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

Hawaii Revised Statutes §§481I-1 to 481I-4

481I-1 Legislative intent.

The legislature recognizes that a motor vehicle is a major consumer purchase and that a defective motor vehicle creates a hardship for the consumer. The legislature further recognizes that a duly franchised motor vehicle dealer is an authorized service agent of the manufacturer. It is the intent of the legislature that a good faith motor vehicle warranty complaint by a consumer be resolved by the manufacturer within a specified period of time. It is further the intent of the legislature to provide statutory procedures whereby a consumer may receive a replacement motor vehicle, or a full refund, for a motor vehicle which is not brought into conformity with the applicable express warranties, as provided in this chapter. Finally, it is the intent of the legislature to ensure that consumers are made aware of their rights under this chapter and are not refused the information, documents, or service necessary to exercise their rights.

Nothing in this chapter shall in any way limit or expand the rights or remedies which are otherwise available to a consumer under any other law.

481I-2 Definitions.

When used in this section unless the context otherwise requires:

"Business day" means any day during which the service departments of authorized dealers of the manufacturer of the motor vehicle are normally open for business.

"Collateral charges" means those additional charges to a consumer wholly incurred as a result of the acquisition of the motor vehicle. For the purposes of this chapter, collateral charges include, but are not limited to, manufacturer-installed or agent-installed items, general excise tax, license and registration fees, title charges, and similar government charges.

"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 the express warranty applicable to the motor vehicle, and any other person entitled to enforce the obligations of the express warranty.

"Express warranty" means any written warranty issued by the manufacturer, or any affirmation of fact or promise made by the manufacturer, excluding statements made by the dealer, in connection with the sale or lease of a motor vehicle to a consumer, which relates to the nature of the material or workmanship and affirms or promises that the motor vehicle shall conform to the affirmation, promise, or description or that the material or workmanship is free of defects or will meet a specified level of performance.

"Incidental charges" means those reasonable costs incurred by the consumer, including, but not limited to, towing charges and the costs of obtaining alternative transportation which are directly caused by the nonconformity or nonconformities which are the subject of the claim, but shall not include loss of use, loss of income, or personal injury claims.

"Lemon law rights period" means the term of the manufacturer's express warranty, the period ending two years after the date of the original delivery of a motor vehicle to a consumer, or the first 24,000 miles of operation, whichever occurs first.

"Lessee" means any consumer who leases a motor vehicle for one year or more pursuant to a written lease agreement which provides that the lessee is responsible for repairs to such motor vehicle, or any consumer who leases a motor vehicle pursuant to a lease-purchase agreement.

"Motor vehicle" means a self-propelled vehicle primarily designed for the transportation of persons or property over public streets and highways which is used primarily for personal, family, or household purposes. For purposes of this definition, a "motor vehicle" also includes a "demonstrator", which means a vehicle assigned by a dealer for the purpose of demonstrating qualities and characteristics common to vehicles of the same or similar model or type, but does not include mopeds, motorcycles, or motor scooters, as those terms are defined in chapter 286, or vehicles over 10,000 pounds, gross vehicle weight rating. For purposes of this definition, a "motor vehicle" also includes (1) an individually registered vehicle used for an individual's business purposes and for personal, family, or household purposes; and (2) a vehicle owned or leased by a sole proprietorship, corporation or partnership which has purchased or leased no more than one vehicle per year, used for household, individual, or personal use in addition to business use.

"Nonconformity" means a defect, malfunction, or condition that fails to conform to the motor vehicle's applicable express warranty and that substantially impairs the use, market value, or safety of a motor vehicle, but does not include a defect, malfunction, or condition that results from an accident, abuse, neglect, modification, or alteration of the motor vehicle by persons other than the manufacturer, its agent, distributor, or authorized dealer.

"Purchase price" means the cash price appearing in the sales agreement or contract and paid for the motor vehicle, including any net allowance for a trade-in vehicle. Where the consumer is a second or subsequent purchaser and the arbitration award is for a refund of the motor vehicle, "purchase price" means the purchase price of the second or subsequent purchase not to exceed the purchase price paid by the original purchaser.

