We cannot confirm nor deny that this is a Chevy Volt on Fire
Will New Hybrid Technology Result in More North Carolina Lemon Law Claims?
Much has been made about the fires caused during testing of Chevy Volt hybrid vehicles, as fires broke out a long as three weeks after testing. This caused safety officials to look at the problem and figure out whether new measures should be put into place.
According to the Department of Energy, nearly 1.9 million hybrid vehicles have been sold nationwide through 2010 since the Honda Insight went on sale in 1999. The Toyota Prius has been, by far, the most popular seller.
The top 5 hybrid vehicle sales:
- Toyota Prius: 955,101
- Honda Civic: 204,513
- Toyota Camry: 169,564
- Toyota Highlander: 109,509
- Ford Escape: 106,467
Regardless of what type of technology, a new wave of vehicles can often have problems that must be addressed by manufacturers. If they are not, the vehicles can be dangerous and can contain parts that require continuous repair.
Lemon Laws are designed to protect consumers who may end up purchasing a vehicle that has continuous problems. If the vehicle requires extensive repair time, has been sent to the shop but not properly fixed or has to continue going back to the dealership for repairs, the consumer could qualify for Lemon Law protection.
In the case of the Volt, the vehicle’s battery shorted after coolant leaked from a tested vehicle weeks after the test crash. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gave the car a five-star safety rating initially, but then pressured the company to prevent any real-life crashes from causing a battery fire. A recent Forbes article reports that no factory-produced electric vehicle has caught fire under “normal use”. This article was, however, written by a former executive at Chevroltet.
The article looks at the political storm that the recent NHTSA report about Volt cars catching fire after testing has caused, prompting Republican media, in an attempt to counter to the recent uproar against the failed ”Wall Street Bailouts”, to attack the Volt as an Obama administration failure. Their implication is that the President’s car company “bailouts” led to the creation of unsafe vehicles. However, the distinction that these news outlets omit, is that GM paid the government loan back with interest and Obama’s so-called ”bailout” of the auto industry was actually successful in helping the company get on its feet, to re-hire its workforce and create an innovative vehicle.
Despite the admittedly inflamatory picture above, it is unclear whether the Volt will have any issues at all when it hits the road. But the more “new technology” that the auto manufacturers develop, the more likely that new “lemons” will roll out of the factory. Even if protocols and policies are followed in the creation of all vehicles, there will be problems. This is particularly true as the car manufacturers deploy new technology.
And the North Carolina Lemon Law is designed to protect consumers in these cases. While there are rules to using these helpful consumer protection laws, they are on the books to make sure consumers, who are spending tens of thousands of dollars for a product, are saved from poorly built vehicles.
As green technology becomes more available and more vehicle companies work their way into this field, there will be growing pains. Some of those may manifest themselves through major problems with the vehicles. In some instances, the law can work on the customer’s side to ensure they don’t lose money simply for buying a vehicle with new, unproven, technology.
If you believe you may have a north carolina lemon law claim, fill out our Free Lemon Law Case Review From, or conact the North Carolina Lemon Law attorneys at Soboleski Law, P.C. who can be reached at 828-285-8888.
