5 Questions Answered About Lemon Cars

You’ve probably heard someone say “That car is a lemon” or something similar in the past. But what is a lemon car? What do you do if you accidentally buy one? Today, we’ll answer the top five questions about lemon cars.

1. What Is A Lemon Car?

A lemon car is a vehicle with a major flaw that a manufacturer or dealer can’t fix in a reasonable time frame. The issue has to be something major, like your brakes or steering. This is partly why there are so many car accidents in the US.

2. What Do You Do If Your Car Breaks Down?

When a car breaks down, you have to give the manufacturer or dealer at least thirty days to fix it. After that, you can begin looking into whether or not the car is a lemon. But what do you do about not having a car until then?

• Ask if the manufacturer or dealer can give you a car on loan while they fix yours.
• If they won’t or if they don’t have an appropriate vehicle, you may have to rent one. For standard cars, you can look at just about any rental agency.
• If you need something more durable like a large work truck, consider a company that specializes in dependable, heavy-duty vehicles. No lemons allowed.
• Ask the dealer or manufacturer if they can pay for some or all of your rental.

Keep all records of rentals and interactions with your dealer or manufacturer. 

3. It Has Been Thirty Days And Your Car Isn’t Fixed, Now What Should You Do?

Now you begin investigating and find out if your car is a lemon. Here’s what you need to ask yourself.

• Has the dealer or manufacturer had a reasonable amount of time as defined by your state laws to fix the car?
• Is the flaw something serious?
• Did the defect appear while under warranty and without the car having any accidents?
• Is the car under warranty or manufacturer’s guarantee?

If you answered yes to all of these questions your car may qualify as a lemon. So let’s talk about lemon laws.

4. Are There Laws To Protect You?

All fifty states have new car lemon laws, only six have used car lemon laws.

• If you bought your car used and don’t live in Hawaii, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, or Rhode Island, your legal options will be limited.
• If you live in a state without lemon laws, research whether you may have a case under federal law.
• If you bought your car new, you have some form of lemon law protection.
• You will need to hire a lawyer to pursue legal action.
• If you win, the dealer or manufacturer may be required to repay the cost of the car or provide you with a new one.

Protection laws exist at the federal and state levels. Your attorney will be able to advise you on whether or not you have a case.

5. How Can You Avoid A Lemon In The Future?

If you’ve had a lemon car,  you’ll definitely want to avoid getting another in the future. If you haven’t had one yet, there’s still time to save yourself from that fate. Here’s how to avoid a lemon.

• Don’t buy a car quickly.
• If you see a car you think you want, run a full vehicle history report.
• Always ask to test drive.
• If the car is used, run a title check.
• Don’t buy a car that has upgrades that weren’t installed by the manufacturer.
• Have a mechanic inspect a used car before you buy it.

Keep these tips in mind when you go car shopping so you can spot a lemon before it’s too late.

Now that you know the answer to these five questions, you’re prepared. You’ll be able to deal with your current lemon situation or avoid one in the future.