"Reasonable offset" for use means the number of miles attributable to a consumer up to the date of the third repair attempt of the same nonconformity which is the subject of the claim, the date of the first repair attempt of a nonconformity that is likely to cause death or serious bodily injury, or the date of the thirtieth (30th) cumulative business day when the vehicle is out of service by reason of repair of one or more nonconformities, whichever occurs first. The reasonable offset for use shall be equal to one percent of the purchase price for every thousand miles of use.

"Replacement motor vehicle" means a motor vehicle which is identical or reasonably equivalent to the motor vehicle to be replaced, as the motor vehicle to be replaced existed at the time of original acquisition, including any service contract, undercoating, rust proofing, and factory or dealer installed options. A reasonable offset shall be made for the use of the motor vehicle and an additional offset may be made for loss to the fair market value of the vehicle resulting from damage beyond normal wear and tear, unless the damage resulted from the nonconformity.

"Substantially impairs" means to render the motor vehicle unfit, unreliable, or unsafe for warranted or normal use, or to significantly diminish the value of the motor vehicle.

481I-3 Motor vehicle: express warranties, return.

(a) If a motor vehicle does not conform to all applicable express warranties, and the consumer reports the nonconformity in writing to the manufacturer, its agent, distributor, or its authorized dealer during the term of the lemon law rights period, then the manufacturer, or, at its option, its agent, distributor, or its authorized dealer, shall make such repairs as are necessary to conform the vehicle to such express warranties, notwithstanding the fact that such repairs are made after the expiration of such term.

(b) If the manufacturer, its agents, distributors, or authorized dealers are unable to conform the motor vehicle to any applicable express warranty by repairing or correcting any defect or condition which substantially impairs the use, market value, or safety of the motor vehicle after a reasonable number of documented attempts, then the manufacturer shall provide the consumer with a replacement motor vehicle or accept return of the vehicle from the consumer and refund to the consumer the following: the full purchase price including, but not limited to, charges for undercoating, dealer preparation, transportation and installed options, and all collateral and incidental charges, excluding finance and interest charges, and less a reasonable offset for the consumer's use of the motor vehicle. If either a replacement motor vehicle or a refund is awarded, an "offset" may be made for damage to the vehicle not attributable to normal wear and tear, if unrelated to the nonconformity. Refunds made pursuant to this subsection shall be deemed to be refunds of the sales price and treated as such for purposes of section 237-3. Refunds shall be made to the consumer and lien holder, if any, as their interests may appear on the records of ownership. If applicable, refunds shall be made to the lessor and lessee pursuant to rules adopted by the department of commerce and consumer affairs.

(c) It shall be an affirmative defense to any claim under this section that a nonconformity is the result of abuse, neglect, or unauthorized modifications or alterations of a motor vehicle by a consumer.

(d) It shall be presumed that a reasonable number of attempts have been undertaken to conform a motor vehicle to the applicable express warranties, if, during the lemon law rights period, any of the following occurs:

(1) The same nonconformity has been subject to examination or repair at least three times by the manufacturer, its agents, distributors, or authorized dealers, but such nonconformity continues to exists; or

(2) The nonconformity has been subject to examination or repair at least once by the manufacturer, its agents, distributors, or authorized dealers, but continues to be a nonconformity which is likely to cause death or serious bodily injury if the vehicle is driven; or

(3) The motor vehicle is out of service by reason of repair by the manufacturer, its agents, distributors, or authorized dealers for one or more nonconformities for a cumulative total of thirty or more business days during the lemon law rights period. The term of the lemon law rights period and such thirty-day period shall be extended by any period of time during which repair services are not available to the consumer because of a war, invasion, strike, fire, flood or other natural disaster. The presumptions provided in this subsection shall not apply unless the manufacturer has received a written report of the nonconformity from the consumer and has had a reasonable opportunity to repair the nonconformity alleged. Upon a second notice of the nonconformity, or, if the motor vehicle has been out of service by reason of repair in excess of twenty business days, the dealer shall notify the manufacturer of the nonconformity.

