SO I BOUGHT A LEMON, NOW WHAT?

If you think you may have bought a lemon vehicle, there are several things you may do to protect your rights. First, you must remember that the California Lemon Law only applies to vehicles covered under warranty that have warranty problems. If your vehicle is requiring several warranty visits to the repair shop, it is important to have the repair facility document the specific problem you wish to have repaired. Dealer service writers sometimes attempt to interpret what the customer’s complaint is without accurately describing the problem on the repair order. Some service writers also attempt to write repair orders so the complaint is different from a previous repair visit complaint even though the complaints are the same. If the problem is not properly described, do not sign the repair order. Make the service writer properly describe your complaint. This proper description of the complaint will not only help to provide documentation for a potential lemon law case, but will also help the dealer to diagnose and fix the problem.

If the problem persists after several repair attempts, you may contact the manufacturer for assistance. Usually, the manufacturer will set up a “case number” for you and do nothing else.

At this point you may wish to contact an attorney to discuss your particular situation and to review documents related to your vehicle. Then you should have a better understanding as to whether your vehicle qualifies for California Lemon Law remedies.

If you would like more information concerning the California Lemon Law, you may contact David J. Farrell via phone toll free (866) 360-6886, form or e-mail. You may also fax documents to Mr. Farrell at (949) 305-7775.  Mr. Farrell will be happy to provide you with a free consultation.