Most of us know that when purchasing a vehicle, one of the most common pieces of advice we’ll receive is “Don’t buy a lemon!” While this advice is useful, it’s not always easy to follow. What can you do after you’ve purchased the perfect vehicle and days later find that the doors stick shut, it won’t shift gears, and it makes noticeably peculiar sounds when you’re stopped at a light?

New Car: For a legal explanation and advice, consult with an attorney. The period covered by the New Car Lemon Law is equal to the term of the manufacturer’s warranty, two years, or 24,000 miles after purchase, depending on which comes first.  If you believe your new car is a lemon and you have several documented reoccurring issues with the vehicle, contact Better Business Bureau to see if BBB can help with your lemon through our free BBB Autoline Program.

Used Car: For a legal explanation and advice, consult with an attorney. Under the used Car Lemon Law, the period of coverage is 15 days or 500 miles after purchase, depending on which comes first. The buyer must notify the dealership as soon as problems occur. If repairs are needed, the buyer may be responsible for a portion of the cost up to $25 per repair. If two repair attempts do not fix the vehicle, the buyer may continue to negotiate with the dealer. The buyer can request that the dealer take the car back; however the dealer is not required to do so. The buyer may also attempt to mediate, arbitrate, or take the dealer to court.

This entry was posted on Monday, May 17th, 2010 at 4:10 pm and is filed under Life. Tags for this post: Arizona, Autoline, car, law, lemon, tips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.