Can used cars be lemons?

On Behalf of | Feb 18, 2022 | Used Car

When people think about lemon laws, they often think about buying a brand new car that turns out to be defective immediately. It hurts to spend $50,000 on a vehicle that you thought would last you for years and then wind up in the shop in the first few weeks. This is clearly not the product you thought you were purchasing and you feel like you’ve been ripped off by the manufacturer and the dealership.

But what if you buy a used car? Can the dealership then get around your claims that the vehicle is a lemon by saying that used cars just break down and it’s a risk that you took?

That car may still be a lemon

This does differ from case to case, but it is possible for a used car to be a lemon. One way that this happens is when the used car is under warranty. Perhaps the dealership got it back in trade from another customer, went over it, applied a dealership warranty to it, and then sold it to you. You may still be able to claim that you thought the car would be in better shape and that you’ve been ripped off by the seller.

This is different than simply buying from a third-party seller who isn’t offering a warranty. When you do that, these protections are removed and you may be taking more of a risk. But if you’re buying from a dealership that has misled you and caused you to buy a defective product, then you’re right to feel outraged and you may need to take legal action. Be sure you know about all of the steps that you can take and the options at your disposal.