Buying an auto insurance that's right for you can be very frustrating, if you are a first-time buyer. You can get the most out of your money on your auto insurance if you keep your eyes open to a few basics of auto insurance shopping.

Please look at the following positive driving habits that would fetch you a relatively good saving:

If you are a safe driver you are sure to save more on insurance. Drivers with good driving records can save as much as 60 percent over drivers who are prone to getting in trouble on roads with accidents.

Maintain a good financial credit score. Majority of the insurance companies tend to give you a rate that is based on your financial credit. If you maintain your financial credit well it gets you a much lower premium. Always choose a higher deductible to pay before your insurance policy gets activated as it will give you a policy you need to pay relatively less for.

Choose a policy wisely to eliminate unnecessary coverage. If yours is a new car you would afford to get a little more generous for its protection. But then if you want insurance for an older model with a little cash value, it makes sense to curtail your expenses on it. You can eliminate the 'collision or 'comprehensive' coverage, which are mainly intended for high value cars that are prone to theft, or require radical protection from damages.

Buy from an insurance company you know and have already dealt with before. Insure your car and home with the same insurance company. You could save money if you have more than one type of insurance policy with the same insurance company, say your auto policy and a homeowners' policy. The more business you give the insurance company, the more valued you are, as a customer.

Combine your auto policy with others in the same household for a multi-car discount. You can add extra policies to get extra auto insurance policies for you and your roommate.

Policies that allow you to get a multi-car discount and significant savings:

• Student discounts such as a good student credit for maintaining a B average
• A driver in your household is living away at school and not driving as much
• Spin off policies from a parent's policy for a young driver who wants his own policy

Refresh your driving skills a state-approved defensive driving course. If you complete a state-approved defensive driving course you could qualify for savings. Drivers under the age of 21 with a driver training course can also qualify for savings. Your education can also bring in a nice discount on your auto policy. The more educated you are the cheaper the rate of the insurance policy becomes.

Research thoroughly before you buy a car. A safer car costs less to repair and less to insure. Research thoroughly for crash-test reports, repair records and manufacturer recalls of any car you are considering. Research thoroughly on-line or even a consumer protection magazine can even be equally useful.

Never pause your auto insurance but continue it even if your present car is confined to the garage in a dilapidated stage. Try to maintain its auto insurance even if you do not own a car. If you discontinue it, you might have to pay a sizable surcharge when you go to buy another policy sooner or later.

Have an independent agent as your personal insurance expert. An independent agent generally has very good relationships with many an insurance company. He would be highly obliged to shop for you for an insurance policy. The same guy would also be handy as your personal insurance expert you can always fall back on. An insurance agent may not cost you anything extra, but the support you get from him will be worth more than what you pay for.

Free Lemon Law Case Review

Once in a while, when you are behind the wheel in your car, you may see a red light come on and illuminate words like "Check Engine" or "Oil Pressure”.  How do you react to these warning signs? Do you choose to pull to the side of the road and follow the check signals accordingly? Or, will you continue to drive on, without batting an eye lid?

Warning lights are there in a car for a safety purpose. These warning lights keep you informed if something goes wrong with your car. In some cases, ignoring a warning light can quickly result in catastrophic damage to your car's engine and worse to its occupants. It is very important that you know what each warning means and what you should do if it is lit, while driving.

Here are three very important warning lights you may encounter on your car, sooner or later, if they have not done before:

Charging System Light
The charging system light usually appears as a battery symbol, ALT or GEN. It glows when the power by the alternator stops the supply to vehicle's electrical system. A failure of charging system may not result in serious mechanical damage. This warning light gives you an ample chance to react. You can start with cutting down all unnecessary electrical loads, like the radio, heater, air conditioning, etc. Then drive the vehicle to a repair facility for further inspection. You will have a minimum of fifteen minutes of daylight driving time, the non-headlight use before the battery voltage drops for the ignition system and the engine to quit.

