These laws were created to help consumers have some protection from being sold defective merchandise. Items more than $25 dollars that are sold with a warranty are subject to these types of laws. It was mostly created to give a consumer that is purchasing a vehicle the ability to return or exchange the vehicle for another one if it is found to be defective. The lemon laws cannot be used in just any manner. Certain requirements are set forth to prevent them from being used in the wrong way. Number one, manufacturers must offer a warranty on their products. Without a warranty, or if the car is bought as is, then they are almost unable to use these laws to their advantage. A consumer can check with their state laws to determine if they are able to pursue a claim without a warranty. Consumer protection is one of the best things our government could have created laws about. Without these laws consumers and sellers would take advantage of the situation very easily, and the other would be left without a legal leg to stand on.

These laws also require a consumer to document the defects and bring them to the attention of the dealer or manufacturer immediately upon noticing them. This step gives the dealers and manufacturers to correct the problem and make the vehicle safe for the consumer again. These corrections must be noted thoroughly to protect both the consumer and dealer or manufacturer. If after four tries and the problem has not been corrected, the consumer may then obtain a refund of the purchase price or money spent thus far, or they may obtain another vehicle. At this point the vehicle can be deemed a lemon and suit under the lemon laws may be brought forth, check with the state in questions specific rules pertaining to these laws.

Even though these laws are different in each state, they usually are along the same lines as talked about. Majority of the time new vehicle warranties last for up to five years that is usually the amount of time allocated for a lemon law claim. In some states if a vehicle is bought used and the original warranty is still valid, then the lemon laws cover it until said warranty is void.

Certain criteria make a used vehicle fall under these laws, natural disaster, illegal parts used to repair vehicle, tampered odometer, reoccurring mechanical failure. Under these circumstances these laws would continue to provide protection to the consumer even without a valid warranty.

Certain steps must be taken to receive protection under these laws also, failure to maintain proper records of maintenance, or lack of initiative in getting the dealer or manufacturer to correct the problem, will only make a lemon law case harder to prove. A consumer must allow the manufacturer or dealer adequate opportunity to repair the vehicle, failure to do so by the consumer will result in forfeiture of his rights under the lemon laws. A consumer must not keep driving the vehicle after the defect is noticed. It is then said that the consumer may have made the defective parts worse or may have even caused the defect themselves. In conclusion it really depends on how long a lemon law will cover a consumer.