Lemon Law Questions? We Have Answers!

January 9, 2024
By: Robert Silverman

The number one question comes through the 1800 LEMON LAW hotline: “Do I have a Lemon?” Because each state has different Lemon Laws, we’ve devised a quick online questionnaire to help folks with this process.  While it’s sometimes a fairly complex process to figure out if you are driving a lemon car, we’ve simplified it to the basics to help satisfy most consumers and be available to answer any specific question.

We created this lemon law web application to give people a better insight into the qualifying process. Often, folks can be a little shy about reaching out, and we know it sometimes is fearful to go after the billion-dollar automobile companies. This new app provides distressed drivers with the key to revising their consumer rights.

Let’s review some important components of this questionnaire by answering a few questions and reviewing the overall process.

We kept the page clean and uncluttered to ensure that the questions were the main focus. You’ll also notice that we have incorporated some social media elements to make it easy to share with your own network. We’ve also incorporated some tips to help consumers as they answer questions along the way.

The first qualifying point we ask is whether the consumer purchased their car New or Used. All states have a Lemon Law for new cars, while some offer protection for used cars. There is also a federal law that protects consumers of used cars, which is called the Magnuson Moss Warranty Act, and covers all items that fall under an original or extended manufacturer’s warranty. We’ll choose “New”.

As we explained earlier, Lemon Laws vary from state to state. Some states have similar qualifications, while others are completely different. New Jersey requires only 1 repair attempt for a defect that may cause death or serious injury, while Massachusetts requires 4 repair attempts for the same defect before they qualify. Pennsylvania’s coverage period is 1 year or 12,000 miles, while New Jersey is 2 years or 24,000 miles. This is why we need to ask where you purchased your vehicle. Let’s use our PA Lemon Law location as an example.

So the Pennsylvania Lemon Law qualification is when a car is within its warranty period, 12,000 miles or 1 year of purchase. Well it just so happens that my car is indeed within this criteria so I’ll answer “Yes”

Again, the number of repair attempts and days out of service vary. Some include calendar days, others only business days. Some require 4 repair attempts, others only 1 if they are deemed to be injury-causing. My car has had 3 repair attempts for the same issue, so I’ll answer “Yes.”

It looks like I qualify for Lemon Law and should pursue my case. Since it is free for me, I’m going to have Kimmel & Silverman take care of my case, so I will need to fill out this online form with all my details.

So it took me about three minutes to complete the Driving a Lemon survey to find out if I actually have a lemon and then another five minutes to fill out the Get Rid of Your Lemon online form, and the process began! After only a few days online, we’ve seen over 1,000 visitors to the survey and, more importantly, have helped consumers become more aware of the Lemon Laws and how they are used to protect us.

If you are unsure whether you qualify for the Lemon Law, check out our new online Driving a Lemon application. It’s only 3-5 minutes and may well save you weeks, months or years of agony.