A lemon, when referring to citrus fruit, is associated with brightness and freshness. Yet, when the term is used to describe a vehicle, it has darker associations. A lemon is a vehicle that has several manufacturing defects affecting its safety, value or utility. No one is insured of finding himself/herself with a lemon. Driving a lemon is a frustrating experience as it might create serious safety hazards. Fortunately, there are federal and state lemon laws that are designed to protect and compensate lemon car owners.
Legal Ways to Get Your Money Back
There are two commonly used ways to get your money back when finding yourself with a lemon. Consulting a knowledgeable lemon law attorney will help you determine the most suitable method of getting refunded for your lemon case. The two possible ways of getting your money back include:
- Making the manufacturer repurchase your lemon car.
- Receiving a cash settlement, which may include a repair supervised by the manufacturer’s representative.
If your car qualifies as a lemon, a skillful lemon law attorney will take the necessary legal steps to make the manufacturer repurchase your car. The refunded sum for a lemon car repurchase includes:
- The purchase price which includes the cash price fixed in the contract.
- Incidental charges, such as sales tax, extended warranty or dealer-installed items.
- Expenses associated with repairing the vehicle, such as towing, alternate transportation.
The mileage offset for use is deducted from the actual price, based on a formula indicating the purchase price and the miles put on the car until the time of the first repair for the defect.
If you opt out for a cash settlement, you keep the car but receive a cash amount for the diminution of the car’s value caused by its defect. In this case, a manufacturer’s representative may be included in the process to supervise the repair process.
Whatever the method of getting your money back for a lemon car purchase, having an experienced and knowledgeable lemon law attorney at your side is crucial for achieving a successful and satisfactory resolution. The highly professional and experienced lemon law attorneys at the Margarian Law firm are committed to protect California consumers’ rights and get the best recovery for your lemon case.
