Many people ask themselves the same question: “What is lemon law?” Well, unfortunately not all the people have heard about such a law and not all the people have been able to get legal remedies because they did not know about such a law. However, there exists a law called Lemon Law or more concretely Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act that was passed by the Congress in 1974.
“Lemon Law” is just the nickname of the Act. From the 1900s people used the word “lemon” as a slang synonym for some object that is worthless. From then on people have started calling lemons those things, mainly vehicles that failed to function in a proper manner and that turned out to be defective.
Thus, if a vehicle fails to perform in a way guaranteed in its warranty, it may quite easily be called a “lemon vehicle.” The lemon law, thus, is a federal and state law in the US that ensures protection to those vehicle owners whose vehicles exhibit nonconformities.
It should be mentioned that though many people associate this law with the purchase of a vehicle, it also covers other consumer goods that are considered to be non-perishable and that exceed $25.
The first states that passed the lemon law where Connecticut and California. Lemon laws vary from state to state; each state has set its own limitations and rules governing the law. California lemon law, for example, is believed to be one of the most consumer-friendly lemon laws in the US.
Thus, if a person has purchased a vehicle and that vehicle fails to perform in a proper manner or is out of service for a set number of days, or has been in the repair shop for a reasonable number of times (most often 4 times, mainly due to a safety hazard), then the owner may be eligible for remedies under the lemon law. There are different ways to compensate the damages of the owner, in some cases, the judge may make the manufacturer replace the defective vehicle or refund it.
However, one should be careful about his/her vehicle’s maintenance, because if the vehicle is abused or not maintained properly, then the lemon law will not work for you. Typically, a common American citizen is not able to file a lemon law claim against the manufacturer. This is a long and a difficult process and the owner may need the help of an experienced lemon law attorney.
Now, you know the answer to the question “what is lemon law?” It’s time to find a good lemon law lawyer if you think you own a defective vehicle.
