Lemon Law How do I know if my car is a lemon under the law?
An estimated 1% of new cars are lemons. To be considered a lemon, two things must be true:
Your new car must have a substantial defect within a certain mileage period, usually 12,000 miles or one year, whichever comes first. (A few states extend this to two years.) A substantial defect is one that impairs the car's use, value or safety, such as brakes or turn signals which don't work. Unfortunately, minor defects, such as a loose radio and door knobs -- even several minor defects -- don't qualify.
The defect must remain unfixed after three or four repair attempts (depending on the state) or after the car has been in the shop for a cumulative total of 30 days.
