Just as it is with lemon laws for new cars there is a lemon law for a car which is used although not in all states. The laws that apply are basically a statute that protects the rights of a person that bought a used car that does not live up to the promises made. Whether or not lemon law protection also applies to purchasers of used cars depends on the jurisdiction, in some states a used car buyer may have extensive protection under the law or they may live in a state where the protection afforded to the consumer is far less than that provided to a purchaser of a new car. Generally speaking however, the lemon law for a car that has been pre-owned will provide the buyer with some recourse against the dealer from which the vehicle was purchased.
For years goods that are of inferior quality or the manufacturer has failed to disclose the flaws and faults have been known as “lemons.” A lemon law for car purchasers was developed to protect the buyers of cars who often have spent a great deal of money to acquire the vehicle. A very significant concern when it comes to a car is that fact that a serious malfunction can present a significant danger to the operator and the passengers. Used car lemon laws have been written to force the sellers of pre-owned vehicles to support and stand behind that which they sell and to make whatever repairs are necessary to ensure the cars they sell are safe for use.
The FTC, Federal Trade Commission, have a used car rule and there is the Magnuson–Moss Warranty Act that provides considerable protection for those who purchase used cars. State lemon laws are often far more detailed and specific when it comes to detailing the consumer rights that are in effect in the state as well as the specific obligations of the dealer who sells used cars. A state lemon law can set limits on the number of times a car is subjected to repair for the same complaint or the number of days that the owner cannot use it due to repairs. The laws are quite explicit on the recourse which is either a refund of the purchase price or a replacement vehicle.
The majority of lemon laws are directed toward new and used cars however in some states there is recourse for those who have purchased a mobile home or trailer which proves to be a lemon. Go to the site yourlemonlawrights.com for more information.
