Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, April 17, 1990                   TAG: 9004170210
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: E3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Tammy Poole
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

LEMON BOOK OFFERS HELP TAKING ON CAR COMPANIES

This book contains information on the rights lemon owners have and how to exercise them. The book also has information and tips on how to get auto companies to take back defective vehicles.

Following are some of the cars listed as lemons in the book, and a synopsis of the book's descriptions of their problems:

\ Economy: Renault Alliance/Encore. Proclaimed 1983 Car of the Year by Motor Trend, this Franco-American lemon disappointed legions of value-seeking car buyers. As the cars age, the prevalent transmission and brake failures have been overtaken by a more dangerous defect: exploding plastic heater cores that can spray passengers with scalding-hot engine coolant.

\ Compact: GM X-Car (Citation, Omega, Skylark, Phoenix). Hit by 13 recalls in the first year, they never recovered. Problems include: rear brake lock-up, chronic power steering failures, cracked engine blocks, faulty manual and automatic transmissions.

\ Two seater: Pontiac Fiero. Renowned for engine fires, overheating and cracked four-cylinder blocks. Many mechanical components based on GM's X-car and Chevrolet Chevette.

\ Family sedan: GM A-Car (Celebrity, Cutlass Ciera, Century 6000). A stretch version of the X-car with many of the same defects. Problems include: Defective 6-cylinder engine, overdrive transmission, premature tire wear and defective paint.

\ Luxury: Chrysler Imperial. On-board computer failures doomed high-tech, short-lived revival of Chrysler's most prestigious nameplate. Failing digital dashboards and fuel injection systems left many of these luxury models virtually undriveable. The problems were so severe, Chrysler dropped it as a flop after a three year production run from 1981-83.

\ Muscle car: Chevrolet Camaro/Pontiac Firebird. Back windshields shatter, defective automatic overdrive transmission, rear brake lockup, rear axle and differential failures, cracked engine blocks and sudden acceleration problems.

\ Minivan: Ford Aerostar. Recalled six times soon after its 1986 introduction, the Aerostar became the most-often investigated minivan. Defects include: fuel leaks, transmission failures, seat fires, wiper motor failures, and doors that fall off.

\ Sport utility: Suzuki Samurai. With a higher rollover frequency than other utility vehicles, Samurai also became one of the least durable. Front-end and body hardware are most troublesome.

\ Japanese: Toyota Camry. Toyota has touted the car as trouble-free, but some owners have found otherwise. Defects include: transmission, brakes, timing belt and cruise control.

\ European: Peugeot 505: Peugeot sales dwindled as the 1980's progressed, due to a reputation for unreliability. The Peugeot 505 failed badly in 1989 crash tests when its passive seat belt bent the door frame on which it was mounted.

\ Eastern bloc: Yugo. The car was cheap to buy, but money saved was often consumed in repair costs. Complaints have included everything but power windows, which the Yugo didn't have.

In addition to the above model-specific categories, some defects are so widespread that they affect many different models:

\ Mostly costly: 1980-85 GM V8 Diesels with converted 5.7 liter gasoline engine have cost owners over $2 billion in repairs and loss of value - truly the economic lemon of the century.

\ Most deadly: 1966-80 Fords with automatic transmissions that slip from park into reverse killed more people than other defects in the 1980's with more than 20 deaths a year putting the death total at more than 500.

\ Most widespread: 16 million 1980-88 GM front-wheel-drive cars: Defective rack and pinion power steering systems that fail with such regularity at 40,000-60,000 miles that GM secretly extended the warranty to five years but only 50,000 miles.

\ Most slippery: GM Automatic Overdrive Transmissions (700-R4, 440-T4, 200-4R, 325-4L) have had so many defects that GM has issued more than 200 dealer bulletins on problems such as slipping, oil leaks, loss of gear and no drive or reverse gears.

The "Lemon Book" is available at book stores for $12.95 and from the publisher, Moyer-Bell, for $15.95 (includes postage and handling) at Colonial Hill, RFD 1, Mt. Kisco, N.Y. 10549 or by calling (914) 666-0084.