Auto Lemon –Can Your State's Lemon Law Help You?

In 1982, the luck of owners of so-called “lemons” changed for the better, as California and Connecticut passed the nation’s first “lemon laws.”

These laws, spawned by consumers who had waged tireless battles against major auto companies, allowed owners of defective automobiles to seek compensation or replacement with the help of their respective states. These laws swept like wildfire throughout the country, and now all 50 states have some form of the lemon law.

The specifics of the lemon laws will vary from state to state, but in general, they define a “lemon” as a vehicle that:

The length of the warranty period also varies; coverage typically runs anywhere from one year or 12,000 miles to two years or 24,000 miles. As previously stated, the specifics vary from state to state, particularly the number of repair attempts that constitute “reasonable” and the number of days that the vehicle must be out of service in order to qualify. In some states, repairs that affect the brakes or other safety equipment need only one repair attempt to qualify as “reasonable.”

Restitution is fairly consistent from state to state; it usually requires the manufacturer to either replace the vehicle with one of comparable value, or refund the purchase price, along with taxes, registration and delivery fees. Some states leave the option of replacement or refund to the manufacturer, but most give the option to the consumer.

What should you do if you think you have a lemon? You should:

You may have to go through an arbitration process; this involves both you and a representative of the manufacturer explaining your respective situations to a panel that will then provide a ruling. The arbitration ruling is usually binding on the manufacturer; they will have no recourse should the panel rule in your favor. Generally, if you don’t agree with the panel’s ruling, you still have the option of filing a lawsuit in court.

You may wish to hire an attorney to represent you; there are plenty of lawyers who specialize in lemon law cases, and they can probably bring the case to a solution more quickly than if you handle the case yourself. Be sure to contact your state’s Attorney General’s office regarding the specifics of your own state’s lemon law. You don’t want to miss a deadline, or you could be stuck with your lemon for a long time.

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©Copyright 2005 by Retro Marketing. Charles Essmeier is the owner of Retro Marketing. Retro Marketing, established in 1978, is a firm devoted to informational Websites, including http://www.LemonLawHelp.net