Welcome to NJ Emergency Lemons

Originally posted October 4, 2008



Anybody who has been in public safety for any length of time knows the sinking feeling when you realize that you’ve got the address wrong or that your vehicle is going to have some sort of mechanical seizure that’ll prevent you from getting to the scene in a reasonable time.


Now imagine that your vehicle’s seizure happens again. And again. And again.


If you buy yourself a sedan that “develops repeated defects or lengthy unusable periods during the first two years or 18,000 miles,” you’d be eligible for relief under New Jersey’s Lemon Law. But if, instead of a sedan, you are a public safety agency and its one of your vehicles — police car, fire truck, ambulance or whatever — you’re on your own.


We’re going to try to change that. With support from State Sen. Steven V. Oroho, R-24, the New Jersey Legislature will be asked to update the Lemon Law to include “a new authorized emergency vehicle purchased or leased in this State.”


We want to hear your stories about vehicles your department has owned or leased that have given you repeated mechanical problems that have kept it off the road. We’ll keep you apprised of the bill’s introduction and progress through the legislative process. And we’ll tell you how to help get it passed.


And if some other topics about emergency vehicles come up, we’ll kick them around too!