New Chrysler to take old lemon law claims

I own a Jeep Commander that has had a lot of problems, and I'm tired of trips to the dealer for repeated repairs. Is there any hope for me to get it bought back under the lemon laws, even though Chrysler is in bankruptcy?

You may be able to get some help. In an agreement reached in bankruptcy court last week, the new Chrysler agreed that, when it emerges from court protection, it will take responsibility for any lemon law claims on vehicles produced by the prebankruptcy Chrysler within the past five years.

Lemon law claims are dealt with at the state level, and each state has a somewhat different definition of a vehicle that can be considered a lemon. If you haven't started the lemon law process, visit your state's Web site to find out if your vehicle fits your state's definition. If you have gotten the ball rolling already, sit tight for a bit longer and follow up once the new Chrysler emerges from bankruptcy under the ownership of Italian automaker Fiat.