Consumers purchasing new vehicles expect them to be in pristine condition. One of the reasons buyers pay a premium for new vehicles right off the dealership lot this to avoid the uncertainty that comes with vehicles driven by others. They expect years of safe transportation without any major mechanical issues.
That is generally what buyers enjoy after a new vehicle purchase. However, a tiny portion of new car buyers end up dealing with a lemon. Under Pennsylvania’s lemon law, a lemon is a new vehicle that does not actually conform to the manufacturer’s warranty standards. There are issues with the vehicle’s systems that decrease its value or make the vehicle unsafe to drive. Sometimes, a vehicle has a minor issue that the dealership can readily repair for the buyer. Such vehicles may not actually be lemons.
How many repair attempts are necessary for the Pennsylvania lemon law to apply to a new vehicle?
Three failed repair attempts make a car a lemon
According to the current statute in Pennsylvania, a dealership can make three repair attempts before the lemon law applies to the situation. After a third unsuccessful attempt to repair the same issue, the owner of the lemon vehicle can request a refund or a replacement vehicle from the dealership.
The law also protects buyers in scenarios where the dealership has to keep the car for weeks to make repairs. If the vehicle remains at the dealership for repairs for a total of 30 days or more, it may be a lemon even if that was the first attempt to repair the vehicle.
Consumers who realize that there is something wrong with a brand-new vehicle they just purchased need to know their rights. That way, they can obtain the support they deserve from the dealership. Repairs of minor issues should come at no cost to the buyer. In scenarios where the dealership cannot fully repair the issue after three attempts or having the vehicle for 30 days or more, the consumer then has other options available to them.
Pursuing a lemon law claim can help people diminish the economic harm that results from a defective brand-new vehicle. Buyers shouldn’t have to absorb secondary expenses because an unused vehicle is not in brand-new condition at the time of purchase.
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