Under South Dakota Lemon Law, any vehicle that exhibits one or more problems that have a significant impact on the vehicles safety, use, or value, it may be a lemon. The defects must arise as a result of normal daily use, the South Dakota Lemon Law does not come into effect if the defect was caused by owner abuse or neglect. The problems cannot be traced back to an accident or unauthorized modification.
The South Dakota Lemon Law:
The Lemon Law in many states applies only to vehicles that were purchased new, the law in Dakota covers both new and used vehicles as long as they have not driven more than 24,000 miles or the claim is made within two years from the original delivery date.
The Lemon Law in South Dakota defines a lemon as a vehicle that:
- Has a serious defect that cannot be fixed after four tries, or
- The vehicle has been in the shop for repairs for an aggregate of 30 days
When the vehicle reaches either of these limits, the manufacturer still has one final chance to fix the defect; this is granted after you advise them and provide substantiating documentation. The manufacturer has seven days to respond and a further 14 days to resolve the issue.
The importance of records:
Whenever you buy a car, never destroy any records. Hold on to any and all repair orders, log the dates in and out of the shop, the mileage and any out of pocket expenses you had as a result of your car being unavailable to you.
If, after the final try, the defect has not been rectified, one of two things can happen.
- Resolution of the dispute through the manufacturers disputes process as long as the process is in compliance with the South Dakota Lemon Law regulations.
- If the manufacturer does not have an approved dispute settlement process or you are dissatisfied with the outcome, you can engage a Lemon Law attorney and file a civil case against the vehicle manufacturer.
If you win your case, the manufacturer will be obliged to provide a replacement vehicle or return your money.
The South Dakota Lemon Law was enacted to provide consumers with protection in the event the car they purchased turns out to be a lemon. For details on how you can get satisfaction, you are invited to visit the website of website
