Car Insurance Rates - Lemon Laws and Used Cars
The majority of people who buy new cars should be somewhat familiar with lemon laws. These are laws which allow consumers to get a refund or a replacement car when their car initially turns out to be, well…a lemon; a car that doesn’t operate reasonably within the amount of time that you’ve had it. These laws can cover leased cars and purchased cars. The guideline was designed to act as a consumer protection device.
But, do lemon laws apply to “used” cars? Well, that depends on where you live. Without knowing every specific law in every state, you need to contact the office of your state attorney general and ask some questions. Here are some of the questions they should have answers too. But this is just a sample…
- What defines a “used car”?
- What’s the maximum miles allowed (ceiling), and/or number of years from date of purchase?
- Was it purchased from a dealer in your state?
- What’s the maximum price allowed for the vehicle?
- What’s the maximum number of miles driven allowed since you’ve owned it?
- Is it primarily used for personal purposes?
- Are motorcycles, motor homes, and off-road vehicles covered?
- Who exactly is protected by your states lemon law
- Are private sales covered?
- Are only specific types of dealerships covered?
- Are cars purchased at auctions covered?
- How is the lemon law warranty given?
- What if your dealership didn’t give a lemon law warranty?
- What are your rights if the dealer doesn’t repair your car?
- What parts are covered?
- Can a dealership limit the coverage?
- Can your rights under the law be waived?
There are many other questions that can be asked. Again, the best action you can take is contacting your state attorney general’s office and find out all you can before you take action. Quite often, they will have a website which lists details of what is covered under their lemon law and what specific action you can take. If something does go wrong with your car and you feel you might fall under the’s law’s umbrella, the sooner you find out and take action, the better because there are time and mileage limitations to all lemon laws.
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