Although lemon laws apply to anything purchased by a consumer and the item has a warranty, these laws are most often employed in the event a vehicle fails to operate as it should.
Let’s look at how the laws work regarding vehicles:
Every state has a version of a law or laws that are in place to protect consumers that purchase new vehicles. The laws differ somewhat from one jurisdiction to another, but there are some clauses that are common.
Typical lemon laws stipulate that the buyer of a new vehicle; in some states even used cars are given limited cover, is entitled to a legal remedy should:
* The car be in for repair for a defined number of days, usually 30 and
* The car is in for repair for the same problem, usually three or four times
There is a limit on how long the lemon law provides protection; it varies from 18 months to two years. Not every defect is covered, the defect must be one that impairs the vehicles safety, has a negative impact on the cars resale value and it has an impact on the vehicles usage.
What qualifies as a defect?
This is the tricky part of lemon laws; every state has its own definition. Some defects are patently obvious; brakes, engine failure, etc while other defects are in a grey area. There is no “line in the sand” which makes talking to a lemon law lawyer a good idea.
If your car meets the lemon laws of your state there are two entitlements; you can demand a new car which is substantially the same as the lemon or you can demand a refund of all monies paid. In the event you opt for a refund, most states will offset the refund based on the mileage.
Lemon laws for cars apply in every state, although there are differences. For a full explanation of the lemon laws in your state you are invited to visit the web site of Lemon Law America.
