Lemon Law in Arkansas

Each state has its own interpretation of the lemon law and vehicles can only be covered in the state of Arkansas if it was bought, leased and registered there.

The Arkansas lemon law is only valid up to two years after the original date of delivery of the vehicle or the first 24,000 mile whichever comes last. If you decide to sell the vehicle, the one who gets it will still be covered under the lemon law.

Vehicles covered under the lemon law do not include the living quarters of mobile homes or trucks that exceed 10,000 pounds gross weight rating.

For you to claim under the lemon law, manufacturers should be given at least 1 repair attempt if the defect may cause death or serious injury or 3 attempts for the same defect or 5 attempts for separate problems or 30 days out of service.

If you did not give the manufacturer ample time to fix the problem, they can argue that the time given was unreasonable and you may not be able to get a refund or a replacement. The lemon law may also not apply if damage to the vehicle was caused by your personal negligence.

In order for you to prove that your car is a lemon, you should report any problems directly to the manufacturer. Naturally they will try to fix the problem so keep all the receipts and any correspondence with them. It should state here that nature of the problem, the time it was brought in and picked up, repair work performed, odometer reading and the charges for parts and labor.

Let’s say repairs were done but nothing changes. When this happens, you have to give the manufacturer one last attempt before you can file a claim under the lemon law. You first have to send the manufacturer a final notice stating that unless they fix the problem, you have no choice but to file a claim against them.

It may come to a point where they have tried their best and decide to settle by offering you a replacement vehicle. If you decide to do this, you should not accept a refinancing agreement because it will create a financial obligation that is way beyond the original agreement.

You should instead demand a refund. Here, you will receive the full purchase price of the vehicle minus a reasonable allowance for vehicle use. The same happens if the vehicle was leased thus this agreement ends so you should not be charged any penalties for ending it early.

Some manufacturers will not refund or replace your vehicle. When this happens, you have to file for a hearing through the manufacturer’s informal dispute settlement program before you can bring this matter to court.

No fees are paid during the settlement program. You simply have to submit your complaint together with a copy of your documents. A decision will be made after 40 days and you can accept or reject the decision. If you accept, the manufacturer has to comply within 30 days.

If you are not satisfied, you can assert your right in court as the lemon law allows by getting the help of a lawyer. If you win, you are given the choice to get a refund or a replacement vehicle.