February 19, 2010 – A new bill passed to cover emergency vehicles under the New Jersey lemon law protection, including ambulances, fire trucks, police cars and other vehicles. The changes outline conditions for company reimbursement or replacements of emergency vehicles.

It all started when Doug Fenichel, APR, a volunteer emergency medical technician with Flanders (NJ) Fire Company and Rescue Squad, found himself treating a cardiac patient in the back of an ambulance that had broken down.

After a closer look, he discovered that the ambulance had a number of engine problems, and the vehicle had been to Ford dealers multiple times for the same engine problem.

Fenichel notified the 24th District legislators, and a bill was unanimously passed in December 2009.

The stipulations include:

• Manufacturers of new vehicles are required to correct defects that are originally covered under the manufacturer’s warranty.
• It applies to new vehicles that develop repeated defects or unusable periods during either the first two years or 18,000 miles.
• A new vehicle is considered a lemon if it has one or more defects that continue to exist after three attempts at repairs, or after the vehicle has been out of service for a total of 20 cumulative calendar days.

“It is a significant matter of public safety to include emergency vehicles under lemon law protection,” says lemon law attorney David Gorberg. “Taxpayers should benefit greatly from the expansion of the current lemon law, while emergency vehicle manufacturers should be held accountable for their product.”

The Lemon Law Attorneys at David J. Gorberg & Associates have arbitrated, settled and litigated thousands of lemon law claims throughout New Jersey and Pennsylvania, recovering millions of dollars for their clients. More information at www.mylemon.com or by calling 1-800-MyLemon.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood tells Toyota owners to bring their cars to a dealer.

Online PR News – 11-February-2010 – Cherry Hill, NJ - Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in Congressional testimony last week that owners of recalled vehicles should 'stop driving it, take it to a Toyota dealer because they believe they have a fix for it.' LaHood later retracted his statement and rephrased the recommendation to Toyota owners to bring their cars to their dealership for assistance. By that time, Toyota stock had fallen 5%.

After recalling 2.30 million vehicles, Toyota announced Monday that they are shipping parts to dealers and beginning training to repair sticky accelerator pedals, which may lead to uncontrolled acceleration events in compliance with lemon laws. The proposed solution reinforces the pedal assembly to reduce friction that Toyota says may cause the pedal to stick.

Owners of recalled vehicles can expect notifications explaining how to contact dealers for servicing. Toyota promises customers that dealers will be open extended hours to handle the repairs. Toyota and Pontiac vehicles included in the recall are 2009-2010 RAV4, 2009-2010 Corolla, 2009-2010 Matrix, 2005-2010 Avalon, 2007-2010 Camry, 2010 Highlander, 2007-2010 Tundra, 2008-2010 Sequoia, 2009-2010 Vibe. Camry, RAV 4, Corolla and Highlander vehicles with VINs that begin with 'J' are not affected.

Owners who have concerns about their vehicle or its repair should keep documentation of repair orders, dealer conversations and any technical service bulletins. It is important to keep records of repair work including dates and times of all dealer or technician conversations. Owners who are unable to drive their cars should document the dates and times the vehicle was out of service.

Anyone who has experienced injury or loss of use of their vehicle from a sticking accelerator pedal should contact a lemon law professional in their state to see what remedies are available. Lemon laws exist to help resolve disputes between customers and manufacturers in the repair of defects in new motor vehicles.

“Anyone who has experienced injury or loss of use of a vehicle due to a sticking accelerator pedal safety defect should contact a qualified attorney who is experienced handling lemon law cases,” recommends lemon law attorney David Gorberg. “Lemon laws can vary greatly from state to state. New Jersey lemon law allows for time out of service claims. An experienced lemon law attorney can help you with the laws in your state.”

The Lemon Law Attorneys at David J. Gorberg & Associates have arbitrated, settled and litigated thousands of Pennsylvania and New Jersey lemon law claims, recovering millions of dollars for their clients. Find more information at www.mylemon.com or call 1-800-MyLemon.

After major recall events, Toyota promises customers a fix for accelerator pedal safety issues.

Online PR News – 03-February-2010 – Pittsburg, PA — Toyota announces they will begin fixing accelerator pedal safety issues this week after the voluntary recall of 2.3 million vehicles. The proposed solution reinforces the pedal assembly to reduce friction that Toyota says may cause the pedal to stick. Toyota has indicated that they will ship parts to dealers and begin dealer training immediately.

“We have developed a comprehensive plan to fix the sticking pedal situation in recalled Toyota vehicles,” said Jim Lentz, President of Toyota Motor Sales, USA. “We know what’s causing the sticking accelerator pedals…We also know it is most important to fix this problem in the cars on the road.”

Toyota promises customers that dealers will be open extended hours to handle the repairs. Owners of recalled vehicles can expect notifications explaining how to contact dealers for servicing. Toyota and Pontiac vehicles included in the recall are 2009-2010 RAV4, 2009-2010 Corolla, 2009-2010 Matrix, 2005-2010 Avalon, 2007-2010 Camry, 2010 Highlander, 2007-2010 Tundra, 2008-2010 Sequoia, 2009-2010 Vibe. Camry, RAV 4, Corolla and Highlander vehicles with VINs that begin with 'J' are not affected.

Owners who have concerns about their vehicle or its repair should keep documentation of repair orders, dealer conversations and any technical service bulletins. It is important to keep records of repair work including dates and times of all dealer or technician conversations and the time the vehicle was out of service.

The National Highway Safety Administration advises owners to pay attention how their accelerator pedals are working. If the accelerator becomes harder to depress or slower to return than normal, it may be a precursor to a safety issue. The NTSA says, “These vehicles should be parked and a dealer immediately notified. Should a pedal become stuck in a partially depressed condition while driving, owners should put their car in neutral, bring it to a stop and call their dealer.”

Owners who have experienced injury or loss of use of their vehicle from a sticking accelerator pedal should contact a lemon law professional in their state to see what remedies are available. Lemon laws exist to help resolve disputes between customers and manufacturers in the repair of defects in new motor vehicles.

“Every owner of one of the Toyota vehicles covered by the recall should make an appointment to get their accelerator pedal reinforced as soon as possible. Anyone who has experienced injury or loss of use of a vehicle due to a sticking accelerator pedal safety defect should contact a qualified attorney who is experienced handling lemon law cases to determine if additional remedies are available,” recommends lemon law attorney David Gorberg. “Lemon laws vary greatly. New Jersey Lemon Law stipulates that just a single incident involving driving safety can qualify a consumer for compensation, while other state laws, like Pennsylvania’s lemon law, may allow a dealer up to 3 attempts before a consumer is entitled to additional compensation.”

The Lemon Law Attorneys at David J. Gorberg & Associates have arbitrated, settled and litigated thousands of lemon law claims throughout New Jersey and Pennsylvania, recovering millions of dollars for their clients. Find more information at www.mylemon.com or call 1-800-MyLemon.

A few years ago, 1-800-MY-LEMON, The Lemon Law Attorneys, informed the public about The Top 10 Largest Automotive Recalls of All Time. We are proud to announce that our Top 10 recall list was recently cited by John DeCostanza in his news story, titled, "Toyota's Recall Not The Biggest and Will Not Be The Last". A big thank you from our lemon law firm to Mr. DeCostanza for including us in his very important, and timely news story about Toyota's sudden acceleration recall.