Alaska Lemon Law for Vehicles

In all likelihood, your vehicle is the second most expensive purchase you make in life after your home. So, whilst a new vehicle is always exciting, it is also a big financial commitment that really should be perfect when you pick it up. While for the majority that is what you get, there are a few cases of vehicles that become a constant problem, with reoccurring faults that never seem to get fixed, some call them the Friday afternoon cars, others call them lemons. Of course, the Alaska Lemon Law does not come to mind when visiting a dealership.

But what do you do if your new vehicle that you have spent a lot of money on, develops faults that keep coming back? If it gets to the point where you can’t rely on the vehicle to get you around, then what? The Lemon Law in Alaska is designed to protect you in just this situation. It is a legislative approach that is designed to protect consumers in the event of a new vehicle purchase that proves to be beyond repair.

The Alaska Lemon Law covers motor vehicles that are purchased new, and are primarily designed for personal, family or household use and are registered in Alaska. Vehicles not covered by the Lemon Law in Alaska include tractors, farm vehicles and any other vehicle designed primarily for off-road use. Knowing that this law is there to protect you can add some peace of mind to that new vehicle purchase, but you also need to know how to use if you do find yourself with a problem vehicle. This guide will help you take the right approach to making sure the AK Lemon Law works for you and avoiding frustrating and even costly mistakes.

Not all problems qualify under the Lemon Law in Alaska

When taking a delivery of a new vehicle, you expect it to be perfect. After all, no vehicle is cheap, so you expect it to work as it should. If you do geta problem, it is incredibly frustrating and annoying, but not every problem is one that can invoke the Alaska Lemon Law. There a have to be some limitations, after all, if you claim your money back or ask for a replacement vehicle for every minor problem, even one that can be easily fixed, there wouldn’t be many manufacturers and dealers left to supply new cars.

The goal of the lemon Law in Alaska is to be fair, and to protect consumers while giving manufacturers and dealers a chance to put things right. To avoid endless legal cases over minor problems then, and all that could mean to qualify for the AK Lemon Law, a vehicle needs to meet specific requirements.

What makes a Lemon car in Alaska?

The Alaska Lemon Law requires that one of the following conditions must apply to your vehicle within the period of the warranty or one year after delivery, whichever ends first:

• The manufacturer, agent or authorized dealer has had three or more attempts to repair a single issue with the vehicle without success.
• The vehicle has been out of use and in the custody of the manufacturer, agent or authorized dealer for a cumulative total of thirty business days or more for repair.

There are some things to remember during this process. It is important that only the manufacturer, agent or authorized dealer attempts repairs, no matter how frustrated you may get. Allowing unauthorized organizations to attempt repair will void your warranty and any claim under the Lemon Law in Alaska. It is also crucial to follow the warranty instructions at all times for the same reason. If the vehicle requires a service to maintain warranty, book the vehicle in for the service.

Proving that AK Lemon Law applies to your vehicle

As we discussed earlier, simply having an issue with a new vehicle is not enough to apply the Lemon Law in Alaska, and for good reason. However, while there are justifications for that, it does mean that you need to be careful with any issues with a new car and follow the right5 steps to ensure your vehicle qualifies. The Lemon Law in Alaska says that you must allow the manufacturer, agent or authorized dealer a reasonable number of chances to repair the fault. In this case, reasonable means three or more repair attempts. That means you must wait until there have been three attempts before your vehicle qualifies for the Lemon Law in Alaska.

Keep records

However, just saying there have been three repair attempts is not enough, you need to prove it, and this is where being prepared matters. If you do have an issue with your car, keep records of everything. This includes:

• Phone Conversations – Include Date, Name and the content of the conversation.
• Service Records – All details of the work carried out on the vehicle, including conversations with any staff and notes about recurring problems.
• All Written Correspondence

Maintain all Servicing Recommendations

If the vehicle is unreliable and spending more time in the shop than it is with you, it can be tempting to ignore servicing schedules and just not bother. However, to qualify for the Lemon Law in AK, you must maintain manufacturer guidance for servicing, so don’t miss out.

Authorized Repairers Only

As with service schedules, you need to follow manufacturer’s warranty guidelines too. This means only use authorized dealers, agents and manufacturers for any repair or service work. Using a third-party will void the warranty and stop any claim under the Lemon Law in AK.

Alaska Lemon Law Remedies

The law itself lays out the remedies you may be eligible for if you are successful in a claim under the Lemon Law in AK, and they include:

• A replacement vehicle that is new and comparable to the existing vehicle.
• A refund of the full purchase price to the owner less a reasonable mileage allowance for the use of the vehicle during that period of ownership.

The Alaska Lemon Law does not cover leased vehicles and only applies to new, purchased vehicles registered in the State of Alaska.

Filing under the Lemon Law in AK

Filing a claim begins with letting the manufacturer know of your intent and giving them a final opportunity to repair the vehicle, which must be carried out within fourteen days. Once that attempt has proved unsuccessful, you can file a claim.

While it is possible to file yourself, the reality is that manufacturers actively contest these cases, and use their expensive legal teams to do so. With that in mind, the best approach is to find a lawyer experienced in Alaska Lemon Law to represent you throughout. In many cases, when confronted with an experienced lawyer, the manufacturer will offer to settle, saving time and money in the process.

Your lawyer will guide you through the entire process and ensure that you take the most appropriate path to deliver the result you are looking for.