Leased Vehicles May Lack Lemon Law Protection / Charles Essmeier

In decades past, car owners who bought new vehicles that had significant mechanical problems that defied repair had little recourse. Unless the manufacturer took it upon themselves to do something nice, the owner had little choice but to either pay for repairs over and over again or sell the vehicle at a loss. In the early 1980’s the first lemon laws appeared in California and Connecticut, and since then, every state has adopted one. Car owners today can buy their cars, trucks or vans with confidence, knowing that if the vehicle turns out to be a “lemon”, they can probably get recourse in the form of either a refund or a replacement vehicle.
While every state has a lemon law on its books, the text of the laws can vary dramatically, as can their effectiveness. Some are written in such a way that favor the consumer; others are written to favor manufacturers. The types of problems and vehicles that are covered vary from state to state, too. One thing in particular that can affect a number of drivers today is the fact that not all state lemon laws cover leased vehicles.
When lemon laws were first devised some twenty five years ago, few consumers leased cars. Most consumers bought their vehicles outright, so the laws were were written to address problems by owners, rather than lessors. Many states have since amended their laws to cover leased vehicles, but some have not. This can be a problem for someone who leases a new vehicle and discovers that it has mechanical problems that are not easily repaired. People who have such problem vehicles may have to either pay to have repeating problems repaired over and over again, or they will have to terminate their lease early. Both options can cost a lot of money, as repairs are expensive and early lease terminations generally include penalty fees.
Any consumer who is considering leasing a new vehicle would be best advised to check his or her state’s lemon law before making a decision. A check of your state’s Website or that of your state’s Attorney General’s office can probably provide you with the text of your state’s lemon law. The last thing you want when signing an expensive lease on a new car is to find that the manufacturer is not obligated to replace it if it turns out to be a lemon. Such problems are easily avoided if you spend a few minutes to research the lemon law first.
©Copyright 2006 by Retro Marketing. Charles Essmeier is the owner of Retro Marketing, a firm devoted to informational Websites, including LemonLawHelp.net, a site devoted to information regarding lemon laws for automobiles and Car-Insurance-Help.net, a site about car insurance.