Engine Temperature Light

The engine temperature warning light appears as a thermometer or as TEMP. It comes on when the engine temperature exceeds the safe maximum level temperature. High engine temperatures can cause major engine damage and failure. This warning gives you time to deal with the situation unlike the oil pressure warning. Check if there are any signs of a cooling system leak, like the steam or liquid coolant coming from under the hood. Check if there is trailing off behind your vehicle. Pull your vehicle off the road at the earliest and safest opportunity. Switch the engine off and call for assistance. Do not get in contact with boiling coolant to prevent getting scorched. Take extra caution while opening the hood in the presence of steam. Never attempt to remove the radiator cap when the engine is still hot.

If there is a visible absence of these signs, it is possible that the overheating is the result of a temporary overload of the cooling system. A temporary overload of the cooling system can sometimes occur in hot weather when the vehicle is heavily loaded or is carrying a trailer with it. In order to lower the engine temperature, first decrease the speed of vehicle. You can turn off the air conditioning. You should also roll the windows down. Since the heater is actually a second radiator that can provide additional cooling for the engine, set the heater to the full hot position and operate the heater fan on its highest setting. Move to the nearest service station for a technician can help you correct the situation.

Oil Pressure Light
The oil pressure light generally appears as a symbol of an oil can or is just shown as "OIL". This oil pressure light illuminates when there is a major drop in engine oil pressure. This is a serious warning. Oil lubricates the vital components of your car's engine. In the absence of a proper lubrication, your car's engine can quickly grind itself to a junk. If you notice the oil pressure light flashing, pull your car off the road immediately. Switch off the engine and call for help. Do not attempt to drive the vehicle any farther than is needed. If you attempt to drive the vehicle any farther than is needed, it will only increase the possibilities of the engine damage. Besides, attempting to drive the vehicle any farther than is needed in such situation will further aggravate the problem. Where you could have done with a minor repair, you will have it blown into a full fledged problem that might need a complete engine replacement.

Free Lemon Law Case Review

The economic repercussions of Japan’s devastating earthquake and tsunami are creating shock waves in the global auto industry. The dual disaster have shuttered many Japanese factories alright, they are also causing worries about the impact on the production shutdowns in North America. While Japan is grappling with the situation created as the after math of the earthquake, auto makers are scrambling to assess the full impact of the twin natural disasters and Japan’s ongoing nuclear crisis.

There are already signs that Japanese auto plant shuttering will interrupt supply chains beyond its borders. It is affecting the auto industry's global supply chain. The auto companies outside Japan keep their fingers crossed and hope that the disruption does not stay long enough to affect the deliveries of the car parts or shipments. Japan’s ravaged northeastern region is a major hub for auto parts suppliers and critical infrastructure. The auto parts suppliers have traditionally ensured the flow of goods to overseas markets earlier before persistent power outages came in. Even though only 7 to 8 per cent of a North-American built car comes from Japan, all it takes is one critical supplier to be out of business and you can’t make vehicles.

Because the industry’s global supply chain is so integrated, it is predicted that short-term disruptions of both vehicle parts and some popular models are imminent:

• Nissan Inc. said some Infiniti models, as well as the GTR and 370Z, could face delayed shipment to Canada and the United States
• The North American supply of fuel-efficient cars such as the Toyota Yaris,  xB and xD models of the Scion, Toyota Prius hybrid and Honda Fit are at risk because those cars are only made in Japan

While Japanese auto makers are grappling with the situation to restart production, the automakers around the world can feel the ripples caused by the twin natural disasters and Japan’s ongoing nuclear crisis, as the following:

• British parts maker GKN Plc (GKN.L) says that it may have to cut the number of components it makes because some of its Japanese customers, which include Mitsubishi (7211.T) and Nissan (7201.T) may be unable to take deliveries
• Shutdowns could affect Toyota Canada Inc. and Honda Canada Inc., who have two assembly plants each in Canada
• French car parts maker Valeo's (VLOF.PA) five factories in Japan, which supply local car makers, are operating but it is too soon to say if they would have to lower the rate of production
• The potential shortage of “high-value” Japanese-made components, such as engines, transmissions and electronics that are used in North American-made cars, is the biggest concern
• Both Nissan Canada and Mazda do not produce in Canada but the fallout from their Japanese shutdowns are still unknown
• Nissan, Honda (7267.T) and Toyota (7203.T) export their luxury cars to China instead of producing locally. Exports to China will suffer now, as the big three have shut their Japan plants
• Nissan who has an engine factory in the region supplying around 12 percent of its global need for engines, might be hardest hit
• European car makers, Renault would be affected, because of its cross-shareholding with Nissan
• Truck makers Daimler and Volvo (VOLVb.ST) with significant production in Japan are also exposed
• Volvo said it had halted production at its Japanese unit UD trucks' four plants until March 21
• Japanese auto makers’ manufacturing facilities in Canada and the US will likely get hit by short-term shutdowns by the end of this week

