Friday, 22 July 2011

Lemon Laws and Consumer Rights


What is a lemon law? There is no one specific law because the lemon law varies from state to state and there is a Federal law. Lemon laws were put in place to protect consumers who purchase a vehicle that fails to perform or be the quality it should be. Federal laws are set to protect all citizens. Each state's laws are different and some states do not cover used vehicles. These laws are meant to protect consumers in cases where the vehicle they have purchased is defective. Lemon laws apply to other types of vehicles and products as well. These can include RV's, motorcycles, boats, wheel chairs, and computers. Consumer purchases such as these are protected by these laws.

A lemon car is a vehicle that has defects that cause the vehicle to not be safe or perform improperly. These defects are not normally evident when the vehicle is purchased. The car is a lemon if these defects are still not repaired after many repair attempts. If the vehicle has been repaired for the same defect three or four consecutive times during the warranty it can be considered a lemon car. An example of a defect is one that has brakes that do not work. If the vehicle is new, there may be mechanical defects caused by design errors or problems during the assembly of the vehicle. Also if the vehicle has been inoperable for a prolonged period of time it might fall under lemon laws. Used vehicles can be abused, poorly maintained, not repaired correctly after an accident, or tampered with to show lower mileage. These types of issues are also covered under lemon laws.

There are two ways to benefit from lemon laws if a vehicle has been purchased and is defective. The first is compensation for breach of warranty. This includes manufacturer warranties and extended warranties. A basic manufacturer warranty is normally 3 years and or 36,000 miles. Certified manufacture warranties are normally one year and an extended warranty begins after the manufacturer warranty expires and lasts for five years or longer. Any cases involving warranty breach are in the realm of federal lemon laws. The second is any case where there is not a warranty. These can be considered violations of the consumer protection laws. Some examples include a history of mechanical problems, a salvaged or wrecked vehicle, or a rolled back odometer.

To get a better understanding of state and federal lemon laws, it is always best to consult with an attorney who is familiar with that particular state's laws and rights granted to consumers. They will know the laws and will be able to help determine if the vehicle is indeed a lemon car. A lawyer will also be able to tell what information is needed for proof and a solid case. They will be able to give advice and lay out all the options available. Knowing what rights are granted and protected could save money, time, and a lot of frustration. Remember to document all repairs and keep a detailed history of the vehicle.




The lemon law is a way to protect consumers when they have purchased any vehicle that is considered defective and is dangerous or does not perform correctly.

A lemon car is a vehicle that has defects that have been repaired several times and is still defective. As a consumer you have a right to contact a lawyer and possibly pursue compensation if certain state or federal conditions are met. For more information on the lemon law, visit AmericanLemonLawCenter.com.





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