Luxury, High-End, and Exotic Lemons

By Lauren C. Martin, Esq.

Folks paying the price of a small house for a vehicle typically expect to receive a solid and reliable vehicle.  However, in spite of their extravagant prices and respected marques, owners of high-end luxury and exotic vehicles all too often find their vehicles from the same frustrating defects and owners of much less prestigious vehicles.  Fortunately, the seasoned attorneys at CCA are experienced in handling lemon law claims relating to luxury, exotic, and high-end vehicles at no costs to their owners.  

Some of the most respected and expensive vehicle brands have produced their share of lemons.  For example:

ROLLS-ROYCE:

The vaunted British vehicle brand Rolls-Royce is, in fact, owned by BMW AG, the same brand that builds BMW and Mini vehicles.  Unfortunately for Rolls-Royce owners, their vehicles can suffer from many of the same issues as their cheaper cousins. For instance, in May 2019, BMW announced a recall for the seat belts, which affected BMW X1’s, Mini Coopers, and Rolls Royce Ghosts.   Also, in October 2019, BMW announced a recall of its vehicles due to defects in the backup camera. This recall, likewise, crossed vehicle lines and included Rolls Royce Phantoms and Cullinans, as well as many BMW models.

The 2010-2011 Rolls-Royce Ghost was also the subject of two recalls for their auxiliary water pump – both in 2012 and in 2018. According to documents filed with the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (“NHTSA”), “if the circuit board were to overheat, it can increase the risk of a fire.”  The problem lies in a faulty circuit board, which could cause the circuit board to overheat, and potentially start an engine fire. This recall was submitted in addition to BMW, Rolls-Royce’s manufacturer, recalling certain 2011-2012 BMW 5 series, 6 series, 7 series, X5 series, X6 series and MINI Cooper series, for the same problem. If the concern of a vehicle fire isn’t enough – there are also limited parts available to remedy this concern. In fact, not all parts were available even at the time the recall was issued. Yet, pursuant to BMW’s recall with NHTSA, “BMW recommends that owners park their vehicle outdoors until the recall remedy has been performed.”

PORSCHE:

The Stuttgart-based German automaker Porsche has made immense improvements in the reliability of its vehicles over the past several decades.  While Porsche sports cars of the ’80s and ’90s were known finicky reliability, today Porsche builds much more reliable cars. Nonetheless, as Porsche has widely expanded its vehicle lines, today Porsche owners encounter a wide range of serious and troublesome issues with their vehicles.  

Owners of Porsche’s new vehicle lines, the Cayman, Cayenne, Panamera, and Boxster have encountered a variety of troubling and serious issues with their vehicles.  Porsche owners’ vehicle problems are particularly worrying when the vehicles fall outside of the manufacturer’s warranty and the cost of repair is stratospheric.  

For example, owners of Porsche’s SUV, the Cayenne, have complained of nagging engine, electrical, drivetrain, and other issues.  Porsche Cayenne owners with engine problems have found their vehicles stall on them while being driven, hesitate during acceleration, leak fluids, and exhibit unusual vibrations.  When these issues are not fixed under warranty, customers can face massive repair bills.  

Porsche has also been forced by the government to issue recalls in order to bring its vehicles into conformance with safety standards.  In July of 2019, Porsche announced that it was recalling 99,665 Panamera sedans and Cayenne SUVs because of a cable that links the gear selector to the transmission could fail, allowing the transmission to be in a different gear than what the shifter indicates, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.  This danger, according to NHTSA, raises the chances the vehicle could roll away. 

MERCEDES-BENZ AMG:

Mercedes-Benz’s prestigious AMG line of vehicles has also been the subject of numerous defects, recalls, and complaints.  CCA’s attorneys have handled a wide range of cases involved AMG vehicles including engine problems, transmission problems, electrical issues, and even vehicle fires.  For instance, Mercedes-Best G550 owners have suffered through a frustrating series of transmission issues, resulting in harsh shifts and strange noises emanating from the vehicle’s transmission.  

Mercedes-Benz has also been forced to issues numerous recalls, in order to address issues with its AMG vehicles.  For instance, in August of 2017, Mercedes-Benz announced a recall of its 2016-2017 AMG GLE43 Coupe and 2017 AMG GLE43 vehicles because of a defect wherein their engines would shut down while driving.  Mercedes recalled these vehicles in 2016 to update the engine control unit software because of unintended engine shutdowns. However, customers who had the updates kept complaining about their engines shutting down, so the automaker opened an investigation. 

In January of 2018, the automaker announced a recall of its AMG GT, AMG GT R, AMG GT C and AMG GT S cars to fix problems with the seat belts.  In July 2019, more recalls were issued for the AMG GT s vehicles, because of issues with the vehicle’s driveshafts.  