(e) During the lemon law rights period, the manufacturer or its agent, distributor, or authorized dealer shall provide to the consumer, each time the consumer's vehicle is returned from being diagnosed or repaired under the warranty, a fully itemized, legible statement or repair order indicating any diagnosis made and all work performed on the vehicle, including, but not limited to, a general description of the problem reported by the consumer or an identification of the defect or condition, parts and labor supplied, the date and the odometer reading when the vehicle was submitted for repair, and the date when the vehicle was made available to the consumer. The consumer shall sign and receive a copy of the statement or repair order.

(f) Upon request from the consumer, the manufacturer, or at its option its agent, distributor, or authorized dealer, shall provide a copy of any report or computer reading regarding inspection, diagnosis, or test-drive of the consumer's motor vehicle, and shall provide a copy of any technical service bulletin related to the nonconformity issued by the manufacturer regarding the year and model of the consumer's motor vehicle as it pertains to any material, feature, component, or the performance thereof. Upon receipt of a consumer's written report of a nonconformity to the manufacturer, the manufacturer or, at its option, its agent, distributor, or authorized dealer, shall inform the consumer of any technical service bulletin or report relating to the nonconformity, and shall advise the consumer of the consumer's right to obtain a copy of such report or technical service bulletin.

(g) The manufacturer, its agent, distributor, or authorized dealer, shall provide the consumer at the time of purchase of the motor vehicle a written notice setting forth the terms of a state certified arbitration program and a statement of the rights of the consumer under this section in plain language, the form of which has been previously reviewed and approved by the department of commerce and consumer affairs for substantial compliance with title 16, Code of Federal Regulations, part 703, as may be modified by the requirements of this chapter. The written notice must specify the requirement that written notification to the manufacturer of the motor vehicle nonconformity is required before the consumer is eligible for a refund or replacement of the motor vehicle. The notice must also include the name and address to which the consumer must send such written notification. The provision of this statement is the direct responsibility of the dealer, as that term is defined in chapter 437.

(h) The consumer shall be required to notify the manufacturer of the nonconformity only if the consumer has received a written notice setting forth the terms of the state certified arbitration program and a statement of the rights of the consumer as set out in subsection (g).

(i) Where the state certified arbitration program is invoked by the consumer of a motor vehicle under express warranties, a decision resolving the dispute shall be rendered within forty-five days after the procedure is invoked. If no decision is rendered within forty-five days as required by this subsection, the dispute shall be submitted to the regulated industries complaints office of the department of commerce and consumer affairs for investigation and hearing. Any decision rendered resolving the dispute shall provide appropriate remedies including, but not limited to, the following:

(1) Provision of a replacement motor vehicle; or

(2) Acceptance of the motor vehicle from the consumer, refund of the full purchase price, and all collateral and incidental charges. The decision shall specify a date for performance and completion of all awarded remedies.

(j) Any action brought under this section must be initiated within one year following expiration of the lemon law rights period.

(k) No vehicle transferred to a dealer or manufacturer by a buyer or a lessee under subsection (b) may be sold or leased by any person unless:

(1) The nature of the defect experienced by the original buyer or lessee is clearly and conspicuously disclosed on a separate document that must be signed by the manufacturer and the purchaser and must be in ten point, capitalized type, in substantially the following form: "IMPORTANT: THIS VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO THE MANUFACTURER BECAUSE A DEFECT(S) COVERED BY THE MANUFACTURER'S EXPRESS WARRANTY WAS NOT REPAIRED WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME AS PROVIDED BY HAWAII LAW.";

(2) The defect is corrected; and

(3) The manufacturer warrants to the new buyer or lessee, in writing, that if the defect reappears within one year or 12,000 miles after the date of resale, whichever occurs first, it will be corrected at no expense to the consumer.

(l) A violation of subsection (k) shall constitute prima facie evidence of an unfair or deceptive act or practice under chapter 480.

481I-4 Arbitration mechanism.

(a) The department of commerce and consumer affairs shall establish and monitor a state certified arbitration program which is in substantial compliance with title 16, Code of Federal Regulations, part 703, as may be modified by this section, and shall adopt appropriate rules governing its operation.

