Lemon Law

The definition of a lemon can be complex and differs depending on the state you live in. There is a basic point of view of how a car is viewed as a lemon to most people. This is an automobile that continues to have one or more defects which impair the use of the vehicle to be used, the value, or the safety of the vehicle. The amount of times the vehicle needs to be repaired is also considered before your vehicle is considered to be a lemon. If you purchase a vehicle and you are unable to use it, the vehicle may be considered a lemon. The decision on if the vehicle is considered to be a lemon based on the functionality of the lemon is the defect causing it to impair the use. The laws in every state will consider the defect causing the vehicle to not be drivable. They will also consider the repairs that have to be done to the vehicle to get the car in a position where it can be driven. If the same defect has been repaired repeatedly and still cannot be fixed, the car is considered to be a lemon. The amount of times the vehicle has had to be repaired differs by state. The defect is also considered. For instance, the defect must be something causing the car to be broke down and unable to drive. Another consideration of if a vehicle is a lemon is the value of the vehicle. You might have gotten a bank loan on a vehicle for thousands of dollars but find out it is only worth a couple of hundred dollars. If you were ripped off on the value of the vehicle then it may be considered to be a lemon. This is a big factor and it happens all of the time. It is important to do your own research on a vehicle also and understand the value of a vehicle too. You should never purchase a car without researching similar vehicles in the area and in the Kelley Blue Book. The Kelley Blue Book will be discussed later. If the safety of the passengers is at risk because of a vehicle then you may have a lemon on your hands. This can be many numbers of things. For instance, if the wiring on the vehicle is damaged and is a fire hazard the car could be dangerous to drive. It could start a car fire or cause other problems toward the safety of the passengers. Another thing that could cause the vehicle to be a lemon could be a cracked axle. If you buy a vehicle that seems to run excellent because the dealer has run a cheap fix on the vehicle that will last just until the car sells it can be considered a lemon. If the new owner of the vehicle is driving down the highway at a high speed and the axle finally breaks, this could be extremely dangerous and deadly. Any vehicle sold to a person and the safety of the driver and the passengers is compromised is considered to be a lemon.
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If a vehicle has a defect and it is not causing the car to be driven it may not constitute as a lemon. The defect may make the car smoke or make funny noises but it doesn‟t mean the car is a lemon. Many used cars have defects on them and it doesn‟t mean that the law will side with you that your car is a lemon. You might buy a used car that has 15 different defects but it may still not be considered to be a faulty car. All of the defects will be considered if they prevent you from driving the car. If the defects don‟t prevent the car from being driven safely then they don‟t count. The safety of the passengers must be at risk if you are able to drive it. In addition, the value of the vehicle must be significantly lower than what the car was actually sold to you for. Examples of physical factors that could cause a car to be a lemon include if the passenger side door opens for no reason while the car is being operated, the brakes are not fully functional, and the you cannot put the car in reverse. If you have trouble getting the car to even 30 mph when the speed limit is 45 mph, it could be considered a lemon.
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Chapter 3 – Things to Look for
There are certain things you can look for when you purchase a vehicle to protect yourself. The most important things you should have documented include any representations by the dealer, history or repair, concerns, and invoices. When you purchase a vehicle and the dealer is making representations about the vehicle you should be sure to have everything documented. Anything the dealer says about the car you need to get in writing. You should not be afraid to ask for these things in writing either. If the dealer refuses to back anything they say up on a legal document then you should not buy a car from this dealer. It is never too late to back out of a car sale unless you have signed the papers. Don‟t sign anything until all representations have been documented and signed. History or repairs on the vehicle are impossible if the vehicle is new. However, if you buy a new vehicle you have a warranty. A warranty will protect you with a lemon and that will be discussed further in this e-book. A used vehicle can be difficult to have documentation on all of the repairs of the veh...