No car manufacturer will purposefully ship a lemon car to a dealer; as a result no dealer will purposefully sell you a lemon. What happens however if you purchased a car only to find out once you started driving it that it was showing ample evidence of having a serious fault?
In 1975 the federal government passed the Magnusson-Moss Warranty Act, this law has since become the basis for Lemon Laws in all states. Although the laws vary they do all have a common theme; they are designed to protect the consumer from a vehicle that experiences problems which make it unsafe to drive, have a detrimental impact on their use as well as their value.
As noted, the lemon laws tend to differ but there are generalities that tend to apply to new cars purchased from a local dealer. In all states the lemon law applies to the purchase of a new car, in other states the law also covers trucks, motorcycles and motor homes and again in other states leased vehicles and even used cars are covered. Even though the vehicles that are covered vary the criteria is somewhat the same.
* The vehicle must have been in the shop for repair of the same problem a given number of times (usually three or four) but without solution. It is important that you maintain complete records of all repairs; this information will prove extremely valuable when you enforce your rights under your states lemon laws.
* The vehicle has been in the repair shop for a specific number of cumulative days, in the majority of states this is 30 days.
* You must have reported the fault within a certain period of time or prior to reaching a specific number of miles.
* The problem is not related to vehicle modification, abuse, neglect or accident.
If the vehicle you purchased meets the criteria then you have a lemon and as such you have the right to demand recourse. You can demand a full refund of the purchase price and all other costs associated with the purchase or you can demand a replacement vehicle of equal specification and value.
If the vehicle manufacturer simply refuses to refund the purchase price or replace the vehicle you have recourse, you can take the manufacturer to court but, as a major car manufacturer does not want to sully their reputation, rarely will it go that far, click here to know more.
The lemon laws that apply in your state will vary compared to the laws that apply elsewhere. If you believe your new car is a lemon and you need legal guidance and assistance you are invited to contact Krohn & Moss Consumer Law Center.
