Upon discovering that their vehicle has a problem or defect, many consumers may be irritated with the time and money they will likely be spending at one of their local car shops for auto repairs. Once the consumer’s vehicle has been attended to, or possibly fixed, the consumer will be sent home with a slip of paper that could make its way to the garbage or the bottom of a stack of miscellaneous paperwork, but consumers with potentially defective vehicles should be taking note of this paper and be preserving it for the future. Should the vehicle have not been properly fixed during its stay at one of the consumer’s local car shops, that piece of paper, an auto repair order, could create the foundation of a successful legal claim under the lemon law.
An auto repair order is a document, prepared by the service department of car shops, after repairs have been made to the consumer’s defective vehicle. Every consumer should receive a repair order following any work that has been completed and should be careful to retain a copy of each repair order for his or her records. Because it is possible that manufacturers or car shops will be unable to permanently fix the defect in a consumer’s car, the problem may lead the consumer toward the lemon law and an eventual legal claim. If the consumer keeps accurate and detailed records of the defects that their vehicle is experiencing, the lemon law attorney will be able to create a clear foundation under the lemon law when arguing for consumer compensation.
But, after the consumer receives their auto repair order and before filing their repair order away, the consumer should take a few moments to review the notes of the repair technician to make sure that the vehicle defects have been properly recorded. When the consumer takes his or her car in to one of their local car shops for repairs, they should take the time to speak with the repair technician and describe the problem in detail. This conversation should be completely and accurately noted on the auto repair order and, if it has not been listed as the consumer explained, the consumer should take the steps necessary to have the problem recorded correctly. The repair order should also reflect the work done by the car shops and the repair technician and should state whether the repair was successful or whether future repairs will be necessary. Taking the time to note whether the auto repairs have been accurately recorded in detail by the car shops could save the consumer time gathering this information in the future should the need to file a legal claim under the lemon law arise.
After taking their vehicle in to local car shops multiple times for expensive and time consuming auto repairs, and if the consumer’s vehicle remains defective, the next step will likely be to consult with an attorney who is experienced in the lemon law. Because this area of California law is detailed and complex, hiring an attorney who is knowledgeable about the lemon law and who has extensive experience in the lemon law litigation can mean the difference between a successful legal claim and a consumer being stuck with their lemon in the future.
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