Every state in the U.S. has a version of the lemon law. This law and qualification requirements are not exactly the same from from state to state, but the basic rights under the law provide you with basically the same level of protection. That is, if you purchase a car that turns out to be a "lemon," you are entitled for a refund or replacement vehicle. But you have to know your states law to claim your lemon.
Your state probably also has some type of law that requires car manufacturers to honor car warranties under certain conditions. These laws also vary from state to state. It is up to you as the consumer to do some research to determine the laws and statutes in your particular state.
For example, the Texas law is available to consumers who buy or lease new vehicles in Texas. This law obligates manufactures to repair, replace, or refund the price of motor vehicles that prove to be defective time and time again. While the lemon law covers many different defects of a vehicle, you have to know the letter of the law to get your vehicle declared a lemon.
In California, the Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act, or "lemon law" as it is more commonly called, benefits consumers greatly. The California law provides protection when purchasing new and used vehicles, making California consumers the most protected car buyers in the country. Offenders must offer a refund or replacement car for purchases that turn out to be "lemons" under the California law.
So if you live in California you are pretty lucky if you need to use the lemon law. However, your state may have laws that are almost as good. You should go to Google and search for "lemon law" plus your state's name to find out exactly what your state's laws are.
Winning a lemon law battle can be time consuming. However, this law is there to protect you, and it's becoming easier to win your case.
First of all you should get your state's information on lemon laws, consider all of your options, call the lemon law 800 number, and put your trust in the men and women who know what to do to get you a fair settlement. They will answer all of your questions, for example, "Who pays lemon law court fees?" Every state has lemon laws that are a little different, but by all means put your faith in the system.
Using the power of your state's law system, you will find all the answers you need. They will do the work for you and charge you little for the work. In the end, if they win the case, the person who sold you the lemon will pay your court fees anyway!
In many states, arbitration is used to solve problems when a car still under warranty turns out to be a lemon.
Lemon law provisions, like those of the California, often allow for a specific arbitration process that saves you time and money over expensive court hearings. Under the California law, there is an arbitration process that the Better Business Bureau uses that helps consumers with lemon cars.
Check into the exact lemon law requirements of your state, and before going immediately to court, it may be in your best interest to use an arbitrator.
Just be sure to get started right away by making the right contacts and keeping documentation. |
