There’s no better feeling than saving enough money to purchase a new card, however, on the ride home or even a few days after you begin to notice that something is off. The steering wheel is hard to handle, or the car is making a funny noise. No matter the issue, you know that this shouldn’t be happening within a new car. So, what should you do? Do you cut your losses and simply purchase a new car? Fortunately, many states across the country have something called a lemon law. These are laws enacted to protect consumers from car companies who may be producing less than reliable vehicles. The following includes information that can educate you on just how a lemon law can protect and help you.
First, Make Sure you Qualify for the Lemon Law
Although the lemon law was created to protect consumers, it was also partly created to protect dealerships and car companies. Therefore, before declaring that you have a lemon of a car, you need to ensure that the issue has covered two things. One is that it holds a “substantial defect,” which is covered by the warranty and two that the issue has been looked over by a mechanic and has been repaired more than once and still holds the defect. It should be noted that this is the most common requirement, but it can vary from state to state.
Hassle-Free – Sometimes
The very first thing you need to make sure you do when you suspect you have a lemon is to inform the manufacturer, however, by the record of your repair attempts they should already know. Once you’ve contacted them, you may be offered a refund or replacement for your car. They will understand that they are dealing with the lemon law and should provide you with these services as soon as possible. However, there are going to be times when the manufacturer won’t take full responsibility, so you may need to take the following step.
Free of Charge Process & Arbitration
Because this is not an issue that you have caused, much of the process, if not everything, is going to be free. Lemon law arbitration is another word for this process, and it is the procedure that a legal panel will take to determine what type of compensation or award you should be provided with. The award provided to you will often come from the manufacturer of the vehicle. However, if you do not like the compensation you are being offered, you may take the manufacturer to court. In this case, you will be liable for court fees in the event that you lose the case.
Utilize The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act
One of the ways that the lemon law protects you from an unfair purchase is through the combination of the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act. This act was enacted by the government to protect consumers from manufacturers. This law prevents manufacturers from creating unfair and unrealistic warranties for their products. This ensures that the warranty signed by yourself will allow your vehicle to be repaired at no cost to you.
What if My Lemon is a Used Car?
This question is something that is often asked. Although the lemon law was created to protect consumers who purchase or lease new cars, there have been added provisions to the used car market as well. Some of the types of used cars that the lemon law protects are cars that have a certain amount of mileage and cars that have only been sold once. You may need to research what type of used car laws your particular state has as this is a newer part of the lemon law.
Nobody wants to find out that their brand new car is a lemon. Fortunately, laws such as the lemon law were enacted to protect consumers from being sold bad goods. Although the list outlines many of the ways it can help you, it is always recommended to conduct research on your particular state or receive counsel from a personal attorney.