(b) The director of commerce and consumer affairs may contract with an independent arbitration organization for annual term appointments to screen, hear, and resolve consumer complaints which have been initiated pursuant to section 481I-3. The following criteria shall be considered in evaluating the suitability of independent arbitration mechanisms: capability, objectivity, experience, non-affiliation with manufacturers of or dealers in new motor vehicles, reliability, financial stability, and fee structure.

(c) If a consumer agrees to participate in and be bound by the operation and decision of the state certified arbitration program, then all parties shall also participate in, and be bound by, the operation and decision of the state certified arbitration program. The prevailing party of an arbitration decision made pursuant to this section may be allowed reasonable attorney's fees.

(d) The submission of any dispute to arbitration in which the consumer elects non-binding arbitration shall not limit the right of any party to a subsequent trial de novo upon written demand made upon the opposing party to the arbitration within thirty calendar days after service of the arbitration award, and the award shall not be admissible as evidence at that trial. If the party demanding a trial de novo does not improve its position as a result of the trial by at least twenty-five per cent, then the court shall order that all of the reasonable costs of trial, consultation, and attorney's fees be paid for by the party making the demand. If neither party to a non-binding arbitration demands a trial de novo within thirty days after service of the arbitration award, the arbitrator's decision shall become binding on both parties upon the expiration of the thirty-day period.

(e) Funding of the state certified arbitration program shall be provided through an initial filing fee of $200 to be paid by the manufacturer and $50 to be paid by the consumer upon initiating a case for arbitration under this section. Every final decision in favor of the consumer issued by the independent arbitration mechanism shall include within its relief the return of the $50 filing fee to the consumer. The director of commerce and consumer affairs may establish a trust fund for the purpose of administering fees and costs associated with the state certified arbitration program.

(f) The failure of a manufacturer to timely comply with a binding decision of a state certified arbitration program shall be prima facie evidence of an unfair or deceptive act or practice under chapter 480 unless the manufacturer can prove that it attempted in "good faith" to comply, or that the failure was beyond the manufacturer's control, the result of a written agreement with the consumer, or based on an appeal filed under chapter 658.

In essence, the Lemon Laws state that if you purchase (and in many states, lease) a brand new or pre-owned car or other vehicle covered by a manufacturer's warranty that is repeatedly faulty, and the original producer just can not repair it in spite of duplicated efforts (inside a set time limit that varies from state to state), or if the product is out of service for a limited time (usually 30 days) because of its shortcomings, you are eligible to a broad range of abuses, including:

1. Money damages
2. A refund of the cost
3. A brand new vehicle
Additionally, just about all the Lemon Laws (and the Federal Warranty Law) contain a fee changing element that says that if you win your case, the original equipment manufacturer or dealership that sold you the lemon is obligated to repay you for laywers' invoices.


Lemon Law Regulations
State-specific Lemon Law Statutes
Each of the 50 states has a different Lemon Law statute. Even though the attributes of each state's statute are different, the standard state Lemon Law statute offers relief for buyers with a impared vehicle purchased with a warranty if:

1. The dealership or original equipment manufacturer just can not completely remedy a specific gremlin in the item after a sensible number of repair efforts (typically at least three);
2. The vehicle can't be driven for at least 30 days due to faults in the car; or
3. The dealership or original equipment manufacturer just can't fix a gremlin that is a urgent safety hazard.

In general, a defective automobile is a automobile with a defect or trouble that considerably impares its drivability, marketability, or safety to the consumer and doesn't comply with the written warranty. In most instances, the period of time in which the Lemon Laws are applicable are rather short; the shortcomings and subsequent repair efforts (or out-of-service period of time) occasionally will happen during the first two-years or 24,000 miles the owner has the automobile. However, a number of states have even shorter periods. Moreover, virtually all states have notice and activation requirements, such as requiring the consumer to give registered mail notice to the original maker of the defects and establishing the car dealership a chance to repair the automobile. Furthermore, numerous states demand that Lemon Law claims be resolved through an arbitration system.

