Understanding Lemon Law And Used Vehicles

While buying a used vehicle is an exciting prospect it also comes with its own set of challenges and concerns. After all, the apparent benefits of a lower cost can be completely eclipsed if the car in question happens to be faulty in unexpected ways. And buying a “lemon” as malfunctioning cars are commonly known is not exactly something that gets owners happy.

But does this mean that there’s no solution for buyers or that buying used cars is always a doomed prospect? No, not at all. Used vehicles also apply for buyer’s protection in California which is why today we’ll be taking a closer look a California lemon law used car policies and how you can rely on them to protect your investment.

Do used vehicles apply for lemon law?

Yes, used vehicles do apply for lemon law in the state of California, as the state counts with some of the strongest laws to protect consumers in the entire nation. However, it is important to note in which circumstances used vehicles do apply for lemon law and what conditions have to be met to claim a file.

Owners that purchase a vehicle with a transferable manufacturer’s warranty can apply through it. And similarly, buyers who purchase a vehicle with a 30-day warranty or another short-term policy are eligible for lemon law compensation if the vehicle proves to be defective.

These are the main two venues for used vehicle owners to take advantage of lemon law, but let’s take a closer look at what said laws can provide for them.

What policies are there for used vehicle buyers?

So let’s say your used vehicle does apply for lemon law, what can you do as an owner to obtain compensation in this situation? All in all the process is very similar to how it would work for new cars, but we’ll go through it for the sake of clarity.

If your vehicle is faulty and still falls under the warranty period the manufacturer must attempt to fix the issue. If they’ve proven to be unable to fix it then the next matter to consider is the severity of the defect. If the defect can result in injury or death then a single failed attempt is enough to claim for lemon law, alternatively for other less severe issues, you can claim if the manufacturer has tried and failed to solve it at least 4 times.

Delays can also be a cause for lemon law, and if your vehicle has been in the repair shop for 30 days and as such unavailable to you you can also file a lemon law claim. These two are the most common causes for a lemon law claim, but keep in mind that the most important concern as an owner is to make sure there is still a warranty in place.

About the Author

You may also like these