Sometimes buying a car is like buying a home. It’s a huge investment. There’s also the risk of buying a lemon and getting stuck paying for it.
If you buy a car that turns out to be a hunk of junk, NJ lemon laws can help you fight back.
The lemon law offers relief to car buyers who purchase unreliable vehicles unknowingly. It gives them fighting power against unscrupulous dealers. Dealers who sell cars without inspecting them or making sure they’re suitable for driving.
The law also gives you the right to a refund or a replacement vehicle.
There are few more things you need to know about NJ lemon laws. Check out this easy-to-follow guide to make sure you’ll get covered.
A Basic Explanation of the Lemon Law
The lemon law is a set of legal measures. They’re designed to provide options to people who buy cars that don’t meet quality and performance standards.
The lemon law is also federal law, and each state has its rules under the law. The state where you buy the lemon matters because that’s where you’ll have to apply the rules of the law.
For example, you live in Florida but decide to buy a vehicle in Georgia. If the car turns out to be a lemon, you’ll have to mediate under the rules of the Georgia lemon law.
There are some lemon law requirements, and they work like this:
- The manufacturer tries to repair the vehicle several times without success
- The car has several problems, making it unsuitable to drive
- Attempts to fix the car happened within one year of buying it
- Due to repairs, you’ve been unable to use the vehicle for at least 30 days.
All these requirements must be in place for the lemon laws to work on your behalf.
How Do NJ Lemon Laws Work?
Under the NJ Lemon Law, residents can obtain a full refund of the purchase prices of a defunct vehicle. That’s after the manufacturer fails or refuses to make attempts to repair the vehicle.
This process happens within the first 24,000 miles or two years of the purchase date.
If the buyer’s forced to hire an attorney, the law allows them to collect full payment for legal fees and costs from the manufacturer.
Here’s how the process works after your new car breaks down:
- Contact the dealer or manufacturer right away.
- The dealer verifies the issue happened within the lemon law timeframe.
- The dealer or manufacturer makes several attempts to fix the vehicle.
- The attempts fail, and the dealer or manufacturer refuses to refund your money. They also refuse to replace the vehicle.
- Hire a lemon law attorney.
The end result is either a refund or a replacement. The law calculates a refund by subtracting reasonable vehicle use from the purchase price. The refund also includes sales tax, license and registration fees, and options.
The NJ lemon law calculator may also include trade-in value.
Keep in mind that manufacturer warranties cover the first 12,000 miles. If you need repairs after that, you’ll have to pay for them. If the car turns out to be a lemon, you can get that money back.
Find Out if Your Car Is a Lemon
NJ lemon laws protect you from getting stuck with a clunker. Know your rights and get the ride you deserve.
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