Lila Wilson bought a 2012 Volkswagen CC (stands for “comfort coupe”) brand new in October 2011. After less than 20,000 miles of driving, she took her car to the repair shop to find that her tires had been damaged by tire cupping due to the vehicle’s suspension. Really? A nearly new Volkswagen already has suspension problems that make the tires useless after less than 20,000 miles? Sadly, yes.
Wilson eventually became one of many dissatisfied Volkswagen car owners to enter a class-action lawsuit against the German car manufacturing company. All the owners claimed the cars had faulty suspensions which caused the tires to wear out prematurely. Further, they claimed that Volkswagen falsely advertised the cars as reliable, knowing of these suspension issues. The lawsuit was filed in Miami as Wilson, et. al., v. Volkswagen.
The plaintiffs claimed that Volkswagen sold these cars from 2009-2017 basically knowing they were selling lemons – that is knowing they had design flaws. They further alleged that Volkswagen simply blamed the widespread problems on poor driving or cheap tires. These are convenient excuses because the vehicle’s basic warranty does not cover premature tire wear, meaning for years Volkswagen did not pay for this known design flaw.
Not The Only Ones to Have Problems with the Volkswagen CC
Another VW CC owner has replaced the tires on his 2013 Volkswagen CC Sport four times from June, 2013 to January, 2017. According to edmunds.com the Volkswagen CC is priced higher than competitors. After only giving the car a score of three stars out of five, owners had much the same to say. For instance, A. Nicole said “It’s one pricey repair after another! Gorgeous car but I wish I would have never got one.” Kelley Blue Book gave the 2015 Volkswagen CC only 3.6 of 5 stars because the aging sedan has a crowded backseat. In the owner reviews, an owner notes on the cons that the tires cup and the CC has high maintenance costs. They said, “the car has engineering flaws. The tires cup too easily. I’ve put over 120k miles on this car myself and have to put on 6 sets of tires due to cupping.”
So, what happens when many dissatisfied car owners feel they bought a lemon and the manufacturer is unwilling to do anything? Is there anything that can be done?
Fortunately, yes. The law provides several remedies to protect American consumers from being stuck with a lemon. In January 2020, a Florida federal judge awarded the plaintiffs a $57 million settlement. It was decided that VW sold these cars knowing that they had suspension issues. The money will help the some 300,000 vehicle owners replace their vehicle’s defective suspensions.
Contacting a Florida Consumer Advocate Attorney
If you’re experiencing issues with your vehicle, you may feel like the vehicle you purchased is a lemon like the many dissatisfied Volkswagen CC owners. You also may be getting the run-around from the dealership or the warranty company. If so, it’s time to talk to Farah and Farah to see what can be done to remedy your situation. Our experienced team will investigate known recalls and work to get you the compensation you need to fix your vehicle’s issues. In many cases, you might not be alone and our efforts can help thousands of other drivers who may also feel stuck in a model of vehicle that turned out to be a lemon. Contact our team now to start the process.
