Car buyers purchase bad cars all the time from dealers and suddenly find themselves spending thousands of dollars trying to fix their car or being forced to sell it for a fraction of what they paid and buy a new one. Many states have lemon laws that protect buyers from this situation. However, you might wonder if this applies to used cars.

What Is a Lemon?

To be able to determine if your car falls under lemon laws, you must first understand what constitutes a lemon. Each that has lemon laws has its own rules. Generally, either a mechanic will need to perform a certain number of failed repair attempts or the car will need to remain in a car repair shop for over a month. If either of these is true, your car may be considered a lemon.

Should You Hire a Lawyer?

If you are not sure if your car is considered a lemon, it's important to contact a lemon lawyer as soon as possible. There are several factors that can determine whether a car can be considered a lemon.

For example, a lemon lawyer might determine that your car has exceeded the warranty period and can no longer be considered a lemon. However, lemon lawyers have been able to successfully win cases even for cars that have exceeded the warranty period and it's important to not give up hope.

Can You Still Be Compensated?

Another factor to take into consideration is "usage time." This is the period of time in which you were able to use the car before you needed to have it repaired. The car will need to have broken down shortly after being purchased.

Do You Have a Case?

The nature of the defect will also determine whether the car should be considered a lemon. The car dealer might argue that the car actually can be fixed and that it should have been taken to a different mechanic.

A lemon car lawyer has chosen to specialize in helping their clients receive compensation for broken and defective cars and will be able to quickly determine whether you have a legal case. If they believe you have a case, they will accept it and move forward.

Even if the car is not considered to be a lemon, your lawyer may be able to negotiate a small settlement with the car dealer to help reimburse you for your losses. This is often done in good faith and to help the reputation of the car dealership.  

For more information, contact a local lemon lawyer.