Article Surfing Archive

Arizona Lemon Laws and the federal Lemon Law (the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act) provide for compensation to Arizona consumers of defective automobiles and trucks and other vehicles and products including motorcycles, RV's, boats, computers and other consumer products.

If you purchase or lease a vehicle in Arizona and then discover that it has defects that substantially affect its safety, use or value, Arizona Lemon Law may help you gain satisfaction from the vehicle's manufacturer. Under the Arizona Lemon Law, new cars, leased cars, pre-owned cars, RV's, motor homes, motorcycles, boats and other consumer vehicles qualify for protection if they were accompanied by a written warranty. While the law cannot help everyone with a "lemon", and some people may have to hire an attorney to get their cases resolved, the law does create important rights for the consumers.

Circumstances in which the consumers seek protection under Arizona Lemon Law:

A. It is presumed that a reasonable number of attempts have been undertaken to conform a motor vehicle to the applicable express warranties if either:

1. The same nonconformity has been subject to repair four or more times by the manufacturer or its agents or authorized dealers during the shorter of the express warranty term or the period of two years or twenty-four thousand miles following the date of original delivery of the motor vehicle to the consumer, whichever is earlier, but the nonconformity continues to exist.

2. The motor vehicle is out of service by reason of repair for a cumulative total of thirty or more calendar days during the shorter of the express warranty term or the two year period or twenty-four thousand miles, whichever is earlier.

B. The term of an express warranty, the two year period and the thirty day period are extended by any period of time during which repair services are not available to the consumer because of any war, invasion, strike, fire, flood or other natural disaster.

C. The presumption prescribed in this section does not apply against a manufacturer unless the manufacturer has received prior direct written notification from or on behalf of the consumer of the alleged defect and has had an opportunity to cure the alleged defect.

Differing from some laws in other states, the Arizona Lemon Law allows unsatisfied car buyers to sell the defective vehicle, or to trade it in for a different automobile. To preserve the consumer rights outlined in the Arizona Lemon Law, vehicles with warranty defects offered for sale must be accompanied by a written disclosure that declares the owner is aware of the automobiles defects (a written statement from a professional inspector is better), and the vehicle's manufacturer needs to be notified of the unsatisfied buyer's intention of sale or trade.