Have You Bought a Lemon?

Unfortunately even new vehicles can sometimes be lemons. Do you know what a lemon is? Of course you know the characteristics but there are specific guidelines that are used to determine if a car actually is a lemon or not. The cause of a lemon of car can be varied. One part missing can set off the entire vehicle and a tool that is dull or imperfect during the manufacturing process can cause a vehicle to become a lemon as well. This is a problem that is big enough to cause legislation to be passed regarding these unreliable, called Lemon Laws.

In a basic sense a car is deemed a lemon if it has been out of service more than three or four times in a specific time or in service for 25 to 35 days in a specific time as well. The reality is if you feel like you have a lemon on your hands you need to take action quickly to learn what you can do about the lemon of a vehicle. What you need to do if you feel the car you bought is a lemon is consult an attorney to learn more about what your state deems a lemon and what it doesn’t.

Typically when a car is found to be a lemon, or at least thought to be, you have to file suit. This is normal procedure to automakers and an expected course of action. Legal fees incurred during the Lemon Law suit are paid by the automaker. If the car is deemed to be a lemon you can gain all of the money back you have paid into the vehicle and have the loan paid off. This amount is typically reduced based on the mileage you have driven the vehicle but that is the only difference you may incur.

While this process works well when buying a car from a dealer, if you purchase a vehicle from an individual you need to take three important steps to protect yourself. First, take a test drive in the city and highway and really test out the vehicle. Second, get a Carfax and see what is on the report. You might see some repeat service items which could be warning signs of the car being a lemon. Last you need to get a pre-purchase inspection from a mechanic you trust. Take the mechanic the Carfax so they have an idea of what to look out for on the vehicle.

Another group of cars to look out for are those that are sold at auctions. There are some states that don’t require a lemon to be branded as such and these cars are then sold at auction as late-model used cars. It’s a good idea to check the lemon laws of your sate before you buy a vehicle at auction as you might end up with a vehicle that doesn’t work for very long and causes you more trips to the mechanic than you would ever want to make.

Most vehicles are fine and have no issues that would deem them as lemons, but for those who have bought lemons in the past it’s important to make sure these vehicles are difficult to deal with and cause months of headaches and financial hardship before you have the case resolved and receive a fair settlement. Be cautious about what you buy when you shop for a vehicle outside of a dealer network. If you want to protect yourself and have an easier path to applying lemon laws if needed, stay within a dealer network and purchase a vehicle that has been thoroughly checked out by a dealership in your area.