Purchasing a vehicle can dent your budget, but a reliable vehicle is necessary for most Americans. Planning your budget to fit in the cost of a vehicle can take months. Getting stuck with a lemon can be financially devastating and highly stressful. What can you do if you stretch your budget to fit in the purchase of a vehicle only to find that the vehicle has issues?
1. Look Up Your State’s Lemon Laws
Every state in the United States has lemon laws that are put in place to protect consumers. However, each state has a unique set of laws. Familiarize yourself with the laws to ensure you follow the procedures to enact the protections. For example, you must work with the dealership in most states to resolve the issue.
Lemon laws can be a bit complicated to navigate independently. You may need to find money in your budget to pay for an attorney. You must follow the necessary steps to benefit from these laws. If you have questions about the lemon laws in your state, an attorney is the best place to find answers.
2. Document, Document, Document
Buying a lemon is, unfortunately, a common occurrence. According to the Department of Transportation, about 95% of drivers have had experience with an undrivable or disabled vehicle, and many of those vehicles were purchased with problems. Creating a ‘paper trail’ of your history with the dealership would be best to protect yourself.
According to FinLaw, if you are in a collision because of a faulty vehicle and it is determined that you are more than 50% at fault, you may not be able to recover damage costs. If it is determined that it was not the driver’s fault and instead it was a vehicle malfunction, you may be able to collect damage. You must outline the problem with the vehicle and keep a record of your interactions with the dealership. These records will help prove your case.
3. Three Times Is The Charm
In most states, to enact the lemon law, the vehicle has to have been to the dealership or a mechanic at least three times to make repairs for the same problem before the vehicle is considered a ‘lemon.’ Another contingency often cited under the law is how long the dealership has had possession of the vehicle to fix it. In some states, it is 30 days (about four and a half weeks) ‘off the road.’ In other states, it is much longer.
It is problematic for the driver if they must keep returning for the same repairs. It is frustrating, time-consuming, and can affect your budget, but it is necessary. If you get stuck with a lemon, the last thing you should do is lose your temper or not keep returning to the dealership for repairs. It is part of the process and can lead to compensation.
4. Do Your Part
You worked out your budget to afford a vehicle. When getting stuck with a lemon is aggravating, don’t let it aggravate you to the point where you give in. You must do your part and follow the rules to fight back. It may serve your budget well to hire an attorney to manage the matter for you.
Try to work with the dealership first. If the dealership sold your vehicle ‘as is’, you may not have much recourse. A reputable dealership will do its best to make the situation right. You can also contact the manufacturer to see if there are any recalls of the vehicle. For example, not too long ago, a certain manufacturer recalled vehicles because the vehicle would spontaneously ignite in the driveway. While there is a fire every 23 seconds in the U.S., according to FirePrevention.com, you certainly would not expect your vehicle to catch fire.
There are ways you can fight back against being sold a lemon, and you should fight back. When you fight back, you are protecting your budget. Le rn more budget tips and how to protect yourself using the lemon laws today.
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