When Should You Rely on the Lemon Law?

When you buy a vehicle – new or used – and something is not working properly, you realize that you might have just made a bad investment.

While many people think that any car issues are their responsibility once they buy the vehicle, the truth is that, depending on various aspects, they could be covered by the Lemon Law.

As you may know, the Lemon Law protects car buyers from faulty and even life-threatening products, usually making manufacturers or dealerships replace the vehicle or simply buy it back.

Here is exactly what you should know when buying a new car – namely, when should you rely on this particular law?

What Does the Lemon Law Cover?

Every California lemon law lawyer will let you know that any vehicle, no matter what it’s the condition, is covered by this particular law as long as it is still subject to the new vehicle warranty provided by the manufacturer.

In short, a vehicle warranty means you are protected in case you purchase a lemon.

• Naturally, different states come with slightly different rules/regulations. For example, vehicles sold in California are subject to the state’s version of this law.
• Moreover, most states have laws protecting cars for 18 months after being purchased. However, if they have less than 18 thousand miles on board, this aspect is considered first, and not the former.
• As mentioned above, the Lemon Law mainly attempts to make dealerships and car manufacturers replace the vehicle they have sold as a lemon, or even buy it back from the owner. However, this aspect comes into play only after something called a reasonable number of attempts of repairs.

When Can (and Should) You Rely on the Lemon Law?

As mentioned, you can rely on this law only after the manufacturer or dealership of your vehicle has tried to repair it for a reasonable number of times.

For example, you can and should rely on the Lemon Law when:

• The dealership – or the manufacturer – of your new car tried to repair it at least two times. The vehicle’s problem must be, however, serious – for example, it could lead to injuries or worse if it is not fixed.
• For issues that are not dangerous to the driver, the manufacturer/dealership must have tried for at least four times to solve the issue/problem.
• Finally, if your car has been under repairs for more than a total of thirty days, then the Lemon Law comes into play, and you should take advantage of it. Keep in mind that multiple visits that add up to the mentioned period are still eligible!

The Bottom Line

It is not difficult to determine if you’ve bought a lemon. Mainly, if you spend more time waiting for your new car to come out of service rather than actually driving it, then you may want to contact a lawyer and see how you can get your money back – or, even better, a replacement. If you live in California and have had an issue with your new car purchase that’s giving you problems – and you want to be on the right side of the law in filing a legal claim in court to recover the money you invested in buying the car… then I highly recommend McMillan Law Group. They are a lemon law attorney in San Diego and are the go-to legal experts when it comes to lemon law in California.

However, you must remember the main aspect of this law. Namely, if the car that you buy is still under the new vehicle warranty of the manufacturer, then you can say that you are fully covered no matter what car issue/problem you come across!