The sooner you know what the details of the Nevada lemon law, the better you'll be able to avoid a lot of hassle and frustration and protect your interests. Whether you think you've got a lemon or are just trying to be preemptive, we have the main points of the Nevada lemon law and also include advice on how to act if the manufacturer is giving you a hard time.

First off, what's covered:

- new cars that are used for personal, family or household purposes

- RVs and ATVs are excluded.

- cars with problems the manufacturer has tried to fix four times or more or

- cars that have been in the shop for 30 days or more.

All problems must be covered by the manufacturer's warranty and must occur within the first year after buying the new car.

If this describes you car, there are several things you should do if you suspect your car's a lemon, starting as soon as possible. First, see what your owners manual tells you to do. Call the dealer where you bought the car and ask for the name and number of the regional manager who handles lemon law complaints. Find out in detail from this person what they want you to do to proceed with your claim. No car manufacturer we've heard of has been eager or generous in resolving lemon law issues, but you'll have a better chance of reaching a satisfactory settlement if you do everything they tell you to do--promptly.

Think of creative ways to document your problems. If your car's problem is something you can see, take pictures of it every time the problem occurs. Address every problem promptly, since you don't have much time with lemon law issues.

You'll probably either have to take your car to a dealer to get fixed or, if you live too far away, you must given written notice to the car maker telling them what's wrong. They will either arrange to get your car transported to a certified repair facility or tell you how to proceed.

Start a folder for all your receipts from repair attempts. Include notes from all your phone conversations (including who you talked to, when and what each person said). Keep track of work hours you've lost and other ways your car problems have affected you adversely.

How others have fought and won lemon law appeals

Before we say anything here, we want to be clear that we aren't attorneys. We don't even play one on TV, so please don't mistake what we're about to say for legal advice. But it may still be helpful.

Everyone who's had a lemon-car problem has their own frustrating story. One person leased what he thought was a dependable Japanese car, but after the third oil change started to notice pools of oil under his car. It got so bad that his co-workers commented on it. Yet after six fruitless attempts to fix the problem, the car manufacturer insisted that the only problem was with the way he was maintaining his car. After exhausting all his other options, he hired an attorney and got a jury trial. He took pictures of the oil leaks, in his driveway and garage and at work. He also kept copies of the letters his home owners association had sent him complaining about the oil stains. The jury found this evidence compelling and settled in his favor.

In another case, the district manager in charge of resolving lemon law complaints had a crazy, (but very favorable to the manufacturer) definition of what an "occasion" was. After four occasions, the company was obligated to re-purchase the vehicle. To avoid this, the district manager decided that if the company's mechanic couldn't find the problem or fix it, the company wouldn't count that complaint as an occasion. Another manager at the company defended this, saying that, "If the technician does not replace a part or make an adjustment to the vehicle, and it's properly documented as no problem found, then I would not count it as a repair." The judge laughed that right out of the court and awarded the buyer an $11 million verdict. (This was later reduced to $100,000.)

We're sorry that you're looking for information about the Nevada lemon law. We're sorry because this probably means you're having serious trouble with your car or you know someone who has and are afraid it'll happen to you.