You bought a lemon, what now? Have you ever thought of the amount of time and money it takes to fix your vehicle when you’ve been sold a faulty one by an unscrupulous dealership? These dealerships are clever at fooling unsuspecting first-time buyers with their lemons. That’s why there are laws in place to protect consumers against fraudulent car sales like these. A lemon law attorney San Diego can help. Let’s talk more about it:
What are the Lemon Laws for Vehicles?
The Federal Lemon Law
The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act is a federal law that protects consumers from manufacturer warranties. The legislation was created in 1975 by Congress to protect the rights of buyers who buy defective products that are covered under warranty protection.
The Federal Lemon Law can be found in Title 15 Chapter 50, Sections 2301-2312 and it sets regulations for consumer goods with written warranties when they’re not working properly due to some defect or malfunctioning condition – even if you didn’t originally purchase them at their store (with exceptions).
The State Lemon Law
Lemon laws vary by state, and these laws often cover new vehicle purchases but can be applied towards other purchases or leases. The consumer may have a limited window of time in which to report their purchase as a lemon.
The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act of 1975 is a federal law that protects citizens everywhere in the U.S., but each state has different policies for making claims and what they cover varies greatly, so it’s important to check your state lemon laws before filing a claim! For example, some states’ lemon laws will only cover used or leased cars while others won’t have any restrictions at all on coverage – you’ll want to know which type of vehicle you’re buying if this matters to you.
The Insurance Application
Consumers who have purchased a lemon vehicle are eligible to receive reimbursement for any insurance payments they made while owning the car. Insurance companies do not offer anything similar to lemon law California so in order to be compensated you’ll need to negotiate with the defendants during settlement negotiations or court proceedings.
Remember that your goal is get back as close as possible – financially speaking -to what it would’ve been like if you had never bought a lemon vehicle! All of your additional expenditures can play into this equation too, such as paying for insurance on top of other expenses related directly and indirectly from buying a vehicle.
What Can You Do With Your Lemon Vehicle?
It is important to act fast when you realize your vehicle has a major defect. Under federal lemon laws, manufacturers are allowed 3-4 attempts to repair the problem within 12 months of purchase or first delivery date. Some state statutes have even shorter windows for filing complaints. It’s important to keep receipts, estimates and anything else from service or repairs on the vehicle. Even if your car isn’t a lemon you need this information in case there is an accident or for resale value down the line should you decide to get rid of it.
Your car’s manufacturer has a responsibility to repair your vehicle. One way you can make sure they do is by requesting it in writing, and having their attorneys review the letter before sending it along with any other correspondence. You may want to make these written requests each time you have a car in for repairs, as well. Doing this will create documentation that shows the frequency of your vehicle’s problems and how many times it has been brought into repair shops with manufacturer knowledge but still hasn’t received lasting fixes.
How Can Lemon Law Attorneys San Diego Help?
The biggest advantage to hiring the best California lemon law attorney is that they deal with lemon laws and know the lemon laws inside and out, getting you a better chance of winning your case. Moreover, because they are familiar with all aspects of the defective product law office great falls mt in their state (and other states), they will know what kind of expert witness(es) might be needed for your particular situation so as not to jeopardize any claims or defenses.
