Federal Consumer Law Can Help Weed Out Lemon Cars

Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act Covers Products Over $25

(CBS4) BOSTON If your new car turns out to be a clunker, and it's too late to get your money back under the state's lemon law, a federal regulation, known as the Magnuson Moss Warranty Act, could help save you time, energy and money.

The law covers any consumer product that cost over $25 and is covered under a written warranty.

Tim Hovasse, a resident of Burlington, purchased a 2004 Nissan Quest minivan that reportedly had skylights that started to leak and a side window that popped out, ruining two car seats.

“We just went for a bigger car and then we just got a big headache," Hovasse said. “It was jut one nightmare after another."

Hovasse said the problems led to multiple, fruitless trips to the dealership, who could not find out what the problem was.

Since the problems didn’t begin until a year after Hovasse bought the car, he couldn’t file a claim under the Massachusetts lemon law, which, for new motor vehicles, offers consumers a "term of protection" of one year or 15,000 miles of use from the date of original delivery of a new motor vehicle.

Hovasse hired a consumer attorney, Craig Thor Kimmel, who said they should fight Nissan by using a federal law called the Magnuson Moss Warranty Act.

The law was enacted in 1975 after Congress found that many merchants were misrepresenting or ignoring the terms of a warranty.

“We use the federal law in addition to the state law to get the manufacturers to provide the recovery and pay the attorneys fees,” Kimmel said.

According to Kimmel, most motorists don't know about the act and it covers more than cars.

“It applies to any consumer product that’s over $25, that’s under warranty, written warranty,” Kimmel said.

In Hovasse's case, Nissan bought back the car, reimbursed him for the car seats and paid his attorneys fees.

“I would do it again if I had another lemon, which I hope I don’t," Hovasse said.

If you’ve experienced a problem with a car, or any major appliance for that matter, you can visit www.lemonlaw.com to find out how you can use this law to your advantage.

To read the Magnuson Moss Warranty Act, click here.

To access the Massachusetts lemon law, click here.

Federal Consumer Law Can Help Weed Out Lemon Cars

Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act Covers Products Over $25

(CBS4) BOSTON If your new car turns out to be a clunker, and it's too late to get your money back under the state's lemon law, a federal regulation, known as the Magnuson Moss Warranty Act, could help save you time, energy and money.

The law covers any consumer product that cost over $25 and is covered under a written warranty.

Tim Hovasse, a resident of Burlington, purchased a 2004 Nissan Quest minivan that reportedly had skylights that started to leak and a side window that popped out, ruining two car seats.

“We just went for a bigger car and then we just got a big headache," Hovasse said. “It was jut one nightmare after another."

Hovasse said the problems led to multiple, fruitless trips to the dealership, who could not find out what the problem was.

Since the problems didn’t begin until a year after Hovasse bought the car, he couldn’t file a claim under the Massachusetts lemon law, which, for new motor vehicles, offers consumers a "term of protection" of one year or 15,000 miles of use from the date of original delivery of a new motor vehicle.

Hovasse hired a consumer attorney, Craig Thor Kimmel, who said they should fight Nissan by using a federal law called the Magnuson Moss Warranty Act.

The law was enacted in 1975 after Congress found that many merchants were misrepresenting or ignoring the terms of a warranty.

“We use the federal law in addition to the state law to get the manufacturers to provide the recovery and pay the attorneys fees,” Kimmel said.

According to Kimmel, most motorists don't know about the act and it covers more than cars.

“It applies to any consumer product that’s over $25, that’s under warranty, written warranty,” Kimmel said.

In Hovasse's case, Nissan bought back the car, reimbursed him for the car seats and paid his attorneys fees.

“I would do it again if I had another lemon, which I hope I don’t," Hovasse said.

If you’ve experienced a problem with a car, or any major appliance for that matter, you can visit www.lemonlaw.com to find out how you can use this law to your advantage.

To read the Magnuson Moss Warranty Act, click here.

To access the Massachusetts lemon law, click here.