Maine Lemon Law Firms:
This is a list of law firms that are registered as specializing in Maine lemon law cases.

Maine Revised Statutes Annotated, Tit. 10, §§1161-1169

1161 Definitions.

As used in this chapter, unless the context indicates otherwise, the following terms have the following meanings.

1. Consumer. "Consumer" means the purchaser, other than for purposes of resale, or the lessee, of a motor vehicle, any person to whom the motor vehicle is transferred during the duration of an express warranty applicable to the motor vehicle and any other person entitled by the terms of the warranty to enforce the obligations of the warranty, except that the term "consumer" shall not include any governmental entity, or any business or commercial enterprise which registers three or more motor vehicles.

2. Manufacturer. "Manufacturer" means manufacturer, importer, distributor or anyone who is named as the warrantor on an express written warranty on a motor vehicle.

3. Motor Vehicle. "Motor vehicle" means any motor driven vehicle, designed for the conveyance of passengers or property on the public highways, which is sold or leased in this State, except that the term  motor vehicle does not include any commercial vehicle with a gross vehicle weight of 8,500 pounds or more.

4. Reasonable allowance for use. "Reasonable allowance for use" means that amount obtained by multiplying the total purchase price of the vehicle by a fraction having as its denominator 100,000 and having as it numerator the number of miles that the vehicle traveled prior to the manufacturer s acceptance of its return.

5. State-certified arbitration. "State-certified arbitration" means the informal dispute settlement procedure administered by the Department of the Attorney General which arbitrates consumer complaints dealing with new motor vehicles that may be so defective as to qualify for equitable relief under the Maine lemon laws.

1162 Scope; construction.

1. Consumer Rights. Nothing in this chapter in any way limits the rights or remedies which are otherwise available to a consumer under any other law.

2. Manufacturers, distributors, agents and dealers. Nothing in this chapter in any way limits the rights or remedies of franchisees under chapter 204 or other applicable law.

3. Waivers void. Any agreement entered into by a consumer which waives, limits or disclaims the rights set forth in this chapter shall be void as contrary to public policy.

1163 Rights and duties.

1. Repair of nonconformities. If a new motor vehicle does not conform to all express warranties, the manufacturer, its agent or authorized dealer shall make those repairs necessary to conform the vehicle to the express warranties if the consumer reports the nonconformity to the manufacturer, its agent or authorized dealer during the term of the express warranties, within a period of 2 years following the date of original delivery of the motor vehicle to a consumer, or during the first 18,000 miles of operation, whichever is the earlier date. This obligation exists notwithstanding the fact that the repairs are made after the expiration of the appropriate time period.

2. Failure to make effective repair. If the manufacturer or its agents or authorized dealers are unable to conform the motor vehicle to any applicable express warranty by repairing or correcting any defect or condition, or combination of defects or conditions, which substantially impairs the use, safety or value of the motor vehicle after a reasonable number of attempts, the manufacturer shall either replace the motor vehicle with a comparable new motor vehicle or accept return of the vehicle from the consumer and make a refund to the consumer and lien holder, if any, as their interests may appear. The consumer may reject any offered replacement and receive instead a refund. The refund shall consist of the following items, less a reasonable allowance for use of the vehicle:

A. The full purchase price or, if a leased vehicle, the lease payments made to date, including any paid finance charges on the purchased or leased vehicle;

B. All collateral charges, including, but not limited to, sales tax, license and registration fees and similar government charges; and

C. Costs incurred by the consumer for towing and storage of the vehicle and for procuring alternative transportation while the vehicle was out of service by reason of repair.

