When consumers are in the market for a new vehicle, this question is very likely to come up. After all, consumers want to get a reliable car that will need nothing more than routine maintenance. However, not all consumers are lucky. They unknowingly purchase vehicles that are likely to be defective and are stuck with vehicles that are unsafe to drive.

Every year, millions of vehicles – both new and used – are sold to consumers in the U.S. In 2022 alone, vehicle sales totaled over 52 million. Based on this number, it is no surprise that thousands of these vehicles are sold with different defects ranging from cosmetic defects to serious defects that can pose a significant risk to drivers, passengers, and others on the road.

Vehicles with defects that affect value, use, and safety are lemons; under California law, these vehicles must be repaired, replaced, or fully refunded by the auto manufacturer. Nearly every auto manufacturer has sold a vehicle that was ultimately determined to be a lemon. However, there are some manufacturers that are consistently manufacturing and selling/leasing defective vehicles.

Below, we will review the auto manufacturers with the highest rate of lemons.

In 2016, AutoGuide.com conducted a study to identify which auto manufacturers had the highest and lowest rate of lemons. The manufacturers with the highest lemon rate as of 2016 include Fiat, Cadillac, Porsche, Jeep, and Volkswagen. Fiat had 1 reported lemon for every 76,808 vehicles produced. Cadillac had 1 reported lemon for every 103,167 vehicles produced. Porsche had 1 reported lemon for every 126,376 vehicles produced. Jeep had 1 reported lemon for every 131,474 vehicles produced. Volkswagen had 1 reported lemon for every 202,802 vehicles produced.

• Fiat (1 lemon per every 76,808 vehicles produced)
• Cadillac (1 lemon per every 103,167 vehicles produced)
• Porsche (1 lemon per every 126,376 vehicles produced)
• Jeep (1 lemon per every 131,474 vehicles produced)
• Volkswagen (1 lemon per every 202,802 vehicles produced)
• Subaru (1 lemon per every 259,950 vehicles produced)
• Land Rover (1 lemon per every 328,206 vehicles produced)
• Scion (1 lemon per every 375,732 vehicles produced)
• GMC (1 lemon per every 400,266 vehicles produced)
• Dodge (1 lemon per every 402,728 vehicles produced)
• Volvo (1 lemon per every 409,821 vehicles produced)
• Acura (1 lemon per every 516,436 vehicles produced)
• Mazda (1 lemon per every 525,281 vehicles produced)
• Chrysler (1 lemon per every 596,377 vehicles produced)
• Chevrolet (1 lemon per every 640,438 vehicles produced)
• Ford (1 lemon per every 676,484 vehicles produced)
• Infiniti (1 lemon per every 742,753 vehicles produced)
• Hyundai (1 lemon per every 814,997 vehicles produced)
• Ram (1 lemon per every 856,136 vehicles produced)
• Kia (1 lemon per every 886,941 vehicles produced)
• Nissan (1 lemon per every 1,008,155 vehicles produced)

The most recent lemon Fiat autos include the 2013 to 2018 model years Fiat 500, Fiat 500C, Fiat 500L, Fiat 500X, Fiat 500 Pop, Fiat 124 Spider, and Fiat 500e. Some of the most common problems associated with these vehicles included transmission problems (lunging, jerking, jumping, etc.), leaking fluids (water, coolant, oil, etc.), misalignment, engine issues (loss of power, sluggishness, etc.), electrical problems, computer system problems, brake failure, overheating, and more.

You might be surprised that two of the leading American auto manufacturers are included among the manufacturers with the highest rate of lemons. Ford lemon law claims are very frequent. Some of the Ford models that are often associated with lemons include the Ford Explorer, Ford Escape, and Ford Focus. These models had a host of problems that led to many different consumer complaints.

The Ford Explorers (specifically model years 2013 to 2017) were associated with a defective cross-axis ball joint that could damage the suspension and affect steering. The Ford Escape (model years 2008 to 2013) were associated with a host of defects, some of which included loss of power, hard start, no start, power steering issues, transmission problems, and more. The Ford Focus (2008 to 2013) was associated with suspension problems, steering issues, engine issues, loss of power, overheated gear shift, transmission issues, and more.

Chevrolet, or Chevy, is also a leading American manufacturer. Still, their 2017 to 2019 Chevy Bolts were recalled due to a defective battery that posed a significant fire risk. GM issued recalls for 2015 to present Chevy Silverado 1500, Chevy Tahoe, Chevy Suburban, GMC Sierra 1500, GMC Yukon, and Cadillac Escalade. These vehicles had issues with power steering issues, transmission issues, and more.

As of 2022, the auto manufacturers with the highest number of recalled vehicles include the following:

• Ford with 8.8 million vehicles recalled – there were 67safety recalls affected vehicles due to issues with transmissions, power train, electrical systems, brakes, and risk of electrical fires. Recalled vehicles included the F-150, F-350, Lincoln Navigator, and Expedition.
• Tesla with 3.8 million vehicles recalled – recalls included a number of issues, such as loss of power steering, seatbelt malfunctions, airbag malfunctions, and electrical systems not working, etc.
• General Motors with 3.4 million vehicles recalled – recalls included transmission issues, fuel injector issues, and more. Recalled vehicles included the Escalade, Suburban, Tahoe, Silverado, Cadillac, and Sierra.

Although recalls do not necessarily mean that vehicles are lemons, auto recalls, specifically recalls that affect safety and increase the risk of incidents, are often the basis of lemon law claims. At least in 2022, the auto manufacturer with the highest number of vehicles affected by recalls – Ford – was also the auto manufacturer that sold/leased the most lemon vehicles.

If you are stuck with a defective vehicle, it is important that you seek legal assistance as soon as possible. If your vehicle meets the definition of a lemon (i.e., the vehicle is still under manufacturer warranty, has a defect that cannot be repaired even after reasonable repair attempts, and has a defect that affects safety, use, or value of the vehicle), then you could have grounds to pursue a lemon law claim. For more information about the legal options available to you, contact the experts at My Lemon Law Lawyer Group at your earliest convenience. Our team is ready to evaluate your current situation and help you pursue a claim under the lemon law. Contact us today! We offer free case evaluations and are ready to provide you with all the information that you might need to start or continue your claim.