When the Dealership Gives Your Lemons

Do you know what a lemon is? We’re not talking about the fruit – Lemon Law protects new vehicle owners who have significant, continuing mechanical problems with their vehicles that are covered by a warranty.

Most consumers think any vehicle purchase gone wrong can qualify as a lemon, but that’s not true! Lemons must have had an attempt to diagnose or repair during the Lemon Eligibility Period within 2 years from the original retail delivery date and before the vehicle reached 24,000 miles on their odometer. This means that most used car vehicle sales are not lemons!

If you purchased a used vehicle that’s older than 3 years from the manufacture year and has more than 24,000.00 miles, your purchase does not qualify as a lemon under the Lemon Law.

If you think you might have a lemon, consider what kind of defect your vehicle might have. The Lemon Law only protects against defects that substantially impact the use, value, or safety of the vehicle. This means cosmetic defects, such as chipped paint or small rips in the car seats, probably would not reach the level that’s required for Lemon law protection.

Examples of possible Lemon Law defects might include: engine, fuel line, and airbag issues. There are two main types of defects covered by the Lemon Law: nonconformity and serious safety defect. Depending on which defect you have, you may need to diagnose or attempt repairs a different number of times. Each type of defect has different requirements under the Lemon Law, so reach out to NWCLC if you need assistance figuring out if you have a lemon!