Rumor has it that Chrysler is looking for a buyer for its Dodge Viper division.
The hand-built sports car attained a lot of high praise since it's debut at the 1989 Detroit auto show and Chrysler has made about 25,000 of the hot sports cars since it came out in 1992 but its sales peak was five years ago and it's been waning ever since.
Calling its move a "strategic review" of the Viper division, potential buyers were not disclosed.
The 600 hp supercar is built in Detroit and production employs 110 workers who hand assemble each car. The pain-staking effort is probably the reason we have only had one lemon Viper case since they started coming out of the factory 16 years ago.
The one thing that is clear is that Cerberus, the new owners of Chrysler, are looking to sell assets and build up some cash, as seen by the two Detroit office complexes recently put on the market. Given the marketplace right now, that's probably a smart move. Too bad the Viper may be sacrificed to feed the bigger cash cow at hand.
If that happens and Viper is gone, owners should keep in mind that their factory warranty is from Chrysler and not from some new owner who may or may not care enough or may or may not have the assets to fund warranty claims sufficiently. So, if you've got a Viper with a problem, now is the time to get it in the dealer's shop, while the warranty is still not an issue.
www.NewCarLemonLaw.com
Because life's too short to get bit by a bad Viper
See what your state's Lemon Law says by clicking here.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Known nationwide as a leading Lemon Law attorney, Ronald L. Burdge has represented literally thousands of consumers in "lemon" lawsuits and actively co-counsels and coaches other Consumer Law attorneys. From 2005 through 2018, attorney Ronald L. Burdge has been named as the only Lemon Law Ohio Super Lawyer by Law and Politics magazine and Thomson Reuters Corp., Professional Division. Burdge restricts his practice to Lemon Law and Consumer Law cases. The Ohio Super Lawyer results are published annually in the January issue of Cincinnati Magazine. Ronald L. Burdge was named Consumer Law Trial Lawyer of the Year 2004 by the National Association of Consumer Advocates, the nation's largest organization of consumer law private and government attorneys. "Your impact on the auto industry has been magnified many times over because of the trail you blazed for others," stated NACA's Executive Director, Will Ogburn. Burdge has represented thousands of consumers in Ohio, Kentucky and elsewhere since 1978 and is a frequent lecturer to national, state and local Bar Associations and Judicial organizations. Burdge is admitted to Ohio's state and federal courts, Kentucky's state courts, and Indiana's federal courts. Other court admissions are on a "pro hac" temporary, case by cases basis.