Every state has a lemon law that provides protection to consumers that purchase a new vehicle that is faulty and the fault cannot be rectified, many states have not enacted similar laws that provide protection to those consumers that opt to buy a used car.
Although many states do not have an explicit lemon law used car the laws usually cover those with certain types of warranties. It is logical to expect a used car to be a more likely candidate for being classified as a lemon than a new car but if the purchaser of a used car has been given an expressed written warranty that applies to the vehicle in question then the federal statute will probably apply to the purchase. An express written warranty is often what remains on the original new car warranty, a separate warranty provided by the dealer or an extended warranty that was purchased from the seller at the same time the car was purchased.
Some states do have used car lemon laws:
Some state legislatures have passed laws that provide some relief to those consumers that purchase a used car that can be considered a lemon. Just as new car lemon laws vary between states, the same is true for lemon law used car but the criteria is often based on the number of miles on the odometer or the age of the vehicle. In the event the vehicle exhibits problems during the statutory warranty period the dealer that sold the vehicle is given an opportunity to repair it. Just as with new car lemon laws, if the defect cannot be rectified after a number of attempts, normally three, the dealer is given the option of providing the buyer with another vehicle which is substantially the same as the original car or to buy the faulty vehicle back.
Consumer protection laws:
As well as lemon laws that apply to used cars, some states also have consumer protection laws that address the issue of deceptive sales practices of used cars. These state laws require that a used car dealer answer any and all questions that the consumer has and that the answers are honest. In the event the consumer purchases the vehicle based on the answers given and it so turns out that the information was false, the aggrieved consumer may have a justifiable claim against the errant dealer. For added protection, some states make it mandatory that a dealer disclose facts about the vehicle even though the potential buyer has not inquired.
Not all states have a lemon law used car but even in the absence of a defined law consumers have rights in the event they purchase a lemon used car. For detailed information you are invited to visit the website YourLemonLawRIghts.com.