The provisions of this section shall not affect the obligations of a consumer under a loan or sales contract or the secured interest of any secured party. The secured party shall consent to the replacement of the security interest with a corresponding security interest on a replacement motor vehicle which is accepted by the consumer in exchange for the motor vehicle, if the replacement motor vehicle is comparable in value to the original motor vehicle. If, for any reason, the security interest in the new motor vehicle having a defect or condition is not able to be replaced with a corresponding security interest on a new motor vehicle accepted by the consumer, the consumer shall accept a refund. Refunds required under this section shall be made to the consumer and the secured party, if any, as their interests exist at the time the refund is to be made. Similarly, refunds to a lessor and lessee shall be made as their interests exist at the time the refund is to be made.

3. Reasonable number of attempts; presumption. There is a presumption that a reasonable number of attempts have been undertaken to conform a motor vehicle to the applicable express warranties if:

A. The same nonconformity has been subject to repair 3 or more times by the manufacturer or its agents or authorized dealers within the express warranty term, during the period of 2 years following the date of original delivery of the motor vehicle to a consumer or during the first 18,000 miles of operation, whichever is the earlier date, and at least 2 of those times the same agent or dealer attempted the repair but the nonconformity continues to exist; or

B. The vehicle is out of service by reason of repair by the manufacturer, its agents or authorized dealer, of any defect or condition or combination of defects for a cumulative total of 15 or more business days during that warranty term or the appropriate time period, whichever is the earlier date.

3-A. Final opportunity to repair. If the manufacturer or his agents have been unable to make the repairs necessary to conform the vehicle to the express warranties, the consumer shall notify, in writing, the manufacturer or the authorized dealer of his desire for a refund or replacement. For the seven business days following receipt by the dealer or the manufacturer of this notice, the manufacturer shall have a final opportunity to correct or repair any nonconformities. This final repair shall be at a repair facility that is reasonably accessible to the consumer. This repair effort shall not stay the time period within which the manufacturer must provide an arbitration hearing pursuant to 1165.

4. Time limit; extension. The term of an express warranty, the one-year and two-year periods following delivery of the 15-day period provided in subsection 3, paragraph B, shall be extended by any period of time during which repair services are not available to the consumer because of a war, invasion, strike or fire, flood or other natural disaster.

5. Dealer liability. Nothing in this chapter may be construed as imposing any liability on a dealer or creating a cause of action by a consumer against a dealer under this section, except regarding any written express warranties made by the dealer apart from the manufacturer s own warranties.

6. Disclosure of notice requirement. No consumer may be required to notify the manufacturer of a claim under this section, unless the manufacturer has clearly and conspicuously disclosed to the consumer, in the warranty or owner s manual, that written notification of the nonconformity is required before the consumer may be eligible for a refund or replacement of the vehicle. The manufacturer shall include with the warranty or owner s manual the name and address to which the consumer shall send the written notification.

6-A. Notification of Dealer. Consumers may also satisfy a manufacturer s notice requirement by notifying in writing the authorized dealer of a claim under this section. The dealer shall act as the manufacturer s agent and immediately communicate to the manufacturer the consumer s claim.

7. Disclosure at time of resale. No motor vehicle which is returned to the manufacturer under subsection 2, may be resold without clear and conspicuous written disclosure to any subsequent purchaser, whether that purchaser is a consumer or a dealer, of the following information:

A. That the motor vehicle was returned to the manufacturer under this chapter;

B. That the motor vehicle did not conform to the manufacturer s express warranties; and

C. The ways in which the motor vehicle did not conform to the manufacturer s express warranties.

1164 Affirmative defense.

It is an affirmative defense to any claim under this chapter that:

1. Lack of impairment. An alleged nonconformity does not substantially impair the use, safety or value of the motor vehicle; or

2. Abuse. A nonconformity is the result of abuse, neglect or unauthorized modifications or alterations of a motor vehicle by anyone other than the manufacturer, its agents or authorized dealers since delivery to the consumer.

