North Carolina provides a legal remedy to consumers if their  automobile does not meet reasonable standards of quality and performance. This legal remedy is referred to as the lemon law. The majority of new vehicles come with a manufacturer’s warranty assuring the purchaser that the vehicle will operate without a problem for a stated period of time or mileage. The lemon law Charlotte was enacted to protect you from the breach of the vehicle’s warranty by the manufacturer. In addition, the federal government has enacted lemon laws as well, referred to as the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, which protects individuals of all states, and may exceed the state’s law in certain instances.

The lemon law Charlotte only applies if a problem arises with your vehicle that the manufacturer is unwilling to repair. For example, most warranties provide that an automobile’s engine will operate without issue for the stated period of the warranty. If the manufacturer does not honor the warranty, you can file a complaint against the manufacturer stating the lemon laws of North Carolina as the basis for your complaint.

The lemon law Charlotte applies to new passenger cars, motorcycles and most vans bought in North Carolina within the vehicle’s first 24,000 miles or 24 months, whichever occurs first. Once you discover a problem with your vehicle, you must inform the manufacturer in writing and provide the manufacturer with a reasonable opportunity to repair the vehicle. According to North Carolina law, 15 days is a reasonable amount of time to try to repair the vehicle. However, the manufacturer does not have an unlimited number of opportunities to repair the vehicle, but only a reasonable number of attempts. Four or more times or if the vehicle has been inoperable for 20 or more business days within one year is considered to be unreasonable. If the manufacturer is unable to repair your vehicle, you are entitled to either a new car or a refund of the purchase price of the vehicle. In addition, if your car is determined to be a lemon, you may also be entitled to finance charges you paid after you reported the issue to your manufacturer and reimbursement for sales tax and North Carolina state car registration fees. However, you will likely not be reimbursed for the full value of the vehicle, but a reasonable allowance will be deducted for your use of the vehicle from the time you purchased the vehicle to the determination that the vehicle is a lemon.

The automobile’s warranty can be very confusing and it is best to seek legal assistance to determine if your automobile’s repairs are included as part of the warranty. Therefore, consider hiring a Charlotte attorney experienced in lemon law Charlotte to assist you with any legal action you choose to take against the car’s manufacturer. If you have questions about your legal rights and you need help finding an attorney in Charlotte, contact the North Carolina Bar Association’s website http://www.ncbar.org/. Also, you can find additional information about the lemon law Charlotte by visiting the North Carolina Attorney General’s website http://ncdoj.gov/Consumer/Automobiles/Lemon-Law.aspx.