Contacts:
Ethnie Groves, Governor’s Office, 608-261-2156
Governor Jim Doyle today hailed a decision by the Wisconsin
Supreme Court upholding the state’s “Lemon Law.”
In a dispute over the wording of a consumer complaint, the
Wisconsin Supreme Court decided today in the case of Adele R. Garcia v.
Mazda Motor of America that a consumer’s letter asking for a replacement
vehicle for a defective new car met the requirements of Wisconsin’s Lemon
Law and it unanimously rejected the industry-backed idea that consumers need
to use “magic words” to invoke Lemon Law protection. The Governor’s
Administration filed an amicus brief in the case on behalf of the consumer.
Governor Jim Doyle made the following statement:
“Wisconsin’s Lemon Law is one of the best in the country,
leveling the playing field between ordinary consumers and manufacturers who
have significant money and attorneys at their disposal. The decision today
upholding this important law ensures that consumers will continue to be
protected if they are sold a defective car, and will have a clear right to a
replacement. This is a victory for Wisconsin consumers, and I’m pleased to
say that common sense has prevailed.”