1165 Informal dispute settlement.

If a manufacturer has established an informal dispute settlement procedure which complies in all respects with the provisions of 16 CFR, Part 703, as from time to time amended, the provisions of section 1163, subsection 2, concerning refunds or replacement shall not apply to any consumer who has not first resorted to that procedure or to state-certified arbitration. This requirement shall be satisfied 40 days after notification to the informal dispute settlement procedure of the dispute or when the procedure s duties under 16 CFR, Part 703.5(d) are completed, whichever occurs sooner.

1166 Unfair or deceptive trade practice.

A violation of any of the provisions of this chapter shall be considered prima facie evidence of an unfair or deceptive trade practice under Title 5, chapter 10.

1167 Attorney s fees. In the case of a consumer s successful action to enforce any liability under this chapter, a court may award reasonable attorney s fees and costs incurred.

1168 New car leases.

For the purposes of this chapter only, the following apply to leases of new motor vehicles.

1. Warranties. If express warranties are regularly furnished to purchasers of substantially the same kind of motor vehicles:

A. Those warranties shall be deemed to apply to the leased motor vehicles; and

B. The consumer lessee shall be deemed to be the first purchaser of the motor vehicle for the purpose of any warranty provisions limiting warranty benefits to the original purchaser.

2. Lessee s rights. The lessee of a motor vehicle has the same rights under this chapter against the manufacturer and any person making express warranties that the lessee would have under this chapter if the vehicle had been purchased by the lessee. The manufacturer and any person making express warranties have the same duties and obligations under this chapter with respect to the vehicle that the manufacturer and other person would have under this chapter if the goods had been sold to the lessee.

1169 State-certified, new car arbitration.

1. Neutral new car arbitration. All manufacturers shall submit to state-certified, new car arbitration if arbitration is requested by the consumer within 2 years from the date of original delivery to the consumer of a new motor vehicle or during the first 18,000 miles of operation, whichever comes first. State-certified arbitration shall be performed by one or more neutral arbitrators selected by the Department of the Attorney General operating in accordance with the rules promulgated pursuant to this chapter. The Attorney General may contract with an independent entity to provide arbitration or the Attorney General s office may appoint neutral arbitrators. Each party to an arbitration is entitled to one rejection of a proposed arbitrator.

2. Written findings. Each arbitration shall result in a written finding of whether the motor vehicle in dispute meets the standards set forth by this chapter for vehicles that are required to be replaced or refunded. This finding shall be issued within 45 days of receipt by the Department of the Attorney General of a properly completed written request by a consumer for state-certified arbitration under this section. All findings of fact issuing from a state-certified arbitration shall be taken as admissible evidence of whether the standards set forth in this chapter for vehicles required to be refunded or replaced have been met in any subsequent action brought by either party ensuing from the matter considered in the arbitration. The finding reporting date may be extended by 5 days if the arbitrator seeks an independent evaluation of the motor vehicle.

3. Administered by Attorney General. The Department of the Attorney General shall promulgate rules governing the proceedings of state-certified arbitration which shall promote fairness and efficiency. These rules shall include, but are not limited to, a requirement of the personal objectivity of each arbitrator in the results of the dispute that that arbitrator will hear, and the protection of the right of each party to present its case and to be in attendance during any presentation made by the other party.

4. Consumer arbitration relief. If a motor vehicle is found by state-certified arbitration to have met the standards set forth in section 1163, subsection 2, for vehicles required to be replaced or refunded, and if the manufacturer of the motor vehicle is found to have failed to provide the refund or replacement as required, the manufacturer shall, within 21 days from the receipt of a finding, deliver the refund or replacement, including the costs and collateral charges set forth in section 1163, subsection 2, or appeal the finding in Superior Court. For good cause, a manufacturer may seek from the Department of the Attorney General an extension of the time within which it must deliver to the consumer a replacement vehicle.

5. Appeal of arbitration decision. No appeal by a manufacturer or consumer of the arbitrator s findings may be heard unless the petition for appeal is filed with the Superior Court of the county in which the sale occurred, within 21 days of issuance of the finding of the state-certified arbitration.

