Defective Vehicles: Your Rights Under State Lemon Laws

When you drive your new car off the lot, you have every right to expect that it will run like a charm. Sometimes, though, the vehicle turns out to be a lemon. Thankfully, state lemon laws protect consumers from defective vehicles.

Although lemon laws differ from state to state, if you’ve taken your vehicle in multiple times to get the same problem fixed, it’s probably covered by your state’s lemon law. Every state has a new car lemon law, and many state lemon laws also cover defective trucks, RVs, and motorcycles. Typically, new car lemon laws are restricted to a vehicle’s age and the number of miles driven. For example, a lemon law might cover new cars that are less than two years old or that have been driven less than 18,000 miles. Some states also have used car lemon laws, and some cover leased vehicles.

A lemon car or lemon vehicle is one that the dealer or manufacturer either cannot repair after numerous attempts, or refuses to repair. State lemon laws typically require that you take your vehicle in for repair between two times (for serious safety defects) and four times (for other types of problems), or that the vehicle is out of service for 30 days. In most states, the vehicles must be owned and operated by individuals and their families for personal use.

Lemberg & Associates has helped thousands of consumers obtain full lemon law refunds, new vehicle replacements, and cash settlements for compensation in breach of warranty claims. Complete the form on the right for a free case evaluation.

For more information on lemon law, visit Lemberg & Associates’ comprehensive lemon law resource at www.LemonJustice.com.

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