Colorado lemon Law for Vehicles

Aside from your home, your vehicle is probably the biggest purchase you make, so being excited when you drive off the lot is to be expected. You want any new vehicle to be perfect of course, and the vast majority are. But sometimes new vehicles have issues that never seem to go away , making it a vehicle you just cannot rely on. These are rare though, but that is why the Colorado Lemon Law exists.

However, what happens if your new vehicle turns out to be one of those problems, with faults that can’t be fixed and leaving you with a vehicle you cannot rely on? There is legislation to help, and while many are unaware of this, the CO Lemon Law is a set of regulations designed to protect consumers in just this situation. The lemon law in Colorado covers new passenger vehicles, SUVs, trucks and vans purchased and registered in Colorado that seat ten people or less. In addition, used vehicles that are less than a year old, or are still within the manufacturers warranty period, whichever ends first, are also covered under the Colorado lemon Law.

If you are in the process of buying a new vehicle, then this will sound great, with protection and peace of mind for what is a large purchase. However, as with all legal considerations, accessing that protection means understanding when the law applies, how to qualify and what kind of redress it can provide. To make sure you avoid mistakes and enjoy that legal protection the CO lemon law is designed to provide, here is out guide to the lemon law in Colorado.

How does a vehicle qualify for the Lemon Law in Colorado?

If you get any problem with your new vehicle it can be both frustrating and annoying, but it doesn’t mean that you can make a claim under the Colorado lemon law and get a refund. Not every issue is covered, with a threshold to meet before you can consider a claim. There is a good reason for this, if every minor problem could lead to a refund or replacement, there would be no manufacturers still in business.

You should, of course, expect any issue to be dealt with quickly by your dealer, and this is the key to qualifying as a lemon vehicle in Colorado.

The requirements for a lemon car in Colorado

A vehicle can be considered a lemon under the lemon law in Colorado if, within the first 12 months of ownership, or within the warranty period, whichever expires first, one or more of the following occurs:

• The manufacturer or dealer have made four or more attempts to repair a problem that affects the usability or safety of the vehicleunder warranty
• The vehicle has been unavailable to use for more than thirty days in total, not necessarilyconsecutively, when dealing with warranty problems.

It is important to remember that qualifying for the lemon law in CO does mean that you must comply with all warranty requirements. That means that all repair work must be carried out be authorized dealers, and even if you are getting nowhere, never take the vehicle to a third party out of frustration.

Proving that the Colorado lemon law applies to your vehicle

If you have an issue with your new vehicle, you will want it taken care of quickly. However, just because you do have an issue does not automatically mean you can make a claim under the lemon law in Colorado. You need to give the dealer a chance to repair the vehicle at least four times. These thresholds are in place to prevent spurious claims, but just meeting the requirements is also not enough. This is a legal case, and it will be contested by the manufacturer, so your Colorado lemon car must not only meet the requirements, you must be able to prove that it does.

With any issue you may have with your new car, you have no way of knowing if it will be fixed immediately or turn into an ongoing problem and a claim under the Colorado lemon law. With that in mind, here are some things you should do to ensure you have the documented proof if the worst should happen:

• Document all your phone calls regarding the vehicle. This should include dates, name of the person you talked to and what the call was about, any promises made.
• Keep all written correspondence, including service bills, repair confirmations and so on.
• Insist your dealer includes any conversations in their service notes regarding ongoing issues.

Stick to the schedule according to the CO Lemon Law

When everything is going wrong and your vehicle is spending more time in the shop than with you, it can seem pointless to maintain the service schedule the manufacturer recommends. This would be a mistake though, keeping the warranty intact is essential for your Colorado lemon law claim. This means that, even during the claim, if the car has a service due, ensure that the work is carried out.

Similarly, a warranty is voided if third parties perform any work on the vehicle. Always use the authorized dealer for any repairs or servicing.

Remedies from the Colorado Lemon Law

The legislation sets out the remedies available for consumers after a successful claim under the lemon law in CO, and these include:

• A replacement vehicle of comparable value.
• A refund of the purchase price less an offset for usage during the period of ownership. In addition, incidental fees such as finance costs, sales tax, registration charges etc.

There are no specific remedies for leased vehicles covered by the lemon law in Colorado, and for refunds there is an arbitrage process for manufacturers that have explicitly opted to put them in place in the state.

Filing a claim under the CO lemon law

With all legal fees being passed to the manufacturer under the lemon law in CO, there is no reason to avoid taking on experienced lemon law specialists to represent you. Your lawyer will be able to ensure that the process is followed correctly, from the first letter to the manufacturer offering a final repair attempt to assessing the arbitration process if it applies, they will help you achieve the best outcome possible for your case.

Not only will they seek the best remedy possible under the lemon law in CO, but it saves you the stress and time of dealing with unfamiliar processes yourself. If you think you have a Colorado lemon car, get in touch with a specialist lawyer and let them take care of it for you.