In the event that any state-certified arbitration resulting in an award of a refund or replacement is upheld by the court, recovery by the consumer may include continuing damages up to the amount of $25 per day for each day subsequent to the day the motor vehicle was returned to the manufacturer, pursuant to section 1163, that the vehicle was out of use as a direct result of any nonconformity, not issuing from owner negligence, accident, vandalism or any attempt to repair or substantially modify the vehicle by a person other than the manufacturer, its agent or authorized dealer, provided that the manufacturer did not make a comparable vehicle available to the consumer free of charge.

In addition to any other recovery, any prevailing consumer shall be awarded reasonable attorney s fees and costs. If the court finds that the manufacturer did not have any reasonable basis for its appeal or that the appeal was frivolous, the court shall double the amount of the total award to the consumer.

6. Consumer s rights if arbitrator denies relief. The provisions of this chapter shall not be construed to limit or restrict in any way the rights or remedies provided to consumers under this chapter or any other state law. In addition, if any consumer is dissatisfied with any finding of state-certified arbitration, the consumer shall have the right to apply to the manufacturer s informal dispute settlement procedure, if the consumer has not already done so, or may appeal that finding to the Superior Court of the county in which the sale occurred within 21 days of the decision.

7. Disclosure of consumer lemon law rights. A clear and conspicuous disclosure of the rights of the consumer under this chapter shall be provided by the manufacturer to the consumer along with ownership manual materials. The form and manner of these notices shall be prescribed by rule of the Department of the Attorney General. The notice disclosures shall not include window stickers.

8. Manufacturer s failure to abide by arbitrator s decision. The failure of a manufacturer either to abide by the decision of state-certified arbitration or to file a timely appeal shall entitle any prevailing consumer who has brought an action to enforce this chapter to an award of no less than 2 times the actual award, unless the manufacturer can prove that the failure was beyond the manufacturer s control or can show it was the result of a written agreement with the consumer.

9. Consumer request for information. Upon request from the consumer, the manufacturer or dealer shall provide a copy of all repair records for the consumer s motor vehicle and all reports relating to that motor vehicle, including reports by the dealer or manufacturer concerning inspection, diagnosis or test-drives of that vehicle and any technical reports, bulletins or notices issued by the manufacturer regarding the specific make and model of the consumer s new motor vehicle as it pertains to any material, feature, component or the performance of the motor vehicle.

10. Penalties. It shall be prima facie evidence of an unfair trade practice under Title 5, chapter 10, for a manufacturer, within 21 days of receipt of any finding in favor of the consumer in state-certified arbitration, to fail to appeal the finding and not deliver a refund or replacement vehicle or not receive from the Department of the Attorney General an extension of time for delivery of the replacement vehicle.

11. New car arbitration account. To defray the costs of this program, a $1 arbitration fee shall be collected by the authorized dealer from the purchaser as part of the new motor vehicle sale agreement. Pursuant to rules adopted by the Secretary of State, this fee shall be forwarded annually by the dealer or its successor to the Secretary of State and deposited in the General Fund. At the end of each fiscal year, the Department of the Attorney General shall prepare a report listing the annual money generated and the expenses incurred in administering this arbitration program.

Although it varies from state to state, the Lemon Laws state that if you buy (and in various states, lease) a new or pre-owned vehicle or other vehicle with a manufacturer's warranty that is defective, and the manufacturing business cannot rebuild it in spite of repeated attempts (inside a designated time that varies from state to state), or if the product is out of service for a stipulated period (typically 30 days) because of its flaws, you are qualified to a wide number of dismantles, including:

1. Monetary damages
2. A return of your purchase price
3. A brand new automobile
Moreover, almost all the Lemon Laws (as well as the Federal Warranty Law) incorporate a fee shifting element that provides that if you win your suit, the manufacturer or dealer that sold you the lemon is required to repay you for court fees.


