Tag: Lemon Law

When it comes to used car dealers, the law can unfortunately become the only recourse in dealing with them. The kinds of problems encountered can range from defective vehicles not sold as such to blatant rip-offs in which the buyer never gets the vehicle. In fact, a Springfield, Massachusetts used car dealer was just arrested due to several complaints of purchasers never actually receiving the vehicles they paid for, or in some cases never obtaining titles. The local news agency covering the case is also reminding viewers of the states lemon laws and encouraging anyone who thinks they have a case against this particular dealer to come forward.

The legendary portrayal of a used car dealer as a shyster is in some cases unfortunately true. While there are certainly many dealers who are honest and forthright, profit margins are small, economic times are tough, and the little white lie told in an effort to get that vehicle moved off the lot is often all too tempting.

According to leading California lemon law attorney Norman Taylor, one of the first defenses a buyer has is to make sure they obtain a warranty with any used car purchased. A buyer should consider carefully before buying a vehicle without the valuable protections that warranties can provide, Taylor said. Most commonly, used vehicles are sold as is or with all faults. Such vehicles do not come with any warranties at all, either express or implied.

Taylor speaks from long experience. He has been a lemon law specialist since 1987, and he and his firm, Norman Taylor and Associates, have handled over 6,000 cases for consumers with a 98 percent success rate.

Used car buyers should make sure the dealer offers a written limited warranty with the vehicle they are selling.

A warranty is not a guarantee that any problems will be addressed, however. Like new car dealers, used car dealers can be notorious for not actually fixing a problem despite several attempts and there are cases on record in which the dealer manages to drag the problem out until the warranty expires. Hence it is best to contact a lemon law attorney right away when a buyer perceives that they might have been sold a lemon.

There are many cases in which lemon laws cover the sale of a used car. If you feel you have purchased a lemon, it is best to contact a qualified lemon law attorney right away.

About Norman Taylor & Associates

Norman F. Taylor and Associates have been assisting consumers since 1987. At Norman Taylor & Associates, the goal is to provide clients with the highest quality of legal representation if theyre one of the unfortunate residents of California whove had the misfortune of purchasing defective vehicles or goods and who have recourse under the Lemon Law. They represent consumers in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. With a twenty two year history of successful cases, Norman Taylor & Associates has established their reputation as a firm of consumer advocates that get the job done.

A jury in Tallahassee, Florida just unanimously awarded plaintiff Shamair Coward a complete refund from GM for her 2007 Saturn Ion. When the vehicle was traveling at speeds of approximately 30 miles per hour, the engine would drag, lose power, the RPM’s would go up and the front of the car made a rattling sound. Ms. Coward was forced to put the vehicle into fourth gear to prevent the vehicle from losing power and to lower the RPM’s.

Ms. Coward satisfied the needs of the lemon law by returning the vehicle to the dealership on 3 different occasions for repair, as well as presenting her case in Floridas mandatory arbitration program for resolution. It was good she did not stop with the arbitration, however; in that venue, she lost the case.

Some states require that arbitration be pursued prior to litigation, said leading California lemon law attorney Norman Taylor. If state law does not require arbitration, I always recommend it be avoided.

Taylors reasons for this advice are quite sound. Manufacturers love any kind of arbitration, he continued. Informal dispute resolution takes time, and any delay favors the manufacturer, who is not the one driving the defective vehicle. Consumers are frequently unfamiliar with the law and with the arbitration process, which can lead to awards in favor of the manufacturer even where the facts are relatively clear. It probably does not help that the manufacturers themselves fund almost all of these so called independent dispute resolution processes.

In his many years as a consumer activist and lemon law attorney, Taylor has had much occasion to observe the arbitration process. He has been a lemon law specialist since 1987, and he and his firm, Norman Taylor and Associates, have handled over 6,000 cases for consumers with a 98 percent success rate.