Auto makers typically keep a 90-day inventory on hand, providing a buffer when production is interrupted. But foreign makers have typically kept less extra supply on hand. Though auto makers are optimistic of resuming production, shutdowns could reoccur. It is still not clear if power supplies will be sufficient to restart entire operations or just the offices.

General Motors Co is recalling its newer Buick Lacrosse and Cadillac SRX vehicles. The recall is over a software defect that could create potential problems with the heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems in the vehicles. In the MY 2011 Buick LaCrosse and Cadillac SRX vehicles,  the software in the electronic climate control (ECC) module may disable the ability to adjust the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system settings. Consequently, the driver will be unable to control the heating, cooling, and ventilation of his/her vehicle.

According to General Motors Co:

• 10,179 vehicles for the model year 2011 were affected by the recall
• These vehicles showed problems resulting from a faulty defrost system
• The faulty defrost prevented clearing the windshield when the defrosters stopped working
• Software in the electronic climate control modules in the said vehicles may prevent the driver from controlling the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems
• On the road the flaw can hamper visibility and increase the risk of a crash by keeping the defogging and defrosting systems from properly clearing the windshield

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the said vehicles are recalled as they failed to fulfill the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 103, “windshield defrosting and defogging systems”.

According to the federal regulators:

• The problem in the climate control electronics module would disable control of the whole climate control system
• The disabled control in turn will lead to a possible loss of window defrost/defog capability
• Loss of window defrost/defog capability in a vehicle is a gross violation of federal safety rules on driver visibility

Meanwhile, General Motors has assured that there have been no untoward incidents or accidents arising from the problem so far. Actually, the defect in the climate control electronics module was discovered in an internal test when working on a new version of the software, but not when the vehicle was on the road, by the consumer.
As the potential fault lies with the software and not with the components themselves, dealers will carry out the necessary upgrades and recalibration on the modules with the problem.

The recall is expected to begin on or before the 11th of March. Notifications to owners of the affected vehicles will be sent and technicians at the dealership will reprogram the module free of cost to the consumer.

Fuel hose spider infestations have set off a mass Mazda recall of 65,000 cars. Mazda announced one of the strangest recalls in automobile history, this month. According to a spokesperson for the National Traffic Safety and Highway, the recall is over the presence of Yellow Sac spider that may weave its web in the evaporator canister vent line in the affected cars. The webs and the spiders subsequently can lead to blocking critical fuel lines that will eventually cause fuel tanks to leak.

The bizarre recall affects 52,000 Mazda6's in the US, and 13,000 in Puerto Rico, Canada and Mexico. These Mazda's were believed to have been built in 2009 and 2010.

Though Mazda has found over 20 cases of the spider infestations so far, the employees of the Japanese automaker are clueless as to why the tiny arachnids chose only their Mazda6 brand. Mazda6′s are manufactured in Flat Rock, Michigan and the recall affects four-cylinder models.

The spiders have been weaving small sacs in rubber hoses attached to the cars' fuel tank system, blocking ventilation and causing pressure that could lead to cracks, gas leaks and in the worst-case scenario a fire. The company reports there have been no serious incidents related to this bizarre infestations.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration:

• The recalling of thousands of 2009 and 2010 Mazda6's is due to the Yellow Sac Spider which lives predominately in the US
• This type of spider hates cold weather and the US went through one of the coldest winters on record this year
• The spiders seeking warm shelter make their way into the vehicles’ fuel cylinders and start weaving webs
• The web can make its way into the evaporator canister vent line and may cause a restriction and damage to the line
• The pressure could cause thousands of tanks to crack, spilling fuel and increasing fire hazard
• It could also cause vapor emissions which would be harmful to the vehicles’ occupants

It was unclear why the eight-legged pests were partial to the Mazda 6, the only model affected so far, over other models, brands or other automakers. This particular spider is about the size of a dime and weaves a small sac instead of a large web.

