Most people when they think of the word lemon, they think the sour, tangy and yellow fruit. What some people don't know is that the word "lemon" also has a slang meaning that has become very popular over the years, especially in the automotive industry. Even tho the term lemon is more commenly used to describe a cheap and junky car, it can be used for just about any merchandise that is faulty, poorly made, or broken. Using the word lemon this way has most likely become increasingly popular due to the many companies and crooked car sales men selling faulty products. In fact there is even a "Lemon Law" that obligates manufacturers or sellers to repair, replace, or refund the price of a motor vehicle if it proves to be defective.

Wisconsin Lemon Law
If the motor vehicle you buy or lease in Wisconsin turns out to be a "lemon," under Wisconsin Lemon Law the manufacturer has to replace it free or refund the price (minus a reasonable amount for mileage).

What defines a lemon under Wisconsin Law?
A new vehicle--no more than a year old and still under warranty--is a "lemon" if it has a serious defect the dealer can't fix in four tries, or it has one or many defects that prevent you from using it for 30 days or more (the 30 days need not be consecutive) A defect covered by the Lemon Law must seriously affect the use, value or safety of your vehicle and must be covered by the warranty. An irritating rattle may not be "serious" enough to make your car a lemon. Stalling probably is. The Wisconsin Lemon law covers any new car, truck, motorcycle or motor home you buy or lease in Wisconsin, even if you register the vehicle in another state. It also covers a demonstrator or executive vehicle The Wisconsin lemon law includes no deadline for filing a lemon law suit; a court would decide if your case were too old.

So is your car a lemon??
Your vehicle is a lemon if all of the following statements are true: You bought or leased a vehicle in Wisconsin. The vehicle is a car, truck, motorcycle or motor home. The vehicle developed a defect or defects during its first year and before the warranty expired. The defect seriously harms the vehicle's use, value or safety. One of the following happened during the vehicle's first year and before the warranty expired: The dealer failed four times to fix the same defect; OR The vehicle was out of service for 30 days or more due to defects.