| Buying a car or truck is an expensive proposition. | | | | affect the safety, use, or value of the vehicle. These |
| With new cars often costing more than $20,000 and | | | | things are best determined by courts of law or |
| car loans averaging nearly six years in duration, it only | | | | arbitration panels; don't let the dealer scare you away |
| stands to reason that consumers expect those | | | | by telling you the problem isn't important. |
| vehicles to work reliably when they buy them. | | | | Suggesting that the defect is not actually a defect. In |
| Sometimes they do not, and for those cases, each | | | | this case, the dealer suggests that the problem is |
| of the fifty states has passed an auto lemon law. | | | | common to all similar vehicles. It's not a defect, so |
| Those laws were passed to simplify the process by | | | | much as a manufacturing problem. It's not your car, |
| which a consumer with a habitually defective vehicle | | | | the dealer will say, they are all like that. If they are all |
| could seek relief in the form of either a replacement | | | | like that, then the problem can't be a defect, can it? |
| vehicle or a refund of the purchase price. | | | | Yes, it can. Don't fall for this one. |
| Understandably, dealers and manufacturers are often | | | | Suggesting that you haven't qualified due to an |
| reluctant to hand over the money or a new car, and | | | | insufficient number of repair attempts. Each state has |
| frequently offer a variety of excuses for failing to do | | | | its own rules for the number of repair attempts that |
| so. | | | | qualify a vehicle as a lemon. You should check with |
| Here are some of the more common excuses | | | | your state's Attorney General's office to find out |
| offered by dealers when presented with a defective | | | | how many repair attempts qualify a vehicle as |
| automobile: | | | | defective in your state. Don't take the dealer's word |
| The vehicle is neglected or abused - All fifty states | | | | for it; he isn't looking out for you. |
| offer exemptions for vehicles from their lemon law | | | | It can be difficult, time consuming, and frustrating to |
| statutes if the vehicle has been abused, neglected or | | | | file a lemon law claim. Under the laws of your state, |
| modified by the owner in a manner that is not | | | | you are entitled to a replacement or refund if your |
| approved by the manufacturer. There are certainly | | | | vehicle qualifies under the law. Don't expect your |
| cases where neglect or abuse may apply, but dealers | | | | dealer to go out of his or her way to offer your |
| often suggest these problems right away in order to | | | | refund; you will have to insist upon it yourself. But if |
| chase the owner away. If you know that you have | | | | you do have a case, make sure that you stand your |
| not abused, neglected, or modified your car, then | | | | ground. |
| you know that you still have a valid claim. Don't let | | | | ?Copyright 2006 by Retro Marketing. Charles |
| the dealer chase you away by simply declaring the | | | | Essmeier is the owner of Retro Marketing, a firm |
| vehicle to be misused. | | | | devoted to informational Websites, including |
| The vehicle's defect is not a significant one - The | | | | LemonLawHelp.net, a site devoted to information |
| laws declare pretty clearly what is and is not a | | | | regarding lemon laws for automobiles and |
| qualifying defect. Such defects need not, by | | | | Car-Insurance-Help.net, a site about car insurance. |
| definition, be significant; they need only adversely | | | | |