The internet is full of first-time car buyer tips and tricks. Everyone knows to take the vehicle for a test drive and do your best to negotiate, but articles like this one on Kelly Blue Book make more in-depth suggestions. Besides standard considerations like researching financing, they also recommend reviewing your transportation needs, don’t only think about a realistic budget for the entire purchase but think in terms of your monthly payment, and don’t forget to allow yourself to enjoy the fun parts of the process.
As helpful as these articles can be, most do not reference lemon law specifically. How can first-time car buyers avoid purchasing a lemon? Are there certain things to look for?
The Research
A quick search online will show the Lemon Laws in your state. If your situation isn’t covered by state laws, you may still have recourse under the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act. When beginning your research, you’ll want to review timeline and mileage requirements for Lemon Laws in your state, and the cost and number of repair attempts.
For a new car, you may want to use sites like the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration to determine which manufacturers have the most lemons and recalls. For a used car, one of the most important things you can look for is the vehicle history report. If a car has had multiple owners in a short amount of time, that’s a red flag but if the car has a “salvage title”, you can also be sure it’s a lemon.
The History
Those familiar with Lemon Law know that the first Lemon Law was passed in Connecticut in 1982. What you might not know is that in 1980, California tried to pass a lemon law which vehicle manufacturers prevented. John J. Woodcock III of Connecticut set to work and with this piece of legislation, combined with his experience in his private law practice, he gained support for the bill. The goal of this bill was to provide “a statutory warranty of two years or twenty-four thousand miles, whichever is less, on new cars sold in this state and… require(d) the replacement of vehicles under warranty when repeated attempts to repair them are unsuccessful.”
For more information on arbitration and other frequently asked lemon law questions, click here.
The Role of Lemon Law
At its most simplistic, lemon law was created to put forth better protections for consumers in a market where vehicle issues and recalls were on the rise but there was no option other than to sue the manufacturer.
For example, in Milwaukee in 2018, Michelle Hinkley leased a vehicle from Mercedes-Benz. She was fighting for a total of $7,058 due to repairs she’d made time and time again. The manufacturer offered to pay $572 and Hinkley offered to settle for $3,000. Because Mercedes dragged their feet, the $572 they were so stubbornly sticking to was deposited with the clerk’s office four days past the deadline. Hinkley’s lawyer then calculated the entire amount Hinkley paid for the lease, her legal fees, and double the damages allowed under the law, getting her $409,275.67 in total.
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The Role of an Attorney
Working with an honest, knowledgeable attorney that specializes in Lemon Law can help consumers stay on top of the various intricacies of Lemon Law, as seen in the previous example. The attorneys at Allen Stewart, PC have a record of success whether in the court room or in communication with manufacturers.
- The folks at Allen Stewart represented me against a major Detroit based “Professional Grade” auto manufacturer and got me more than I expected. Their knowledge with Magnuson Moss Warranty Act and lemon laws helped me receive a settlement that I was happy with. Thank you for making the process easy, for explaining the nuances to the case and for looking out for me.
- The Allen Stewart office represented our case against BMW. Their knowledge of the vehicle Warranty Act helped to receive a settlement and held BMW accountable for gaslighting our complaints. I started with a Lemon law complaint and they guided the focus away from that process to the warranty law and made the process easy. They looked out for our rights and helped gain an acceptable settlement. Thank you.
- I have a 2021 VW Atlas Cross Sport that I purchased on December 2020 and started having issues with it at 120 miles. It was a nightmare from December till April and I had no other issue than to hire an attorney. I did plenty of research for Lemon Law Attorneys and Allen Stewart PC was by far one with the most 5-star reviews! I contacted them and from that point on the entire process was beyond my expectations and as smooth as can be. They handled my entire case with such professionalism, they always kept me updated I never needed to call them they were always in contact with me every step of the way. Everything was resolved within 90 days and I couldn’t be happier with the outcome. I will for sure use them again if needed to and I will be recommending Allen Stewart PC to all my family and friends! You deserve way more than 5 stars!
- Andrew Ross stayed on top of my claim right from the start. He explained terms completely so I knew exactly what to expect. Talk about true professional treatment from start to finish! I got MORE than I expected!!!! I have zero regrets and I’m glad I chose Allen Stewart, PC! I’d use them again if I had to!
- My team at Allen Stewart did a great job handling my case. They gave me a great overview of all the particulars not only in choosing to take action, but also to understand the timeline to expect and a range of possible outcomes. I was impressed with the teams’ engagement and helpfulness in answering my queries along our journey. I was very impressed with the outcome and tight timeline that was attained in getting my issue solved. I would certainly go back to them should the need arise. And I highly recommend them, if you seek legal advice and action. 2 Thumbs Up!
- I must say, not going through a lemon law case, I was skeptical of this actually completing but everything was done as stated and the team at Allen Stewart PC did a fantastic job. The vehicle was purchased back by the manufacturer and the Team communicated with me throughout the process. Thank you to the Allen Stewart Team. I highly recommend this firm.
- I could not recommend more! They listen to our problems and let us know all possible outcomes and time frames. They always picked up the phone or called us back and answered our questions when we would have one in a timely manner. They set expectations on outcome and time frame and ended up over delivering on what they originally said and had it all wrapped up faster than they originally said. Thank you, Aaron and staff, for setting reasonable expectations, keeping us in the loop, and listening to our problems with our vehicle. We can’t thank you enough for your help.
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