Lemon Law Regulations
State Lemon Law Statutes
Each of the 50 states has a different Lemon Law statute. Even though the protections of each state's statute are different, the standard state Lemon Law statute affords help for consumers with a malfunctioning motor vehicle purchased with a warranty if:

1. The dealer or original maker can't legitimately fix a specific deficiency in the product after a reasonable number of repair tries (normally at least 3);
2. The automobile cannot be used for at least 30 days due to defects in the car; or
3. The car dealership or original maker just can not fix a deficiency that is a considerable safety risk.

More often than not, a faulty motor vehicle is a motor vehicle with a condition or condition that substantially cripples its use, marketability, or safety to the consumer and does not comply with the written warranty. Frequently, the time period in which the Lemon Laws apply are relatively short; the troubles and resultant repair attempts (or out-of-service period) usually will occur during the first two-years or 24,000 miles the owner has the motor vehicle. However, a number of states have even shorter time periods. Additionally, virtually all states have notification and initiation requirements, such as requiring the consumer to send registered post notice to the original maker of the problems and affording the car dealership a chance to correct the automobile. Also, most states expect that Lemon Law lawsuits be resolved through an arbitration process.

Generally, state Lemon Law regulation codes also apply to leased cars and used vehicles purchased while under the producers written warranty. A lot of state Lemon Laws also are applicable to automobiles other than passenger cars. depending upon the purchaser's home residence, or the state in which the consumer bought the motor vehicle, Lemon Laws may be applicable to:

-RV's
-Motorcycles
-Boats
-Other consumer products (like computers)
There are a number of significant solutions possible under the Lemon Laws. US Statesten times, if the original maker can't fix the automobile, the consumer can either require the original maker to replace the motor vehicle, or demand the original maker to reposess the motor vehicle and return the price paid together with incidental costs, including all bills, towing fees, repair charges, associated travel costs and other damages incurred by the consumer as a consequence of the shortcomings in the motor vehicle. Another important relief available under most Lemon Laws is laywers' expenses. In many states, if you prevail in a Lemon Law case, you will not have to pay any laywers' expenses-the car manufacturing business that sold you your lemon is expected to pay all of your court expenses.

The defendant car manufacturing business can apply many defenses to a Lemon Law claim. The standard regulation extends that the original equipment manufacturer is not guilty if it can establish that the flaws at issue came about because of misdeed, neglect, or the tampering or modification of a auto by anybody other than the manufacturer, its agent, or its authorized dealer. In different words, if the consumer abuses his or her own automobile, or the faults were the fault of modifications or alterations executed by an unauthorized party, the manufacturer could not be responsible.


Federal Lemon Law Statutes
The Magnuson Moss Act
The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act is the federal law that regulates consumer merchandise warranties. Signed by Congress in 1975, the Magnuson Moss Act requires makers and dealers of consumer goods to provide consumers with itemized information about warranty coverage benefits. Also, it determines both the rights of customers and the obligations of warrantors under manufacturer warranties.

Although the Magnuson Moss Act doesn't demand an automobile manufacturer to provide consumers with a warranty, if a warranty is offered, the Magnuson Moss Act provides numerous protections for the consumer. The Magnuson Moss Act makes it easier for purchasers to sue for breaking the warranty by making breach of warranty an infraction of federal law, and by allowing public consumers to recoup litigation charges and fair attorney's expenses.

The Magnuson Moss Act is typically useful in a lemon case in which, for some reason, a state Lemon Law claim is not available or moreover disadvantageous. For example, divaricate from the rather short time period provided to customers with many Lemon Laws, you could bring a claim for breach of warranty after the warranty period has expired if the troubles came about during the warranty time period. Furthermore, although many Lemon Laws restrict their coverage to a very specific number of cars, the Magnuson Moss Act applies to just about all consumer items. The Magnuson Moss Act could also apply if you bought or leased a preowned car without a manufacturer's warranty, or if the car is covered by a service agreement or other variety of extended warranty.