According to a Mazda spokesperson, they really do not know how the Yellow Sac Spiders are getting in. It is even speculated that the spiders are attracted to the smell of gasoline, but Arachnid experts disagree. Gasoline would kill them if they come in contact with it, and if they were attracted to it, the scientists would have known it long back.
In all its likelihood, they like to spend their time in little tight spaces which is more likely related to how the fuel system in the Mazda6 is constructed.

According to the automaker, it will notify owners of the affected cars, this month. Dealers will inspect and clean out the fuel lines if necessary, though Mazda is apprehensive of ever solving the mystery of the fuel line-dwelling spiders.

New Protection for Consumers Buying New & Used Cars Under the California lemon law

In California, a purchaser or lessee of a new motor vehicle has various rights under both state and federal law, if the vehicle does not perform as promised in an express warranty.

Here is how the Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act can protect you. The Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act is also popularly known as the "California lemon law".

The Song-Beverly Warranty Rights - Coverage for New Motor Vehicles

• The Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act (beginning with Civil Code section 1790) provides protection for consumers who lease or buy new motor vehicles

What is the protection afforded to me for my lemon buy, by the California lemon law?

     The California lemon law requires that the manufacturer is required promptly to replace the vehicle or return the purchase price to you, as a lessee or buyer:

• If the manufacturer or its representative in California, such as an authorized dealer, is unable to service or repair a new motor vehicle to meet the terms of an express written warranty after a reasonable number of repair attempts

What does the purchase price returned for my lemon buy include, under the California lemon law?

According to the California lemon law the purchase price that is returned:

• Includes the price paid for manufacturer-installed items and transportation
• Does not include the price paid for non-manufacturer items installed by the dealer

What is the choice afforded to me for my lemon buy, by the California lemon law?

According to the California lemon law as a lessee or buyer you are completely free to choose whether to accept a replacement or a refund.

What is the other monetary protection afforded to me for my lemon buy, by the California lemon law?

According to the California lemon law, whatever is your choice, the manufacturer is also responsible to pay for the:

• Sales or use tax
• License, registration and other official fees
• Incidental damages that you, as a lessee or buyer, may have incurred such as finance charges, repair, towing and rental car costs

What are the charges incurred by me for the use of my lemon car, under the California lemon law?

According to the California lemon law, as a lessee or buyer:

• You may be charged for the use of the vehicle regardless of whether the vehicle is replaced or the purchase price is refunded
• The amount that may be charged for use is determined by multiplying the actual price of the new vehicle by a factor that includes the number of miles traveled by the vehicle before it was first brought in for correction of the problem
• For example, if your lemon car had traveled 6,000 miles before it was first brought in for correction of the problem, you as a lessee or buyer could be charged 5% (6,000/120,000 = 5%) of the purchase price for usage

How long does the California lemon law apply to my new lemon vehicle?

The California lemon law applies for the entire period of your warranty on your lemon vehicle:

• If your vehicle is covered by a three-year warranty and you discover a defect after two years, the manufacturer will have to replace the vehicle or reimburse you as outlined above
• The California lemon law applies for the entire period of your warranty on your lemon vehicle, if the manufacturer or its representative is unable to conform the vehicle to the express warranty after a reasonable number of attempts to do so

When is the California lemon law NOT applicable to my new lemon vehicle?

The California lemon law/Song-Beverly does not apply if the problem was caused by abuse after the vehicle was delivered to you. Follow the terms of the warranty for maintenance and proper use of your vehicle.

What is the statute of limitations for my lemon buy, under the California lemon law?

According to the California lemon law, there is a four-year statute of limitations to bring a law suit for breach of warranty or for violations of Song-Beverly.

To get the best advantage through the California lemon law, you should act promptly to try to resolve the problem fairly and quickly to your advantage.

The average age for cars on US roads is 9.4 years for cars and 7.6 years for trucks. For a car consumer durability and brand loyalty mean the most and they go hand-in-hand to increase the roadworthy years of a car. Reliability and durability are the deciding factors that make an automobile desirable.

