What is a “perfect” service visit for a consumer? You really want to have your vehicle fixed so it stays fixed. Failing that, there are some things you should know that will make it easier for a lemon law attorney to help you if the technicians can’t solve your difficulties.

When a consumer takes their vehicle in for service, the dealer should provide a work order that describes the symptoms that the consumer has experienced and the reason for the visit. The work order should reflect the accurate date, VIN number, and mileage when the vehicle was brought in. Upon pick up, a closing invoice should be provided which reflects the current date and mileage when the vehicle was returned. Furthermore, the closing invoice should have an explanation of what was done to correct the problem, including any error codes or parts that required replacement. The consumer can then drive off with a vehicle free of defects.

We don’t live in a perfect world so not all service visits go smoothly. When you drop your car off or the dealer tows it in you’ll usually be told something like, “don’t worry, we’ll take care of it.” However, when you get it back hours or days later, the repair order says “no problem found”.

This can be daunting for the consumer. The technicians are the experts and they say there’s nothing wrong. Well, they may know more about cars than you do, but remember you drive the car every day and they don’t. Trust your observations. One easy way to see how thorough they were is to look at is the mileage in and mileage out on the repair order. Did they even bother to road test it? Ask them what they did. Ask if there are any technical service bulletins or recalls that address the problem. Inquire whether other owners have made similar complaints. Be polite but get your questions answered.

Don’t let the “no problem found” or other gimmicks which we’ll discuss in future posts stop you from exercising your rights under the lemon law. When you run into refusals to repair your car, contact a lemon law attorney. One thing the attorney will need to help you is evidence that you’ve given the manufacturer a reasonable number of opportunities to repair the defect. Don’t give up if your car isn’t fixed. Take it in again.