Lemon laws have been enacted at both the federal and state level to protect consumers who purchased a new vehicle that was defective. The laws vary from state to state; some cover used cars as well as other expensive purchases. The Illinois lemon law covers new cars; light trucks under 8,000 pounds and RVs. The laws only apply to vehicles purchased in the state and are less than one year old and have fewer than 12,000 miles on the odometer.
Like the majority of states, the Illinois lemon law assures purchases of these new vehicles that if they have a serious defect, one that cannot be rectified after a given number of attempts; the original purchaser is entitled to a new vehicle or a cash refund.
The lemon law in Illinois covers leased vehicles as well as those that are purchased and in the event of a problem, the same requirements apply. Anyone that buys or leases a new vehicle in Illinois is wise to keep impeccable service and repair records.
Filing a claim:
Although there is no specific demand that states you must engage the services of an attorney, many people do. Regardless of how you handle the situation, bear in mind the following:
* Keep copies of all service orders, repair receipts and copies any communication you may have with the dealer. Supporting information will be required in the event you make a claim.
* If you notice the same thing happening time after time, this usually indicates the vehicle is a lemon. Keep a log of the dates the vehicle is out of service; it must be unavailable to the owner for 30 days to qualify.
* You must have given the manufacturer or the dealer four chances to fix the defect.
Once you have satisfied these expectations, you or your attorney can proceed with making a claim.
Chances are good that you will not be intimate with the details of the Illinois lemon law. For more information and a list of trusted attorneys that can help, you are invited to visit LemonLawAmerica.com.
