Pennsylvania drivers have probably heard the term “lemon law”. These are statutes that protect consumers from costly repairs to cars that don’t live up to the promises made about them by car dealers or manufacturers. Though the phrase ‘let the buyer beware” always applies, especially when buying used cars, lemon laws make dealers responsible for paying for repairs on certain vehicles for a period of time after the customer has made the purchase.
Most states have lemon laws that apply to new vehicles that have been either purchased or leased. The specifics of lemon laws vary by state. Generally, lemon laws apply during a certain time period after the purchase of the vehicle. The laws mean that car dealers are usually responsible for the cost of repairs to new cars, or in some cases they may be required to offer a replacement or refund the customer’s purchase price.
Lemon laws are not concerned with fraud on the part of car dealers. Though other laws do cover that, lemons laws apply whether or not the dealer intentionally sold the customer a lemon. The first course of action for a new car buyer who has a problem could be to contact the dealer and try to work out a fair resolution. If this is not successful, other steps could be taken to make the dealer or car manufacturer adhere to the law.
Pennsylvania’s lemon law covers new purchased or leased vehicles that are registered with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Consumer protection laws are powerful, but people might encounter difficulty or confusion when they need the law to work for them. Accordingly, they might want to have the advice of an attorney before taking any action.
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