Dealing with the Dealership to Protect Your Case

The following are some rules to keep in mind when taking your car in for service. Don't just trust everything you are told without getting it in writing. Once you are pursuing a lemon law case against the manufacturer, you may find that the dealership is not so cooperative any more. They may seem very friendly, helpful and concerned, but once a lawsuit has been filed, everything can change. Below you will find some Lemon Law Case Requirements.

Get everything in writing!

An Ohio Lemon Law Requirement is that you must be given a written record of every repair that is performed on your vehicle. Don't leave the dealer with a promise that they will mail it to you. Get that repair order in your hands before you leave with your car. If they tell you something was done to your car that is not on the repair order, ask them to put it in writing. Consumers should never leave a dealership with a promise that their repair records will be mailed to them. Consumers should always make sure they get a repair order before they leave the dealership.

Verify the accuracy of the repair orders.

In addition, before the you leave the dealership, make sure the date, time and odometer mileage for the drop-off and pick-up of the vehicle are correct. If they are not, you should ask the dealership to correct the repair order. If, for example, you are alleging that a vehicle was out of service over 30 days during the first year or 18,000 miles of operation, the dates on the repair orders are usually going to control once the case is in court, so this is obviously very important for your lemon law coverage.

Keep detailed notes of your own.

Keep your own notes of log of everything that is going wrong with your car. Document all of the dates and times of phone conversations with the dealer or manufacturer and the names of the people with whom you spoke. If the dealer is telling you they cannot duplicate a problem with your vehicle, keep a log. Keep a pad of paper in your car and write down the date and time of every instance of the problem. This will provided much more detailed evidence and ensure your coverage under the lemon law should your case end up in court later.

Keep receipts for any out-of-pocket expenses.

If you incur any expenses as a result of the problems with your vehicle, keep the paid receipts if you want to recover those amounts in court. For example, if your car breaks down on the highway while you are on vacation, save your hotel, restaurant and towing receipts to provide to the manufacturer later.

Don't let them beat you down.

You have the right to demand respect when taking your vehicle in for repairs. You paid a lot of money for that car and part of the price is the warranty service to which you are entitled. Stand up for your rights and be assertive while still being respectful. Don't let them send you on your way without an acceptable explanation for anything.

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