Buying a new car is work. With so many models to choose from and so many options to pick, it can be a long and drawn out process even before the endless amount of papers are signed and you drive away from the lot.

Your car is new, under warranty and you're hoping that you'll be enjoying it for a long time, right? Well, unfortunately, that is not always the way it works out. For some of those unlucky few, their new car will turn out to be a lemon. Not all hope is lost, though. All fifty states now have on their books some version of the new car lemon law that is there for you if you find you need its protection. Your job is to know how to use this law to the best of your ability.

Although the new car lemon law may have differing provisions from state to state, the basic principle of the law is that it protects the new car buyer (that's you) from purchasing a lemon and being stuck with no options.

The first thing you need to do is figure out if you actually have a case. By doing some research on the laws in your state or hiring a lemon law attorney, you can find out easily enough if your particular situation meets the law's requirements. If it does, there are some steps that you will need to be diligent about taking so that the law works for you, as it should.

First and foremost, for the new car lemon law to work for you, you need to have everything in writing. Document every repair, every conversation you've had about repairs, and obtain and keep every invoice from these repairs. In most states, you need to be able to prove that your car was out of service for at least 30 days out of the year for the law to take effect. Without documentation, this can be very tricky to prove.

It is important, however, to continue to pay your scheduled payments on the vehicle even if you are in the process of using the new car lemon law. The last thing you need is to ruin your credit on top of everything else. This process will take time and can be very frustrating, but keep at it. The end result may be worth the effort.