Score one for the little guy. Err, woman.

I won my arbitration hearing with Hyundai!!!

They have to repurchase my car. I am still learning about how all of the details with that work out, but the important thing is that I'll be free to go to another car company.

After my experience with this car, I'm not going to be looking very much for the new one. I've narrowed my choices down to Japanese car companies whose last names end in "a". A for reliAbility. Or something.

I am going to do some more test driving this weekend, but right now I've got this little cutie in mind. In part because I traded in a perfectly good Protege for my Elantra, and while I've obviously not kept tabs on my old Protege, I'm going to venture a guess that since we parted ways it's been in the shop less than the Elantra.

I do have to say that I come out of all of this with a lot of confidence in Ohio and its lemon law. I expected to go into the hearing and get steamrolled by a team of attorneys, but while Hyundai did send a lawyer, it was very informal and not at all like that. And while I had a hard time dealing with Hyundai over everything, once it went to the BBB, everything was very structured. And, bottom line, I had a car that did a very dangerous thing, multiple times, and now I have the opportunity to get out of it.

So yeah, if you buy a new car in Ohio, you really are protected.