Georgia Lemon Law and Federal warranty law protect consumers from being stuck with "Lemon" automobiles, computer lemons and other defective consumer products.
The Governor's Office of Consumer Affairs administers Georgia's Lemon Law, which is designed to help you get your defective vehicle repaired. If the manufacturer fails to repair a recurring problem after a reasonable number of attempts and you meet certain eligibility requirements, you may apply for a state arbitration hearing. An arbitration panel may hear your complaint to decide whether you are entitled to a replacement vehicle or a refund.

The law covers all new motor vehicles that are:

* Bought or leased in Georgia or
* Registered by the original buyer in Georgia

The law does not cover:

* Used cars
* Motorcycles, mopeds, or ATVs
* Trucks weighing 10,000 pounds or more
* Vehicles that are not self-propelled
* Boats

If a Car Has a Problem

The car owner has 12 months or 12,000 miles (whichever comes first) to report the problem. Georgia law gives the car manufacturer a certain number of tries to fix the problem:

* One try for steering or breaking system problems
* Two tries for other safety defects
* Three tries for other problems

The first repair attempt must be done in the first 12 months or 12,000 miles of you getting the car. The second and third repair attempts (if needed) can happen up to 24 months or 24,000 miles after the first.

The Origins of Lemon Laws:

The roots of the lemon law began in 1979. It was started by a woman from Lemon Grove, California. After three months of waiting for her car to be repaired, she got tired of it, so she picketed the dealership for five months, enduring verbal abuse from the mechanics and finally got the attention of consumers, which started a citizen's movement and resulted in lemon laws being enacted.

Every state now has a lemon law of some form or another and has since 1993. This law varies from state to state.

Consult an experienced Georgia Lemon Law Attorney for more information.