A latest vehicle dependability study shows how important reliability is the factor that puts the following car brands sold in the US on the forefront for the greatest general dependability:

• The top most dependable cars: Buick and Jaguar
• Lexus, Toyota and Mercury are in the top five
• Suzuki Volkswagen and Land Rover were the last three brands on the list

To determine the most dependable vehicles on the road today, the first owners of three-year-old cars were asked to report in eight categories, the type of problems the vehicles developed over the previous year for:

• Driving experience
• Engine
• Exterior
• Features/controls
• Heating/ventilating/cooling
• Interior
• Seats
• Audio/entertainment/navigation

Final rankings were based on the problems per 100 vehicles (PP100) score. The lower are the scores the higher is the quality of the vehicle.
The top most dependable cars are as the following:

• According to the senior automotive engineer for Consumer Reports, Lexus is reliable, very luxurious and comfortable, with the latest technology
• Toyota's reputation for both reliability and Eco-mindedness makes it highly valued by consumers, according to the New York-based market research company
• The LS 430 sedan scores 61 PP100, the lowest of any model in the study
• The Lexus SC 430, a $66,805 coupe, scored below 100  and beat the Porsche 911 and Chevrolet Corvette in the premium sporty car category
• Consumer Reports ranked the LS 460 sedan the best overall vehicle of 2009
• GM’s Buick is a routine leader in dependability studies and ranked among the top 10 names since 2003

During the purchase of a car, what really matter is its reliability and ownership cost  making it a 'real world' picture of car ownership. A car that does not let down its owner is important to every motorist.
There are two major factors that influence one's version of reliability:

• How often it goes for repairs
• How much it costs you to fix it

A car could break down five times, but only cost you $50 each time to fix, or it could break down once and cost you $1,000.

Car accidents are unforeseen mishaps that can adversely affect automobile/s and people involved. They can critically impact one or more automobiles, people, or structures. Car accidents are often referred to as traffic accidents, auto accidents, road accidents, road traffic accidents or RTA's. RTA's are reported to have caused thousands of fatalities and hundreds of thousands of disabilities each year. According to 2002 statistics, an estimated one million people were killed every year in car accidents, worldwide.

Collisions can occur with other automobiles and vehicles, with pedestrians and with stationary structures or objects, such as trees or road signs. In a collision between two cars, the occupants of a car with the lower mass are likely to suffer the greater damage.

Safety Technology in Your Car That can Save Your Life

Majority of these car crashes/accidents are avoidable and car makers are spending huge fortunes trying to invent foolproof safety systems that alert the driver of road hazards by modifying his distracted driving that can be otherwise dangerous to himself and to others on the road.

Some of the latest safety technology systems that can prevent you from getting into an accident are as the following:

