Buying a new car can be an exciting process, if not a confusing one. You should make sure that you are familiar with your state’s lemon law, so you get taken for a costly repair ride with your new car.
If you’ve just bought a new car and it drives great, but before long you start having problems that seem to just keep happening, then you may have a lemon car on your hands. No one wants to deal with this. The truth is, you shouldn’t deal with it alone. Contacting a consumer law lawyer is a great step in protecting yourself from not winning your case.
What is Lemon Law?
The lemon laws are what is designed to provide options for people who’ve bought cars and other products that don’t meet quality and performance standards. Now, each state is going to have its own rules about what counts as a lemon law. There are even different federal laws out there about what makes a lemon car.
It is important to know that these laws don’t apply to every situation. In general, the vehicle that is having the problem must be under warranty still. It doesn’t have to be a new car warranty either. It could easily be a limited warranty that came with a used car. Here is what the federal law requires:
- The manufacturer has tried to repair the same problem a reasonable number of times without success or you have had several different problems with the same care that makes it unusable. The same problem typically has to happen three or four times, but it can vary from court to court.
- Attempts to fix the problem happened within the first one or two years you’ve had the car.
- You’ve been unable to use the car due to repairs for at least 30 days.
Tips to Keep in Mind
Those are the federal laws, but there are some things that can make your case easier. We’ve put together a list for you if you ever encounter what could be considered a lemon.
- Only take your car to the dealership for repairs. If you want to get results under a new or used car lemon law, then you can’t take it to another mechanic. The manufacturer can’t be held responsible for the work if you do.
- Keep detailed records of every repair. You want to do this even if you don’t have a lemon car. If your case goes to court, you can show that the manufacturer had plenty of chances to fix your car but didn’t. You will also need to know how long your care was not available to you due to the problems and attempted repairs.