Lemon Survival Kit
TIPS TO REMEMBER
Following these six tips may help you when your vehicle is in the shop:
NEVER LEAVE THE REPAIR FACILITY
without a copy of the work orders. A complete record of the vehicle history is very important, especially with repeated problems. Although not absolutely necessary to prove your claim at a later date, copies of the records prevent the dealer from writing several repair visits as one, a common practice.
ASK ABOUT TSBs
TSB(Technical Service Bulletins) are instructions from the manufacturer that alert dealerships about defects or repairs in certain models. However, dealerships do not generally tell the customer about TSBs unless asked! So speak up. Ask the dealership to write your TSB request on the repair order even if told no TSBs exist for the concerns you are experiencing.
DEMAND RESPECT
You paid a lot for your vehicle...so don't be afraid to go over anyone's head if your vehicle isn't repaired properly. Part of the price of the car is the warranty service for which repairs are being made. You paid for it, you should get your moneys worth.
ARBITRATION
At present, the Federal Trade Commission has determined that no manufacturer has in place an "arbitration program" which complies with Federal minimum standards. What this means is that the FTC finds these programs to be unfair to consumers.
DON'T BE MISLED
In some situations, the dealership may claim that the consumer is causing the problem. This is a common tactic when the dealership cannot fix the problem or the manufacturer has no repair to correct the condition. Ask about the TSBs as stated above and stick to your guns. Your situation is not as unique as the dealership represents.
If you have any questions whatsoever, please feel free to e-mail us 24-hours a day.
HELPFUL WEBSITE LINKS:
To obtain a vehicle history on your car, click www.carfax.com
To obtain the value of your car for sale, click www.kbb.com.
To find out if technical repair bulletins or recall have been issued for your vehicle, click www.nhtsa.gov.
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