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Archive of posts tagged mildew

Pontiac G6 Smells of Mildew

Posted by  on 19 May 2010, 12:44 pm

Visitor Alisha presented this problem about a Pontiac G6 with possible mildew problems:

I have a 2009 Pontiac G6. I have had the car for 6 months. I bought it off the lot with 8,000 miles on it. It now has 14,000. Over the last month I have brought the car in 4 times b/c there is a mildew smell coming out of the ac vents. The dealership has taken the car in and done everything GM has told them to do and the problem still is not fixed. They said the a/c is running so cold that it sweats and the water pools up on the evaporator core and just sits there and doesn’t evaporate.
What can I do. PS I think the mildew smell might be making me sick. Funny, since I bought the car in October I have been sick almost every single month there after. What are my rights/options at this point? Obviously the car is still under bumper to bumper factory warranty.

There is a drain that comes through the firewall, it is a black rubber pipe which is pinched on the end to prevent air getting in but allows water out, make sure it isn’t blocked. It should be checked during a service. You can find it by getting under the car with the air conditioner on, water will drip from it after system is run for a little while on warm days.

Frigi-Fresh professional grade is formulated to help remove foul, musty odors from automobile air conditioning systems. It kills mold, mildew and other odor-producing organisms that grow in the evaporator core and housing. The problem for the dealer is getting to it. The heater will not heat the air conditioner coils as it is down stream in the system in all cars I know of, but running the fan with warm air from outside or the cabin will dry the coils some. It is a good idea to turn off the air conditioner, leaving the fan on and recirculating for a few minutes before you reach your destination to allow it to dry out but again not a long lasting remedy.

If odor continues the a/c evaporator core in the dash would need to be replaced. All are considering there is no other water leaking or collecting in the carpets in the vehicle interior from other sources like a leaky sunroof.

A consumer in this situation definitely has legal rights and should contact a Lemon Law Attorney as soon as possible. For a list of Lemon Law Attorneys, click here. For a summary of the Lemon Laws for each state, please click here.

Filed under Pontiac, Questions. Tagged , , , , ,
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Steering Defects and Water Leaks a Common Problem with General Motors Vehicles

Posted by  on 28 October 2009, 8:41 am

A concerned consumer, Art, recently asked this question:

I have just brought my 2008 Saturn Aura to the dealers for steering box “knocking” which he wrote up on the service ticket. The service person noted to me a mildew odor in the car and this turned into the “discovery” of a real serious water leak. The service person went immediately to the source; He quickly revealed standing water under the front passengers side carpet!

Now Saturn is going to locate and fix the problem? and replace all carpeting.

My concern is…CAN this type of problem really be fixed? Is this not a serious health issue?

Thank you for your inquiry. In fact, GM is having a major problem with both of the described conditions in many of it’s products. Hundreds of my clients are undergoing multiple repairs for steering defects. Repairs range from lubrication to replacement of end links, steering gears, steering shafts and steering columns. Many clients indicate the noise and sometimes looseness or binding just keeps coming back.

The same can be said for water leaks. I have hundreds of GM clients who experience repeat water leaks and resultant mold and mildew in their vehicles.

The best advice I can give you is to aggressively return your vehicle under warranty for repairs for both issues. Of course, if the conditions are successfully repaired in a “reasonable” number of attempts or in a “reasonable” number of days in the shop, GM did what it is supposed to do under the warranty.

On the other hand, if GM goes through an “unreasonable” number of repair attempts or there are an “unreasonable” number of days in the shop and the conditions remain, e-mail us back and we will put you in touch with a lawyer who may be able to help you free of charge.

Also, feel free to check out www.lemonlaw.com/breakmold.html for more information on leaking and moldy vehicles.

Bob

Filed under Defects, Questions, Saturn. Tagged , , , , , , , , ,
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