Demand for Arbitration Case Activity* Fiscal Year 2016
- Decisions for Consumer - 21
- The $506,516 in consumer awards range from $12,192 for a 2012 Ford Focus to $47,544 for a 2015 GMC CL–Sierra 2500.
- The refund sum includes 4 lessor assignee awards totaling $96,837.
- Decisions for Manufacturer - 9
- Settlements - 19
- Withdrawal (no longer owning vehicle) - 1
- Administrative Dismissals (usually because of not meeting a jurisdictional requirement) - 18
- Motion for Reconsideration (denied: no new evidence) - 1
- Appeal to Superior Court (pending since ’14) - 1
-
Total: Case Activity - 70
* Included above are:
- Twelve Demands filed in Fiscal Year ‘15 reaching resolution in FY ‘16; and
- Eight Demands filed in Fiscal Year ‘16 attaining disposition in FY ’17.
Manufacturer Summary Fiscal Year 2016
- BMW of North America, Inc. - 1
- FCA US LLC - 10
- Ford - 27
- General Motors LLC - 6
- Heartland Recreational - 1
- Kia - 1
- Subaru - 5
- Toyota - 1
- Volkswagen - 1
- Volvo - 1
-
TOTAL: 54
Consumer-reported Defects for Fiscal Years (FY) ’14, ’15 and ‘16
The most prevelant consumer-reported defect/condition for cases receiving a FY ’16 resolution were related to the vehicle’s transmission. Case resolutions for the claimed defects filed in or resolved in FY ’16 are included in the manufacturer’s detailed summary report.
| Consumer-reported defects | FY 14 | FY 15 | FY 16 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle body + water leaks (trunk, door locks, wind noise, roof, sunroof, headliner, passenger seat, windows) | 2 | 7 | 4 |
| Engine operation; check-engine light | 7 | 5 | 2 |
| Suspension - steering – vibrations | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| Transmission – shifting – 4-wheel drive – AWD – clutch | 12 | 16 | 29 |
| Electrical – battery – dashlights – loss of power – lights – instrument cluster – electrical equipment - headlights | 10 | 3 | 3 |
| Brakes including ABS system and parking brake; CV joints | 8 | 3 | 0 |
| Starting problem | 5 | 3 | 0 |
| Unidentified | 3 | 1 | 3 |
| Airbag | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Heater or air-conditioning system – seat heater | 6 | 6 | 1 |
| Driveability (poor handling; inconsistent acceleration; hesitation; stalling; rough idle; pulls left or right; lack of power) | 4 | 1 | 5 |
| Exhaust + Emissions | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Excessive oil consumption; oil leak; oil pressure | 3 | 2 | 4 |
| Anti-freeze leak; excessive consumption | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Cruise Control problem | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Front- and rear-end noises | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| Fuel mileage; fuel system or gas gauge | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| Radio/Phone Sync/Media System | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| GPS (Global Positioning System)/Navigation System | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Horn or clock | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Turbocharger | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Auto locks/ key fob | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Traction light | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Seatbelt | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Windshield wiper; noise; fogging | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Power steering | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Sun visor | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Rust spots | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Defective tires | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Total Defects Reported | 83 | 62 | 72 |
