Used Car Lemon

The Federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act and various States Lemon Laws provide protection for used vehicles that develop repeated problems with parts under the warranty.

If you have received an express written warranty with your used vehicle, you may fall under the substance of a new car lemon law. These warranties could be:

• the balance of a manufacturer’s warranty,
• a separate limited warranty given by the dealer, or
• an extended warranty or service contract you purchased from the dealer at the time of purchase

Federal and state laws may provide a legal remedy for buyers or lessees of used cars that turn out to be lemons. If the dealer is unable to repair the car after a reasonable number of attempts, you are entitled to a full refund of the purchase price.

The Federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act was the first “lemon” law ever passed and it may cover your used car, no matter how old it may be. If you get a warranty from the dealer when you get your used car, then this Federal Warranty law will cover you. It requires that the warrantor (usually the selling dealer) to repair it within a reasonable number of attempts and a reasonable amount of time. If your vehicle is in the shop too long for warranty repairs, or too many times, then you may be entitled to your money back.

This federal law applies when you get a “service contract” or "written warranty" from the selling dealer at any time up to 90 days after you acquired the vehicle. There is no mileage limit and it doesn’t matter how old the automobile is when you buy it. The only question is, did you get a warranty or a service contract from the dealer? If you did, then you may have more legal rights than you think — and a lot more legal rights than the dealer wants to hear about!

In addition, some states have consumer protection statutes which prohibit deceptive acts in the sale of used cars. These laws generally require that a car dealer respond to every question honestly. To the extent that you purchased a used vehicle as a result of a false representation, you may have a claim against the dealership. Additionally, some states require that a dealership disclose certain facts about used cars, such as whether it was a rental, has been salvaged or used as a demonstrator even if the purchaser doesn't ask.

For more information on your legal rights, submit your information by filling the contact form online. Our licensed attorneys will help you find a fair solution for your used car lemon.

If you have a used car lemon and if you want to find out if you are entitled to cost free legal help, please Contact the Krohn & Moss Consumer Law Center® by calling our toll free telephone number 1-800-US-LEMON (1-800-875-3666), emailing us at queries@consumerlawcenter.com, or completing our FREE case review. We will attempt to quickly resolve your claim with the manufacturer at no cost to you.