We tend to associate items with a higher price to mean that it is also higher quality – especially when it comes to vehicles. Expensive vehicles should offer a superior driving experience and be made with the absolute best materials.
You certainly wouldn’t expect a luxury vehicle to run into major mechanical issues or breakdown on the side of the road, would you?
Well, you may be surprised to learn that many luxury vehicle manufacturers have had to recall their models. Some have even been involved in lemon law cases.
Now, let’s make one thing clear: just because a certain vehicle has been involved in a lemon law case does not mean that every vehicle created by the manufacturer is a lemon. In most cases, lemons are quite rare and only occur in one out of every few hundred thousand – or even million – vehicles produced.
That being said, here are a handful of luxury vehicles known to have mechanical problems from time-to-time.
1. Lamborghini
In 2011, one customer was awarded $240,000 after filing a lemon law case against Lamborghini. The complaint was for a defective Gallardo Spyder experiencing braking issues.
However, you cannot beat Lamborghini’s service. They actually flew their technicians to work on the customer’s vehicle directly which had braking issues. Unfortunately, they were unable to resolve the issue and ended up buying the vehicle back.
Lamborghini has also issued several recalls.
The most recent recall was for engine software issues. This recall included engine stalling in their 2017 through 2019 Aventador S Coupe and Aventador S Roadster models. There were also two separate recalls for the 2012 through 2017 Aventador Coupes and Roadsters due to fire risks!
2. BMW
Although BMW produced the fourth-lowest amount of lemons in a 2018 survey, they did announce a massive recall for their popular 5- and 6-series models that were built between 2003 through 2010.
Apparently, there was an issue in the cable covers of the battery. This caused the battery to overheat and even catch flame in some cases.
BMW also issued a recall for 357,000 vehicles due to an airbag issue for some of their 3-Series, 1-Series, X1, X3, X5, and X6 vehicles. This was part of the Takata airbag recall that affected numerous manufacturers.
In 2015, the owner of a brand-new 428i filed a claim due to fuel gauge issues and requested full compensation from the manufacturer. BMW refused this offer, and the case had to be brought to civil court – where the jury deemed that BMW had breached the warranty. In the end, BMW ended up paying over $170,000 for the customer’s vehicle as well as their legal fees.
3. Bentley
Bentleys are certainly on the high-end of luxury vehicles, with most models costing at least six-figures. But many of their customers have listed numerous complaints and the manufacturer has had to recall several of their models due to major mechanical faults. In fact, they were deemed to be the least reliable automaker according to a survey among UK drivers.
Bentley also has a bad reputation when it comes to receiving compensation. In 2007, the manufacturer refused to reach a settlement in a Seattle lemon law case for a vehicle with airbag service light issues, resulting in numerous, lengthy court cases.
Bentley also fought another customer tooth and nail after a claim was filed for a vehicle taken in for repairs eleven times over just two years. The court sided with the customer, and Bentley had to buy back the vehicle and cover legal fees.
4. Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes topped the list of manufacturers with the least number of lemons. But they have still been involved with numerous cases and have issued lots of recalls. In fact, Mercedes-Benz gave the largest payout for any lemon law case for the driver of an E320. They were required to reimburse the owner over $480,000 for the vehicle, legal fees, and other damages!
Mercedes has also had to issue lots of recalls for safety hazards and defects on some of their most popular models, including the B-Class, C-Class, CLS Class, S Class, and the GLK Class.
5. Tesla
Even though Tesla is one of the newest luxury vehicle brands, they have been involved with some pretty major lemon law court cases. Tesla stands out from many other brands because of its innovative technology and electric design. However, there have been many major issues with their vehicle’s designs – some of which are life-threatening.
Most recently, a driver received full compensation and additional repair fee coverage after filing a lemon law claim for autopilot malfunctions with a Model X. This clearly impaired the safety of the vehicle, since the car allegedly would swerve into other lanes when the Autopilot feature was in use.
Tesla also had to recall 50,000 vehicles in 2017 for parking brake problems and nearly 15,000 Model X SUVs for issues with power steering bolts corrosion. The good news is that Tesla offers a 4-year warranty – so you have a longer time to file a lemon law claim if you do run into major issues.
Conclusion
No one is perfect.
All vehicle manufacturers are guilty of building a few lemons here and there – and even the most expensive and luxurious vehicles can come with major mechanical problems. Thankfully, with a good attorney on your side, you can receive rightful compensation.
If you have any questions or suspect that you have a lemon vehicle of your own, reach out to our expert California lemon law lawyers. We would be glad to help you!