The Uniform Commercial Code
The Uniform Commercial Code (referred to as "UCC") has been passed in every state. It is the prime authority of law regulating product contracts, including motor vehicles and other items. The UCC offers an alternative legal channel for consumers with lemon troubles.

UCC code stipulates that the consumer of a product is entitled to return products that fail in any way to the warranty. Fundamentally, if your recently purchased car does not function as pledged by the maker (your manufacturer warranty is part of your consumer warranty), you may have a claim referencing the UCC in addition to any other claims you may have.

The period of time for returning a car with the UCC is not limitless. If you expose a fault in your motor vehicle inside a sensible ownership period, you may reject the automobile. Unfortunately, new cars can be frequently technically enigmatic and you may not know whether your product conforms to the consumer agreement till after you buy the product and troubles start to come up. In essence, if Following this ownership time you do not take back the product, you will be deemed to have okayed it and might have no claim through the UCC.

The length of the review period is not outlined in the statute. Courts determine how long the sensible review period is based on the purchaser's familiarity and personal experience, the purchaser's difficulty in revealing the failing, and the purchaser's opportunity to reveal the flaw.

In spite of this limitation, the UCC says that in certain examples where a consumer is said to have approved of goods (i.e. the sensible review time period has elapsed), a consumer can still rescind his acceptation of those product where the non-conformity largely cripples the value of the product to him. Those instances include cases in which it was arduous to come upon the nonconformity or the consumer was promised that the non-conformity would be remedied. Re-stated, the local court will exempt the consumer from not having rejected the product where the consumer could not have fairly done so, or where the manufacturer promised the buyer that the problems would be repaired.
When a motor vehicle excessively fails and you have to keep taking it back to the dealership for repair under the warranty, the car lemon law may be your next course. The flaw should be substantial in which it intereferes with your driving the motor vehicle or your safety. A motor vehicle stalling for no reason is a substantial flaw. This is exactly the type of condition that can diminiah your driving and your safety. Under the motor vehicle lemon law you are not obliged to indicate why the vehicle is stalling, you simply have to show that it is stalling. Put simply you need to check up on the lemon law in these 3 instances: the vehicle keeps failing inside the warranty time period, the vehicle is a safety hazard, the dealer is unable to restore the vehicle when it is warranted.

If you own a vehicle which is a lemon you can directly write to the original producer and ask for another equivalent vehicle. If this demand is not satisfactory to the original producer, you may start into an arbitration process. A few makers incorporate their own arbitration process. Other makers employ external arbitration program like Autoline by the Better Business Bureau. The proposal of the arbitrators is binding on the original producer but not on the purchaser. If unsatisfied with the proposal, the purchaser can take the original producer to court.

Virtually all ordinances provide that the customer needs to be returned back to the financial situation they were in before they purchased the car, less the sum that the customer gained from by using the car. To get the payback total several components are considered such as was it a sale or a lease, the purchase price, taxes and license, and mileage etc.
Some nearly new used vehicles may qualify under basic lemon laws. For example, a pre-owned vehicle may fall under regular lemon laws if it is less than a year old and has less than 12,000 miles on the odometer. States that do have a pre-owned vehicle lemon law might be extra accommodative with the age and measure of mileage. Still, the vehicle needs to be sold by a dealership that supplies a written warranty. Private party sales aren't governed, neither are cars sold under a certain original cost. There could be other restrictions to a used car lemon law such as the proposes for which the car is utilized or the categorization of car. Classic vehicles, are ordinarily excluded from used vehicle lemon laws. Used vehicle lemon laws normally cover a much shorter period than new vehicle laws. They usually range from 30 to 90 days, depending on your used automobile's mileage.
When selecting a lawyer for your lemon case, make sure that your lawyer is knowledgeable about the ordinances that apply to your state. Also enquire about the pricing system. Many lemon law lawyers demand a generally small retainer to handle a lemon law claim, and thereafter, the attorney's fees are charged to the original equipment manufacturer. Therefore, lemon law claims are usually very affordable to public consumers. The reimbursement of attorney bills varies from state to state. About half of the states allow for you to recuperate your Lawyer charges if you win. The attorney's fee is based on actual time used rather than being tied to any other percent of the recovery. In a select few States, you must pay the manufacturing business* attorney's invoices if you lose.

