Lemon Laws: What Happens If Someone Sold Me a Lemon Car?

Chances are, you’ve heard someone say their car was a lemon. You may have even uttered this sad sentence yourself!

What many people don’t know is that every day, consumers unknowingly purchase vehicles that are defective beyond repair. It’s not fair and it’s not ethical practice.

Have you found yourself on the unfortunate end of a vehicle transaction?

Check the lemon laws! Below, we will discuss lemon laws and how they may be able to assist you if you’re on the bad end of this deal.

What Are Lemons Laws and How Can They Help You?

Thankfully, there are lemon laws and Lemon Law Firms. Lemon laws protect you from being ripped off if you buy a lemon.

A lemon car is a car that just doesn’t work. If you buy a car and it has problems that several repairs can’t fix, there’s likely something fatally wrong with the vehicle itself.

Here are the three most things to remember about lemon laws.

1. It’s All About the Warranty

Of all the lemon law requirements, the most important is that you have a warranty. No warranty means you won’t have the protection you need if you do buy that dream car and its a big, fat lemon.

A warranty is more than just a nice piece of paper. It is a guarantee. It is an agreement between you and the manufacturer–or whoever issued the warranty–that this automobile you bought will operate in some fundamental way.

The warranty entitles you to compensation if your car breaks down before its time.

Also, the warranty is critical because it means you can’t just take any old car and claim its a lemon. The warranty is a boundary that protects both you and the manufacturer.

2. Federal vs State Lemon Laws

There are lemon laws on both the federal and state level. The primary federal lemon laws are the Magnuson-Mass Warranty Act and the Uniform Commercial Code. They provide essential protection for consumers, but they do not include all aspects of lemon laws.

On the state level, specific lemon laws may exist. Many states don’t have official lemon laws in the books, so lawyers often piece together a case from existing consumer protection laws.

For a list of state lemon laws, visit the Better Business Bureau website.

3. Keeping a Paper Trail

As with most transactions, it is crucial to keep accurate records. You’ll want to keep records of repairs since the number of unsuccessful repairs is what gives you grounds to get compensation.

Typical lemon laws require three to four unsuccessful repair attempts within the first two years of owning a vehicle. Some may require your car to be unusable for at least 30 days.

No matter what state you live in if you may have purchased a lemon, start keeping records right away.

Is that lemon still hanging out in your driveway? Visit junk my car and see how you can get rid of it and earn a few bucks too.

Know Before You Buy

The best way to protect yourself against a bad purchase is to research.

Learning as much as you can helps you make wiser decisions when you start shopping around for a car!

If you want to learn more about lemon laws or anything else car-related, browse the rest of our website for more articles.