Tennessee Lemon Law
Automobiles are a necessity in America. We use them to travel to and from work, run errands, see doctors, shop, take children to school, attend religious services, and more. Cars and trucks, however, are not without problems; they break down, require maintenance, upkeep, and repairs, and more. Some vehicles have problems from the start. In Tennessee and several other states, owners of new vehicles with issues are not stuck with lemons: Tennessee has enacted a Lemon Law.
Tennessee’s Lemon Law helps ensure that new car owners are not stuck with problematic vehicles, or “lemons,” and provides car owners remedies. For example, the Law requires manufacturers of lemons to give owners replacement vehicles or refunds. In order for a vehicle to be considered a lemon, however, it must be a vehicle purchased or leased new after January 1, 1987, contain problems that make it unsafe to drive or decrease the resale value, be unrepairable by the manufacturer or dealer after three attempted repairs, or be unusable for at least thirty days before the warranty expires.
If you indeed have a lemon, notify the dealer and manufacturer in writing. If you do not notify the proper parties timely, usually before one year after the vehicle was delivered or the warranty began, you may lose your remedies. Notify the manufacturer or dealer via certified mail and determine whether the manufacturer or dealer can fix the problem or problems. If the manufacturer or dealer cannot fix the problem after ten days, initiate the informal dispute process before taking other steps to receive a replacement vehicle or a refund. If you have a lemon, contact an attorney who can guide you through the informal and formal dispute processes within one year after your vehicle was delivered or six months after its normal warranties (not its extended warranties) expired.
If you have a problematic vehicle, or lemon, or questions about Tennessee’s Lemon Law, contact Nashville Attorney Perry A. Craft.
Perry A. Craft has dedicated his life to helping people in need. He has tried, settled, or resolved numerous civil and criminal cases in State and Federal courts, and has represented teachers and administrators before school boards, administrative judges, and the state Board of Education. Learn more about Attorney Craft.