Lemon Law and Auto Fraud

Georgia’s Lemon Law and the federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act together create a powerful set of protections for vehicle buyers. The Lemon Law covers new vehicles that develop a defect within the warranty period that the manufacturer cannot repair in a reasonable number of attempts. The remedies include refund, replacement, or cash compensation. Magnuson-Moss reaches further, covering written warranties on consumer products generally, with similar remedies and the right to recover attorneys’ fees.

Auto fraud is a separate issue, and often more serious. When a dealer concealed a prior accident, rolled back the odometer, sold a vehicle as new that was actually a buy-back lemon, misrepresented financing terms, or added fees that were not disclosed, the consumer has claims under both Georgia consumer protection law and federal odometer disclosure statutes. The damages can include actual damages, treble damages for intentional fraud, and recovery of fees.

Transcendens handles Lemon Law and auto fraud cases for Georgia vehicle buyers, against dealers, manufacturers, and finance companies. The work starts with the documents: the bill of sale, the financing agreement, the warranty, the repair history, the disclosures. Most cases involve a combination of statutes that increase the consumer’s leverage and create paths to a result the consumer can actually live with. Because federal and state lemon law statutes provide for fee shifting, qualified consumers often receive representation at no cost out of pocket.