Firefighters to seek help under state Lemon Law

Fredonia Fire Chief Brian Weyker last week told village trustees that he will file a claim under the state’s Lemon Law, which protects consumers who buy defective vehicles, over a troublesome ambulance the department has battled with since June.

“It’s been frustrating, I can tell you that,” Weyker said.

The 2018 Ford vehicle, which is still under warranty, was purchased for $121,381, after its predecessor was wrecked in a crash in January 2018 at the intersection of Highway 57 and Highway H. 

All of the purchase price but the village’s $1,000 deductible was covered by insurance.

The vehicle has been out of commission since June due to mechanical failures and the inability of Ford mechanics, both locally and in Detroit, to solve the problem. 

The issue has been exacerbated by coronavirus-related supply-chain problems, Weyker said.

That has forced the department to rely on other departments to cover its calls.

Fredonia borrowed one ambulance from the Port Washington Fire Department, but that vehicle overheated while on a call and had to be towed and repaired.

Since then, the Fredonia department has been using an ambulance loaned to it by Foster Coach in Sterling, Ill., the company that built the 2018 ambulance.

According to the state Department of Administration’s website, a vehicle may qualify as a lemon if it develops a defect in its first year or while still under warranty; the defect seriously harms the vehicle’s use, value or safety; the dealer failed four times to fix the defect; and the vehicle has been out of service at least 30 days due to the defect.

If the vehicle is found to be a lemon, the buyer can have it replaced or have the purchase price refunded.