They Sold Me a Lemon! What to Do if You Bought a Bad Car

They Sold Me a Lemon! What to Do if You Bought a Bad Car

You’ve just driven away from a dealership with a car. It’s a used one, but it was in your budget and it drove smooth during the test drive so you feel like you’re fine. Until a few days later when it stops working on you.

You take it in for repairs and it drives okay for a week after that but then, sure enough, it breaks down again and it’s not just about rotating your tires this time. It looks like you may have been sold a lemon.

To help you get your refund if this is the case, here is a complete guide on what you should do if you’re sold a bad car.

1. Warranty

If you get a new car it’s probably going to have a warranty of a few years or more. Most used cars only have one for about 30 days and that is to solve any mechanical issues that may flare up.

As long as you take your car in for repairs within this time frame you will be able to get it fixed with no charge to you. So, when your car starts to act up within a few days of having it, check your warranty.

2. Lemon Law

So you got your car repaired under your warranty but then a few weeks later it breaks down again for the same exact issue. This is where the lemon law steps in. It states that if a problem car cannot be fixed then the dealer must give you a replacement or a refund.

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This law varies from state to state but that’s the basic definition of it. To qualify to get a replacement under the lemon law, your car must fall under the following:

  • You’ve sent it in for repairs three times or more for the same issue and it fails to get fixed.
  • The car has been out of service for 20 days or more and cannot run correctly.
  • The car’s malfunction could result in your death or injury.

On top of your car falling into one of these categories, you must also have documentation. For example, something that shows how many repair attempts you’ve been through.

3. Head to an Attorney

When you decide to make your claim under the lemon law you will send a formal letter to the dealer. If they deny the claim you should then decide if you want to take it to these law experts or not.

Usually, you will go through an arbitration process before the case can touch the courtroom. Going to court is pretty much the last resort.

Still, you should have a lawyer through the entire process. Goodness knows the dealer will.

Everything You Need to Do if You’re Sold a Bad Car

Sinking a bunch of money into a vehicle can be devastating if it turns out to be a bad car. The good news is that there is a process you can go through to get compensation. We hope you’re able to use this guide to get yourself into a new car.

Did these steps get you the compensation that you deserve? Check out our blog for more tips like the ones you read here.