What is the Lemon Law?

The real name of the lemon law is the Consumer Warranty Act. It governs the warranty. The Lemon Law requires the manufacturer to repair your vehicle within a "reasonable number of attempts" or refund your money if they don't. That means you have to give them an opportunity to repair it.

When you take the car in for repair all you really need to say is;

"Here's the car. This is the problem. Please fix it."

Always be courteous. Don't talk lawyers or lemon Law with the dealer. It does not help, and will make it harder to get repairs or paperwork.

Paperwork is very important in these cases, so make sure that you keep all of your
1) purchase documents, and
2) all of your repair orders.

DON'T keep them in the car, because they may disappear.

The Lemon Law applies to vehicles registered with the DMV for use on the road, including cars, trucks, motorcycles, and motorhomes. It includes personal vehicles, and covers vehicles registered to small businesses, up to a total of 6 vehicles.

Some components have longer coverage, like the engine and drivetrain, and some have less coverage, like tires and brakes. Check your warranty book. Problems that arise within the warranty period may fall within the Lemon Law even if the car is now out of warranty.