Your state might have a used car lemon law, but all states and the District of Columbia have statutes to help consumers get defective new vehicles repaired, repurchased, or replaced by manufacturers.
Read on to learn what protection you may have if the used vehicle you buy is a “lemon.”
Does Lemon Law Apply to Used Cars?
Lemon laws typically apply to new cars bought at a dealership with a manufacturer’s warranty. States generally define a passenger vehicle as a lemon when it has a serious safety defect or other conditions that impair the automobile’s use, value, or safety to the consumer. If the car isn’t repaired in a “reasonable number of attempts” or is out of service for repairs for a specified period, laws require the manufacturer to replace or buy back the vehicle.
Many states require the consumer to be the car’s original owner to qualify for coverage. Lemon laws would not apply to used cars in those cases. However, some states have provisions to help resolve disputes between used car owners and automakers.
Lemon laws on used cars often involve previously owned vehicles with the remaining new car warranty.
MORE: Should You Walk Away from a Used Car Extended Warranty?
Used Car Lemon Law
You must also understand that most used cars are sold as-is, without any warranty. In general, no warranty means no lemon law protection. Some statutes require dealership sales and exclude used cars bought from private sellers.
Repeated automotive repairs are costly and frustrating. Even if a lemon law does not apply in your case, other state and federal laws may protect you.
States With Used Car Lemon Laws
Each state creates its laws, and they can change annually. Check vehicle eligibility with your state attorney general’s office or consumer protection agency. Currently, the following states have a lemon law for used cars.
- Arizona — The used car lemon law in the state covers vehicles if a major component breaks before 15 days or 500 miles after taking delivery of the purchased vehicle, whichever comes first.
- California – The state’s lemon law on used cars applies when the vehicle is still under a manufacturer’s new vehicle warranty.
- Massachusetts – The lemon law for used cars may apply if a Massachusetts dealer sold the vehicle, it cost at least $700, and it had less than 125,000 miles on the odometer at the time of sale.
- Michigan – The lemon law applies to used cars if a manufacturer’s express warranty covers them at the time of purchase.
- Minnesota – Lightly used cars have lemon law coverage if the defect is reported within the original warranty period or two years, whichever comes first.
- New Jersey – The lemon law may apply to used cars sold from a licensed dealership and meet other criteria.
- New Mexico – Vehicles transferred to a used buyer while the car is still under the factory warranty may qualify for the state’s lemon law program.
- New York – The state’s lemon law may cover defective used cars if the dealer provides a written warranty. Arbitration requests come if the dealer cannot repair the vehicle after a reasonable number of tries.
- Rhode Island – A used vehicle qualifies if it’s been to the mechanic three times for the same defect within its dealer warranty period or has been out of service for 15 days within the warranty period.
- Vermont – Used vehicles are covered under the lemon law if the first repair occurs within the manufacturer’s express warranty, and it meets other eligibility requirements.
There should be laws in every state protecting consumers when buying used cars; it seems that isn’t a priority for many.
Thanks for reading, Anakin. Uniform lemon law coverage for used cars might be wishful thinking, but remember that other state and federal laws might protect you when a vehicle needs repeated repairs.
It is crazy that this is not a law in every state. Protecting consumers doesn’t seem to be a priority to many.