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If you own a recreational vehicle, RV Lemon Laws are something you should know about. Find out what to do if your RV has problems that don't go away, even after repairs.
Owning a recreational vehicle (RV) can be a great thing. They’re a home on wheels, letting you get away without leaving behind all the creature comforts you’re used to having in your house. But they are expensive to purchase and to repair. As with cars or any motor vehicles, some RVs are lemons. That is, they do not perform to the expectations of the purchaser, caused by defective parts or poor design.
If you’re RV has required two or three trips to a mechanic to repair the same problem, you could own a lemon. Thankfully, consumers in the United States are protected by federal and state lemon laws. RVs are covered by some of these laws. At the federal level, recreational vehicles are covered by the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act (which also covers cars and other motor vehicles), providing the purchaser with significant rights when dealing with manufacturers of lemon RVs. These rights include guaranteeing minimum repairs and providing a written warranty that outlines the responsibilities of the manufacturer should the purchaser discover any defects or should the vehicle not perform up to expectations.
Lemon laws ensure that manufacturers complete repairs in a timely manner, so that any problem is resolved quickly. This only happens if the RV is still under warranty.. Normally, the law allows repairs to be attempted twice before the purchaser can ask for a refund or some other compensation, such as a replacement vehicle. The purchaser can also ask for monetary damages to compensate for the warrantor’s (the manufacturer) failure to perform.
Both major and minor problems and faults are covered by the act. Even a number of small impairments that add up to a substantial problem can be claimed under the act. Any court of general jurisdiction in the United States will hear a lemon law case should the purchaser choose to pursue legal action. If the purchaser prevails, legal fees will be paid by the warrantor.
US states have different variations on the Magnuson-Moss statute and some, like Nevada, do not cover RVs. If you suspect your RV to be a lemon, do a little research online to see what is covered on your state lemon law.
When pursuing a claim against an RV manufacturer, make sure you have documentation for everything. Records of repairs, the bill of sale, all warranty information and even the manufacturer-supplied manuals that came with the vehicle are necessary. Document any phone calls you have with manufacturer representatives, be it in person or over the phone. These documents create a record of your inconvenience as well as create a timeline showing how often the RV has been out of service.