• The Drowsiness detector system: The drowsiness detector system has series of sensors and they continuously monitor different parameters in the driver's body to detect drowsiness in him. If the attention assist  detects drowsiness a 'Time for a rest' message appears on the dashboard and a bell is sounded to alert the driver of his drowsiness
• The  Blind-spot detection system: The blind-spot detection system is an extension of the radar technology that alerts the driver to a vehicle in his blind spot. Blind-spot detection alerts the driver by illuminating an icon in the side view mirror. It also sounds a chime
• The Collision Warning with Brake Assist system: The collision warning with brake assist system is an adaptive cruise control that helps a driver in  avoiding rear-end collision. The radar sensors in this collision warning system with brake assist detects slower-moving vehicles ahead, and sends a visual signal and an audible warning to alert the driver. If the driver fails to react quickly enough, the system activates brakes automatically
• The  Heads-Up Display Enhanced system: A next-generation heads-up display system is now being developed which combines the use of navigation, night vision and lasers to illuminate the road in low visibility. Infrared cameras in the vehicle locate the edge of the road, highlights animals, pedestrians or speed limit signs and lasers images onto the windshield
• Inflatable Seat Belts: Inflatable seat belts aim at protecting rear-seat occupants better. When crash sensors detect an impact, an air bag inside the seat belt gets filled with cold compressed air and bursts through the belt fabric. This way the inflatable seat belts help distribute the force over a wider area, over the passenger's torso to reduce the impact
• The  Lane Keeping Assist system: The lane keeping assist system keeps drivers from drifting into the next lane. A camera inside the front windshield recognizes lane markings and if it detects any lane departure the steering wheel vibrates to alert the drive
• The Pedestrian Detection system: A radar system warns drivers if it detects a pedestrian in front of the car, and automatically brakes if the driver fails to respond quickly enough. It first sounds an alert along with flashes of light in the windshield’s head-up display. It can avoid a collision with pedestrians at speeds up to about 22 mph. At higher speeds, this radar system can remarkably minimize the severity of the impact
• The Traffic Jam Cam: The traffic jam cam is a mobile application available on iTunes for around three dollars as hand-held portable device but will be integrated directly into vehicles soon. The traffic jam cam lets users see current traffic conditions on highways and major roadways directly unlike the erstwhile time-delayed radio traffic reports
• The Rear Traffic Crossing system: Large vehicles can block the view of a driver when he is reversing from a parking lot. This rear traffic crossing system is activated any time a car is in reverse and alerts the driver of traffic crossing behind the vehicle. This rear traffic crossing system uses illuminated icons on the side view mirror and sounds a chime too
• The Wrong Way Driver: Through the car's navigation system, this safety technology sends alerts by sound and optical warnings if it detects that a driver is about to join a road in a wrong direction. If the motorist fails to heed the alerts, it warns the other drivers of the potential danger. This safety technology accomplishes this task through a map on their navigation systems via a vehicle-to-vehicle wireless communication system

      If you install some or all of this safety technology in your car, you can always arrive at your destination safe. However, the best safety technology still is the good old habit of safe driving.

Under the California lemon law a manufacturer is required to repurchase or replace a vehicle if:

• It has a defect or condition that was reported to the manufacturer or dealer
• The defect or condition continues to exist even after a reasonable number of repairs
• It is still under the manufacturer’s warranty

A vehicle is presumed to be subject to a reasonable number of repair attempts if:

• The same nonconformity that is likely to cause death or serious bodily injury has been subject to repair two or more times
• The same nonconformity has been subject to repairs, four or more times
• The vehicle has been out of service for a cumulative 30 calendar days
• The repair attempts have been made within 18 months from delivery or 18,000 miles, whichever occurs first

     Under the California lemon law, if a manufacturer fails to fix the same problem/s in a vehicle after a reasonable number of repair attempts, he must concede the choice of the consumer by either replacing the vehicle or by refunding it.

     When Taking Your Car in for Warranty Service, keep an eye open for the Content of the Repair Order that goes into their computer. The Automobile manufacturer has a strategy to hoodwink you and the California lemon law presumptions by manipulating your complaint on a nonconformity.

Let us see how he does it:

The Automobile manufacturer can ruin the chances of your California lemon law claim by making changes in the language on the repair orders. If your vehicle has started showing transmission problems and you choose to bring it in immediately, say for hard shifting. The dealer’s service writer puts it down religiously on the repair order in his computer. This computer actually has a “flag system” that works whenever you bring your vehicle in for warranty service for the same problem. On your second visit for the same hard shifting issue, your vehicle gets “flagged” on this computer to alert the dealer's technician and service writer about the potential lemon law claim in the offing.

The service writer learns that he is dealing with a dangerous vehicle that may any time after this visit drag the Automobile manufacturer to the court for a California lemon law claim. As a result, either on the same visit of yours or on the next he would choose not to record your complaint for hard shifting. He might choose to write something different. The dealer’s service writer might choose a 'gas pedal sticking' or 'an engine over-rev' for the problem on your second visit, the one after that and the one after that.

Sick with this recalcitrant problem you may choose to file your California lemon law claim after five or six repair attempts for 'hard shifting'. When it is time to submit your service order copies which you have treasured for so long, you will discover that it has only one or two repair orders that mention 'hard shifting' and the rest are of some remote problems you never dreamt of. This whole episode can turn the tables in favor of your car manufacturer. The car manufacturer would argue that he never had enough repair attempts for the nonconformity, pulling a wet rag on your California lemon law claim.

How are you going to protect yourself against this kind of manipulation?

