Monday, February 16, 2009

Stuck With a Lemon? Arizonians Can Breathe Easy!

By Garret Langford

The Federal Lemon Law was passed in 1975 to protect consumers from defects in expensive items. The official name of the Federal Lemon Law is the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, and each state has its own version of the law. The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act covers both new and used cars, RV's, motorcycles, and computers.

Arizona residents have some options that some states do not offer when it comes to consumer protection. The Arizona Lemon Law permits unsatisfied car buyers to sell their defective vehicle, as long as the mandated written disclosure states the owner is aware of the defects. The manufacturer of the defective car must be notified in writing of the unsatisfied buyers intention of selling the car.

Arizona Lemon Law permits dissatisfied car buyers to trade in the defective car. A written disclosure must be prepared for a trade-in and the auto manufacturer must be informed in writing of the buyers intent to trade-in the car. It is best to use a written statement from a professional inspection as the basis for the written disclosure.

Inspection reports will be necessary and it is best to use a professional inspector who is a certified mechanic. Should you need to go to court to take advantage of the Arizona Lemon Law, your reports will need to contain the specific and concise language used by all professional, certified mechanics. Your court case might require the testimony of an independent expert, so disclosures and reports must be of equal par.

If you discover defects after you purchase a vehicle in Arizona, the Arizona Lemon Law might be able to help you get satisfaction from the company who manufactured the car. Not everyone can get the Arizona Lemon Law applied to their situation. Some people will need to hire a lemon law attorney to be successful.

Keep good repair records, use a certified mechanic, and do all repairs promptly if you wish to be eligible for the Arizona Lemon Law. You must make four attempts to get the problem resolved before the lemon law can protect you. That is the obligation of any consumer who hopes to call the lemon law into action on their behalf.

How do you know if your vehicle is eligible for the Arizona Lemon Law? The repairs must pass the time and mileage limit tests. You have the shorter of two years, the time limit on the express warranty, or 24,000 miles from original date of delivery, whichever one is shorter. The vehicle must have been in the repair shop for at least 30 days in the time period.

Additionally, lemon law in Arizona covers more than new car purchases. Also qualifying for protection by the Arizona Lemon Law are leased cars, pre-owned cars, recreational vehicles, motor homes, motorcycles, boats, computers and other big-ticket consumer products. All products must have been sold with a written warranty in effect at the time of purchase in order to satisfy the requirements of the Arizona Lemon Law.

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