How to protect yourself

If you think you may a lemon, be sure to keep good records. When you take the vehicle in to the dealer, tell them specifically what the problem is and describe it in detail.

Give them a full and fair opportunity to make the repair. If they make the repair, they have met their obligation. It is only if they are unable to repair the problem, as sometimes happens, that their obligation to repurchase or replace arises.

Read the receipt ticket that you get when you leave the car. Check to make sure that what was written down accurately describes the problem, and that everything you requested is actually written down on the ticket. There are many instances in which the consumer tells the service advisor at the dealer one thing, and another gets put on the ticket.

Do not threaten them with legal action. In today's world everything you say to the dealer, or to the customer service representative of the manufacturer will find its way into the customer service computer file. All manufacturers open a customer service file when you call on the 800 number to tell them of a problem. That information is put into the record with a bias to it. It may not reflect what you said or meant. Therefore always be polite and patient with them, but be definite and be precise about your problem.