My car has clear problems. Can't I just get the manufacturer to replace it?

Although this is how the law was intended to work, practically speaking, in the overwhelming number of cases, the answer to this question is "NO"!

All of the automobile makers have "owner loyalty hotlines", "customer satisfaction departments", "quality care divisions". Their customer service personnel may orally promise to "review the matter", "speak to a manager about it immediately", "e-mail your factory representative", tell you that a repair has "just been created" and that "you will be contacted". To make it truly convincing, they will give you a "case number" and ask you to keep it on file. It is all nonsense.

After speaking with representatives of the manufacturer and being assured that problems will be addressed, many consumers will wait in good faith, only to realize months and sometimes years later, that they have been lied to.

Why is this done? Perhaps, they hope you will give up and sell the car or trade it and buy another. If so, then the manufacturer doesn't have to accept the financial obligation and disclosure requirements that go along with buying a car back as a "lemon".

Making matters worse are those few select cases where the manufacturer agrees to a refund or replacement vehicle, only to misquote its legal obligations, perhaps charging you thousands of dollars in bogus mileage, taxes and other amounts which they have no right to seek.

Why put yourself through this when representation by a qualified lemon law attorney is totally free?

If I qualify under the Lemon Law, what am I entitled to?

You are entitled to receive the refund or replacement vehicle, plus vehicle registration fees, rental car costs and towing charges. Generally, the choice of the refund or replacement vehicle is the consumer's, not the manufacturers.

Instead of one item breaking several times, what if several items break only one time and the dealer fixes it each time?
A consumer can have a Lemon Law case when a variety of defects demand continuous repair. The facts of each individual case must be taken into consideration but it is possible to have a qualifying Lemon Law case based on the cumulative number of days in the shop alone.

How many times do I have to take my car back for repairs?
The law states that the manufacturer is entitled to a reasonable number of attempts to repair the vehicle. The law does not specify what "a reasonable number of attempts" is. As a rule of thumb, four repair attempts for the same problem is generally considered a reasonable number. This is only guideline that may vary depending upon the seriousness of the problem. Another factor to consider is the number of miles between repair attempts.

My transmission is giving me problems. Dealer is not able to fix it in a given time period. What should I do?
Contact us if you like to see if you qualify under the lemon law. The Consumer Law Center can represent your rights whether you are successful your claim or not, we will not charge you any fee.

If I pursue my claim, why use The Krohn & Moss Consumer Law Center?
As the nation's most successful lemon law practice, our staff of attorneys is geared for aggressive FREE consumer advocacy. We bear all costs of litigation and prep