Consumers should record their complaints in writing and keep a copy. In every written communication, always delineate how difficult it is to take the auto to the car dealership for corrections and that the reliableness that the consumer believed He or she was acquiring has been non-existent. Any written communication with a dealer or original equipment manufacturer should be sent using certified mail service. In many suits the makers claim that they haven't had the required number of endeavors to fix the problem. They rely on the fact that the consumer doesn't retain repair tickets for each instance they have driven the vehicle into the authorized dealership. They also depend on the possibility that the repair tickets have seperate items fixed each time demonstrating that they haven't repaired the same condition. Consumers should respond by demanding that dealers always send them a warranty repair sheet. Consumers ought to also debate that these unwritten trips are attempts.

Make sure to be cognisant of your rights under the lemon laws. Upon purchase, immediately review your owner's book and warranty info entirely, along with the facts with respect to lemon law rights that you ought to get when you acquire your vehicle. Don't depend on your dealership to tell you what problems are covered by warranty. If your dealership states that a condition isn't covered and you think that she is purposely misleading you, be civilized but confident. Don't be scared to produce the section of the warranty that is relevant, or to call the original maker for confirmation using the contact information included inside your owner's book. You should not be obligated pay for corrections linked to lemon law complaints. It's also essential to advise the original maker of a complaint immediately. If you are suspicious that your vehicle has a condition what cannot be fixed, check into your lemon law rights to see when you are able to submit a lemon law complaint.

Lemon Law Tips:

1. Take your car in early - as soon as something appears wrong.
2. Hold onto repair orders - Always obtain a work order when you take the vehicle for repairs, and always obtain a completed repair order when work is completed. Be sure the work order reflects your own thoughts and comments regarding your complaints. If the technician summarizes or changes your complaint too much, have that technician add your corrected comments. Sign and receive a copy of the repair Order before leaving.
3. Be consistent in your complaints. Lemon Laws generally require that a manufacturer's authorized repair facility be provided with a reasonable number of opportunities to repair the same problem(s). Therefore, be as consistent as possible on each repeated repair attempt in describing the problem(s) you are having. This will establish that the problem is the same recurring problem, and will make any potential lemon law claim easier to establish and prove.

4. Look for TSBs: Technical Service Bulletins are issued by manufacturers regarding common defects or repairs in certain automobile models. Your dealer will not seek to tell you about TSBs unless you ask. Ask the dealer to make note of your TSB request on the repair order, even if your dealer tells you that none exist for your problem.
5. Watch for bad advice - Dealers and manufacturers personnel, without intending to, frequently practice law by giving you their version of lemon laws. Typically it is wrong and may be detrimental to your case. It doesn't matter whether the reason for this misinformation is unintentional or not. The effect is similar. So check any advice given by the dealer or manufacturer before making any decision that may harm your case.

6. Beware of arbitration - Manufacturers frequently recommend arbitration or even imply that it is a mandatory prerequisite to resolving your problem. Arbitration is neither desirable nor mandatory! And it is absolutely not a prerequisite for making a lemon law demand!
Leading Misconceptions regarding the Lemon Laws

If my case does not qualify for the lemon law there is nothing I can do.
Attorneys regularly take cases that do not meet the lemon law criteria. All purchasers of defective products have a legal right to compensation. They frequently take cases which do meet the mileage or repair criteria of the lemon law, bring them in court, and secure compensation or other relief for the buyer.

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