans: Set Up for Failure

The need for transportation to get to work, and other important appointments can make a car a necessity. Some lenders exploit that need – approving borrowers who can't afford their payments. They set their borrowers up for failure, late fees, and penalties.

Sub-Prime Auto Loan Tactics

Several years ago, sub-prime mortgages were big news as the bubble burst. But that's not to say lenders learned their lesson. Instead, they changed their focus to auto loans.

The tactics are the same. Car dealerships inflate prices far above market value. Then they add on up-charges like warranties and charge exceptionally high interest rates. When the buyer falls behind, the lender tacks on penalties and late fees that drive the cost up even more. Then they turn the accounts over to collections agencies which harass the buyer to get them to pay.

A Cautionary Tale

Consider The Liblang Law Firm's client, Chris. Chris is a cancer patient who needs a vehicle to get to doctors. She bought a 12 year old Dodge Durango, with an accident and almost 170,000 miles in its history. It was worth $4,750, but the dealership charged her $7,500. The dealer then convinced her to purchase a $2,200 warranty on the vehicle. The dealership offered Chris a loan with an interest rate of almost 24% spread out over 4 years. All together, the cost of the SUV was $14,584, nearly $10,000 over market value.

Just two months after she bought the car, she found out there as a problem with the engine that would cost $5,600 to fix – more than the value of the car. What was worse, the warranty would only cover a small portion of the cost.

That's when she turned to attorney Dani Liblang with the Liblang Law Firm. Dani is a consumer law expert with 30 years experience helping consumers fight back against dealerships who sell them lemons at high prices.

"They’re upside down from day one because of the inflated price," said Liblang. "Secondly they’re being charged just horrendous interest rates."

The sub-prime auto loan is gaining popularity. Auto dealers don't care what happens after the car is sold as long as the bank makes a profit and they get their commission. Nor are they concerned with the quality of their warranties. Some sales associates don't even know what is covered by the products they are selling.

That's why Attorney Dani Liblang encourages consumers to stay away from sub-prime lending. Do your budgeting and know what you can afford to pay before you start shopping. If possible, seek an auto loan from an independent lender, like your bank or credit union. And if you do get caught up in a sub-prime auto loan scheme, contact The Liblang Law Firm, P.C., to help you protect you from the collectors' predatory lending strategies.