General Motors has recalled 1.5 million cars and trucks from the 2006 to 2009 model years because their heated washer-fluid system could short circuit and cause a fire.

For more information, see:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/09/business/09recall.html?src=mv

If your vehicle has been subject to multiple repairs for this problem, you could have a claim under California’s Lemon Law.

To find about the most recent information about vehicles with recalls, go to http://recalls.gov/

If your vehicle has a defect that has been subject to multiple repair attempts within the warranty period, you may have of lemon law claim in California.  Consult with a California Lemon Law Attorney for more information.

A young military couple, Brandon Moushey and Anna Kreutz, purchased a Kawasaki motorcycle from Quinsey Powersports El Cajon in San Diego, CA in 2007. They asked for a loan that would pay off the $15,000 motorcycle in 5 years. The dealership quoted them a monthly payment of $214. The contract Moushey and Kreutz signed said the loan had a 0% interest rate, but when the loan was assigned to HSBC, the interest rate jumped to 20%. Three years later, the couple are no closer to paying off the motorcycle than when they bought it. Based on the 20% interest rate, the quoted monthly payment of $214 doesn’t even cover the interest accruing each month.

Hal Rosner, of Rosner, Barry & Babbitt, specializes in auto finance law. He knows that dealers use tricky finance arrangements to get consumers to pay more than they have to when buying a car or motorcycle. Private-label credit cards, which are subject to few regulations, are a popular way to get around state and federal truth-in-lending laws that are meant to prevent abusive lending practices.

The US Senate will vote on a bill to reform the financial services industry. Auto dealers argue that they should be exempt from these reforms and have sought to be carved-out from the new regulations. We think consumers should get the same protections at a car dealer when getting a loan as they would if they went directly to a bank.