What to Do After Buying a Lemon Car

For many, buying a car is a significant investment. Unfortunately, not everything planned goes well. There are many lemons hidden, waiting for the unsuspecting buyer. And by “lemon” we mean cars that have serious breakdowns. If you suspect that you have bought a lemon, you must act immediately. Learn more about what to do after you realize your vehicle is in serious trouble.

Every state has laws to protect consumers from products that have serious defects. Lemon laws protect consumers from cars that are plagued with serious defects. If an item cannot be satisfactorily repaired within a specified period of time or after a specified number of repair attempts. In California, if within the first 18 months, or 18,000 miles, a car will be considered a lemon if one of the following three conditions is met:

• There were at least 2 unsuccessful repair attempts and the defect makes the vehicle unsafe to drive

• The manufacturer or distributor has tried to repair the same defect four or more times without success.

• Vehicle has been out of service for more than 30 days due to warranty repairs.

The defect must be severe, related to functionality and must affect the use of the vehicle or must represent a significant safety problem for any of the drivers or passengers. For example, anything related to brakes or the ability to corner. A cosmetic problem, such as damaged paintwork, will not cause safety or functionality issues and will not lead to the car being labeled lemon.

If you are stuck with such a vehicle, then based on consumer laws, you may be entitled to a replacement from the manufacturer or a refund of the money you spent on the purchase and repair of the vehicle.

• Manufacturer Buy Back – In this option, your car manufacturer replaces your lemon vehicle with a similar vehicle from its own stock.

• Refund – For this option, you must return the lemon car to receive compensation. In this scenario, you may be compensated for the number of monthly payments you have made, the down payment, the fees and taxes paid, as well as the money spent on repairs and rentals that you purchased while your lemon was being repaired.

So all you have to do is check the laws, make sure the vehicle meets all the requirements, and then contact the dealer or manufacturer and explain the problem. Make sure to provide all necessary documents (repair invoices, repair reports), etc.

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