Steering and Suspension Defects in NJ Lemon Law Cases
Pull, wander, vibration, air-suspension failures, death wobble — steering and suspension defects routinely qualify under NJ Lemon Law.
Steering and suspension defects routinely meet NJ’s substantial-impairment test under § 56:12-30.
Common defect categories
- Electric power steering (EPS) failures.
- Steering wheel vibration.
- Vehicle pulling or wandering.
- Air suspension failures (BMW, Mercedes, Range Rover, Audi, Tesla).
- Strut and shock failures.
- Death wobble — Jeep Wrangler, Gladiator, Ram trucks.
NJ road conditions
NJ’s combination of pothole-heavy Turnpike / Garden State Parkway driving, freeze-thaw cycles, and road salt accelerates suspension and steering wear. Early-life suspension failures (struts, shocks, control arms) are common NJ complaints.
What manufacturers typically argue
- “Within design tolerance.”
- “Customer’s driving caused it.”
- “Repair was successful.”
- “Tire issues, not steering.”
- “Road conditions, not vehicle defect.”
What you should do
- Document each repair attempt.
- Track loaner / rental days toward the 20-calendar-day OOS threshold.
- Send certified-mail notice.
- Get a NJ lemon-law attorney reviewing.
These cases settle reliably with CFA mandatory § 56:8-19 trebling and dual mandatory attorney-fee provisions.
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Read →Think you've got a lemon?
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