Lemon Law Attorney
Consumer’s World; Car Makers Fight Back On Lemon Laws
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To improve the Federal lemon law, states passed their own, but many have now found the new laws inadequate and in need of amendments. In the first wave, states adopted the Federal law and filled in its gaps by including regulatory criteria and procedures. The laws generally require a refund or a replacement if, after four attempts, a dealer fails to repair a defect that affects safety, value or utility. The same holds true if the vehicle is out of service for more than 30 days during the first 12,000 to 18,000 miles, or the first 12 to 24 months of ownership. Owners are also reimbursed for expenses like rental cars and towing. In the current wave of new laws, states are establishing their own arbitration programs. State panels were deemed necessary because manufacturers were able to sidestep the state laws - by not offering lemon-law remedies - as easily as they had earlier ignored the Federal law. Connecticut established the first in 1984. Florida established one in June, following New York, Massachusetts, Washington, Montana, Vermont and the District of Columbia. Minnesota and Kentucky, which did not establish state programs, required manufacturers to provide remedies. How One New Law Helped Without Minnesota’s new law, James J. Breen, a lieutenant in the Minneapolis Police Department, would have been out of luck. In February 1987, he bought a Mazda B2600 pickup truck for about $15,000. Mr. Breen said it ‘’jerked and chugged like an old car.'’ Mazda mechanics, including a delegation from Japan, could not repair the truck to Mr. Breen’s satisfaction. The State Attorney General sued Mazda on Mr. Breen’s behalf and won $13,500. Mazda agreed to set up an arbitration program. Without it, the company would not have been able to sell cars in Minnesota. More : query.nytimes.com |
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