Arbitration is rarely helpful, even if the consumer wins. An example of this may be that the arbitrator may issue an eloquently worded opinion finding that a defect exists, but that in all fairness it looks as if it could be repaired. Instead of awarding the refund or replacement required by law, the consumer is awarded just another repair attempt.

For the consumers sake, a qualified lemon law attorney should be contacted right away when a lemon is suspected. Careful and expert legal guidance can help them avoid many of the delaying tactics and pitfalls thrown before them in pursuing their rights under the lemon law.

About Norman Taylor & Associates

Norman Taylor and Associates have been assisting consumers since 1987. At Norman Taylor & Associates, the goal is to provide clients with the highest quality of legal representation if theyre one of the unfortunate residents of California whove had the misfortune of purchasing defective vehicles or goods and who have recourse under the Lemon Law. They represent consumers in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. With a twenty two year history of successful cases, Norman Taylor & Associates has established their reputation as a firm of consumer advocates that get the job done.

Various states across US have different lemon laws. Lemon law California differs from those in other states. It is important to know the fine intricacies of Lemon law California. Lemon law California is also known as Motor Vehicle Warranty Rights Act. The California lemon law states that any vehicle purchase is a major consumer purchase. If such a vehicle turns out to be defective or if is found to cause serious injuries or even hardships to the consumer due to its defects, then a consumer is entitled to be made aware of his rights. Under the consumer rights if the defects or hardships are proved in the Federal court of law and if the vehicle is under warranty period, then a consumer can call for a lemon law suit.

Lemon law California and Federal warranty law protect consumers from being stuck with ‘Lemon’ automobiles, computer lemons and other defective consumer products. According to Lemon Law in California, if any car or computer is turns out to be a Lemon, then a consumer may be entitled to your money back, a replacement or a cash settlement.

According the Lemon law California, the owner of a motor vehicle or the owner’s designated agent may make a complaint concerning a defect in a motor vehicle that is covered by a manufacturer’s, converter’s, or distributor’s warranty agreement applicable to the vehicle. Any complaint regarding a lemon vehicle must be made in writing to the applicable dealer, manufacturer, converter, or distributor. The written complaint about a Lemon must specify each defect in the vehicle that is covered by the warranty. The owner may also invoke the board’s jurisdiction by sending a copy of the complaint to the board. Any case regarding the lemon vehicle, if not resolved by owner and dealer or manufacture privately is entitled for a hearing.

Before filing a suit for any damaged vehicle for lemon law California certain points must be ensured for proper proceedings in a federal court of law. All copies of documentation concerning the car and all the repair records should be kept in proper order. A track of details such as when was the vehicle serviced, where the vehicle was purchased from, from whom the vehicle was purchased etc. Technical service bulletins concerning the car should be called for. The VIN or Vehicle Identification Number for a lemon vehicle should be noted specifically. This VIN number is a series of 17 numbers and letters that are unique to each vehicle. It is located on a metal plate at the lower corner of the front windshield on the driver’s side. There are various attorneys who specialize in lemon law California such attorneys should be specifically consulted for filing any lemon law suit.

A vehicle report history should also be kept in order for any reference before filing the suit for lemon law California. A vehicle report history can be easily obtained from the internet. Various agencies provide free vehicle history report in California. A vehicle history report can be generated by providing the VIN to any of the websites pertaining to vehicles in California. The vehicle history report easily reveals any problems that might not be visible to untrained eye. This could be major damage from collision, fire, hail or water damage, odometer rollback or tampering, lemon or junk status, and much more.

Lemon law California states all the provisions to prevent a consumer from being stuck with a lemon. The best way to get rid of lemon car is to act and file a suit as soon as possible.

No one wants to look through their mail and be greeted by a recall notice, especially after purchasing a new car. When buying a Mercedes-Benz one expects Mercedes quality- nothing but the best. In a recent March report, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recalled 16,130 M-Class vehicles and 54 S-Class vehicles for mandatory repairs. Defective vehicles have become commonplace and consumers need to know how the California lemon law protects them.

