Laws on Returning a New Vehicle in the State of Kansas

Consumers are protected in the state of Kansas if their new car is considered a "lemon."yellow car, a honda japanese sport car model image by alma_sacra from Fotolia.com

When a person purchases a new car in the state of Kansas, that person has entered into a contract with the seller that cannot be cancelled or changed---but there are exceptions to this rule. Several automobile dealers have warranties or agreements in the contract that allow a buyer to return the vehicle, such as CarMax, which allows a return within five days. If a buyer and seller have not entered into some such agreement, the buyer may have to rely on the state's Lemon Law if wanting to return the new vehicle.

About the Lemon Law

The state of Kansas allows a consumer to return a new car if the car falls under the Lemon Law guidelines. The Lemon Law protects a car buyer who has purchased an automobile under 12,000 pounds, and who is the first buyer of that particular vehicle. If there is a problem with the car, before a person can qualify under the Lemon Law the buyer and manufacturer must make reasonable attempts to correct the situation and repair the problem. If it is determined that the car is in fact a "lemon," under state law the manufacturer must replace the car with a completely new vehicle or refund the purchase price, minus a percentage for the amount the car was used.

Buyers should be aware of their rights and responsibilities before purchasing a car. According to Car Lemon, a website that outlines Kansas' Lemon Law, consumers should fully understand any warranty that comes with a car prior to signing a contract. They also must adhere to any maintenance requirements that are outlined in the owner's manual. If a buyer neglects any requirements the manufacturer requires, the state's Lemon Law may not be applicable. The site also recommends that buyers contact the manufacturer as soon as a problem occurs. If a second problem occurs because the first problem is not addressed in a timely manner, the manufacturer may not be responsible for repair of the second problem.

Under the Kansas Lemon Law, manufacturers must adhere to the warranty that came with the car. Before a car can be labeled as a "lemon," the law states the manufacturer must make reasonable attempts to correct the problem, specifically at least four attempts that are unsuccessful. A car also can be named a "lemon" if the manufacturer makes the car unusable for 30 or more days in a row because of repairs. These 30 days, however, must fall within the car's warranty or during a one-year period after the car is delivered to the customer. If the car has multiple problems, the Lemon Law can be applied if the manufacturer has made at least 10 attempts to repair the defects, and those repairs have taken the car out of service for a "substantial" amount of time. These repairs must occur within the car's warranty as well.