Buying a new car is a stressful experience. We in New Jersey are very dependent on our vehicles to not only get to work but run errands and experience this great state. After everything that goes into purchasing a new car is over, the hours of comparison shopping and sitting in the dealership trying to make a deal. It would be very upsetting if the vehicle you purchased was in any way faulty. This doesn’t happen often, thankfully, but when it does it’s important to know what your rights are under the state’s lemon laws.
The manufacturer will almost always deny responsibility for the problems. That’s just one of the many reasons that filing a lemon law claim can be so time consuming and complicated. However if you believe you’re driving a lemon there are a few simple things you can do to help make the process a little less painful.
Maintain detailed records of everything you’re experiencing with the car. This can help establish a timeline of events later on, should you need one. Often you'll need to show a pattern of The second thing that should be done is to take the vehicle to the dealership for repairs. It is important to have a record of your attempts to have the issue fixed so they can't argue that the appropriate amount of time wasn't given.
The third thing is to speak to a lawyer. You can potentially go through the process of filing your vehicle as a lemon on your own, but its best if you have access to a lawyer who can guide you through. As I said the manufacturer will most likely come up with a defense to avoid having to pay out any money. An experienced attorney will be most likely to give you the probability of success, that should be a big confidence boost, or save you from the arduous process altogether.
The manufacturer will be given several attempts to repair the problem. Should they fail to find a lasting solution a certified letter will be sent to them allowing ten days for a final repair. Having been given the opportunity for a final repair attempt which is a total of ten days is now in the position of having a lemon law claim filed against them. You'll need the green certificate from the letter as proof it was received.
At any point during the proceedings the car manufacturer may offer to replace your vehicle but you are under no legal obligation to accept.
This is all in the case of a new car experiencing trouble. The used car lemon laws are for vehicles seven years old or less. When a used car is purchased the dealer must make a warranty available depending on the miles on the car. It’s an even more nuanced process then the new car lemon laws.
As I said earlier, going through the lemon law process is a dangerous road alone. We at the Simon Law Group would love to go over your case with you and discuss your options.
If you are seeking representation for a potential lemon law case, call today for a free consultation 800-709-1131 or fill out a contact form on our website for a no-cost consultation.We hope to hear from you today!
Further Reading
Lemon Law: Road to Relief Brochure
Standards of the New Jersey Lemon Law