Vehicle recalls are issued after the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration conducts a thorough investigation of complaints. If the findings are that the defect(s) are numerous within a particular vehicle year, make, or model, a recall notice will issue. ODI then administers the safety recall to uphold their mission to improve safety on roads and highways for all consumers. NHTSA is given the exclusive task to command manufacturers to recall and repair defective vehicles or components that pose deadly hazards to drivers and passengers. These defects may arise from the design, construction or performance of the vehicle.

NHTSAs recall campaign 09V076000 for the 2009 M-Class states that vehicles equipped with the optional power lift gate may be subject to a fire. There is a faulty seal around the rear tail lamp assembly where water may ingress and contaminate the control unit. This can cause a short circuit and lead to a fire.

Mercedes-Benz dealers will replace the seal of the rear tail lamp assembly with one that will not allow the water to ingress, in addition to repositioning the control unit to prevent any water from direct access to the control unit. Recalls began in April 2009 and dealers will make these repairs at no expense to consumers.

The S-Class has another serious recall concerning the safe exit of a vehicle in the event of an accident and also where children may unintentionally open of the rear door. During production, the front and rear passenger side door locks may have been mistakenly interchanged during the manufacturing process. The misplacement of the front and rear passenger side door lock would result in a passenger side door that will not open by pulling on the interior handle and a rear door lock that will not be opened by pulling the interior door handle even if unlocked.

A consumer may have already repeatedly returned their vehicle for repairs on the very defect giving rise to the recall. If they have already given the manufacturer through its repair facilities (dealers) a reasonable opportunity to repair the defect, they may be entitled to a buy back or replacement vehicle.

If you dont already qualify for a lemon law buyback, an owner of a recalled vehicle should make sure all recall campaigns are completed immediately. Dealers must complete these repairs at no charge to the consumer.

Mercedes-Benz has always boasted that its quality craftsmanship make it the premier manufacturer of luxury vehicles. But recalls happen, even to those who boast to be the best. Even Mercedes-Benz is not immune to manufacturing defective vehicles.

About Norman Taylor & Associates

Norman Taylor and Associates have been assisting consumers since 1987. At Norman Taylor & Associates, the goal is to provide clients with the highest quality of legal representation if theyre one of the unfortunate residents of California whove had the misfortune of purchasing defective vehicles or goods and who have recourse under the Lemon Law. They represent consumers in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. With a twenty two year history of successful cases, Norman Taylor & Associates has established their reputation as a firm of consumer advocates that get the job done.

Most people when the think of the word lemon, they think the sour, tangy and yellow fruit. What some people dont know is that the word “lemon” also has a slang meaning that has become very popular over the years, especially in the automotive industry. This slang is commonly known as “Lemon Law”

Even though the term lemon is more commonly used to describe a cheap and junky car, it can be used for just about any merchandise that is faulty, poorly made, or broken. For example; someone is walking home one day and sees a flashy watch on sale. They try the watch on, checking over to make sure nothing was wrong with it and decide to buy it. When they get home it stops working and it appears broken. They call their friend and tell them “I bought this watch today, it looked like such a good deal, but when I got it home, it turned out to be a lemon!” This is only an example and one must realize that “lemons” exist in nearly all forums of products and services.

Using the word lemon this way has most likely become increasingly popular due to the many companies and crooked car sales men selling faulty products. In fact there is even a “Lemon Law” that obligates manufacturers or sellers to repair, replace, or refund the price of a motor vehicle if it proves to be defective. It is a good idea to become familiar with this law so that if you happen to purchase a lemon from a reputable manufacture, you can probably sue them for your money back.

If you are about to file a lemon lawsuit, you will undoubtedly need a lemon lawyer. Lemon lawyers are usually available for a fair price; however, you need to watch out so that you dont hire yourself a lemon to fight a lemon!