Lemon Law - Buyer’s Responsibilities
Under lemon law, if you are the owner of a brand new or used but under warranty vehicle and facing a malfunctioning of one or many parts of the vehicle; which is impairing the value or functioning of the vehicle, you are entitled to claim repair, replacement or refund from your dealer or manufacturer of the vehicle.
But as a buyer or owner of the vehicle, where you are entitled to many rights, you also have some responsibilities. You must claim the defect within the warranty period while also notifying the manufacturer if the dealer is unable to fix the problem. Settle your problem with the help of informal dispute program of your manufacturer that is if he is offering one. You as a buyer also have some responsibilities so as to avoid buying a lemon in the first place, those are:
- The very first thing you should do to avoid purchasing a lemon is, execute a thorough research on the vehicles, their prices, mileage and speed.
- Dealers always try to hide the defects and never accept their mistakes, always keep your eyes open and be smart enough to look beyond the rosy picture your dealer or manufacturer is painting.
- You must read and understand the terms and conditions clearly. In case of any confusion, discuss it with the dealer before buying a car.
- It’s a buyer’s responsibility to inspect the car thoroughly. If while observing you find something fishy about the car, refuse to accept the car then and there. Be cautious of dialogues like "We’ll resolve these problems at the first service."
- Read the manuals and service terms and also clarify the warranty terms.
- Give a dated written note clearly describing all the problems to your dealer or manufacturer.
- When going for a repair, be prepared for delay in time and work. So be patient.
- If you have a lemon car and you want to claim it under lemon law, you must send a notice within sixty days after the express warranty ends, or within sixty days after the one-year period ends whichever occurs first.
- The notice must contains your name, date, problem or defect, its description, number of attempts of fixing that problem, VIN, serial number, manufacturer’s name, dealer’s name and your address and phone number.
- It is highly recommended to hire a lemon law attorney, because these dealers create numerous obstacles which will be difficult for you to figure out and face on your own.
- Don’t delay filing your complaint with the dealer or manufacturer. Do it right away as soon as the problem occurs the very first time and take your car to the workshop.
- If you are claiming a replacement or refund, do attach the receipts of purchase, leasing, insurance and other expenses.