Behind a home purchase, buying a car is quite likely one of the largest consumer transactions you will ever take part in. Not only are you devoting a significant portion of your income to a car, but you are relying on it for getting to work and other life responsibilities while placing the safety of you and your family in the hands of the manufacturers and sellers of the car. Thus, an automobile defect can not only affect your finances in a devastating manner, but it can also have a profound impact on your life when a defect turns tragic. Below we look at the most common types of automobile defects you might face and what you can do about them.
Engine Problems
The engine is the most expensive and most important aspect of your car, and, when an engine goes bad, little can be done to save a car outside of expensive repairs. According to J.D. Power, there is a widespread increase in customer dissatisfaction with engines and transmissions in newer cars.
Steering Problems
When any part of your steering system breaks or suddenly stops functioning, you clearly lose the main mechanism by which you can control your car, and crashes, injury, and loss of life can occur. In 2016 alone, GM, Subaru, and Hyundai have collectively recalled over 227,000 new cars for issues with steering.
Acceleration Issues
When your car accelerates on its own, or fails to stop accelerating once you have depressed the pedal, tragedy can result through a high-speed collision. While it may seem like the stuff of nightmares, Toyota recalled millions of cars for this issue several years back after 31 deaths due to uncontrolled acceleration reportedly occurred.
Faulty Air Bags
Air bags have been a hugely important step in increasing driver safety during crashes, but when those air bags are defective – either by deploying at incorrect times, causing driver crashes, or failing to deploy during a crash – lives can be lost. In September 2016, GM recalled 4.3 million vehicles due to issues with air bags, and Fiat Chrysler recalled 1.6 million vehicles due to air bag problems.
Wiring Issues
Even for car owners knowledgeable about automotive engineering, wiring issues in a car can be hard to detect before a purchase, but can cost you in the long run. Faulty wiring can lead to inoperability and can even cause fires in some cases. In July 2016, Fiat Chrysler recalled 410,000 cars with faulty wiring issues which could cause the cars to become inoperable, even in the middle of traffic.
Mileage and Gas Usage
Although your car’s mileage and gas usage may not affect your safety in the same way that other defects do, if you bought your car based on a stated MPG usage that is different from what you actually experience, you can face thousands of dollars in unexpected and unfair costs over your car’s lifetime.
Winning a Legal Victory in Your Automobile Defect Matter
One key question to look at when you have a defective automobile on your hands is whether the defect was in the manufacture and/or handling of your car specifically, or whether it is a design defect or common manufacturing defect affecting numerous owners of your make and model. If the defect appears to affect your car specifically, and your car is still under a new or used car sales warranty, then bringing a lemon law claim may be your best option. But if the defect affects many cars of the same make and model, a class action claim might be the best way to increase your chances of success of winning a legal victory. An experienced attorney in the fields of lemon law and class action law can work with you to determine your best strategy for success.
Trusted, Experienced Legal Representation in Your Mississippi Automobile Defect Case
At Herrington Law, we have successfully represented auto consumers across Mississippi in recovering the purchase price of new and used cars, and are committed to winning justice for auto consumers who’ve suffered losses through no fault of their own, whether through a lemon law claim or class action. Contact us today to begin assessing and pursuing your claim as quickly as possible.