Introduction - Sooner or later we must all buy a car. When we can, we buy them brand new.

However most of us are stuck having to a buy a used car from a dealer or privately at some point or another. The downside to this is that you can get a car that at first seems like everything you ever wanted, and soon becomes your worst nightmare.

What I have come to learn is that by the time that you begin to realize that you have bought yourself a lemon, it is usually too late.

01. Car Checklist - Did you know that now is the best time to buy a car? There are very large cash rebates, dealer discounts and employee discounts offered just about everywhere.

The recent major drop in the car industry had forced many people to steer away from buying new cars and also has prompted some of the best discounts ever from the dealerships. You need to do some online research before hitting the dealership and it could save you money and headaches.

02. Lemon? - The first thing that helps you in dealing with your new lemon vehicle is to first know for a fact that you have a lemon. If the paint is peeling, or if the light switch came out when you pulled on it, or if the car makes weird sounds but basically rides well this does not constitute a lemon.

If you found 10 things you don't like about your new car but none of them actually makes the car undrivable, then you do not have a lemon.

03. Lemon Laws - When it comes to the basics behind the lemon laws, knowing the basics can be the difference between whether or not you get screwed or get the chance to recover the money that you spent on the car.

This section will help you to uncover the basics behind the lemon laws. Keep in mind that this is just an overview and each of these laws varies by state.

The state and federal statutes offer a wide array of relief for consumers who get stuck with a bad car or truck after they buy.

04. Warranty Act - The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act is basically just the federal law that governs and monitors consumer product warranties. This was passed by Congress in 1975, and requires manufacturers and sellers of consumer products to provide their customers with a lot of detailed information about their warranty coverage.

Also, it is worth noting that this Act affects both the rights of consumers and the obligations of warrantors that are offering written warranties.

05. Actual Laws - Having an exact degree of the terms that most states offer as their lemon laws would be useful. That is why I have decided to include those laws in this guide. For the purposes of this guide, I have included the statutes for California’s lemon laws. As most state laws are the same from a general standpoint and vary only slightly, it is a good way to begin.

06. VIN Numbers - All cars and light trucks that were built after 1981 have a unique 17-character number that is used to recall specific and valuable information about that specific car’s history. This number is actually called the vehicle identification number (VIN#).

The VIN is how you can get all of the records for everything that will ever happen to that car. It displays a car’s uniqueness and manufacturer and it also provides a method to trace your car from the factory all the way to the junk yard.

07. Buyer Responsibility? - Just because there have been a reasonable number of attempts to fix a defect in a car does not automatically make a consumer automatically eligible for a refund or replacement vehicle. Actually, you must notify the manufacturer or authorized dealer of the problem during the warranty period or within a year after you get the car as I mentioned above.

08. Know Your Rights - When it comes to your Lemon rights, they are generally are defined by each state’s individual law as well as the written warranty that can be found inside each vehicle owner's manual. These rights are usually higher than what the manufacturer or dealer will admit to when you buy your car, so it would help you to check your state’s particular laws before getting a car.

09. Lemon Law Notices - The law always requires that you notify the company that you are claiming rights under lemon law protection against them.  The fact that you have brought your car into the dealership on numerous occasions does not count as a legal notification.  Generally, this is a real waste of time, but you still have to do it.

Your own state’s lemon law will spell out for you the way that you must notify the car manufacturer of your problems, such as sending them a letter that tells what the problem is and what you want them to do about it. 

10. Law Legal - When the lemon law suit has been filed, both parties have to agree on a court date.  However, don't you shouldn’t get your hopes up that your case will be heard on that date. Car manufacturers generally get one or more adjournments for one or other reasons that they concoct.

In the larger areas of jurisdiction, expect that the ultimate date of your trial won't be for at least a year or two or more from the time you actually filed the lawsuit. 

11. Do’s and Don’ts - Imagine that you have already done the things that you need to do in order to ensure that you do not wind up with a lemon and still you feel like you got ripped off. If you feel like it is really time to make a complaint, there are some dos and don’ts that you should follow. Here are some very interesting do's and don'ts that you should take to heart on complaining about your lemon that will get you much farther on fixing your lemon problem.

12. Choose a Lawyer - If you find that you just might require a lawyer to handle your lemon car case, there are some things that you need to take into consideration first. For starters, you will want to get a good consultation that will determine what type of lemon case that you have. From here, you can follow the tips below to help you to find the right lawyer to handle your case.

13. Summary - As you can imagine, the Lemon Law explained in this guide should have provided you with all of the things that you need to know about lemons and lemon laws. Congress doesn’t do much these days, but they did do this. After all, Congressmen are consumers too.

In this guide you have learned that there are basically 3 sets of laws that apply to all defective vehicles and products that are purchased in the United States of America.

14. Resources -

http://www.lemonlawhelp.net

http://www.virginialemonlawattorney.com

 www.wolfram.org/best/lemon
 
http://www.onlinejournalismawards.org/oh/state-of-ohio-lemonlaw.html
 
http://www.allgoodlawyers.com/links/legal-services-lemon-law.asp

http://www.defect.com/Biblio.html

http://www.used-cars-center.com/OPG/used-car-lemon-law.html

http://www.autorepair.about.com/library/bl_lemon_law_statutes.html
 
http://www.newyorkattorneydirectory.com/new-york/new-york-lemon-law.html
 
http://www.lemonauto.com

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