A California resident has taken legal action against a major automobile manufacturer, alleging multiple breaches of warranty and violations of consumer protection laws. Chris Sanders filed the complaint against Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. in the Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco on August 8, 2024.
According to the complaint, Sanders purchased a new 2018 Volkswagen SQ5, which came with an express written warranty from Volkswagen. However, upon delivery, the vehicle was allegedly not in a merchantable condition and failed to meet expected safety and quality standards. Sanders claims that despite numerous attempts to have the vehicle repaired by Volkswagen, it continued to malfunction and remained unsafe for use.
The lawsuit details three primary causes of action: breach of implied warranty, breach of express warranty, and violation of the Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act. Sanders asserts that Volkswagen impliedly warranted that the vehicle was fit for its intended use but failed to deliver on this promise due to multiple manufacturing defects. These defects rendered the vehicle unreliable and hazardous, leading to frequent breakdowns and significant inconvenience for Sanders.
Sanders further alleges that Volkswagen breached its express warranty by failing to properly repair the vehicle within a reasonable timeframe despite repeated complaints. The complaint states that these issues were not due to any misuse or modifications by Sanders but were inherent flaws in the vehicle itself.
In addition to these breaches, Sanders accuses Volkswagen of violating the Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act. This California law mandates that manufacturers either replace defective goods or reimburse buyers if they fail to conform to express warranties after a reasonable number of repair attempts. According to Sanders, Volkswagen did neither, leaving him with a defective vehicle that did not meet safety standards.
As a result of these alleged breaches and violations, Sanders is seeking several forms of relief from the court. He requests reimbursement for financing and owning the vehicle, rescission of the purchase agreement, restitution damages, costs related to repairs, attorney's fees, and civil penalties as provided under Civil Code Section 1794.
The case is being handled by Mathew Rezvani from Rezvani Law Firm APC. The case ID is CGC-24-617123.