Generally, state Lemon Law statues also are applicable to leased automobiles and used automobiles purchased whilst under the manufacturing business* original warranty. A good number of state Lemon Laws also apply to cars other than passenger cars. depending on the consumer's state of residence, or the state where the consumer purchased the car, Lemon Laws may be applicable to:

-RV's
-Motorcycles
-Pleasure Boats
-Other consumer products (such as televisions)
There are a number of significant resolutions available under the Lemon Laws. Often times, if the original maker cannot repair the vehicle, the consumer may either call for the original maker to replace the car, or demand the original producer to take the vehicle and payback the purchase price plus incidental costs, such as all bills, towing fees, repair costs, related transportation charges and other costs incurred by the consumer as a consequence of the flaws in the vehicle. Another important relief available under most Lemon Laws is attorneys' fees. In many states, if you win in a Lemon Law case, you won't have to pay any attorneys' charges-the automobile original equipment manufacturer that sold you your lemon is expected to pay your legal expenses.

The defendant motor vehicle original equipment manufacturer can utilize several defenses to a Lemon Law claim. The general regulation affords that the original equipment manufacturer is not responsible if it can establish that the flaws at issue happened due to misdeed, negligence, or the alteration or modification of a auto by a party other than the manufacturing business, its agent, or an authorized repair facility. In different words, if the consumer damages his or her own motor vehicle, or the shortcomings were caused by modifications or alterations conducted by an unauthorized dealer, the manufacturing business might not be responsible.


Federal Lemon Law Statutes
The Magnuson Moss Act
The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act is the federal law that governs consumer goods warranties. Sanctioned by Congress in 1975, the Magnuson Moss Act requires manufacturers and dealers of consumer items to give consumers comprehensive info about warranty coverage benefits. In addition, it determines both the rights of customers and the responsibilities of warrantors under manufacturer warranties.

Even though the Magnuson Moss Act does not require an vehicle manufacturing business to provide customers with a warranty, if a warranty is supplied, the Magnuson Moss Act affords various protections for the consumer. The Magnuson Moss Act makes it easier for buyers to sue for breaking the warranty by making breach of warranty an infraction of federal law, and by allowing for consumers to recover litigation charges and sensible attorneys' fees.

The Magnuson Moss Act is often effective in a lemon situation in which, for some reason, a state Lemon Law claim is not available or moreover disadvantageous. For example, unlike the rather short cycle offered to customers inside virtually all Lemon Laws, you could register a claim for breach of warranty after the warranty period has expired if the problems happened during the warranty time period. In addition, although some Lemon Laws restrict their coverage to a narrow list of automobiles, the Magnuson Moss Act is relevant to just about all consumer products. The Magnuson Moss Act could also apply if you bought or leased a preowned motor vehicle without a manufacturer's warranty, or if the motor vehicle is covered by a third party contract or other type of extended warranty.


The Uniform Commercial Code
The Uniform Commercial Code (referred to as "UCC") has been ratified in all 50 U.S. states. It is the main foundation of law regulating product warranties, including cars and other items. The UCC provides another legal route for consumers with lemon problems.

UCC code says that the buyer of a product is entitled to return merchandise that fail in any feature to the consumer agreement. Fundamentally, if your brand new vehicle does not work as established by the manufacturer (your written warranty is a portion of your warranty), you may have a claim referencing the UCC in addition to any additional claims you may have.

The time period for rejecting a motor vehicle with the UCC is not limitless. If you discover a deficiency in your automobile inside a reasonable posession time period, you may refuse the motor vehicle. Unfortunately, new vehicles are frequently technically complex and you may not understand if your item conforms to the warranty till long after you acquire the item and troubles begin to develop. Basically, if Long after this posession period you don't refuse the item, you will be said to have okayed it and may have no claim through the UCC.

The length of the review period is not delineated in the regulation. Courts decide how long the sensible inspection period is based on the consumer's understanding and experience, the consumer's difficulty in identifying the defect, and the consumer's chance to observe the defect.

