November 9, 2008

New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs

New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs

The State has a great site dedicated to Lemon Law in the State of New Jersey.

There is a list of publications at the Division of Consumer Affairs site.

File a complaint

Licensing Board information.

Division of civil rights

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Carton and Rudnick consumer law
Carton and Rudnick

September 4, 2008

Odometer Roll Back

Odometer Roll Back

The Star Ledger reported that a man admitted to odometer fraud in Federal Court on a case that has been pending since 2004.

In 2004 the FBI arrested 17 in a ring that was alleged to have been rolling back odometers.

It was alleged that:

Robert FIORELLO was the financier of the following businesses and as the leader of the Criminal Enterprise, directed all activity in this illegal operation;

JPF AUTO SALES, Bloomfield, NJ
SEMI MOTORS, Garfield, NJ
TRIBUTE AUTO SALES, Bloomfield, NJ
MJS AUTO SALES, Bloomfield, NJ
RP AUTO SALES, Keansburg, NJ
BLOOMINGDALE MOTORS, Bloomfield/Bridgeton, NJ

The enterprise was purchasing cars and rolling the odometers back by hand and by using a computer. The cars would be resold for a higher amount due to the lower mileage.

Odometer roll back

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http://www.consumer-attorney.com/lawyer-attorney-1299380.html

August 21, 2008

Whole Foods Recall

I happened to be shopping at Whole Foods recently when I was "interviewed" by a TV reporter from News 12 regarding the beef recall.

The purpose of this is to be fair to whole foods. I stated in the interview that I thought Whole Foods was a good store and I would continue to shop there. Although I have not seen the interview, I have been told that it was not included in the piece.

If you are curious about beef recalls and the food industry you have to read Fast Food Nation. My only major complaint is that what good is a recall after I have eaten the beef and tossed any proof of purchase? None. There should be a better system. Unfortunately beef recalls are more common than we would car to believe.

There are some good web sites addressing the issues in the beef industry.

The following numbers are staggering.

• More than one third of the world's grain harvest is used to feed livestock.
• Breaking that down a little bit
• Almost all rice is consumed by people
• While corn is a staple food in many Latin American and Sub-Saharan countries, “worldwide, it is used largely as feed.”
• Wheat is more evenly divided between food and feed and is a staple food in many regions such as the West, China and India.
• The total cattle population for the world is approximately 1.3 billion occupying some 24% of the land of the planet
• Some 70 to 80% of grain produced in the United States is fed to livestock
• Half the water consumed in the U.S. is used to grow grain for cattle feed.
• A gallon of gasoline is required to produce a pound of grain-fed beef.

August 14, 2008

BMW recalling 200,000 vehicles for possible air bag defect

USA today is reporting that there is a major BMW recall for airbags. The recall involves the 2006 3 Series, the 2004-2006 5 Series, and the 2004-2006 X3 compact SUV in the United States. NHTSA opened an investigation into the issue in September 2007 and upgraded its probe in January. In addition to the vehicles under Wednesday's recall, the ongoing investigation also includes the 2004-2006 Z4, 2006 X5, 2006 6 Series and some 2004-2006 7 Series vehicles.

To respond to the problem, BMW said it would extend the warranty to 10 years without any mileage limit for the following vehicles: 2006 6 Series, 2006 3 Series with standard seat, 2004-2005 Z4, 2004-2006 7 Series, 2006 X5, and 2004-2006 5 Series with comfort seats.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration tracks and compiles recalls and Technical bulletins for all cars and you should check for issues with your car.



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Recalls


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August 6, 2008

What is a Secret Warranty?

There was an article on the NY Times online that contained the following statement

"At least 30 million cars and light trucks manufactured from 1980 to 1986 are covered by undisclosed warranties for undisclosed defects, the Center for Auto Safety says."

The article continued

The center's report, which was sent to the Federal Trade Commission, asserted that such warranty programs were maintained by at least five automobile manufacturers: the General Motors Corporation, the Ford Motor Company, the Chrysler Corporation, the American Honda Motor Company and Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc.

What does this mean to you. You need to be aggressive in confronting the authorized dealership when they are repairing you car for repeated problems because you never know if there is a known defect for which the manufacturer is paying for claims.

You also should monitor the internet. Very frequently there will be online forums that discuss these known problems and give you information to address you authorized dealership.

Secret warranties are real and need to be addressed by any automobile owner that has confronted continued defects for which warranty coverage is denied.

The Center for Auto Safety also has a nice synopsis on Secret Warranties

There was also a book written on this matter by Clarence Ditlow.

August 3, 2008

Automotive Recalls

There is a great web site that has created feed to all the recent recalls. Every manufacturer is included and this is a great resource. Go to site

You should keep this site bookmarked to check your new car purchase

July 1, 2008

Recall: VW's New 2009 Tiguan, 2008 Passat Wagons

According to internet news sources Volkswagen has issues a recall.

Volkswagen issued a recall of the Engine Control Module, which could cause an engine surge when the A/C is on. The same problem applies to 2008 Passat wagons.

Motor Trend also reported the recall

April 22, 2008

Top Consumer Complaints in New Jersey

Used Cars

Computer Sales

Debt Collection

Internet Sales / Goods

Telecommunications

Home Improvement Repair - General

Health Spas / Health Clubs

Home Furniture / Furnishings

Car Repair

February 16, 2008

Search for a Recall on Your Car

You can search for a recall for a your car. More Recalls

Search for Recalls

Continue reading "Search for a Recall on Your Car" »

February 16, 2008

Keep Track of Recalls - Bookmark This Page

This is a great site run by the government and keeps track of all the most recent recalls: Recalls-Recalls-Recalls

Recalls

Consumer Products
Foods, Medicines, Cosmetics
Motor Vehicles, Car Seats
Environmental Products
Meat and Poultry Products
Boats and Boating Safety

October 20, 2007

Ford Recalls 1,500 Explorers, Mountaineers for Fire Risk

Manufacturers frequently have problems that need to be fixed on a wide scale basis. If you remember a few years ago there were Kia Sephia brake problems that resulted in a recall. This is not that uncommon, unfortunately..

Ford just issued on the Explorer


A new risk of fire in Ford SUVs has prompted a recall from the Ford Motor Corp. Ford is recalling about 1,500 2008 Explorer, Explorer Sport Track and Mercury Mountaineer SUVs equipped with the 4.6 liter engine and 6R transmission.

A bolt securing the oil cooler line fittings at the transmission may not have been tightened sufficiently at the Ford assembly plant.

If the bolt loosens, the transmission cooler lines can leak fluid on to the vehicle's the catalytic converter posing the fire risk.

Continue reading "Ford Recalls 1,500 Explorers, Mountaineers for Fire Risk" »