Monday, March 31, 2014

Jayco, Inc. Recalls Certain 2014 Jay Flight Swift Travel Trailers

Jayco, Inc. has recalled all model year 2014 Jay Flight Swift travel trailers manufactured between January 10, 2014 and January 13, 2014 which were equipped with the Baja option.

According to Jayco, Inc., the Federal Certification and Tire Labels list the incorrect tire size as ST205/75R14C instead of LT235/75R15C.  As such, the vehicles do not conform to the Federal Motor vehicle Safety Standard number 120, “Tire Selection and Rims for Motor Vehicles Other Than Passenger Cars”.  And, if the consumer replaces the tire with the incorrect tire listed on the label, it may cause uneven wear on the tire and towing instability could increase the risk of a crash.

To see the two (5) documents associated with this recall, click here and scroll down to the accessible PDF files.

According to the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration ("NHTSA"), Jayco, Inc. will notify vehicle owners directly, and its authorized dealers will replace the incorrect Federal Certification and Tire Label with new labels with the correct tire information as LT235/75R15C.  The recall will begin March 24, 2014 and owners may also contact Jayco, Inc. direct at 1-800-283-8267.  Owners may also contact NHTSA at 1-888-327-4236 or go to www.safecar.gov.   

Do you have a 2014 Jay Flight Swift that’s been in the shop with tire or alignment issues but never fixed?  If the travel trailer was purchased or repaired in Ohio or Kentucky, then you can call Burdge Law Office on our Toll Free Hotline, 1.888.331.6422, to see if we can help you out of your "lemon" vehicle.


Beth Wells
www.OhioLemonLaw.com
www.KentuckyLemonLaw.com
www.BurdgeLaw.com
Helping Consumers Get Rid of Lemons, 10 Years Running

Thursday, March 27, 2014

Presidential State Cars From Past to Present

William Howard Taft's
Presidential  Limousine
Presidential state cars have evolved extensively since 1899.

In November of 1899, William McKinley was the first president to ride in an automobile.  His successor, Teddy Roosevelt, was the first to commission a government owned presidential automobile-- a white, convertible Stanley Steamer.  Roosevelt's successor, William Howard Taft, also opted for a white, convertible Stanley Steamer, and converted the White House stables into a garage.  Woodrow Wilson opted for a Pierce-Arrow Limousine.  And his successor, Warren Harding, was the first president to ride to and from his inauguration in an automobile--a
Woodrow Wilson's
Presidential Limousine
Packard Twin Six.  Franklin D. Roosevelt's choice for a presidential automobile was 
1939 Lincoln V12 nick named the "Sunshine Special", and was the first car specifically built for presidential use.

The day after Pear Harbor, on December 8, 1941, the "Sunshine Special" temporarily replaced by Al Capone's 1928 Cadillac 341A Town Sedan while the "Sunshine Special" was modified to provide more protection for the President.  Al Capone's Cadillac was heavily armored and had been confiscated by the Treasury Department following Capone's arrest.  The modified Sunshine Special had armor plating for doors, bullet-proof tires, inch thick windows, and storage compartments for machine guns.
FDR's "Sunshine Special"

Since the late 1930s, the Federal government has specifically commissioned vehicles for presidential use, specifying special features for convenience, communications, and defense.

Today, President Obama's 7.5 ton limousine, which is in reality more of a tank, has been named "The Beast" by secret service agents.  From the outside, the vehicle is built to look like a 2008 Cadillac DTS.  But on the inside, the vehicle is a hybrid of Cadillac components combined with the guts of a Chevrolet Kodiak commercial truck.  The vehicle's armor includes 8 inch plates and 5 inch thick multi-layered
Obama's "Beast"
glass windows, which combine to make the vehicle's doors as heavy as those of a 757 jet.  The vehicle is sealed against biochemical attacks and can stop an IED explosion.  Although details of the presidential limousine are classified for security reasons, reports claim that the vehicle has a night vision system, communication gear, and a blood bank.  The vehicle is only driven by specially trained secret service agents.


And, a new presidential limousine has reportedly been commissioned, which promises to be even sturdier that "The Beast".    

