Chrysler's warranty coverage, by the warranty's own terms, begins upon delivery of the vehicle. Therefore, the Lemon Law was triggered at the time the truck was delivered. But Dieter and Hermes had noticed the scratches prior to accepting delivery of the vehicle. This was before coverage of the Lemon Law began to run, as delivery had not taken place. That the scratches were present at delivery is not important.
Many defects causing return under the Lemon Law probably are present at delivery.
What is important is that Dieter and Hermes knew about the scratches. The Lemon Law covers defects the consumer becomes aware of subsequent to delivery. Here, the consumers were fully aware of the defect, yet accepted the truck anyway. Our conclusion that the Lemon Law covers only those defects that manifest themselves to the consumer after delivery is in keeping with the purpose behind the Lemon Law. The Lemon Law was enacted to protect the consumer who makes a large investment in a brand new vehicle only to find that the vehicle is a dud.