This is an unpleasant situation if you bought a used car that did not meet your expectations. Even worse, if this vehicle has many malfunctions that make driving impossible. We are talking about lemon cars, which cause a lot of problems for motorists. Read our article to find out everything you need about such vehicles.
Most often, lemons are called vehicles that have manufacturing defects, due to which driving safety is compromised. The problem mustn’t be solved even after the manufacturer’s reasonable number of attempts to repair the car and fix the situation.
Some difficulty lies in the fact that different states use different definitions of the terms “substantial defect” and “reasonable number” of repair attempts. You will have to study your state’s lemon title law well to find out the meaning of each term.
What are substantial defects? Without exception, it is typical for all states that such defects should occur during a certain period or the mileage traveled by car. As an example, it is possible to name malfunctions of the braking system, since safety on the road depends on it. The vehicle must be able to stop quickly when the driver notices a pedestrian, cyclist, or other obstacles. Brakes should work effectively on any road surface at any time of the year, despite severe weather conditions and other circumstances. Therefore, it is very important not to give up a test drive and check the brakes so as not to buy a lemon car. You can also use the vin decoder to find out if there were any problems with the main systems in the past.
But don’t think that any damage indicates that the car can be considered a lemon. For example, if the door handle is broken in your vehicle, you will not be able to rely on any guarantees.
Now let’s figure out how many attempts at repair work can be considered reasonable. Of course, it depends on the nature of the damage, as well as on state laws. Some malfunctions can be fixed at one time, sometimes it takes months to fix other defects.
Very often problems arise with the car engine. It is the heart of the vehicle, and therefore, without a serviceable engine, you cannot become a road user. In addition, many cars have problems with electronics. A reasonable piece of advice is to avoid the latest technical models if you are not sure of their serviceability. It’s better to choose something less fashionable, but reliable and safe. When choosing a car at auctions, such as ABETTERBID or SCA, also give preference to models that are popular with other motorists.
Now we will look at the main issue that worries buyers. Not all car enthusiasts know what to do if you have already purchased a lemon car.
- Carefully study your state’s lemon title law and find out what the warranty covers in your case. Then check the warranty documents for the car.
- Contact the manufacturer or dealership as soon as possible to inform them of the malfunction. This way you will increase the chances of a quick replacement or refund.
- If the repair does not eliminate the damage, be prepared for the fact that you will have to initiate the repurchase process. To do this, talk to the manufacturer beforehand to discuss all the details.
- Just in case, find the lawyer’s contacts. If the process takes too long or unforeseen difficulties to appear, you will need his services.
You should know that buying a lemon car can always be avoided. To do this, you need to approach the process of choosing a used vehicle with full responsibility. We recommend using the vin lookup and other services that allow you to thoroughly study the history of operation. The more information about the vehicle you know before making a deal, the fewer unpleasant surprises await you in the future.
Of course, after the repair, some lemon cars will also become suitable for driving. But if you do not want to experience extra stress, it is better to solve such problems before signing a purchase agreement.
