In a striking legal battle, an individual is taking on a major automobile manufacturer over allegations of severe defects in a recently purchased vehicle. Antonio Puentes filed a complaint against FCA US, LLC in the Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara, on September 11, 2024.
The lawsuit revolves around Puentes' purchase of a 2019 Dodge Ram, which he claims was plagued with significant mechanical issues despite being under warranty. According to the complaint, Puentes experienced repeated engine and drivability problems soon after acquiring the vehicle. Despite numerous attempts to have these issues resolved at authorized service centers, the defects persisted. The plaintiff asserts that these ongoing problems have substantially impaired the vehicle's use, value, and safety.
Puentes' case is grounded in the Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act (Civil Code §1790 et seq.), commonly known as California's Lemon Law. This law mandates that manufacturers must repair defective vehicles within a reasonable number of attempts or replace them if they fail to do so. The complaint alleges that FCA US, LLC did not meet these obligations. "Defendants failed to repair Plaintiff's defective Vehicle within a reasonable number of attempts and within a reasonable amount of time," states the document.
The plaintiff contends that FCA US, LLC breached both express and implied warranties provided at the time of purchase. These warranties assured that the vehicle would operate properly and safely or be promptly repaired if it did not. However, Puentes claims that despite notifying FCA US, LLC multiple times about the defects and giving them ample opportunities to fix them, the company failed to remedy the situation.
As a result of this alleged breach of warranty and failure to comply with legal obligations under the Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act, Puentes is seeking compensatory damages for money spent on purchasing and maintaining the defective vehicle. Additionally, he demands civil penalties amounting to twice his actual damages due to what he describes as willful non-compliance by FCA US, LLC. The plaintiff also seeks reimbursement for attorney’s fees and other related costs incurred during this legal process.
Represented by Ray Naderi from Naderi Law Group, Antonio Puentes is determined to hold FCA US accountable for what he views as their failure to honor their warranty commitments. The case has been assigned Case No. 24CV446983 in front of Judge M. Suarez.