Want to learn more about presidential state cars?  Click here for a link to a blog of the "Top Ten" all time presidential state cars.


Beth Wells
Helping Consumers Get Rid of Lemons, 10 Years Running

Monday, March 24, 2014

Car Dealer Sentenced and Ordered to Pay Restitution for Bank Fraud

In the market for a used car?  Do your research first so you know who you are dealing with!
  
In July 2013, Daniel Young, the owner and operator of Auto Plaza in Billings, Montana, was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Sam Haddon to 18 months in prison and ordered to pay $490,153 in restitution to First Interstate Bank for bank fraud.

Mr. Young plead guilty to bank fraud in February of last year, reportedly admitting that he defrauded First Interstate Bank in a scheme in which he failed to repay liens on the vehicles that he sold.

According to news reports, Mr. Young owned and operated Auto Plaza Inc. at 1617 First Avenue N., Billings, Montana.  Auto Plaza, Inc. reportedly sold used motor vehicles, along with new and used recreational vehicles, boats, ATVs, and motorcycles with the help of loans from First Interstate Bank and Dealer Services Corp.  When the dealership sold a vehicle or boat, proceeds were supposed to be used to pay off the loan from the bank that had provided the financing for the dealership's inventory.  The bank would then pay off any liens and allow clear title to be passed to the consumer buyer.  However, according to news reports, Mr. Young instead used the sales proceeds to pay other bills and vendors, make payroll, and pay off liens on unrelated sales. 

The Defense Attorney, Brian Kohn, asked for sentencing of 1 year and 1 day, while Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Fehr recommended a 13 month sentence.  Judge Haddon decided to hand down the maximum sentence to the car dealer of 18 months.


So, where do you start your research?  Your first step should be to consult online reviews of local car dealerships before purchasing a car.  One way to do this is to Google the dealership and see if there are any Google+ reviews.  But, where you see negative reviews, be weary of similarly worded positive reviews that crop up around the same time-- there is nothing stopping a car dealership from posting "bogus" positive reviews in response to negative ones.

Another easy way to research a local car dealer is to go online to the Common Pleas Court for the County in which the dealer is located.  Not all, but many, have online dockets and allow you to search for cases by party name.  While there are always two sides to every story, lawsuits against a car dealership can be a serious red flag. 

You may also want to turn to your friends on Facebook.  Find out if any of them have purchased a vehicle at a particular dealership and what their experience was like.  These Facebook "reviews" can be even more reliable, when you know the person that they are coming from.


Finally, simply type the name of the dealership into Google or Bing and see what else comes up.  However, keep in mind that a large car dealer is more likely to have an online reputation management company "cleaning up" their online reputation than a small car lot.  So, certainly keep that into perspective.

Good luck, and happy car shopping!

Beth Wells
Helping Consumers Get Rid of Lemons, 10 Years Running

 

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Chrysler Recalls Vehicles for Improper Brake Pedal Operation

Chrysler Group LLC has recalled over 18,690 model year 2012-2013 Dodge Durango and Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles manufactured October 1, 2011 through October 1, 2012

According to Chrysler Group LLC, under certain breaking events, the Ready Alert Braking System (RAB) may result in the driver experiencing a hard brake pedal feel.  Chrysler admits that this may cause the driver not to push the brake pedal as intended, lengthening the distance needed to stop and increasing the risk of a crash.  

To see the two (4) documents associated with this recall, click here and scroll down to the accessible PDF files.

According to the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration ("NHTSA"), Chrysler Group LLC will notify vehicle owners directly, and its authorized dealers will update the ABS module software free of charge.  Owners may also contact Chrysler Group LLC direct at 1-800-853-1403.  

Do you have a 2012-2013 Dodge Durango or Jeep Grand Cherokee that experienced a brake problem, but is still not fixed?  If the vehicle was purchased or repaired in Ohio or Kentucky, then you can call Burdge Law Office on our Toll Free Hotline, 1.888.331.6422, to see if we can help you out of your "lemon" vehicle.

Beth Wells
www.OhioLemonLaw.com
www.KentuckyLemonLaw.com
www.BurdgeLaw.com
Helping Consumers Get Rid of Lemons, 10 Years Running