In the United States, Lemon laws protect consumers from defective vehicles that cannot be repaired. Each state has its own regulations, with California leading the charge on how to protect drivers. If you need to file a Chrysler Lemon law claim to get out of your defective vehicle situation, it’s best to contact an expert attorney.
Before starting a Chrysler Lemon law buyback claim, it’s good to learn about all the laws and regulations. Without educating yourself on the state and federal Lemon laws, you could make a simple mistake that costs you compensation.
The Lemon Pros have experience working with Californian drivers with models from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. With our practice area focused on going up against the largest manufacturers, you know that we can negotiate an exceptional settlement for you. Get a free consultation today.
In this article, we explain what makes the car a lemon vehicle and show you how to file your claim. We also discuss the California Lemon law process and help you get out of your faulty vehicle.
A lemon car is one with significant defects that substantially impair the value, use or safety of the vehicle. The Chrysler vehicle must still be covered under the manufacturer's warranty or have other warranties that have been broken.
In California, a valid Lemon law claim falls under the Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act. From the federal standpoint, the Chrysler vehicle qualifies for protection under the Magnuson Moss Warranty Act. Most lawyers are going to start by working with the California Lemon law before attempting to escalate the case to a federal level.
These guidelines cover a variety of Chrysler vehicles, including the Dodge Charger, Dodge Challenger, Chrysler Voyager and Chrysler Pacifica. The vehicle qualifies whether you’ve purchased the new car or it is a lease. In some cases, there’s also protection under the Lemon law for used cars, as long as it’s covered by a warranty.
There are specific criteria designed if you wonder how to know if your vehicle is a lemon. For starters, the defect must occur within the first 18,000 miles or 18 months, whichever comes first. However, you have up to four years to file the claim once the defect begins.
From here, it’s crucial to think about the number of repair attempts that have occurred. Before you can file a Lemon law case, you must allow four repair attempts for most issues. If there’s a serious safety concern, you may only be required to have two repair attempts. Either way, if the car is at the dealership for more than a month per complaint, your case may qualify.
The Chrysler Group LLC falls under the Fiat Automobiles hat, so they are produced by the same manufacturer as Dodge, Jeep and RAM vehicles. Over the years, the Chrysler lineup has seen some significant lemons because of defects in workmanship. Of these lemons, here are a few we’ve dealt with in the past.
The Chrysler Pacifica has been subject to numerous federal recalls and investigations. Between the electrical malfunctions, transmission problems and hybrid battery concerns, the Pacifica has been a major letdown to enthusiasts.
The sleek 300 has been the subject of its own set of recalls. From transmission shifting failures to major electrical system glitches and a stalling engine, drivers have been left sitting on the side of the road.
Designed to be an affordable minivan for busy families, the newer Voyager has brought a lot of disappointment to the table. With recalls for the backup camera and structure-related issues, Chrysler has let families down and created an opening for Lemon law cases.
A quick look on Reddit shows just how many Lemon law cases occur in California towards Chrysler. For example, there’s been a need for legal assistance for a defective 2023 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid due to electrical system issues.
If you are ready to start a claim for your FCA vehicle, here are a few of the steps to consider. It will make the whole process a lot easier.
The key to winning any Lemon law claim is to have exceptional documentation of everything that’s occurred. It is your responsibility to prove that the car is a lemon. Therefore, you want to keep a detailed record of all the paperwork. Not only should you have the manufacturer’s warranty and the paperwork showing the original purchase price, but you also want a record of every repair attempt.
On the repair orders, the date and outcome should be clearly documented. It would be helpful if you could have the service advisor list any technician notes and recommendations. If parts have been replaced, that should also be clearly outlined.
In your communication with the dealership and Chrysler, you want to maintain a detailed log. Write down the date of the communication and who you spoke with. You should also record what the outcome of the conversation was. If you have emails or letters, you can put them with the other documentation for proof.
State law requires a demand letter be sent to Chrysler before starting the Lemon law process. In this written notice, you want to clearly state the defects, the timeline that everything has occurred and request your refund or replacement vehicle.
Here are a few items to include in the letter:
Your letter should be sent by certified mail to prove when it was received by the manufacturer. A copy of this letter should be included in your documentation.
Even if you’ve allowed for a reasonable number of repair attempts, you may be asked to try one more time. Unless there are serious safety concerns, it would only help your case to allow another attempt. By taking the vehicle into the shop again for the same problem, you are proving that you were willing to do everything possible to get a resolution.
As with everything else, make sure you document the repair attempt and communication. Have the technician leave notes on the work order and feel free to take video or photos of the defect to further prove your case.
There’s not a lot to figure out when you want to know how to start a Lemon law claim, but you don’t need to carry the burden yourself. A qualified lawyer can assist in the process for you.
