Buying a new vehicle is an exciting, if intimidating, process. People look forward to having a new vehicle that can transport them and their loved ones safely and in style for years to come. When people make the investment necessary to purchase a new vehicle from a dealership, they expect it to be in pristine condition. Most new car owners enjoy that new car smell and the peak performance possible from a vehicle with no wear and tear.
Others may find that they start noticing performance issues with their brand-new vehicle shortly after they purchase it. The laws in many states authorize legal action when a dealership sells someone a lemon. What are the possible solutions for those who purchased a lemon from a dealership?
No-cost repairs
Every state has a slightly different definition of what constitutes a lemon. Texas state statutes, for example, identify a vehicle as a lemon after four repair attempts for any one issue or two attempts for a safety-critical issue. In Ohio, a vehicle that has been unavailable to the owner well in the shop for 30 days during its first year or that has undergone three repair attempts is likely a lemon. Owners should be able to present a lemon to the dealership for no-cost repairs to correct the matter.
A replacement vehicle
Lemons often have latent defects that simple repairs cannot correct. Though the dealership may make multiple attempts to fix the vehicle, it may continue to have the same issue or new but related issues after those repair efforts. New vehicle purchasers in Texas or Ohio can sometimes request that the dealership take back the damaged vehicle and replace it with one that is in proper operating condition. A vehicle of the same make and model or of a comparable value could be a viable solution to a lemon law claim.
A refund
Those burned by the purchase of a low-quality vehicle may become more skeptical about the value of a brand-new vehicle. They may decide that purchasing used vehicles is a better option. Other times, they may want to purchase a vehicle from a different brand because of their disappointment with a recent purchase from a specific company. Requesting a refund is usually an option as part of a lemon law claim when someone has the right support.
Evaluating different solutions after purchasing a defective brand-new vehicle can help people minimize the negative impact that their purchase has on their finances and their daily lives.