When you buy a new vehicle, you expect it to run smoothly. However, you occasionally come across vehicles that are lemons. What makes a vehicle a lemon under Lemon Law in PA?
Pennsylvania Lemon Law Basics
Most all states have lemon laws to protect consumers from vehicles with defects and offer remedies. Consumers may use the term “lemon” for any vehicle that doesn’t work properly, but each state sets their own specific definition. In Pennsylvania, Lemon law includes any new vehicle purchase or lease with an unsafe defect registered in the state.
A law passed in 2002 requires dealers to disclose if a vehicle is a lemon buy back. The vehicle may classify as a lemon if it has a defect named in the manufacturer’s terms. The defect must make the vehicle unsafe to drive and does not include misuse, negligence, or consumer alterations.
What to Do About a Lemon
If your vehicle has a defect, don’t delay reporting it to the manufacturer, because you only have one year or 12,000 miles. Take your vehicle to an authorized dealer, or schedule a vehicle pick up.
State law requires the manufacturer to attempt repairing the vehicle for the same issue at least three times. The dealer must report vehicles needing the same repair again to the manufacturer and give you an invoice. If the manufacturer cannot repair the defect, they should offer you a buy back or a similar replacement.
Sometimes, manufacturers cooperate under Lemon Law in PA, but others may require arbitration. If they still refuse to cooperate, contact Krohn & Moss, Ltd. Consumer Law Center®.
