Why You Need To Keep Records In Lemon Law Cases by Charles Stubbs

Although the Lemon Laws are there to protect you, the one thing you don't want is to actually have to use them, because that means you've gone and bought yourself a 'sick' car. Odd squeaks and rattles don't count as they're just fair wear and tear, but if you are experiencing major vehicle defects (such as with the engine, drive axle, brakes, steering or radiator, for example), you might want to start a paper trail. You could have a lemon.

With any issues you might be having, check your car warranty first. Give the manufacturer an opportunity to put right it (this can be up to 3 or 4 attempts to repair a problem). At this point, a Lemon Law attorney may not be essential.

Make sure you keep all the records concerning your vehicle and the attempted repairs though because they will definitely be needed if you need to call on the Lemon Law in your state. In particular, make sure you've kept a copy of the car guarantee in a safe place. Keep all the repair receipts and keep a diary, or log book, of the time taken over the repairs and, in particular, the time your vehicle was off the road.

Whilst all this is going on start to research the Lemon Law in your state, and any 'service bulletins' that might have been issued for your make and model of car. Do your homework, copy any information you find and put it in your diary.

In most states, the Lemon Law provides a legal remedy for consumers who purchase a car that turns out to be a lemon. Dealers are required to give you a written car warranty under which a dealer must repair, free of charge, any probkems in covered parts. In some cases, the dealer may have the option to reimburse you for the reasonable cost of repairs; check your car guarantee to see if this applies to you.

That's fine for relatively minor cases but if your car needs major repair work then start researching the Lemon Law statutes in your state. Many problems during the car guarantee period, such as noises and the odd rattle, may not constitute a defect, but a sizeable problem or problems will probably be a breach of the Lemon Law. Keep notes of the dates of all the repair work to your car and how long your car was "in the repair shop" and "off the road." Once again, make sure you keep the receipts for the repairs in a safe place.

At this point, if you've made up your mind that you really do have a lemon then start getting your notes and receipts all together. Become fully familiar with your state's Lemon Law statute and compile a list of local Lemon Law attorneys. Check with the Attorney General's office in your state for more information.
Have the car service contract with you and be sure you have each and every work order performed on your car, as well as any service bulletins issued that may relate to the problem or defects you're having. Your state Lemon Law statute will include a list of records that it's important to have. In addition, you will want to have kept any reports or correspondence you've received from the dealer concerning the repairs.

It is a long paper trail, but if kept effectively, you will know rather quickly whether you are dealing with a chronically 'sick' car, or just normal car repairs.

About the Author
The Lemon Laws are there to protect you but to get a successful outcome you need to do your homework. We've got the full lowdown for you at Lemon Law Advice Made Easy complete with all those tips and tricks you absolutely need to know if you want to ensure a successful outcome.