If you have purchased or leased a new vehicle which proves to be defective, having a full understanding of the Michigan lemon law can help you rectify the situation. The term “Lemon” is used for a vehicle which has defects that, after numerous attempts to fix, continues to have issues.
The lemon law in all states, including Michigan is a statute which augments the federal Magnuson-Moss Act which did not cover the refund of one’s money in the event the vehicle proved to be a lemon. The following is a summary of the Michigan lemon law.
The lemon law in Michigan covers more than just cars; it covers four wheeled vehicles including pickup trucks and vans but excludes large vehicles such as buses, trucks and motor homes. If the vehicle exhibits a defect the manufacturer must be granted four attempts to make a proper repair or the vehicle is not available to the owner for 30 days. The lemon law in Michigan is in effect for the expressed period of the vehicle warranty or one year, whichever is first.
If an individual has purchased a vehicle and it meets the conditions noted above, under Michigan lemon law the vehicle manufacturer or the dealer is obliged to:
If the vehicle was purchased the manufacturer has the option of replacing the vehicle with a comparable unit which is acceptable to the customer or take the vehicle back and refund the customer the purchase price. The choice is the customers; he or she can refuse a replacement and demand a refund.
On the other hand if the vehicle was leased rather than purchased the consumer can demand a refund of the lease price paid or the consumer can agree to an acceptable alternative vehicle in lieu of a refund. The lease agreement shall stay unaltered if the consumer takes a replacement vehicle.
If you believe your vehicle might be a lemon it is imperative that you support your claim with documentation. You must keep all the service records that detail the repairs made as well as a log of the time your vehicle was unavailable for use. It will prove a real challenge to make the assertion stick without these records.
To invoke the Michigan lemon law you must communicate with the dealer that has attempted to repair the defect and tell the dealer that you believe the vehicle qualifies under the lemon law. If the dealer does not comply, contact the manufacturer, if this fails you are advised to hire a skilled lemon law attorney.
If you need further information about the Michigan Lemon Law you are invited to visit our website to know more.
