Lemon Law Attorneys Virginia

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The Virginia Motor Vehicle Warranty Act protects consumers who purchase or lease a vehicle for personal, family, or household reasons. By definition (Virginia Code § 59.1-207.11), “motor vehicle” means only passenger cars, pickup or panel trucks, motorcycles, autocycles, self-propelled motorized chassis of motor homes and mopeds as those terms are defined in § 46.2-100 and demonstrators or leased vehicles with which a warranty was issued.

The law further protects anyone to whom the motor vehicle is transferred for the same purposes during the lemon law rights period and anyone else entitled by the warranty to enforce its obligations. The law defines the “lemon law rights period” as 24 months following the vehicle’s original delivery to the consumer.

The lemon law covers “nonconformities,” defined as any specific defect or condition or combination thereof that substantially impairs the use, market value or safety of the vehicle. The defect and condition must also render the vehicle nonconforming to the warranty.

Problems caused by the consumer’s abuse, neglect, or unauthorized modification or alteration are also not covered by the Virginia lemon law.

The Virginia lemon law compels manufacturers to repurchase or replace a vehicle if they are unable to correct a nonconformity after a reasonable number of attempts. The lemon law defines this as three or more times for the same problem without success, or if the vehicle is in the shop for 30 days or more without successfully repairing the problem. That duration is extended to 60 days for recreational vehicles.

If the consumer notifies the manufacturer or their authorized agent of a nonconformity within the two year lemon law rights period, the manufacturer must repair the issue. The manufacturer must repair the nonconformity even if the repairs are made after the expiration of the aforementioned term of protection.

The Virginia lemon law requires manufacturers repurchasing a vehicle to pay the cash price for the vehicle, including any allowance for a trade-in vehicle. The manufacturer must also pay collateral charges, including sales taxes, title charges, manufacturer-installed or agent-installed items and earned finance charges. Manufacturers must also repay reasonably incurred incidental charges directly caused by the vehicle’s nonconformity. The manufacturer may withhold a reasonable offset for use, calculated from the number of miles attributable to the consumer’s use up to the date of the first arbitration hearing.

When replacing a vehicle, a manufacturer must provide a replacement vehicle that is either identical or of comparable value. The manufacturer must also reimburse the consumer for fees and sales taxes, as well as necessary towing and rental costs incurred as a direct result of the nonconformity.

The Virginia lemon law states its protections don’t apply to a consumer who hasn’t first resorted to the manufacturer’s established informal dispute settlement procedure, i.e. arbitration. The arbitration mechanism must be certified by the Virginia Division of Consumer Services. The manufacturer must also have provided adequate written notice of the mechanism’s existence, including its incorporation into the terms of the warranty.

The manufacturer must abide by the decision of the arbitrator, while the consumer does not. If dissatisfied with the outcome, a consumer can bring civil action in court. By filing a claim under the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, Virginia consumers can hire lawyers who will represent them without the vehicle owner having to pay any attorneys’ fees directly out of their pocket. This is because the federal Act provides that the vehicle manufacturer shall pay the claimants’ reasonable attorneys’ fees if the claimant prevails against the manufacturer. Lemonlawusa.org encourages vehicle owners with a lemon to hire a lemon law attorney. You can bet the car manufacturers have legal counsel at the ready to help defend against lemon law claims both in arbitration and in court.

Andrew Ross, an attorney with Allen Stewart, P.C., said clients whose lemon law claims resolve successfully can use the money for any purpose they choose, including buying a new vehicle or paying off the last one.

If you purchased your vehicle via financing, you must continue making your periodic loan payments throughout your lemon law claim. Falling behind on payments could adversely affect your claim. You must keep making payments whether the car is still in your possession or it’s in the shop, regardless of whether it’s operable or not. However you can use the funds received following a successful lemon law claim to pay off your loan, freeing you from the burdensome debt so you can seek a new, functioning vehicle.

If you’ve since paid off your auto loan before your claim resolves, or you bought your vehicle outright, you can use money earned through a successful lemon law claim as a down payment on a new vehicle. You could also use the money to purchase a less expensive vehicle outright.

The Virginia lemon law does not cover used vehicles. Lemon laws in most states don’t cover used vehicles, as they must still be covered under their manufacturer’s warranty and most vehicles are resold long after those warranties expire. Every case is unique, and a qualified lemon law attorney can help you determine if you have a valid lemon law claim.

Whether you win in court or settle outside it, your funds are yours to use however you like. However statutes of limitation can keep you from getting anything if you wait too long. Contact the offices of Allen Stewart P.C. today for your free initial consultation. You pay nothing out of pocket and have nothing to lose, but only if you act quickly.

This information brought to you by Allen Stewart P.C.