Ensure that YOUR description of the problem appears on the repair order by following the steps:

• Write out your complaints before you go to the dealership. Type your own description of the problems on a computer
• Copy and present it to the service writer
• Insist on their attaching your written complaints to the repair order

     This should entirely remove the opportunity for the service writer to write his own version of the repair order. Keep copies of all the repair orders you placed in the hands of the service writer.

Disclaimer: This information is not intended as legal advice. Please direct your specific questions to K&M attorneys and know more about your lemon law rights. If you want to pursue your lemon law claim, call 1-800 US LEMON® (800-875-3666) toll free, to reach Krohn & Moss for your FREE initial consultation. Or submit your information online for your free case evaluation.

Illinois Lemon Law and the federal Lemon Law (the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act) provide for compensation to Illinois consumers of defective automobiles and trucks  and other vehicles and products including motorcycles, RV’s, boats, computers and other consumer appliances and products. To qualify under the Illinois Lemon Law or the federal Lemon Law, you must generally have a product that suffered multiple repair attempts under the manufacturer’s factory warranty. Lemon Law compensation can include a refund, replacement or cash compensation.

Illinois Lemon Law Summary

The Illinois lemon law covers the following new motor vehicles:

• Passenger cars
• Motor vehicles with a vehicle weight of under 8,000 pounds that are designed for carrying more than 10 persons or used for living quarters, for pulling or carrying freight, cargo or implements of husbandry
• A vehicle purchased or leased by a fire department or fire protection district; and Specified recreational vehicles

The Illinois lemon law does not cover used vehicles.

Warranty Period

• The Illinois Lemon law applies to any written express warranty on the vehicle for one year or 12,000 miles driven, whichever is shorter
• If the warranty has already expired, the Lemon Law does not apply
• The manufacturer or dealer must repair a vehicle in accordance with the warranty if the defect or problem is covered by the warranty and the owner reports it within the warranty period or 12 months after delivery of the vehicle, whichever comes first
• As long as the problem is reported within the warranty period, the manufacturer or dealer must make repairs, even if the warranty subsequently runs out

Reasonable number of attempts of repairs

A presumption that a reasonable number of attempts have been undertaken to conform a new vehicle to its express warranties shall arise where, within the statutory warranty period:

• The same nonconformity has been subject to repair by the seller, its agents or authorized dealers during the statutory warranty period, 4 or more times, and such nonconformity continues to exist
• The vehicle has been out of service by reason of repair of nonconformity for a total of 30 or more business days during the statutory warranty period

If after a reasonable number of attempts the seller is unable to conform the new vehicle to any of its applicable express warranties, the manufacturer shall

• Either provide the consumer with a new vehicle of like model line or otherwise a comparable motor vehicle as a replacement
• Accept the return of the vehicle from the consumer and refund to the consumer the full purchase price or lease cost of the new vehicle

The refund cost should include

• All collateral charges, less a reasonable allowance for consumer use of the vehicle
• The collateral charges do not include taxes paid by the purchaser on the initial purchase of the new vehicle

If the vehicle is converted, modified or altered from the manufacturer's original design, the party which performed the conversion or modification shall be liable under the provisions of the Retailers' Occupation Tax Act.

The Illinois Lemon law has special provisions for vehicles with serious problems:

• If the dealer or manufacturer is unable to repair a vehicle's problem after a reasonable number of attempts, the buyer or person leasing the vehicle has a right to go to the manufacturer's arbitration program or to court and seek a replacement vehicle or a full refund of the purchase or lease price

What constitutes a reasonable number of attempts depends on the problem:

• A reasonable number is four or more unsuccessful attempts to correct the same problem
• More than one unsuccessful attempt to correct a problem that causes a complete failure of the steering or braking system if the defect is likely to cause death or serious bodily harm
• Any warranty repairs that cause the vehicle to be out of service for repairs for 30 or more business days

Disclaimer: This information is not intended as legal advice. Please direct your specific questions to K&M attorneys and know more about your lemon law rights. If you want to pursue your lemon law claim, call 1-800 US LEMON® (800-875-3666) toll free, to reach Krohn & Moss for your FREE initial consultation. Or submit your information online for your free case evaluation.