If your new car is a lemon, the manufacturer must do one of three things. So if you plan to have alterations made in your new car, be sure to have the manufacturer or dealer make the alterations or have the manufacturer approve them before they are made. Alterations are not just repairs, they are adding something to the car or making changes in the car. They can be the total days out of service.Įven if the car meets all of these requirements, it still will not be a lemon if the problem was caused by your abuse, neglect or unauthorized alteration of the car.

The thirty days do not have to be in a row. Under this law a reasonable time is considered to be either three attempts to repair the same problem or loss of use of the car for thirty or more days when the car is being repaired. The third condition is that the manufacturer or dealer cannot repair the car within a reasonable time. The second condition is that the problem causes a lot of trouble with the car's use, market value or safety. The first condition is that the car’s problems or defects show up within the first twelve months or the first 12,000 miles, whichever comes first. A new car is considered to be a lemon if it meets three conditions. New means: (1) the vehicle was sold to a dealer by the manufacturer, (2) it was only used for test drives and (3) title has not been issued. This law protects consumers who purchase or lease a new car, if the new car turns out to be defective. South Carolina has a lemon law that applies only to new vehicles.

What is a lemon law