Don't put up with a lemon - Call one of our attorneys at Macey & Aleman to discuss your rights under the Texas lemon law

Macey & Aleman is one of the nation's largest consumer protection law firms. Our Texas attorneys strive to protect your rights under the Texas lemon law. If you think you may have a lemon, you need someone well versed in the Texas lemon law to fight for you.

What you need to know about the Texas lemon law

The Texas lemon law covers cars, trucks, vans, motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles, motor homes, towable recreational vehicles and neighborhood electric vehicles.

A car qualifies as a lemon under the state law if…

• Four repair attempts have been made to repair a substantial defect, two repairs occurring within the first year or 12,000 miles and the other two occurring within one year or 12,000 miles of the first two attempts.

• Two repair attempts of a serious safety defect provided one occurred within the first year or 12,000 miles and the second occurred within one year or 12,000 miles of the first repair.

• If vehicle has been out of service for 30 calendar days within two years or 24,000 miles provided that at least two attempts were made within shorter of one year of 12,000 miles.

Under the state statutes, if your car qualifies, you are entitled to have the manufacturer:

• Replace your vehicle with a comparable vehicle plus refund certain incidental costs less a reasonable allowance for your use of the vehicle

• Accept return of vehicle and refund full purchase price plus certain incidental costs less a reasonable allowance for use.

How to protect yourself

Always thoroughly research any vehicle that you are considering purchasing. There are numerous motor vehicle web sites that provide detailed information on vehicle quality ratings, repair and recall histories, crash test results, safety rankings and other information that could help you detect a possible problem before you buy.

At the dealer, don't be afraid to ask questions. Take a long test drive. Seek out rough pavement, tight corners and expressways. Turn off the radio and listen for suspicious noises. Many auto dealers now allow you to test-drive a vehicle for 24 hours.

Get everything in writing including the price, warranty information and anything else related to your purchase. If the salesman makes a promise, get it in writing - a verbal promise means nothing. And after your purchase, don't throw anything away. Save every scrap of information that you get from the dealer including your contract, credit application, owner's manual, warranty information and window price sticker. And most importantly, if you do notice a problem - don't panic. Document your problem, keep accurate records and, if need be, call Macey & Aleman.