New Car Lemon Laws

New car lemon laws help to protect you from having to fix defects which should have been addressed by the maker of the automobile.

Why New Doesn’t Always Mean Flawless

Buying a new car seems to be a practice which would guarantee that you would get a car without any defects, flaws, or problems. But that isn’t always the case. Sometimes known to the manufacturer, sometimes not, the car you purchase might have a substantial defect in it which can not be fixed. Though you may try, this car may be deemed a lemon by the laws of your state, resulting in a need to replace the car entirely.

New car lemon laws typically cover cars which are new or are leased. When these cars have substantial flaws that make the car unsafe to drive, difficult to gain value, or that impair the use, these cars might be covered by the lemon laws. When the flaws have been fixed several times without any improvement, this is when the car owner is entitled to a refund or a replacement of the car.

Checking with the local laws of the state will help you find out what your rights are in these situations, but in most cases, the lemon laws are clear in terms of helping owners get their money back or get a new car after a reasonable amount of attempts to fix the problem have been completed without success.

Who These Laws Protect

Cars, trucks, vans, and motorcycles are generally covered by the new car lemon laws. However, any vehicles which might be used for off road travels, homes, or are damaged through owner neglect are not covered by the laws. The lemon laws will typically only protect the car for up to a year of use or 15,000 miles of the original purchase date of the vehicle, though different states may have different rules. Look at different state lemon law FAQ to help you.