Is Your Car A Lemon? You Have Legal Recourse

When you purchase a car, even a used car, you expect it to work. You expect to be able to drive it off the lot, and use it without it breaking down. You expect that you may have to haggle, but you will walk away with a fair deal. If you walk away with a vehicle that breaks right away, or you end up with a loan or financing deal that isn't what it seems to be, you have been subject to a lemon. An attorney can help you fight back against unfair car practices.

The Odometer Has to Be Correct

There are a variety of laws that are in place to protect you, when you purchase a vehicle. One of the most well-known laws is the federal odometer act. The federal odometer act made it illegal to tamper with the odometer on a vehicle. Knowing how many miles a vehicle has on it tells you a lot about the wear and tear that a vehicle has been through, and it provides you with valuable information on when repairs are needed on your vehicle.

If an odometer has been messed with on a vehicle you purchase, you have federal reason to protest the accuracy of the deal that was made.

The Warranty Has to Be Honored

Next, on the federal level, there is also the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act. This act protects you, if the party behind the warranty does not follow through with the warranty. For example, if you purchase a vehicle that comes with a warranty that protects the transmission for 20,000 miles, and within 5,000 miles the transmission fails, and the auto company or dealership that you purchased the vehicle and warranty from fails to honor the warranty, you can go after them legally, based on the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act.

The Loan Terms Have to Be Stated

Finally, when you purchase a vehicle, you are also protected by the Truth in Lending Act (TILA). The TILA protects the borrower by requiring the lender to disclose all important information about the loan process before the loan is finalized, including the auto financing rate. When a lender does not share this information with you, they violate the TILA. If a lender changes the interest rates on you or the terms of the loan without telling you, that is another avenue that a lemon law attorney could pursue for you.

If you feel that something about your car transaction was not aboveboard, contact a lemon law attorney. There are federal regulations, as well as state-specific legislations, that are in place to protect you from lemon vehicles that the dealers know as no good, and there are laws in place to protect you against shady lending tactics.

For more information, talk to companies like San Jose Lemon Law Center.


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