LAMBORGHINI:

Lamborghini builds some of the quickest and most exciting vehicles in the world. However, the Italian automakers beautiful sports cars are not without their issues. For instance, in 2019, Lamborghini announced the recall of certain 2017-19 Aventador S Coupè and Aventador S Roadster vehicles. Lamborghini’s announced that the defect involved the engine management software used for both vehicles, which, due to a defect, may cause the engine to stall while coasting toward a stop. 

Numerous models of the Lamborghini Aventador were the subject of multiple recalls, those which could increase the risk of fire or the risk of a crash. For instance, in 2017, Automobili Lamborghini recalled certain 2012-2017 Aventador Coupe and Roadsters due to a fire risk related to the evaporative emissions control system. The 2012-2017 Aventador Coupe and Roadster vehicles, under certain conditions while driving with a full tank of gasoline, the gasoline could contact the exhaust system and cause a fire. 

FERRARI:

Ferrari, the iconic sports car brand from Maranello, Italy, like all other automakers has also suffered through a series of recalls and defects.  For instance, in February of 2019, Ferrari announced two safety recalls for its vehicles. The first recall (number 67) affects certain 2017-2019 GTC4Lusso and 2018-2019 GTC4Lusso T vehicles. According to the NHTSA document, Ferrari is recalling these cars due to defective doors. The “tension on the door lock mechanism may result in the vehicle’s door being unable to be opened by using the external door handle.”  The second recall (number 69) affects a wider range of Ferrari vehicles. According to NHTSA, the fuel vapor separator of certain 2017 LaFerrari Aperta, 2018-2019 488 GTB, GTC4Lusso T, GTC4Lusso, 488 Spider, 812 Superfast, and 2019 488 Pista vehicles could potentially crack which could lead to a fuel leak that may increase the risk of fire in these vehicles.

Also, it was reported in December of 2018 that a jury in Arkansas awarded a $5.8-million judgment against a dealership for fraud, in connection with the purchase of a $90,000 Ferrari F430, which was purchased in 2016.  According to court documents, shortly after purchase, the plaintiff began smelling gas and later discovered undisclosed issues, such as a leaky fuel pump, suspension problems, and a cracked exhaust manifold. The jury found that the dealership had committed fraud because it had advance notice of the issues prior to selling the vehicle and failed to disclose them.  Although the Arkansas case involved a dealership and not the manufacturer, the jury’s verdict demonstrates that exotic and luxury vehicles can be the subject of lemon law litigation, too.  

MCLAREN:

McLaren is known for building some of the best performing and best-looking vehicles on the road. The gorgeous vehicles from Surrey, England combine blistering performance with eye-popping looks. However, in spite of their six-figure price tag, McLaren vehicles have not been without their issues. In fact, McLaren owners have complained extensively about reliability issues plaguing their vehicles. Also, the elite brand’s vehicles have suffered a series of vehicle fires, which result in the destruction of the vehicle as a whole.  

BENTLEY:

Bentley motorcars are synonymous with luxury and prestige. The aspirational car brand was founded by W.O. Bentley in 1919 and has since produced some of the world’s most desirable vehicles. Today, however, Bentley is a subsidiary of Volkswagen Group and has developed a reputation for building vehicles that suffer an abnormally high number of defects.  

In fact, according to an article in England’s Telegraph newspaper, Bentley came in dead last in terms of reliability among 37 separate automakers. Notably, according to The Telegraph, the repairs on Bentley vehicles were some of the most expensive of any carmaker.  

RESOLVING LEMON LAW CLAIMS:

If your high-end vehicle has since turned into a high-end headache, you need serious legal representation on your side. The lemon law attorneys at CCA are experts in handling lemon law complaints against manufacturers of high-end, luxury, and exotic vehicles. Our exceptional legal services are second to none and come at no cost to you – all of your legal bills will be paid by your vehicle’s manufacturer. If your vehicle has not lived up to your expectations, has been parked due to recalls, or has scared you out of driving it, we invite you to call CCA for a free consultation: (833) LEMON-FIRM.

CCA services consumers throughout the State of California and persons that purchased their vehicles in California, only

About the Author
Sepehr Daghighian is a partner with CCA that is well-versed in all aspects of lemon-law litigation. A 2005 graduate of Loyola Law School, Mr. Daghighian has been practicing litigation throughout the state of California for over 13-years. In this time, Mr. Daghighian has advocated on behalf of California consumers in hundreds of lemon law cases throughout our great state. Mr. Daghighian has also successfully tried numerous such cases to verdict in both Federal and State Court.