If a trip to the mechanic won't fix it, your car may be a lemon

When you buy a new car, whether it is a luxury vehicle or an economy sedan, you expect it to do its job of helping you navigate the world around you. The point of a vehicle is to get you places, but when there is a serious issue with your vehicle, it may just end up being a money pit that only gets you to the mechanic's shop with the help of an expensive tow truck.

Vehicles that have something wrong with them need to get repaired for safety, overall performance and longevity. Although vehicles are complex machines, most repairs should be straightforward. In other words, the mechanic should be able to identify the issue and quickly fix it.

Sadly, that is not always what happens. Instead, you could find yourself heading back to the mechanic or the dealership over and over in an attempt to get your vehicle into working order. In that scenario, you could be dealing with a lemon, which is a vehicle that simply has a defect that will always prevent it from proper function.

Keep a record of every attempt to repair your vehicle

The first time you take a vehicle into a mechanic or dealership, you should make a point of getting a detailed estimate that explains what they believe is wrong with the vehicle. You should also keep the receipt that shows exactly what services the mechanic performed.

Those records will make a difference if the repairs don't serve their purpose. The more thorough and accurate the records you keep, the easier it will be for you to establish a claim under California's lemon law.

This law protects consumers from defects in manufacturing related to a vehicle. A defect could cause an issue that requires repair. However, fixing the symptoms with a repair won't correct the cause, which is a defect. If you have made a reasonable attempt to repair your car and it continues to have the same issues, it could qualify under the lemon law in the state which allows you to seek compensation or a replacement vehicle.

Lemon law claims are typically complex

Just as you expect your vehicle to work when you pick it up, the person who sells it to you expects that their obligation will end at the time that you sign the paperwork. Many manufacturers and dealers will do everything in their power to push back against the claims of a lemon.

Not only could it damage their overall brand, but it will impact their bottom line. That is why working with an attorney is often your best option for connecting with the compensation that you need following the purchase of a vehicle which turns out to have a significant manufacturer's defect.