For most people a car is not a luxury, it is a necessity. It can be frustrating to purchase a new vehicle only to find out that is has a defect that cannot be fixed. In cases like this, the owner can fall back on the protection given by the Indiana Motor Vehicle Protection Act, better known as the Indiana Lemon Law.
What constitutes a lemon in Indiana?
A new car that has a defect that cannot be repaired after four attempts or has been in for repair of the same problem for 30 days or more may be a lemon and covered under Indiana law. To be protected by the law the defect has to have been reported to the manufacturer or dealer within 18 months of taking delivery or before the car has travelled 18,000 miles.
The Indiana Lemon Law does not apply to motorcycles, mopeds, motor homes, off-road vehicles, or snowmobiles.
Keep accurate records:
There is no way to determine in advance if a new car is a lemon; as a result, it is wise to maintain records of all service reports. Keep a log of everything that was done to your new car and make sure that you follow the manufacturer’s recommendations when it comes to maintenance, this is important; the manufacturer may try to say the fault is yours as you failed to look after the car properly.
Buying a used lemon:
Under Indiana Lemon law, the manufacturer retains the right to repair the car and send it to a dealer for resale. When this is done, the vehicle must be re-titled noting that there is a buyback disclosure file on record. The dealer is obliged to tell potential buyers that the car was at one time returned to the manufacturer as being a lemon. The purchaser will be given a 12 month, 12,000-mile manufacturer’s warranty.
The Indiana Lemon Law protects consumers that purchase a car with a serious manufacturing defect. For further information on the law, you are invited to visit Lemon Law America.
