When a car fails to meets its warranty parameters and either does not function or poses a serious safety problem, we usually deal with what’s called a “lemon”. Being the unlucky owner of a lemon is certainly a pill hard to swallow. Luckily, each state has specially designed consumer laws. Ask the local DMV about lemon laws in your state. You surely want to get your money back or to have it replaced with a fully functional one. Check the following tips for lemon car cases:
1. Act as fast as possible. Take immediate action as soon as things become suspicious. As soon as you’ve brought your vehicle in for a reasonable amount of repairs and the problems are still present, start the lemon law process. Check the state laws about the conditions for classifying a car as lemon: number of repair attempts, mileage, number of days in which the vehicle was not operable.
2. Make sure that repair attempts are dated. Make sure that all of your work orders, repair orders, and receipts are correctly dated. Keeping accurate and orderly paperwork is extremely important to making the lemon law process as quick and smooth as possible. Having detailed paperwork of repair attempts and other
interactions you’ve had with your dealership will significantly speed up the process.
3. Note which repair shops worked on your vehicle. Keep track of the names of the mechanics who checked and repaired your car. Knowing who was making repairs or important decisions about your vehicle is another crucial piece of information in making the lemon law process go as smoothly and as fast as possible.
4. Make sure that the issues you have with your car can be reproduced. If your mechanic is unable to duplicate the issue your car is experiencing, and thus no repair is made, ask the mechanic or manager to take a test drive with you in order to show them the problem. If you’re able to duplicate the issue, make sure to note that in the repair order.
5. Hire a specialized lemon law attorney. Lemon law is a specialized area of expertise and you should hire an attorney familiar with it. You should read reviews and recommendations, then make a list with top ranking lawyers. Contact a lawyer and clearly explain your case. A good attorney will help you recover money faster or have your faulty car replaced.
