Lemon Laws and Car Dealers Who Won't Pay Up

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 andthings are best determined by courts of law or
car loans averaging nearly six years in duration, it onlyarbitration panels; don't let the dealer scare you away
stands to reason that consumers expect thoseby 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, eachthis 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 bymuch as a manufacturing problem. It's not your car,
which a consumer with a habitually defective vehiclethe dealer will say, they are all like that. If they are all
could seek relief in the form of either a replacementlike 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 oftenSuggesting that you haven't qualified due to an
reluctant to hand over the money or a new car, andinsufficient number of repair attempts. Each state has
frequently offer a variety of excuses for failing to doits 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 excusesyour state's Attorney General's office to find out
offered by dealers when presented with a defectivehow 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 statesfor it; he isn't looking out for you.
offer exemptions for vehicles from their lemon lawIt can be difficult, time consuming, and frustrating to
statutes if the vehicle has been abused, neglected orfile a lemon law claim. Under the laws of your state,
modified by the owner in a manner that is notyou are entitled to a replacement or refund if your
approved by the manufacturer. There are certainlyvehicle qualifies under the law. Don't expect your
cases where neglect or abuse may apply, but dealersdealer to go out of his or her way to offer your
often suggest these problems right away in order torefund; you will have to insist upon it yourself. But if
chase the owner away. If you know that you haveyou do have a case, make sure that you stand your
not abused, neglected, or modified your car, thenground.
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 theEssmeier 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 - TheLemonLawHelp.net, a site devoted to information
laws declare pretty clearly what is and is not aregarding lemon laws for automobiles and
qualifying defect. Such defects need not, byCar-Insurance-Help.net, a site about car insurance.
definition, be significant; they need only adversely