In spite of this limitation, the UCC states that in certain cases where a purchaser is pronounced to have accepted goods (i.e. the sensible inspection time has elapsed), a purchaser may still repeal his favorable reception of those goods where the non-conformity often degrades the value of the goods to him. Those instances include situations where it was difficult to see the nonconformity or the purchaser was ensured that the non-conformity would be remedied. In different words, the local court will excuse the purchaser from not refusing the goods where the purchaser could not have reasonably done so, or where the manufacturer promised the buyer that the problems would be repaired.
Once a vehicle excessively breaks and you have to keep taking it back to the dealership for repair under the warranty, the motor vehicle lemon law might be your next course of action. The defect must be substantial where it intereferes with your driving the motor vehicle or your safety. A motor vehicle stalling often is a substantial defect. This is exactly the type of condition that may hinder your driving and your safety. Under the motor vehicle lemon law you are not obligated to establish why the motor vehicle is stalling, you simply have to prove that it is stalling. Put simply you need to check over the lemon law in these 3 cases: the motor vehicle keeps breaking down within the warranty period, the motor vehicle is a safety risk, the dealership is not able to recondition the motor vehicle when it is guaranteed.

If you own a motor vehicle which is a lemon you can directly write to the original equipment manufacturer and ask for another equivalent motor vehicle. If this request is not satisfactory to the original equipment manufacturer, you can start into an arbitration arrangement. A few makers use their own arbitration process. Other makers use third party arbitration program including Autoline by the BBB. The opinion of the arbitrators is binding on the original equipment manufacturer but not on the buyer. If unsatisfied with the judgment, the buyer can take the original equipment manufacturer to court.

Virtually all regulations provide that the buyer ought to be returned back to the financial situation they were in prior to purchasing the automobile, less the measure that the buyer profited from by using the automobile. To get the compensation sum a number of factors are considered such as was it a sale or a lease, the purchase price, taxes and license, and mileage etc.
Some virtually new used vehicles will qualify under normal lemon laws. For example, a pre-owned motor vehicle may fall under normal lemon laws if it is less than a year old and has got fewer than 12,000 miles on the odometer. States that do have a used car lemon law may be extra generous with the age and measure of mileage. Still, the car needs to be sold by a car dealership that offers a warranty. Personal sales are not included, neither are vehicles sold under a stated price paid. There could be additional restrictions to a used car lemon law such as the purposes for which the automobile is utilized or the categorization of automobile. Classic vehicles, are usually excluded from pre-owned car lemon laws. Used car lemon laws normally cover a much shorter time period than brand new car ordinances. They oftentimes range from 30 to 90 days, depending on your used car's mileage.
When finding a lawyer for your lemon case, make sure that your lawyer is knowledgeable about the regulations that are applicable to your state. Also enquire about the fee program. Many lemon law attorneys take a relatively humble retainer to cover a lemon law claim, and afterward, the attorney's invoices are charged to the original equipment manufacturer. Essentially, lemon law claims are ordinarily very inexpensive to consumers. The reimbursement of lawyer expenses differs from state to state. About half of the states provide for you to recover your Lawyer invoices if you win. The lawyer's fee is based on actual time spent rather than being linked to any portion of the recovery. In some States, you have to pay the manufacturer's attorney's charges if you lose.

Consumers ought to record their concerns in writing and retain a copy. In all written correspondence, always describe how difficult it is to return the auto to the car dealership for corrections and that the dependability that the owner thought He was buying has been non-existent. Any written correspondence with a car dealership or original equipment manufacturer should be sent using certified post. In many situations the makers claim that they have not had the needed number of attempts to fix the condition. They count on the knowledge that the owner doesn't keep repair receipts for each instance they have driven the vehicle into the authorized dealership. They also assume on the possibility that the repair receipts have seperate parts repaired every time establishing that they have not fixed the same defect. Consumers should respond by demanding that sellers always send them a warranty repair sheet. Consumers ought to also reason that these undocumented visits are efforts.

Make sure to be aware of your lemon law rights. Upon purchase, immediately scan your owner's book and warranty information entirely, along with the info pertaining lemon law rights that you ought to receive when you purchase your motor vehicle. Don't depend on your dealer to describe what troubles are covered by warranty. If your dealer states that a defect isn't covered and you think that he or she is purposely deceiving you, be civil but assertive. Don't be scared to produce the section of the warranty that applies, or to call the manufacturing business for verification utilizing the contact information included in your owner's book. You shouldn't be obliged pay for work related to to lemon law complaints. It's also essential to advise the manufacturing business of a complaint promptly. If you think that your vehicle has a defect which can't be remedied, check out 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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