To file a Lemon law complaint, you need to make sure your vehicle qualifies. Gather your documentation and file with the state. Some manufacturers request arbitration to occur before the case goes to trial. In many cases, this option can provide a speedy resolution.
By hiring a Lemon law lawyer, you not only increase your chances of getting a better settlement but the stress is relieved as you let someone else handle the details. There’s no reason for you to try and figure out how to file a claim when the professionals know exactly what to do. In fact, it only takes one small mistake for your claim to be denied, so it’s not worth taking chances with.
The thought of legal fees often holds people back from getting a lawyer, but that should never be an excuse. Many properly bonded and insured lawyers work on a contingency basis, meaning they are only going to get paid if you win your case. In this situation, you don’t need to pay anything upfront and you know your lawyer will work as hard as possible for you.
The goal of filing a Lemon law claim is to find a fair solution for the driver. Depending on the situation, the resolution could be a number of different options. Here are the most common.
Chrysler buyback program: With a Lemon law buyback, you give Chrysler back the vehicle and they issue you a refund. The refund depends on when the defect started and what you paid for it. Any usage before the defect will be deducted in a mileage offset calculation.
Replacement vehicle: Chrysler has the option to give you a new vehicle that’s equivalent to what you drive, except that it has to be defect-free. This option is available for a financed and leased vehicle, with the existing agreement transferring to the new car.
Cash and keep settlement: If the defect is minor, Chrysler may offer you a cash settlement and you can keep the vehicle. The cash and keep settlement is often negotiated based on the value of the vehicle and the severity of the defect. However, you will need to disclose in future sales that the car is a lemon, which can diminish its value.
Full refund: While unlikely, you may be able to receive a full refund for the vehicle. This option usually only happens if the defect occurred immediately upon taking ownership of the vehicle. Similar to the buyback process, you will be responsible for returning the car to Chrysler and will be free to shop for new vehicles of your choice. You can also receive compensation for your finance charges, sales tax, registration, towing bills and rental car expenses.
The Chrysler BuyBack Program allows the manufacturer to purchase the defective vehicle from you for a set price. This price is determined by the factors listed in our Lemon law buyback calculator.
To be eligible for the buyback program, your car must qualify under Lemon law. Therefore, it must still be covered under its warranty period and suffer from significant issues. These concerns can be major, such as ongoing transmission issues, safety concerns or engine problems, but they can also cover minor inconveniences that affect the value or use of the car.
You must be sure that you’ve allowed for the required number of repair attempts and that you’ve followed California law when contacting the manufacturer. A qualified lawyer can help you navigate the process. Schedule your free consultation to get more advice.
After being a part of recent Chrysler Lemon law claims, we’ve put together some tips to help you achieve the maximum payout.
Be clear about what you want. Ask for your replacement or refund in the communication with the manufacturer.
Use certified mail. To prove you’ve taken the proper steps, send all communication certified mail, so there’s a record of receipt.
Be willing to negotiate. Some cases are better handled through negotiation. Be willing to budge a little on your terms if it means receiving a fair outcome.
Don’t settle hastily. In the same regard, you don’t need to take every offer that gets thrown your way. If you are entitled to more money, you should push to receive every penny.
Consult a Lemon law attorney. A Lemon law lawyer will help you decide when to negotiate and when to push harder. Trust the experts to get you the most out of your claim.
Don’t attempt to fight Lemon law claims for new and used vehicles on your own. You need trusted experts who know how to handle FCA US LLC. Otherwise, you may end up with nothing from all of your troubles.
The Lemon Pros have experience working with Chrysler to award customers the highest payouts possible. As the best Lemon law attorney in California, we’ve secured millions in settlements for our clients. Get your free consultation and speak directly to a professional today.
Here are some common questions and problems which may occur when dealing with Chrysler Lemon law:
In most cases, Lemon law is designed for cars covered by a warranty. However, there may be other factors involved that make it possible to sue a car dealership. Contact an experienced lawyer for more help.
One of the potential challenges of dealing with Chrysler is having the organization fail to work with you. In this case, your lawyer will take the case to court, as long as there’s evidence to prove your claims.
The average timeline for Lemon law is between several months to a year. Some remedies are faster than others and complicated cases can be time consuming. An expert attorney will be able to provide you with an estimate when you get a free consultation.
Filing a Lemon law claim won’t make things more difficult for you. The only hassle can be when you turn the car in and resolve the existing lease or loan. You may need to take out another loan for your next car, which can affect your credit score.
The average Lemon law case can be resolved quickly and without a lot of hassle, if there’s proof of the unresolved defect. Speak to your lawyer to find out an average timeline for your case before you get started.
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