Does the Lemon Law Apply to Used Cars?

Before you get into the applications of the lemon law and how it applies to used cars, you must have a sound understanding of the functionality of the lemon law. 

How does the Lemon Law Work for Cars

If you go into detail, you will find numerous different aspects of the lemon law. Nonetheless, to simply explain the law, you have to first understand the conditions in which you can consider a used car as a lemon. Below are the two conditions or aspects that make any used car a lemon.  

The owner takes a car with a defect to the technician and the technician fails to repair the defect after THREE total attempts. In other words, if a car owner has tried to repair a defective car by taking it to the dealer, and the dealer fails to address the issue even after three attempts, then you can consider the car to be a lemon

The second rule of thumb that entails a car being a lemon is if it has been sitting in the repair shop for more than 30 days without repair, then you can consider it as a lemon.

Once you can rightfully and lawfully determine a used or new car as a lemon, this means that the dealer is obliged to give you your money back for the car. Usually, you will have to file for a lemon law case with the help of an attorney to apply the law.

It is important to note that the lemon law can only apply to a used car if they are under the manufacturer’s warranty.

What is the Lemon Law?

The lemon law is an applicable mandate in all states; however, the intricacies within the law can vary from one state to the other. Ultimately, it legally binds manufacturers to label a vehicle as a “lemon” if it has a defect that dealers cannot repair.  

In other words, it is a federal law that protects car buyers from ending up in a bad deal, and from having to deal with the hassles and loss of getting rid of a faulty car. The defects however vary, and this impacts the changes of the lemon law.  

For instance, if the defect in your car seriously compromises the life of the passenger or the driver, then you lemon law can apply even if you attempted to fix the car only once. The general three attempts, in this case, do not apply.  

What to do If a Dealer Sells you a Lemon Car?

In this situation, the preferred and advisable thing to do is contact an attorney that specializes in lemon law. This will put you in the ideal position to get a refund for the vehicle. Moreover, it is important that you keep track of all the repair slips and invoices that can help you strengthen your case.

Final Words

Buying a used car can be a sketchy business, and many car owners have been victims to a bad deal. This led to the introduction of the lemon law, protecting car buyers and safeguarding their hard-earned money.

Contact Alpha Law to find out if your Used Car is a Lemon

Purchasing a used lemon is difficult but Alpha Law makes it easy and will help guide you through the process.  Don’t let car manufacturers push you around. Our Attorney may be able to help you get a replacement vehicle or have the manufacturer buy your car back.  Whether you are in Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Orange County, San Diego, Ventura, or Calabasas, contact us today for your free consultation.  You can call us at (323)51-LEMON (5366) or fill out our intake form.