Lemon Law Basics: Used Cars

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Lemon Law Basics: Learn how to protect yourself

Is There a Used Car Lemon Law?

Buying a pre-owned vehicle can be an excellent way to save money on the purchase of your dream car or truck. A used car that has been driven for a few miles will be thousands of dollars cheaper than that exact same car would be completely new. But is there a used car lemon law to cover you if your vehicle has problems that even the manufacturer can't repair? The answer depends on your state and on just how used your vehicle is. If your previously owned vehicle falls under warranty, there is a chance that it is covered by a used car lemon law.

Although not every state has a used car lemon law, some nearly new cars will qualify under regular lemon laws. For example, a pre-owned car might fall under normal lemon laws if it is less than one year old and has less than 12,000 miles on the odometer. States that do have a used car lemon law will be more generous with the age and amount of mileage - for example, in New Hampshire a car is covered by the used car lemon law if it has less than 100,000 miles on it. However, the car must be sold by a dealer that offers a warranty to qualify. Private sales are not included, nor are vehicles sold under a certain purchase price. There might be other restrictions to a used car lemon law as well, such as the purposes for which the vehicle is used or the classification of vehicle. Vintage cars, for example, are excluded from used car lemon laws.

Used car lemon laws normally cover a much shorter period of time than new car laws. They oftentimes range from 30 to 90 days, depending on your used vehicle's mileage. However, if you notify your dealer of a problem that is covered by the used car lemon law, the warranty will last until the problem is repaired. If the problem cannot be repaired, you can expect to receive a refund of the amount you paid for a vehicle or a replacement vehicle of equivalent value. For more information about whether you are covered by a used car lemon law and what criteria must be met to invoke it, check with the laws of your state.

Each state also has different lemon laws so be sure to check out the lemon laws for your particular state.