North Carolina Lemon Law Helps Consumers Even Playing Field With Manufacturers
To understand why the North Carolina lemon law was created, you must understand how the law worked before its inception. Before the lemon law was enacted, auto owners with auto problems were forced to seek redress of their claims with large automobile manufacturers. Seeing a problem with the disparity of the parties, the North Carolina Legislature developed the lemon law, which created the right for an automobile purchaser to bring a lemon law case against an automobile maker.
The North Carolina Lemon Law applies to cars that were purchased or leased in North Carolina. The lemon law covers new cars, which ironically are cars that are sold as new. The types of cars the lemon law covers are new passenger cars, pick-ups and motorcycles purchased in North Carolina. The lemon law covers most vans as well.
Under the lemon law, the test to see if a vehicle is a lemon is to determine if the defects affect the use value or safety of the automobile. The legislatures goal was to give the consumer tools to better battle the automobile manufacturers and prevent them from summarily denying claims regarding problem vehicles. One of these tools is a presumption that an automobile is a lemon. To get a presumption that an automobile is a lemon, the purchaser of the automobile must show on of the two following are true:
The same problem or issue has been attempted to be repaired by the car manufacturer or a dealer greater than four (4) occasion and the problem continues to exist; or
The car was unavailable to the consumer during or while awaiting repair of the problem or problems. The total unavailability must be for twenty or more business days during any 12-month period of the warranty. Before a consumer may take advantage of the presumption, the North Carolina Lemon Law requires the consumer to write a letter to manufacturer putting them on notice of the problems with the vehicle.
Once the vehicle is shown to be a lemon, the lemon law provides that the consumer may choose either a replacement or a refund. Specifically, the manufacturer shall replace the vehicle with a comparable new motor vehicle or accept return of the vehicle from the consumer and refund to the consumer.
The lemon law states that the refund to the car owner can be reduced by a usage allowance for the owners use of the car. The usage allowance is the amount use by the owner before the first report of the problem to the dealer or manufacturer. The allowance also includes any mileage when the vehicle is not out of service. The usage allowance is calculated by dividing the mileage by one hundred thousand and then multiplying that percentage by the original price.
Although the North Carolina lemon law is fairly straight forward, consumers should hire a lemon law attorney. Under the lemon law, the manufacturer must pay the attorney fees if the vehicle is a lemon. In addition, there are notice requirements and some hidden pitfalls that may trip up a consumer. You should not delay in getting an attorney to help you.