Everybody has their favorite brand of vehicle to loathe — but are some vehicles really more likely to be “lemons” right off the assembly line?
Actually, yes. While Ford has always had its detractors, other folks have long sworn that foreign vehicles are the worst. Today, high-tech vehicle manufactures, like Tesla, also make the news a lot for lawsuits and complaints about quality.
The worst vehicle manufacturer of all, however, may surprise you.
GM gets sued the most — but don’t have the most “lemons”
A study that looked at lawsuits against manufacturers in 2017 found that Tesla barely made the list when it comes to bad cars. It ranked fourth lowest (out of the top 10 “most sued” manufacturers), with only three lawsuits against the company. Audi, Porsche and Volkswagen were the only ones lower.
General Motors (GM) topped the list with a whopping 260 cases that alleged some kind of defect in its vehicles that led to consumer harm. Compare that to Chrysler, which was second on the list with only 36 cases, and Toyota, which only had 30.
Still hate Fords? Well, you may be onto something: A Goldsmith West Consumer Law article published in 2017 that specifically looked at just lemon law complaints found that Ford, GM and Fiat Chrysler cars were the absolute worst (and Ford was at the top).
What should you do if you end up with a bad car or truck?
You rely on your vehicle to get you to your job, take your kids to school, make it on long trips and run errands. You have a right to expect a vehicle that operates as described. If you’ve been taken advantage of by a dealership or manufacturer, find out more about what it takes to pursue justice through a California lemon law claim.